Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about $5 to $15 USD. In late 2005, Xbox Live Arcade was relaunched with the release of the Xbox 360 in which new games and features were offered. The games are generally aimed toward more casual gamers, striving for "pick up and play" appeal. Examples of some of the more popular among them are Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, Gauntlet, and Smash TV.
Xbox
The Xbox Live Arcade service was launched by Microsoft on 3 November, 2004 for the original Xbox game console.[1] To publicize the service Microsoft distributed a starter disc that contained the Xbox Live Arcade software and a free version of Ms. Pac Man. Once connected to Xbox Live, customers could purchase additional titles by using a credit card, or download a 30-minute limited trial version of each game.
Xbox Live Arcade games for the Xbox
The following is a list of Xbox Live Arcade games released for the original Xbox:
| Title | Price | Title | Price | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alien Sky | $9.99 | AstroPop | $9.99 | Atomaders | $9.99 |
| Bankshot Billiards | $9.99 | Bejeweled | $14.99 | Bookworm Deluxe | $9.99 |
| Dangerous Mine | $9.99 | Dino and Aliens | $9.99 | Feeding Frenzy | $9.99 |
| Fuzzee Fever | $9.99 | Gauntlet | $4.99 | Guardian | $9.99 |
| Hamsterball | $9.99 | Hardwood Solitaire | $9.99 | Joust | $4.99 |
| Mad Tracks | $9.99 | Ms. Pac Man | Free | Mutant Storm | $9.99 |
| Namco Vintage | $14.99 | Orbz | $9.99 | Pipeline | $9.99 |
| Ricochet Lost Worlds | $9.99 | Robotron: 2084 | $4.99 | Smash TV | $4.99 |
| Super Collapse II | $9.99 | Think Tanks | $9.99 | Zuma | $14.99 |
Xbox 360
The service was relaunched beginning November 22, 2005 on the Xbox 360. The Arcade service is integrated with the Dashboard user interface, allowing for distribution through the Xbox Live Marketplace using Microsoft Points. Arcade titles on the Xbox 360 support accurate and up-to-date leaderboards, with high scores linked to a player's gamertag. Players can see where they stand in the Xbox Live community, take a look at the records set by the world's top-ranked players, or see how they match up against individuals on their friends list. Titles can also contribute to a player's Xbox Live GamerScore, with each game containing 200 Gamerpoints spread over a maximum of 12 achievements.
Consumers are given an option to download trial versions of Xbox Live Arcade titles for free. While these demos are playable, most offer only a fraction of the levels, modes, and content of the full game. A full version of the game must be purchased to allow the user to upload scores to the leaderboards, unlock achievements, play multiplayer, and download bonus content.
All Xbox 360 hard drives come with a free copy of Hexic HD preinstalled.[2]
Microsoft Points
Xbox Live Arcade games are purchased using Microsoft Points. Since these points are distributed by Microsoft they are not legal tender, but rather a form of scrip, sold via the Xbox Live user interface. There are multiple advantages to using scrip to facilitate software sales. First, Microsoft Points are not tied to any particular currency, allowing for international use and regional pricing. As these points are a kind of abstraction of worth, potential game buyers might not associate the point value of a product with the actual monetary value. Also, by requiring customers to purchase points in bulk quantities that differ from actual game cost, customers will always have some remaining points that they can "top up" to purchase something else.
Xbox Live Arcade games for the Xbox 360
The following is the complete list of Xbox Live Arcade titles available for the Xbox 360 console.
(*) Note: LB - Leaderboards, M - Multiplayer, CO - Co-operative play, DC - Downloadable content, C - Camera Enabled
Upcoming games
The following list is of upcoming announced titles, sorted in rough chronological order by planned release date.
