State of XBLA

[Vince]

I just thought i'd start a discussion about the current state of Xbox live arcade as there have been a couple of articles i've read this week that i've found interesting. The first is from the guys who made N+, who basically say that the majority of games on the service suck:

Interview with N+ guys

The second is from 5pb, who are the company releasing the Cave shooters DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label X and Ketsui X on the 360. They essentially say that they were going to release them both on arcade but Microsoft refused as they want less arcade conversions so they are going to release them on retail:

XBLAH 5pb

So what do people think of XBLA, is it all you hoped or is it a case of picking the few decent titles from the poor ones? Should there be less arcade conversions and more original games? Should the games be split into two catagories, arcade and original?

[EvilBoris]

I think there has been a follow up interview regarding what the N+ people said.

I'm not too fussed either way as the XBLA titles barely get played either way, there are far too many full games to keep up with. I think there is a good mix, I've liked the recent release of older games that I've not played. The ps2 era games as opposed to things like Missle command are better in my eyes

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Personally?

I'm unimpressed with XBLA. Since I got my 360, there isn't one game on there that I'd be tempted to download.

Also, for what the games cost, I think PSN is much better value for money.

800 points for a game I can play on MAME? LOL

[EvilBoris]

800 points for a game I can play on MAME? LOL

and ?40 for a game I can pirate? LOL!

[SCCAAMMM]

and ?40 for a game I can pirate? LOL!

Zing!

[Brats]

The N+ guys are really harsh, but then they admit they've only downloaded about six games each. They state the games they like and say all the others are crap, which includes stuff like SOTN, Space Giraffe, Lumines and Rez, which is clearly idiotic. They also say they can't understand why Uno is so popular, which shows they don't have their finger on the pulse at all.

I love XBLA. It has evolved into something even better and the quality of games now (whether it be a retro title, a remake or an orginal) is very high.

800 points for a game I can play on MAME? LOL

That's just wrong in so many ways. For a start most games you can play on MAME cost 400 points. Second, if their on XBLA then playing them on MAME is just pirating. And thirdly there have been very few games released on XBLA in recent months that you can play on MAME anyway.

I can understand why we had a glut of old arcade games about 18 month ago, the developers really underestimated the popularity of it. But now we've reached a point where it has realised it's potential.

The news about the Cave games and the alledged reduction in developer commissions is worrying for the future though.

[Nembot]

A little off topic I know, but it annoys the crap out of me whenever MAME is mentioned on this forum.

The forum is seen by some to be ruled with an iron fist, especially when it comes to the discussion of piracey. This is very admirable, but highlights more than ever the self-rightious and hypocritical nature of these boards.

So while you may scoff at Superfamifreaks comment, Boris, it is often mods that are involved in these discussions about emulator`s and we all know what these emulator`s are designed to do, play illegal ROM games.

The fact that emulator`s are allowed to be openly discussed is a joke, when we all know what they are used for. It`s no wonder this forum is going down hill when every Tom, Dick and Harry is given mod status and setting a bad example with both their attitude and their morals. Jobs for the boys I guess.

In error I posted a link to a website once that had some music from the NES version of Double Dragon on it. The link was removed in an instant, but post a link to site that gives you the tools to play an almost limitless amount of illeagal ROMS, warez or apps on PC, PSP, DS, etc, etc and that`s ok.

Bollocks to ya. You look like Thora Hird on the outside, but you are Arthur Daley on the inside.

I feel better now.

[EvilBoris]

If ANYONE posts link to ROMS etc it will be removed as soon as a mode sees it as per the forum rules, so I'm not sure what your point is. If a mod hasn't seen it yet you could always support the community you despise so much yet constantly visit by clicking the report post button, just like many valuable contributors do.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

and ?40 for a game I can pirate? LOL!

I think in the last 3 years I've spent over ?25 on a game maybe 3 or 4 times.

What peeves me the most about XBLA is befre I got my 360, everyone I knew was raving about it, but it seems the majority of titles are ones that have had a release on retro compilations for every system ever made.

PSN original content is still much better than that on XBLA.

[charlesr]

Nembot: You said you were stopping coming here last year because it was going downhill. Surely the forum's going uphill, not downhill, if you are still coming?

[Brats]

What peeves me the most about XBLA is befre I got my 360, everyone I knew was raving about it, but it seems the majority of titles are ones that have had a release on retro compilations for every system ever made.

Wrong again. There are 122 games available on XBLA and of that 44 of them are old arcade and console ports. note that this includes SOTN (which at the time had never been re-released on anything) and games like Prince of Persia and Jetpac which are completely updated.

So you're smoking crack on that one.

PSN original content is still much better than that on XBLA.

That's subjective, but so far there are 34 releases on PSN in total. For original content of note there is:

GT HD
GT5 Prologue
Tekken: DR
Super Stardust
flOw
Warhawk
Calling All Cars
Pixeljunk Monsters
Everyday Shooter
Pain

Which is a damn fine collection. But XBLA meets it with:

Omega Five
Geometry Wars
Marble Blast Ultra
Space Giraffe
Mutant Storm Empire
N+
Pac-Man CE
Catan
Uno
Texas Hold'em
Exit
Hexic
Puzzle Quest
Lumines
Poker Smash
Worms

[MartyG]

I'm happy with the content on XBLA ( I've purchased 62 of them ) - but not with the rediculously strict DRM stuff - switching to an elite after a dead premium = no offline gaming for me

I can't begin to describe how annoying that was during the live outage over Christmas and the NY

[Nembot]

I thought I explained my case clearly in my post Boris, but you are obviously confused.

My point is that I believe that the discussion of emulators on these boards is no different to discussing ROMS. I have the same view of the discussions on PSP software modifications, we know that some of these can be used to play backups as well as other iffy apps and warez. I think the banning members for discussing ROMS and then allowing everyone to openly discuss the tools use to play illegal ROMS/warez/apps highly hyopcritical.

I must also thank you Boris for pointing out that if I see a thread that I believe to be in breach of forum rules I can report it. As you well know, I have privately PM`d you in the past regarding this very issue.

Now next on the Nembot hit list, Charlesr.

You`re right, I did vow never to return to these boards, but after a lengthy spell away I did indeed return. This wasn`t because I missed your witty banter, it was because of the small handfull of decent folk that contribute here, some of which I enjoy reading their contributions and playing games with them on LIVE.

Funnily enough, the reason why I said that I was leaving the forum was over the treatment I recieved from several mods when I reported a thread on this very subject.

There were a couple of dodgy threads that you posted in once, Charles. I reported them to Reg Holliss and they were closed, a job well done!

One or two of the mods here are the reason why people are stopping posting, so it`s not all down to the scapegoats like Yoshimax. So again we are back to moderator`s attitude and that isn`t just my opinion, it is also the opinion of other member of NTSC-UK. You`ll also be unsurprised to hear that I thought your treatment of Swallow was a bit heavy handed to say the least. That would be a discussion for another thread had it not already been locked.

There are a very rare few on here that are willing to express opinions that don`t conform to the self-righious majority, which is a great shame. But the attitude of one mod inparticular has been described as "condesending" by some, and I would agree.

Please don`t see this post as some kind of effort at trolling or assume that I "hate" the forum, it is an opinion shared by me and some members who are too affraid to post, and some are paid up members too.

[RuBiQ]

I am still harrassed by a certain mod from time to time from a comment i had back in 1998/1999 on a Wireplay forums about piracy, at the time, I did get both bootlegs of psx games before they came out and originals if they were good enough to own outright, my argument then was i dont want to pay £100 for **** games like Kiliek the Blood and Toshinden (which I did at the time) though these days you can come and see any spare money is spent on either origs or the XBL games which brings me to say they have been pretty poor as of late.

I dont even get excited anymore when tuesday arrives and people on here talk about the next day release. MS insult us with there poor offerings and expect £5/7.00 each time.


Re the talk on Roms,Apps and warez it has to be all or nothing, you cant delete/punish talking about modded 360s and the ike when in the next breath post links for the latest neo geo roms. Thats like the Germans killing the jews but happy to wear there tailored clothing.


Off to throw a brick in a cops face now (comdemned 2) haha!!!!

[Family Fry]

I dont even get excited anymore when tuesday arrives and people on here talk about the next day release. MS insult us with there poor offerings and expect ?5/7.00 each time.

Just keep doing what your doing, don't buy them and don't get excited.
MS offer this service and every week there is a title on it, maybe **** maybe good, least you can give it a crack and decide for yourself if you wanna pay for the **** or not.
Next week were seeing Mr Driller and following that we will have Ikaruga, 2 nice titles right there although god forbid that we might already own these tiles though or have played them a million times before, ?7 saved!
Must admit I havent bought an arcade game since REZ HD BUT I do wanna get N+, Omega Five, Trigger Heart Exelica. 3 games to look forward to and 2 more in coming weeks.
XBLA has always been in a state, up's and down's but ah love it and im always curious to see what they pull out the XBLA bag.