Video tour: Game Room

Sweet I'll load up MAME to celebrate.

I downloaded it, got the 75 Gamerscore, laughed at the prices, and closed it.

Too expensive, Microsoft.

Integrate all this into arcade downloads. Recognize our purchases. Quit being little bitches MS. Yes, I rarely cuss, so I mean business.

Looks like a really really bad version of PS Home that they charge for instead of it being free. The fact that they charge for games that wouldn't even be good as a free flash game is even worse. And the fact that you can make a MAME Linux box infinitely better to play at parties means I won't waste my time with this at all. End rant.

I can't believe you don't actually move around inside Game Room. What was the point of this again? Why did we need an elaborate app with all this customization if we can't even interact with most of it?

Seems like wasted potential so far. I could stomach the prices if it had launched with some decent games (I love Tempest like any sane person, unfortunately there is no spinner on the 360 controller). All those early 'Home rip-off' comments be damned, I actually wish this were more like Home.

Free 80 cheve points is the only real reason to download it. Games are way too much money.

I liked the idea, but seeing it in action... lame isn't a strong enough word.

Really not digging anything about this. I did succumb to buying Yar's Revenge, though. YARS REVENGE PEOPLE.

Man, This thing blows. =/ I thought it would be cool since it took a while to download( including game packs) meh instead of spending money on this, I get Zeno Clash next week...

I can't wait to see what it'll be like later this year once it fills up with more games. I wonder what more we can look forward to. I know they said there should eventually be hundreds available. I like it just fine. I won't complain about the prices, because I'm just buying games I want.

I'm really likin some of the aesthetics I'm seein here. So it's that much more of a shame that the service attached to it is kinda lame.

what's outrageous to me more than anything is the size. I dont know about the xbox version, but i downloaded the windows version for giggles today in class and the client was almost 500mb, and 1 game pack was ~75mb for a total of 12 games, 8 atari and 4 intellivision... so i'm at between 500 and 600mb of storage space for games i can play online for free and take kilobytes. hopefully the xbox version isn't that bad. arcade games used to have to be less than 60mb!

I almost bought Moon Lander... almost.

Kind of like GiantBomb QLs. Cool feature!

400 MB of wasted space.

I can only assume that for now at least MS is aiming this at my age bracket. I grew up in arcades with these games and enjoyed them at the time. Hell I still enjoy a few of them now. I also recall bitching when games back then went up to 50 cents. Why are these 50cents MS? It's not like you're paying rent on a building to house the arcade in. I can understand why they are not free. Everyone thinks since these games are old or available in MAME versions they should be free. I don't even have a problem with the price you charge to own them. It would be nice if the arcade version of Scramble I bought years back would work with this. I don't think I should have to buy it twice. What I do have a problem with is how LAME it is. You just hop from cabinet to cabinet while avatars of friends wander around (even though they are playing COD) and get to do nothing really. Do you think I am dumb enough to think SNIPAKILLA420 is in my arcade just because I see his avatar? I see me getting this crap off my hard drive momentarily.

I see the potential.....and that's about it

and easiest 80G I'll ever make

Thanks for the free cheevos! Now get outta my bed!

No I won't call you tomorrow.

Why is Microsoft ripping us off with OLD old arcade games for 5 bucks instead of 40 or even 80 points?!

I'll get the 80 gamerscore. Don't really care about the rest.

7CDC-TGBH-RNAM

Game Room 2.0, the next iteration of the XBOX 360 dashboard. You heard it here first.

What about Atari Anthology.
It has 80 games, and lots a cool extras. WAY cheeper too.

First of all, welcome back from vacation! (Yeah, we do notice when you're gone)

And thanks for the review on Game Room. This was one of the XBLA releases that I've been waiting to get my hands on. Have always been a big fan of older arcade and retro titles. And there's a few gems in the initial offering, but I do hope for more, as I kept thinking to myself, there's not really enough choice yet. And some of the titles I've never heard of before.

Certain games haven't necessarily aged well, and the graphics are sometimes very simplistic. Control is a bit of a mixed bag. Some games control really well, while others leave you scratching you head how to perform tasks, such as the Intellivision games. I'm especially miffed that entering your initials for a high score seems to vary from game to game-- but I do get these are not upgrades but rather emulations.

The interface is both easy to use and a little odd to navigate at the same time. I find switching modes to be a little strange. I like that you can customize your own arcade. But again like the game choices, there's not enough options overall.

The whole mascot option perplexes me. What's the point? You get one and they roam around the arcade.

Overall it's an interesting division, that I'd like to see some more popular games available, especially anything arcade related.

You guys should check out RetroCopy. It's a cycle-accurate emulator with a 3D gameroom you can move around in. Because of this, it requires at least a Core2Duo and a decent video card. You can play games in the 3D game room or in full screen.

It's early in development and It currently supports NES, Genesis, SMS, and GameGear, but there are plans of adding more systems. Arcade support is being worked on.
RetroCopy has huge potential, it gets updated regularly.

http://www.retrocopy.com/

All in all I like the gameroom. The challenges are nice when you have friends that are into hi scores. The ability to customize the arcade is nice. There really aren't that many games yet available but I'm sure that given time it will get better. The gameroom will evolve as has the dashboard. Call me a sucker if you will...but after 4 hours of playing a couple machines I downloaded I feel the money was already well spent.

I'm hoping for the Atari Star Wars game to show up... it'll be the only one I buy.

Game Room is a huge blunder. You can't move around in it, games are overpriced, and the whole setup is clunky! I spent most of my time trying to figure out WTF I was doing and trying to find cabinets. Lame. Maybe if they get TMNT or Splatterhouse I'll be interested. But since they said they are sticking with E titles, I'll pass.
Can't see myself playing this ever again. Shame really.

It's pretty good. Not great.

I hope they'll add games from other consoles and older arcade machines. (Afterall the Game Store icon looks to have a Megadrive 6-button pad on it!)

Could be great if they get some Sega CD games on there (Snatcher, Popful Mail), a Crazy Taxi, Metal slug or Wonderboy arcade game.

Hell, Natal is the next big ticket right? Integrate Game Room with Natal and add Virtua Cop.

Q-Bert, River Raid would be alright too.