| Title | Developer | Release Date | Category | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totem Balls | Freeverse | September 19,2006 | Camera Enabled | TBA |
| Lumines Live! | Buena Vista Games | September 20, 2006 | Puzzle and Word | 1,200 Points, with additional
charges for extra content |
| RoboBlitz | Naked Sky Entertainment | September 27, 2006 | Action Arcade | 1,200 Points |
| Heavy Weapon | Popcap | Fall 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Small Arms | Gastronaut | November 30, 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Novadrome | Stainless Games | Fall 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Mad Tracks | Load Inc. | Q1 2007 | Bar Sports | 800 Points |
| Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 | Midway | Fall 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | 400 Points |
| Paperboy | Midway | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | 400 Points |
| Defender | Midway | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Cyberball | Midway | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Root Beer Tapper | Midway | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Ms. Pac-Man | Namco | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Rally-X | Namco | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Dig Dug | Namco | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | Sega | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Contra | Konami | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Track & Field | Konami | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Mutant Storm Empire | PomPom | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Super Contra | Konami | 2006 | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Pinball | Freeverse | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Darwinia | Introversion Software | 2006 | Strategy | TBA |
| Alien Hominid | The Behemoth | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| SWAT (project code name) | Ninjabee | 2006 | Unknown | TBA |
| Mini Golf | Unknown | 2006 | Bar Sports | TBA |
| Diner Dash [1] | Popcap | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Assault Heroes | Unknown | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Chess [2] | Unknown | 2006 | Card and Board | TBA |
| HoopWorld | Streamline Studios | 2007 [3] | Bar Sports | 1,200 Points |
| Castlevania: Symphony of the Night [4] | Konami | Q1 2007 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Castle Crashers | The Behemoth | 2007 | Unknown | TBA |
| Butterfly Garden | Autonomous Productions | 2007 | Unknown | TBA |
| N+ | Metanet/Klei Entertainment | June 2007 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| ToW | Load Inc. | Q3 2007 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Settlers of Catan | Unknown | TBA | Card and Board | TBA |
| Carcassonne | Unknown | TBA | Card and Board | TBA |
| Alhambra | Unknown | TBA | Card and Board | TBA |
| Fatal Fury Special [5] | SNK Playmore | TBA | Coin-Op Classics | TBA |
| Space Giraffe (Working Title) | Llamasoft | TBA | Action Arcade | 400 |
| 3D Ultra Mini Golf | Vivendi | 2007 | Bar Sports | TBA |
| Megaforce | Vivendi | 2006 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| The Incredible Machine | Vivendi | 2007 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Battlestar Galactica | Vivendi | 2007 | Action Arcade | TBA |
| Red Baron | Vivendi | 2007 | Flight Sim | TBA |
Most retro ports cost 400 MS Points, equivalent to $5.00US.
Sales and downloads
Microsoft announced that as of March 10, 2006, 3 million downloads of Xbox Live Arcade games had been made, at least 600,000 of which had been purchased.[3] Also, over 60% of gamers connected to Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 had downloaded a trial version of an Xbox Live Arcade title.[3] In terms of sales, the best selling Xbox 360 titles were Uno, followed by Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, Gauntlet, Smash TV, Bejeweled II, and Zuma, in that order.[3]
Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting has become the fastest selling Xbox Live Arcade game to date, with hundreds of games played an hour.[citation needed]
On August 22, 2006, the full version of Texas Hold 'Em was available for free for 48 hours, making it the first fully functional game on the Live Arcade service that was available as free download and not as a demo.
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays
On July 12, 2006, Microsoft launched the "Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays" program,[4] which calls for a new Arcade game to be launched every Wednesday for the rest of the summer. Microsoft also announced that it will have 50 Live Arcade games by the end of 2006.[5] From now on, Arcade games are expected to be released exclusively on Wednesdays.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Morris, Chris (October 14, 2004). "Xbox hugs Ms. Pac Man". CNN.
- ^ "Microsoft Xbox 360 Hard Drive". xbox.com. Microsoft. Retrieved 2006-07-15.
- ^ a b c Carless, Simon. "Q&A: Microsoft Discusses Xbox 360 Live Stats". Gamasutra. CMP.
- ^ "Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays". xbox.com. Microsoft. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
- ^ "Microsoft Launches XBLA Wednesdays". IGN. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
- ^ "Street Fighter II will sell for $10 on Xbox Live". Joystiq. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
External links
- Official Xbox Live Arcade website
- Complete Listing of Xbox 360 Achievements
- NTSC-uk's review of the Live Arcade Launch Line Up
