Midway games gone from XBLA

[Ganelon]

Well, good timing in relation to XBL going away for the original Xbox. Midway's games are now off XBLA (and codes to redeem these games no longer work either) as their rights are being transferred. Now, it's pretty likely that WB will put them back up for the revenue stream and these games have already been ported elsewhere. Here's the list:

Cyberball 2072
Defender
Gauntlet
Joust
Paperboy
Robotron 2084
Root Beer Tapper
Smash TV
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

But it's yet another chilling reminder what can happen to games in the future. Right now, we can still find NES games just fine. But as I predicted years back, if piracy never materializes for current-gen digital titles, in the future, folks may be buying and selling entire consoles just for the digital games included on them.

[Jeneki]

Does that include people who previously bought one of those games? For example, redownloading after a hard drive crash or whatever. Or does it just block new purchases?

[Damocles]

You can re-download them. Also, the servers are still up.

[DC906270]

if piracy never materializes for current-gen digital titles

but it will. also i dont consider it "piracy" once the games & console stop being manufactured/available at retail.

[Jockel]

if piracy never materializes for current-gen digital titles

but it will. also i dont consider it "piracy" once the games & console stop being manufactured/available at retail.

It already has.
Both Wiiware / VC and Xbox Live Arcade Games can be pirated.

[Elixir]

Did Midway refuse to put their good games on XBLA, or is that really all they had to offer?

[DC906270]

Both Wiiware / VC and Xbox Live Arcade Games can be pirated.

yes, but i think Microsoft have been smart. Most people are put off modding their consoles because Msoft have been banning those that do from Xbox live. I think this is the way to go in future, when games go fully digital. If only "non-pirates" have access to updates, as long as the updates are desirable, then most people will stick to the legit game downloads. Maybe the music industry could learn something here,,

[Jockel]

Well i get your point, but personally i hacked my box to get around region restrictions-
and now i couldn't even buy the content if i wanted to.
They don't want my money.
I mean its fine to ban pirates from online gaming, but perhaps they should lock the consoles to silver only- this way those pirates still could go out and buy download cards. I honestly would if i could.

[DC906270]

I think Msoft have made modding an Xbox 360 suffieciently awkward to prevent people doing it en masse. I mean, i dont think you can even mod a more recent Xbox 360 at all yet. And certainly there is no swap disc available Only for the strictly hardcore game pirates, eh

[Shatterhand]

You can mod any 360 to play pirated DVD games... you will get banned, but it does work. The "modding" is actually on the DVD-Drive, you change its firmware, and pirated games will work. But you will get banned. From time to time a group releases a firmware that can't be detected, but after a few months usually Microsoft finds a way to detect it. That's how in the last ban wave nearly a million of consoles were banned, most of them thought they were safe with the "stealth" firmware.

For XBLA and DLC stuff (And also to be able to run games from any region), you can do the JTAG mod... which requires some good skills in soldering, and if not done properly, can fry up your console. Still, this mod only works in older consoles, and if your console already have the latest dash update, the mod won't work anyway. And you'll still get banned.

So, while XBLA can be pirated, it's probably only on consoles that will certainly die with the 3RLD, it's a pain to do both the soldering, and the messing up with the dash (you will have to use alternative dashes everytime you need to update).


Just to let you guys know, it's possible to download the free updates and patches and put them on your console even if its modded. It's only the DLC stuff that's out of range for modded systems.

[DC906270]

wow, a shmups.com mod discussing how to pirate on xbox360. now i have seen everything.

[Skykid]

wow, a shmups.com mod discussing how to pirate on xbox360. now i have seen everything.

Awesome!

[Shatterhand]

I am not telling you how to do it or that you should do it, I am just telling you it's possible to do it, and it indeed is an ass to do. I wouldn't recommend doing it though, not only because it's illegal, but because the 360 is based on the Live service. An xbox360 without acess to the live is basically a crippled one... and nowadays they will not only ban you from Live, they will also screw up your HDD, corrupt all your saves and won't let you install games on your HDD again.

In the end, we are all fucked up anyway regarding XBLA and DLC content, and IMO it's clear that digital distribution it's not a good solution, unless the publishers decide to release the games for free after they terminate the service or something, which we all know won't happen.

[DC906270]

unless the publishers decide to release the games for free after they terminate the service or something, which we all know won't happen

dont sweat it, by the time that happens, theres no doubt in my mind that someone will have come up with a hack for the DLC etc.

[Shatterhand]

unless the publishers decide to release the games for free after they terminate the service or something, which we all know won't happen

dont sweat it, by the time that happens, theres no doubt in my mind that someone will have come up with a hack for the DLC etc.

Did it happen with the original XBOX? I am asking in truly ignorance, as I really don't know how DLC worked on the first XBOX.

[DC906270]

^^er, i dont know, ive never owned an xbox. but if its not done yet im assuming its because the dlc is easily available on xbox live. i suppose someone would only work out a way round it if it becomes unavailable

[Shatterhand]

It's already unavailable. That's why I asked.

[Ed Oscuro]

Did Midway refuse to put their good games on XBLA, or is that really all they had to offer?

shh, j^aws might hear you!

The console racket is hard to beat - put games out for system, have people buy them, then drop support entirely.

So what if they can be pirated? How long is any given console going to be available and the games working? If you can back up the games (haha) then you might be able to keep them alive a while longer, but at some point the systems are going to break down.

[DC906270]

^ emulators. im assuming someone will work out a way to copy XBox dlc to pc (in fact i find it hard to believe this isnt already possible), then post it on tha web, like romz.

[szycag]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread.. the Midway titles disappearing most likely has to do with Xbox 360 Game Room that's coming soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCSzWYwW60Y
With enough bitching hopefully people will get the "avatar arcade" versions of stuff they've previously bought for XBLA.
Hmm... does the avatar arcade idea appeal to anybody here?

[junkeR]

This is sort of off-topic, but I wonder why no one has released an online version of Hang-Time or NBA Jam?? (at least I don't know of anyone doing that)

[MadScientist]

EA are working on a new NBA Jam, but it's only coming out on the Wii (for now at least);

http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames/ne ... id=4795625

[TodayIsForgotten]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread.. the Midway titles disappearing most likely has to do with Xbox 360 Game Room that's coming soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCSzWYwW60Y
With enough bitching hopefully people will get the "avatar arcade" versions of stuff they've previously bought for XBLA.
Hmm... does the avatar arcade idea appeal to anybody here?

I think its because Midway went bankrupt. That wouldn't make much sense since they are offering centipede on the service and a few other games already on the original XBLA.

Also, NBA Jam is not a wii exclusive anymore: http://xboxblips.dailyradar.com/story/n ... rogrammer/