[X360/PC] Microsoft's "Game Room"

[EPS21]

http://kotaku.com/5442198/xbox-game-roo ... cade-games

Cash-in on nostalgia, or another Microsoft MS points scheme to get people to buy more crap to customize their avatars, or both? You decide!

Seeing as it's being released on both a x360 and a PC platforms, MS might take this somewhat seriously as they say they're featuring "over 1000" games, but I can already see all these ports being really crappy with no options (Tate mode, what is that?) given the target audience, but who knows. Although it is cool how they're implementing the pricing of the games, like others here had the idea of using MS points like plopping in a coin into a machine for 1 play, or just buying the whole game like any other XBLA release.

Seems like since consoles have effectively slaughtered arcades, why not reintroduce that feeling in a virtual space that can still be profitable, MS devs must have thought.

[t0yrobo]

It actually doesn't seem that bad to me. With their stupid pricing structure you always wind up with spare points, this way you have something worthwhile to spend them on besides the handful of good indie games. They didn't bother to detail the pricing on Kotaku, but it's 400 points to have a game for both 360 and pc, and 240 to have it for only one or the other. It's better than Nintendo asking $5 for nes ports of arcade games at least.

[bcass]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYOmk7ps ... r_embedded

Looks like Microsoft now have a proper outlet for direct coin-op conversions on Live. Could be useful for those of us hoping for Cave converting more of their back-catalogue. It's an obvious move in shifting arcade conversions away from XBLA.

[TodayIsForgotten]

I could have sworn this was a place for your avatars. But, if its actually what XBLA use to be that would be cool.

[jefflev13]

That's what I was thinking maybe got Cave interested in putting more energy back into getting those games up and running on the 360. It would seem like they have a good chance of being approved as Microsoft announced they're going to get over 1,000 games on there over the next three years. Probably the best feature about this thing (if it works), is that they are saying after you buy a game, people on your friend's list can visit your "Game Room" and play the game on their system, even if they don't own the game (if I'm understanding things right). It would be a cool way to get people to try out new stuff and plus you could explain the mechanics and stuff to them - making the barrier to entry less, perhaps.

I'd imagine we will see quite a lot more classic Shmups making it to a current gen home console, at least (and at a fair price).

[TodayIsForgotten]

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news ... Games.html

looks like i was wrong. Just get rid of the damn avatars for this.

I dont know if i cave would be willing to put their games up on the service for 3-5 dollars, though.

[bcass]

Those prices are just for really early coin-op titles. I'd imagine the prices will increase as the titles becoming bigger/later.

[neorichieb1971]

This was a dream for PS3 home. Idiots.

[TodayIsForgotten]

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/even ... RoomFS.doc

Explains it much better.

You can play them either on PC or 360 for 240 points or buy them for 400 on both platforms
There will be leaderboards
There will be achievements
there will be online multiplayer
you can play a game for 40 pts a session (1 or 2 credits)
You can try your friends games for free before you buy (may be limitations).

[monkeyman]

Could be interesting but I'm worried your just going to get 500 different versions of frogger or something. Here's hoping I'm wrong...

[bcass]

The CES keynote mentions that they'll be releasing over 1000 games over the next 3 years.

[jefflev13]

The thing about that 1,000 games statement, seems like PR BS - as that would mean releasing just about a game a day for the next three years (or seven a week!), I just don't see that happening. Still, I'm sure they'll put out a lot (if the service proves successful).

[TodayIsForgotten]

I suppose its no different then what the WII did or is still doing. Don't they bring out like 3 virtual console games a week.

[jefflev13]

Adding in online leaderboards is a huge plus (as well as online multiplayer, which wii virtual console doesn't do).

[bcass]

Yeah, the Wii service is dire. The quatily of the emulators used on that service is poor, and even worse, stuff rarely gets patched.

[Slump]

...or if you really want that old arcade feeling, you can pay 40 Microsoft Points and play the game once, like it was 1985 and you'd just dropped a quarter. Only, now it's two quarters.

Sounds silly to me but I suppose it's a clever idea for people who actually care about avatars and Xbox live.

[neojma]

I dont know if i cave would be willing to put their games up on the service for 3-5 dollars, though.

I don't think this service is a good fit for Cave at all. But it DOES allow for a much more clear distinction between:

1. Game Room
This is your old school arcade games, like the stuff we used to see for $5 on XBLA in the first couple years. We're talking 80s and maybe early 90s arcade games here - Centipede, Defender, Crystal Castles, Robotron, maybe up to stuff like Simpsons arcade.

[edit] Boo ya - Crystal Castles was off the top of my head and it's now official. List of the first 30ish games for Game Room revealed, see link to Kotaku post. In addition to arcade games, there are many emulated Atari 2600 and Intellivision games.

2. XBLA
This is your home for more expensive, more modern games - stuff that isn't necessarily ideally suited for a full priced retail release. That's what has been becoming more popular on XBLA anyway, as the games have steadily become more sophisticated and also more expensive over the past couple years. There are really two main categories:

(a) the original games created with lower budgets and with less massive scope than your typical retail title. Shadow Complex, Trials HD, Castle Crashers, 0 Day Attack on Earth, Peggle. That kind of thing.

(b) your stuff like ports of more modern arcade titles (MvC2, Soul Calibur, Ikaruga) and more substantial remakes of older games (SSF2T HD Remix, the upcoming Final Fight remake, TMNT Turtles in Time Re-shelled).

Obviously, 2(b) is a perfect fit for ports of older Cave games like Guwange (and potentially others such as Esp.Ra.De, DDP, the original Mushihimesama).

3. Full retail games. The newer Cave ports fit here. It's just not that realistic to expect stuff like Deathsmiles 2 or Dai-Fukkatsu (or even the slightly older stuff like Pink Sweets or MMP) to be $15 XBLA games. Deathsmiles and Futari did just fine as retail releases, as will Espgaluda 2. Hell, these games are getting $15 ADD ON DLC, it's unrealistic to think Cave would agree to sell the whole game as a digital download for $15.

I understand that the games might not be accepted in the West at full retail prices, but I also don't think that Cave particularly cares. Hope for more region free retail releases if you won't get a system that can play Japanese region-locked games, or possibly a more budget priced retail release (say, $30-$40) if someone published them in the US/Europe - something like Raiden IV. XBLA games are released worldwide, and Cave isn't going to give up their stable retail sales at 7000+ yen a pop (for the non-LE versions!) in the Japanese market to try to convince the west to get into their games through $10 digital downloads. If anything, the older ports that ARE realistic to show up on XBLA are the $10 enticements to get people hooked enough to build interest in the full priced retail releases.

[bcass]

It's just not that realistic to expect stuff like Deathsmiles 2 or Dai-Fukkatsu (or even the slightly older stuff like Pink Sweets or MMP) to be $15 XBLA games. Deathsmiles and Futari did just fine as retail releases, as will Espgaluda 2. Hell, these games are getting $15 ADD ON DLC, it's unrealistic to think Cave would agree to sell the whole game as a digital download for $15.

I disagree, as far as the older titles are concerned. This new Games Room gives a world-wide audience without the hassles of worldwide publishers. It also removes other significant costs associated with retail games - packaging, disc duplication, suppliers, distributors, etc. Remember, if it wasn't for Microsoft, we'd already have Ketsui and DOJ on XBLA.

[kengou]

This is all pretty old 80s games, I really doubt we'll see any decent 90s shmups on here, at least not for a long while.

[bcass]

I don't think it's any coincidence that one minute they're saying they don't want arcade ports on XBLA, then the next we see this, which has been designed specifically for arcade games.

[Mad Mage]

The only way this service will have anything to do with shmups will be a bunch of terrible 80's shmups.

The price and games released show the crowd microsoft is targeting are older gamers who remember arcades from back in the day.

[TodayIsForgotten]

I'm just glad after years of griping about the direction of XBLA that they are doing something like this. Hopefully, it is ideal.

[nZero]

Moved to off-topic and merged with duplicate topic

[Thunder Force]

Ultimately anything that results in people playing more retro games is a good thing. I will probably try out this feature, if it's a convenient way to play some faithfully emulated classics on a large HDTV. Hopefully Backbone Entertainment are not involved.

A few interesting things to note about this, however...

- No demos for retro games on Xbox Live anymore. Want to try the week's latest retro game before you decide to buy it? Pay microsoft 50 cents. Per credit. Which a lot of people are likely to do.

- Hopefully microsoft won't get greedy, and try to make retro gamers (whom generally have no need for online play), pay for a Gold Subscription each year on top of the existing cost of this. If Silver can access it fully though, it could be successful, even without online leaderboards for these (have XBLA-style online leaderboards been confirmed, or is this just straight emulation without leaderboards like Wii Virtual Console?).

- Will this result in increased interest from mainstream in retro coin-op collecting? Possible surge in prices of old arcade cabinets, when mainstream people get reminded of this scene virtually, and want to try experiencing the real thing.

- As neorichieb1971 pointed out, Playstation Home really missed the ball with this feature, it was almost there but the way they implemented it was lacklustre and flawed. Seems like microsoft will learn from those mistakes.

[EPS21]

Hopefully microsoft won't get greedy

Hahaha, good one, really made my day right there.

[Thunder Force]

Hopefully microsoft won't get greedy

Hahaha, good one, really made my day right there.

I had the same feeling while typing it...

[Specineff]

faithfully emulated classics.

We are giving them too much credit. As long as they get paid for it and the game doesn't crash, will they care if it sounds right, or spare the time or effort in making sure it's accurate? I lean towards "No".

[Thunder Force]

As long as they get paid for it and the game doesn't crash, will they care if it sounds right, or spare the time or effort in making sure it's accurate? I lean towards "No".

Yep, who are we kidding, it'll probably "get Backbone'd" like so many others in recent memory... and without demos, we'll have to pay a credit or two, to find out how screwed up the sound really is.

[TodayIsForgotten]

Backbone is not involved. Krome is doing this all. But, we'll see how that pans out. If you really need to demo a game just get mame. For those who dont know about mame or dont have a pc or whatever, oh well. There are plenty of avenue's to check out retro games. The big issue as discussed will be how will they be emulated? shouldn't be hard to just throw a rom up i'd assume.

[Thunder Force]

Backbone is not involved. Krome is doing this all.

Hopefully they are up to the task, of faithfully emulating the 1000+ games scheduled within just a few years according to the PR. With no apparent previous emulation projects to their name, I wonder if they are planning to license parts of MAME to pull it off (iirc, that's what some versions of Taito Legends did).