Tag Archives | Xbox 360

Want Xbox Games On Demand? It’ll Cost You

Posted by Jared Newman on August 7, 2009 at 1:09 pm

xbox360Come Tuesday, Microsoft will begin selling major Xbox 360 games for download through its Xbox Live service, but from the prices we’ve seen so far, it’s not a sound investment.

Endsights got a hold of the pricing for nine of the 24 games that will be available initially. Using the online retailer Newegg as a comparison (because of its consistent pricing and free shipping), it’s clear that in some cases you’ll pay $10 or even $15 more to download the game than you would to order a boxed copy over the Internet.

A chart, and some more thoughts on Microsoft’s bold venture away from retail, after the jump.

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Xbox Sells Costlier Game Downloads. Why Can’t the App Store?

Posted by Jared Newman on July 22, 2009 at 6:17 pm

braidtimXbox Live Arcade is no longer a purveyor of quick-hit, $5 video game downloads, but a place where $15 games are beginning to thrive.

That’s what Kotaku found after looking at the cost of downloadable Xbox 360 games, from the console’s launch in 2005 up to last month. The average cost of video game downloads has climbed, especially in the last two years, but the reason is a shift in how many of these games cost $10, $15 or even $20 for a purely electronic copy. The tell-all chart, compiled by Stephen Totilo and Andrew Freedman, is located here.

The rise in prices on Xbox Live Arcade isn’t a bad thing. It means the kinds of available games are richer experiences, coming closer to what you’d get from a boxed title. Braid, an indie game priced at $15, is the perfect example. Same goes for the recently released Sam & Max Save the World ($20) and upcoming Shadow Complex (likely to cost at least $20).

Digesting this, my mind jumped to the iPhone’s App Store, whose free market is a mixture of zero-dollar “Lite” games, $10 offerings from major publishers and everything in between. A recent report by Pocket Gamer found that the average price of top 10 titles is $1.89, while top 100 games average $3.80. So I wonder: Will App Store games get better, causing a surge in prices?

Before I go on, let me acknowledge that I’m totally comparing apples (har har) and oranges. Not only are the two data sets different, but the gaming platforms don’t necessarily lend themselves to the same demographics or same style of play. But my point isn’t to make a direct comparison between two non-competitive marketplaces.

What interests me is how Xbox Live Arcade is cleverly evolving into a place for high-quality game downloads, while the App Store is not. Pocket Gamer notes that the most successful $10 iPhone games are big-name franchises, such as Doom: Resurrection and The Sims 3, but those are just dumbed down versions of their computer counterparts, and even they’re undermined by the amount of inexpensive and simple games available. Meanwhile, Xbox Live Arcade is bringing in entirely new games while phasing out the cheap stuff.

The difference, of course, is that Microsoft takes on a greater role in regulating its market. I’m not saying Apple should do the same, but when it comes time to spend $15 on a downloadable game, I know which market will get my money.

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The Xbox 360’s 3-Disc Dilemma

Posted by Jared Newman on July 21, 2009 at 5:50 pm

doom3Sony likes to boast that it’s selling “future technology” in the Playstation 3, but let’s be honest, most games hardly show it.

An exception could come from Doom 4, a distant release that will apparently take full advantage of the PS3’s Blu-ray discs. In a Game Informer interview (via VG247), id Software’s John Carmack said the game will “almost certainly” be split into three DVDs for the Xbox 360, while the PS3 version will only require one Blu-ray disc.

This, I think, is more important than any advantage you might see in graphics. Give me a big-screen HDTV, and I’ll generally be pretty happy no matter which console you put in front of me. Making me get up after a cliffhanger moment to swap out discs — twice — is a different story.

The Xbox 360’s inability to store everything on one disc poses other challenges if games begin demanding more storage space. Carmack said another upcoming id game, a racing and shooting adventure called Rage, will need two discs for the Xbox 360 version, but still just one for Blu-ray. It would’ve been easier to split Rage in thirds for the Xbox 360 version, Carmack said, but the game is designed around two major wastelands, so three discs wouldn’t work as well.

Now, think about non-linear games, such as Grand Theft Auto. I can’t say it would be impossible to split this kind of adventure into several discs, but it could be problematic unless each disc contained the entire game world.

On the flip side, Carmack said programming for the PS3 required much more “sweat equity” than the Xbox 360, despite its lack of size constraints. But if game developers someday embrace the roominess afforded by the PS3’s Blu-ray discs, Microsoft will find itself at a real technical disadvantage.

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Last.fm the First Taste of Ads on Xbox Live?

Posted by Jared Newman on July 1, 2009 at 3:17 pm

xboxlivecardMicrosoft left us mostly in the dark at E3 when announcing that Last.fm, the Internet radio station, is coming to Xbox Live. Now, Joystiq has filled in some of the blanks with Xbox Live general manager Christina DeRosa.

Silver-level subscribers — i.e. the ones who don’t pay — can listen for “a trial period” of three hours per month, with occasional video advertisements, DeRosa said. Gold users will get unlimited ad-supported access. A third, commercial-free tier will cost extra.

That’s all good to know, but what’s really interesting is that Microsoft is finally opening the door to ad-supported content. In its current state, Xbox Live is transaction-based. You’ll get a free map pack here and there — and some of them have been sponsored by a third party — but most of the content on Xbox Live requires money, regardless of whether your a paying member or not. Last.fm is either an outlier or a sign of what’s to come.

With Twitter and Facebook integration coming to the service, I wonder if Microsoft has a similar ad-supported plan in mind. It seems likely, considering a recent report by MediaPost that says Microsoft will bring Silverlight to Xbox Live within a year, making it easier for advertisers to get their message onto multiple platforms. If there’s any Xbox Live feature that seems ripe for ads, it’s social networking.

Looking further ahead, could all of this signify a completely ad-supported Xbox Live, as Official Xbox Magazine suggests? I doubt it. My instinct says Microsoft wouldn’t want a free service to cannibalize the paid one, but I can’t say for sure without knowing the ratio of Gold to Silver subscribers, and the company doesn’t disclose that information. I do know that Xbox Live is rich with features, and sticking ads into all its nooks and crannies would be a Godawful mess.

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Fun With Microsoft’s Xbox Rumors!

Posted by Jared Newman on June 19, 2009 at 11:27 am

xboxnatalAt the risk of beating this story to death, I’m going to dip back into the Xbox 360/Project Natal hysteria to parse out what’s actually been established over the last week. As 1Up wrote after the most recent-back-and forth, Microsoft is “creating reasonable doubt until they unveil their plans.” Here’s how, using the original 1UP story and Steve Ballmer’s remarks along with official comments that followed:

Rumor has it that Microsoft’s Project Natal will be released in 2010.
Microsofs official statement says “we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” That could mean anything. It certainly doesn’t rule out a release for next year.
Rumor has it that Microsoft’s Project Natal will be sold as a standalone device for the Xbox 360.
Microsoft’s official statement says “Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary.” This wasn’t much of a rumor to begin with, as the technology was showcased on the Xbox 360 at E3, but here’s the confirmation.
Rumor has it that Microsoft will also launch a new console with Project Natal built-in.
Microsoft’s official statement says “We’re not going to be launching a new console any time soon.” This is vague, I suspect deliberately. It’s like that scene in Spaceballs: “When will then be now?” “Soon.” “How soon?”
Rumor has it that Microsoft’s Natal-integrated console will have slight hardware upgrades from the current Xbox 360, though publishers will be able to support both platforms simultaneously.
Microsoft’s official statement says there will be “no new console.” It’s all in how you interpret it. A slight CPU/GPU upgrade with the same interface, running the same software, could constitute a new console. Or it could be considered a different model in the Xbox 360 family, kind of like how some Xbox 360s have HDMI support and bigger hard drives.

Rumor has it: Project Natal, Microsoft’s 3D motion-sensing camera, will be released in 2010.

Microsofs official statement: The company says “we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” That could mean anything. It certainly doesn’t rule out a release for next year.

Rumor has it: Project Natal will be sold as a standalone device for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft’s official statement: “Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary.” This wasn’t much of a rumor to begin with, as the technology was showcased on the Xbox 360 at E3, but here’s the confirmation.

Rumor has it: Microsoft will also launch a new console with Project Natal built-in.

Microsoft’s official statement: “We’re not going to be launching a new console any time soon.” This is vague, I suspect deliberately. It’s like that scene in Spaceballs: “When will then be now?” “Soon.” “How soon?”

Rumor has it: The Natal-integrated console will have slightly better hardware than the existing Xbox 360, though publishers will be able to support both platforms simultaneously.

Microsoft’s official statement: “There will be no new console.” Okay, but that could be interpreted two ways. A slight CPU/GPU upgrade with the same interface, running the same software, could constitute a new console. Or it could be considered a different model in the Xbox 360 family, kind of like how some Xbox 360s have HDMI support and bigger hard drives.

Despite Microsoft’s supposed debunkings, there’s plenty of careful wording in the company’s statements, with wiggle room for everything 1UP reported to come true. Or not. Give Microsoft’s PR department a hand for “clarifying” this ordeal — with a smokescreen.

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New Xbox 360 in 2010, Ballmer Says

Posted by Jared Newman on June 18, 2009 at 3:54 pm

xboxnatalMicrosoft’s motion-sensing video game controller will be integrated with a new Xbox 360 model, due to arrive in 2010, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Ballmer, quoted by TG Daily at an Executive’s Club of Chicago event today, said the console will have a “natural interface” with a built-in camera that can detect movement and voice. That sounds like Project Natal, the 3D motion-tracking camera announced at E3, to me.

Ballmer’s comments confirm — in a roundabout way, perhaps, as TG Daily’s report doesn’t mention Project Natal by name — at least a portion of earlier rumors. 1UP had reported that Project Natal will be integrated into Xbox 360 hardware in 2010 as a rebranded console, along with some minor boosts to the hardware. The motion camera will also be sold as a standalone product for existing Xbox 360s, 1UP’s story said.

This week, the Xbox 360’s director of product management, Aaron Greenberg, halfheartedly debunked the rumors, telling Eurogamer that Natal will run on the Xbox 360 and that “no new console investment” will be necessary to enjoy the motion controller. Another anonymous Microsoft source said the company urged people not to believe the “nonsense on the Internet.” Neither of those comments are firm denials of upgraded hardware, and TG Daily had nothing to report on the matter.

I’ve already talked about why a new console with shinier graphics is a bad idea. In short, the headaches for existing console owners and for game developers would outweigh the benefits of more processing power. But it’s perfectly logical for Microsoft to release an Xbox 360 SKU with the motion camera built in. If the company’s looking to attract new gamers, selling an all-in-one bundle is the best way to do it.

Update: Here’s what Microsoft is saying on the matter; it seems very similar to what Eurogamer got this week: “As the Xbox team stated at E3 two weeks ago, we are not even halfway through the current console generation lifecycle and believe Xbox 360 will be the entertainment center in the home for long into the next decade.  Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.”

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Rumor: New Console to Host Microsoft’s Motion Cam

Posted by Jared Newman on June 15, 2009 at 3:35 pm

xboxnatal1UP, whose scoop on the PSP Go was dead-on, is now reporting a rumor that Microsoft will release the Project Natal motion-sensing camera standard with its next console. And it’s coming in Fall 2010.

It’s not clear where the information is coming from, but 1UP Editorial Director Sam Kennedy writes that the camera will also be sold as an add-on for the Xbox 360. The new console will only upgrade hardware slightly, and publishers will be able to release games that run on both platforms.

I’ve said before that Microsoft should wait until the next console generation to introduce motion controls. That’ll allow the company to court third-party publishers and launch with the best possible line up of games. However, Don Mattrick , the Xbox division’s senior vice president, said at E3 that Natal allows Microsoft to “leap into a new era of interactive entertainment without having to launch a new console.”

Rebranding the existing wares while offering Natal as an Xbox 360 peripheral represents the best of both worlds. Publishers might be more willing to develop for Natal if they can sell to new and old console owners, and Microsoft could catch up with Sony’s Playstation 3 in hardware power without significant costs.

On the other hand, I’m not thrilled with the possible PC-ification of console gaming. It reminds me of the Nintendo 64’s Expansion Pak, a memory cartridge that improved graphics in some games and unlocked new features in others. Incremental upgrades are exactly what I don’t like about PC gaming. If the rumors come true, I hope Microsoft doesn’t push an upgrade on its existing Xbox 360 user base.

This was a lousy idea that deserves its place in forgotten history.
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No More Coffins for Red Ringed Xbox 360s

Posted by Jared Newman on June 8, 2009 at 3:03 pm

redringofdeathIf you own an Xbox 360, consider hanging on to any box that might fit your console, just in case you get the Red Ring of Death.

Joystiq reports that Microsoft will no longer ship out its custom-fitted “coffins” — somehow I don’t think this is the company’s lingo — in which to return broken Xbox 360s. Customers can still print out shipping labels on Microsoft’s dime, but they’ll have to find a suitable transport container themselves.

Microsoft’s confirmation is a change of course from what Joystiq learned in March, when a representative denied that customers weren’t getting the option of a coffin. All customers from every region around the world got to choose a prepaid label or a container with the shipping label appended, the representative said back then. The new policy went into effect on May 26.

