Do Xbox Live Arcade Games Really Suck?
It’s no secret that Microsoft has had a difficult time promoting the Xbox Live Arcade. Despite the full library of games that the Arcade boasts sales for many titles have been less than stellar, while many good titles have gone unnoticed to the public eye. The Xbox Live Arcade really hasn’t received much praise in recent times, even though Microsoft sees it as an integral cog in the success of the Xbox 360. In recent times the news and talk surrounding the Arcade has put a dark cloud over the online service of the console, and it has really only escalated after the interview the developers from Metanet Software had with the folks over at Gamasutra. If you’re a supporter of the Xbox Live Arcade and read up on the latest news you’re pretty familiar with what Metanet said during the interview. If you’re unaware of what has recently gone on, the developers behind the recent Arcade title N+ basically said the majority of the titles on the Arcade are “shit.”
It didn’t take long before someone in the industry to comment on what Metanet Software said about the Xbox Live Arcade, as Adam Boyes from the Capcom Community Blog gave him two cents on the issue. I’ve had some time to take in what has gone on over the course of the last week or two, and both parties make good points. In some cases, both Metanet Software and Capcom are right. The Xbox Live Arcade may have its strengths, but it certainly has its weaknesses as well. To some, and in the case of Metanet, the Xbox Live Arcade weaknesses greatly outweigh the strengths. To others, it’s the complete opposite.
Now, I’m not here to add fuel to the fire and continue the hate parade on the Xbox Live Arcade. I’m simply trying to point out that there’s another side to this argument. The Arcade has its issues, it’s not perfect. All Microsoft is trying to deliver is another way for users to game. It’s a casual way, and it has worked to an extent. Now let’s make one thing clear, they haven’t done a good job in promoting the Arcade and they still don’t have the interface executed in the best way. Oh well… you live and learn, right? It seems that there’s something left to learn. Microsoft is still relatively new to the console scene when you compare them to Nintendo and Sony, and maybe they’ll finally get things right in one of the future dashboard updates.
One of the main issues with developers seems to be the royalty rates that Microsoft has recently adjusted. We’re just going to leave this point for an upcoming editorial and move on to another point that I found interesting from the Metanet interview, which was most games on the Xbox Live Arcade suck. That’s simply something that I just don’t understand at all. There’s a reason that every game on the Xbox Live Arcade comes with a downloadable trial, as it allows the user to get a feel of the game before they make the decision to make a purchase or not. The developers from Metanet feel that the majority of the games on the service suck. That’s great that they shared their opinion. Unfortunately, they don’t speak for the masses. