Will Assault Heroes revive Xbox Live Arcade?

I've come to the conclusion it doesn't matter what Microsoft releases to the XBLA arcade-- people WILL complain about it.

It's like it Microsoft were to give away gold, there would be those that would be upset it wasn't platinum.

Revive it? Since when has xbla been dead?

"Insipid?" Either you're using that word wrong, or you hated Small Arms and Roboblitz, both games that have received fair to good ratings on Metacritic. What's the dilly-o?

JR

I thought Small Arms was a great original title, and Roboblitz was cool (shoulda came with multiplayer from day 1 though). All in all i've been very impressed with XBLA and if there is anything to complain about it's not games like Small Arms or Roboblitz, it's games like Defender and Dig Dug which I wouldn't pay a dime for.

Your use of the word "insipid" implies that you either don't know how to use the word properly or just plain don't know good games when you seem them.

They need to bring Arcade prices back down to $5 and than get them down to $.99, I'm not kidding or high, I'm serious.

in·sip·id (ĭn-sĭp'ĭd) pronunciation
adj.
1. Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty.
2. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull.

How does this apply to Small Arms and Roboblitz, which are amongst the better XBLA titles to date?

These games are not dull at all. Come on Joystiq - if you are going to be critical, at least be fair. The arcade ports may have been a bit dull, but Small Arms and Roboblitz are original, interesting content.

Show some leadership and stop being critical just for the sake of it.

Damn, who crapped in your coco-puffs this morning James? I realize that since this is a blog you guys are supposed to be "edgy" and include half-baked "comentary" in your posts... But even at that, suggesting that XBLA needs reviving is absurd; calling Small Arms and Roboblitz insipid is at best insulting and baseless; the way you word all of your microsoft related posts though, one has to wonder if you're not perhaps (and I mean YOU James Ransom-Wiley, not Joystiq in general) suckling a bit too much from the teat of Sony... Out of interest, do you even know what the words revive and insipid mean? I'd love to hear your definitions, or at least an explanation as to why XBLA needs reviving... I was under the impression the service is doing phenominally well?

Why the hate? Small Arms is great for an arcade title. Xbox live has been steadily improving IMHO.

It smells like Joystiq is trying to manufacture controversy that isn't based in reality.

insipid?

*YAWN* Sorry but with the exception of maybe Uno or Holdem XBLA is not interesting enough to hold my interest.

http://reviewsblog.sonsofgodclan.net/2006/12/11/clan-support-mandatory-or-optional.aspx

insipid? have you even played roboblitz? moron.

@Triforceowner

Um, $1 and $5? Why on earth would a developer pour their heart and soul into creatng a game and not make enough money from it to create follow ups (especially if they are good) or support themselves. Your name suggests that you like Nintendo games (as do I), but their service asks for mor money for old games that HAVEN'T been improved upon. I'm all for classic gaming, but why pay $8-10 for an old game that I can get for next to nothing in a second-hand store?

I agree with Joystiq on this one... The fact is, you're basing your sole opinion on two of the most recent releases while the vast majority of titles released have been piss-poor arcade ports.

After Lumines, I completely wrote off all XBLA games and anything microtransaction related. I'll gladly go spend my money on Virtual Console games; at least I know exactly what I'm getting.

I agree with Nineset - I play XBLA more than most of my DVD titles. Except for maybe Gears. XBLA has never been dead.

Some of us older gamers still like playing the older games too, so quit knockin' all the retro games!!

It needed reviving?

Oh, Joystiq. You can be so cute sometimes.

Yes DesignerKid, I'm sure everyone knows exactly how obscure TG16 games play, especially when VC doesn't have demos.

And what's that? XBLA has demos for everything? Ya, I totally see how you don't know what you're buying in the Arcade, dipshit.

Wow i must be living in the past because i don't even recall it dying. I've played more XBLA than i have purchased titles.

Come people you know the drill. Only Nintendo gets breaks around Joystiq. Slap out a bunch of old console titles that have been emulated to death for 5 bucks a pop and as long as the Nintendo name is somehow attached the Joystiq crew will be lapping it up like puppy on a teet. But Microsoft releaseses a mix original, classic arcade with added features and XBLA is ready for the scrap heap.

Instead of bickering amongst each other, make a list of what you'd like to see added to Live Aracade:

My Top Ten (in no particular order)

1)Marvel vs Capcom 1 and/or 2
2)T.M.N.T: The Arcade Game
3)X-MEN
4)The Simpsons
5)Aliens vs Predator
6)Any game from the "Darkstalker" franchise
7)Any game from the "Samurai Showdown" franchise
8)Dungeons and Dragons 1 and/or 2
9)Sunset Riders
10)Capcom Sports Club

I know I left out a bunch more but just seeing any one of these titles (for myself at least) would instantly make Live Arcade something to anticipate. Also it's not just the games that's part of the problem, it's the prices. I don't care how much I may like the game, I'm not paying 4-5 dollars even if it is one of the games I listed. Don't agree? Make your own list. Maybe we get lucky and someone at Msoft takes notice.

Is this poster retarded? I may accept him not liking Small Arms and RoboBlitz, but calling them insipid? These are by far some of the better titles to be released on XBLA, period. And wtf was it dead? You're probably mistaking your PS3 for a 360.

Funny how people get caught up on the weirdest things. They attack XBLA for quality, when it has to highest quality original content available, and they attack the VC on cost when it is not even close to the most expensive.

All the while, sony continues to require up to $900 to get fucking crash bandicoot.

DesignerKid,

You're missing the point of the people who are complaining. The blogger clearly states that he thinks Small Arms and RoboBlitz are insipid offerings. Yet both of these games have been pretty well-reviewed. So the posters are objecting to the blogger's assertion that the previous two titles haven't already reawakened a slumbering Xbox Live Arcade. (I think most of us are willing to agree that prior to Small Arms, there were a lot of lame retro ports stacked up consecutively.)

I tend to agree with people that are complaining about this post. If you blog about video games, you should know your shit. But James does nothing to back up his statement that Small Arms and RoboBlitz, two generally well received titles, are insipid. Heck, he doesn't even link to a blase review of either title. Instead, he links to posts announcing the games are coming out.

Certainly, Small Arms and RoboBlitz aren't the greatest games to grace XBLA, but to pretend that they aren't at least an improvement from, uh, Defender, is kind of silly. I actually quite like Small Arms. RoboBlitz looked OK, but I won't pay $15 for it.

Guys, you have to realize that the price is relative to the game's cost.

The developers of one game (I'm not sure, maybe Wik) said they made 700,000 dollars, evening out its cost.

Games like PacMan only take about a month of emulation but still cost some, so 5$ it is. RoboBlitz and Small Arms, however, take millions of $$ to make, so they cost 10-15 bucks.

M$ may be able to lose money in games... but indie developers can't.

I don't necessarily agree with every point in the post, but I think in general XBLA has been a been a big disappointment for me given the fact that I actually looked forward to seeing new titles released and there were little of any value.

And to the cocksucker who called me a dipshit, no demo prepared anyone for the ass-raping those of us took on that purchase.

This is for #18, Man I couldn't agree with you more, those were kick ass arcade games back in the day, and I'm a psychotic Samurai Shodown fan I think that they should release part 2 cos it's probably the best from the franchise though I love them all. Don't forget guys Castle Crashers is coming out early next year and so is Alien Hominid so quit your bitching!

Wow, look how sensitive the X-bots have become. Maybe they ought to ask Microsoft for another Kameo Uno Pack. When Uno is the best selling XBLA game, you know there is a problem!

But if I was a fanboy of a console selling at the same rate as the Gamecube, I'd probably go bonkers too.

#25 "Wow, look how sensitive the X-bots have become. Maybe they ought to ask Microsoft for another Kameo Uno Pack. When Uno is the best selling XBLA game, you know there is a problem!

But if I was a fanboy of a console selling at the same rate as the Gamecube, I'd probably go bonkers too."

SOunds like someone is still trying to make their PS3 "worth it" in some respect, last I heard the PS3 got Lemmings and Sudoko, The Virtual Console has no ORIGINAL games.

In regards to the Uno comment, The only "problem" I see is that people like playing card games - Most people playing are girls or older people, which is a good thing.

The Gamecube comment, I'm not even sure its true (and if it is the fact that the 360 is twice as expensive as the gamecube was would still make it impressive) but anyhow none of my friends ever owned a gamecube yet they all own a 360 - The only people I know who slag the 360 off are the ones that can't afford one.

in·sip·id (ĭn-sĭp'ĭd)
adj.
1. Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty.
2. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull.

Looks like he nailed it right on the head. The only things my 360 do are Dead Rising, Gears, Geometry Wars, and watch Red v. Blue videos. The rest is insipid.

You bitch when there are no new games and you bitch when there are. Let's see any of the crew at Joystiq crank out 52 games a year.

Looks like everyone realized what I did a long time ago about J R-W. Seeing him in that lame CNN video the other day just made the picture complete for me. Obviously he is friends with someone in charge of keeping people employed here.

"Looks like he nailed it right on the head. The only things my 360 do are Dead Rising, Gears, Geometry Wars, and watch Red v. Blue videos. The rest is insipid."

Just because your tastes are so narrow as to exclude Oblivion, GRAW, Call of Duty 2, Burnout Revenge 2006, Rainbow Six Vegas, Project Gotham Racing 3, Splinter Cell, DOA4, Uno, etc does not make the console insipid. Personally, I think every console is great and it's all about the games and not the consoles anyways.

James Ransom-Wiley is an insipid jerkwad. I mean, how insipid can one blogger be? On your degree of insipidity, you rank as the most insipididously insipid writer on joystiq. And frankly, that's the insipid truth. Get a life, you insipwad. Hold on, I need take an insipid of my drink before I finish writing this insipid comment. Ok, I'm insipidously done my insipid of drink. I just have one last insipid thing to say before I leave. Go Insip Yourself, James!

"SOunds like someone is still trying to make their PS3 "worth it" in some respect, last I heard the PS3 got Lemmings and Sudoko, The Virtual Console has no ORIGINAL games."

It's about content. How many games a week does XBLA get compared to the Virtual Console?

But thanks to XBLA, I get to play Pac-Man in HIGH DEFINITION (OMG, how did we ever play Pac-Man without the yellow wedged wheel with low resolution?).

And yes, the Xbox 360 is selling on par with the original Gamecube (or Xbox). What is sad is that the Xbox 360 has had no competition for a year and still can't outsell a six year old PS2. Xbox 360 is dead in Japan, essentially dead in Europe, and stalling in America (500,000 sold in November in America? Very weak.) Microsoft gave retailers $100 last month to market the system which many retailers bundled games (like Gears of War) with the system for the $400 price. Keep in mind that if any system sold 400,000 for November, it would be considered 'dead'. Xbox 360 is right above the 'dead' levels.

The reason why Xbox 360 is not selling is because of the content. The console is too focused on violent shooters and lacks content to draw in other demographics. People eagerly spend $400 on Ipods but the mainstream are not touching the Xbox 360 with a ten foot pole.

If you love shooters, then you'll 360. But a console wins the market by having the largest game library, not releasing one shooter game after another.

Unless PS3 doesn't get its act together (which it should since Sony is betting their company on the system), Xbox 360 is this generation's Gamecube.

I'm guessing the ad revenues were down when he wrote this pos. :)

Why do people declare the console dead? Everyone i know is getting one or has one. I think the fact that they're comparing it to the previous generation is silly, it's a totally different market than pre-ps2 market - which was lit on fire thanks to the move to CDs and DVDs.

It's like HD-DVD, why would people move up if they're not clear on the benefits? They won't. They'll stick to their tried and trusted machines until they have to.

IMO the 360's a roaring success, and everyone loves it.

I do agree on the shooters though, yes it's nice to have a good choice there but we need more things along the lines of kameo, viva pinata, strategy games and good RPGs. And more cutesy puzzle/platformers like Wik with funky multiplayer modes (this time live enabled!) :)

This story was quite insipid.

I've owned every mainstream console up until 360/PS3/Wii (will probably buy all three within the year). I think I'm getting old - the 360 is just hardcore shooters. Boring. Seen it. Done it. Next. The Wii offers something new, but it's a little cutesy. My Zelda years are behind me. PS3? No new games. Too expensive. Who cares about Blu-Ray?

Seriously... all these consoles really need a fresh games. Content drives hardware, not vice versa. They need to BAN remakes and rehashes and Virtual Console this and that. XBLA sounds great, but MS should NOT allow games like Defender on it. They should encourage new titles.

Wow...Holy CRAP...What a bunch of winey bitches.

Some guy writes an article/post..and the 360 whiners come out in droves. HAHAHAHA. I love it. You bunch of bitches.

XBLA arcade needs reviving? wahhhhhhhh...
XBLA insipid??? wahhhhhh....

Grow a pair!!

"Small Arms" and "Roboblitz" = insipid, huh? Last I saw, this isn't SonyFanBoy, Joystiq.

"Grow a pair!!"

You're not allowed to say that til you have pubic hair, Frank.

Small Arms good, this blog post bad.

X360 'essentially dead' in Europe? What are you on about man? The 360 has been the only new console on sale in Europe for over a year. OK, it has some competition now with the Wii, but with the PS3 not due to arrive until March at the earliest (and even then, probably not in huge numbers), Microsoft has the high-end console market all to itself.

I was surprised at the blog topic. I too was unaware that Arcade needed reviving. Sure, it needs some more titles (both old arcade ports and original titles), but Greg Canessa confirmed that this is likely to start happening early next year (on Major Nelson's podcast).

Err..."revive" XBLA?

Has any other gaming blogs felt this way or have I just been really out of it?