A Microsoft representative told Joystiq that this move will “expedite the shipping process” because there’s no need to wait for Microsoft’s packaging, but you should be able to recognize the spin from a mile away. If killing the coffin is meant to help the customer, some sort of box should at least be optional for people who don’t have one sitting around. Its more likely that this is a cost-saving measure.

Joystiq recommends using any old box to ship a red ringed Xbox 360, but that raises more concerns. Are customers then expected buy packing peanuts or bubble wrap to keep the console secure? If not, what if some other component of the console breaks in transit? I’m going out on a limb here, but Microsoft could face either higher costs to repair additional parts or another PR nightmare when customers have to pay more to take care of a problem they didn’t cause.

The big takeaway? Either Microsoft is getting really stingy, or the company has been shipping a lot of boxes.

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Microsoft’s E3 Presser: The Games, With Beatles

Posted by Jared Newman on June 1, 2009 at 5:20 pm

xbox360If fancy gimmickry’s a ways off and social console networking doesn’t catch on, at least Microsoft’s E3 press event had some good old-fashioned games to fall back on.

And yes, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were there to lend a hand. More on that later.

Maybe it’s because I’m green on the E3 battlefield, but it seems that Microsoft is making a big push for exclusivity in its line-up. Of the dozen video games announced at the presser, more than half will only be released on the Xbox 360, and in some cases the PC. All of the games had some element of bragging rights for Microsoft.

That started with The Beatles: Rock Band, which will be released for all consoles. Xbox 360 owners, however, will get to download “All You Need is Love,” with the proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders. To mark the announcement, Sir Paul and Ringo indeed showed up, even if their one-liners and lack of musical performance was a letdown.

Additionally, the much-anticipated Modern Warfare 2 will release two map packs that will go to Xbox Live before reaching the Playstation Network.

In another slap in the face to Sony, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima took the stage to announce Metal Gear Solid Rising for the Xbox 360. The series has long given preferential treatment to the Playstation brand, with Metal Gear Solid 4 considered a PS3 system seller.

The other exclusives weren’t surprising. Left 4 Dead 2, Crackdown 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Halo 3: ODST and yet another Halo game called Halo Reach all have Xbox 360 predecessors. And we already knew that Microsoft had locked up Splinter Cell: Conviction and Alan Wake.

But as a whole, the games segment of Microsoft’s press event is a testament to the console wars. Exclusivity has little benefit to gamers, but it’s not going away.

One last thing: Microsoft apparently didn’t have time to announce this during the press conference, but it will offer full-length games for digital download. You know it was a monstrous E3 briefing when news of that caliber didn’t make the first cut.

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Will Xbox Live Be a Hangout?

Posted by Jared Newman on June 1, 2009 at 4:30 pm

xboxlivecardMicrosoft wasn’t shy about its intentions during today’s E3 press event: It’s trying to branch out beyond the typical gamer set. Project Natal is one piece of the puzzle, and so is Xbox Live, for which the company revealed five significant additions and improvements.

Let’s make this nice and easy with a list:

Social Networking: Come this fall, Facebook and Twitter will be accessible through Xbox Live. A demonstration showed the usual features, such as status updates and friend lists, presented in the New Xbox Experience’s distinct windows. One feature allows Facebook friends to find each others’ Xbox 360 Gamertags.

“Live Party”: Friends on Xbox Live can watch videos or listen to music together over the Internet. In a brief demonstration, avatars gathered in front of a television (within a television, of course), watching and reacting to the content.

Zune Marketplace: As we heard when Microsoft announced the Zune HD, Xbox Live’s video service will become Zune-branded, but it’ll get at least one substantive change in the form of 1080p streaming videos.

Last.fm: Xbox Live Gold members around the world will have access to millions of songs through Last.fm, simple as that.

Netflix Improvements: My biggest gripe with the Xbox’ 360s Netflix service was the inability to select movies or manage playlists directly on the console. Fortunately, that will change, so a PC is no longer required.

While the Zune and Netflix developments are just tweaks to existing services, the other three announcements go in a different direction. Microsoft wants the Xbox 360 to be a hangout. I can almost sense this ideal of families or friends crowded around the tube, getting a dose of interactive entertainment.

But will people get into it? Live Party didn’t get an enthusiastic response at the press event, and the social networking seems a little clunky for everyday use (especially without a keyboard). I’m reluctant to make a bold prediction either way, but I’m curious to see how this effort pans out.

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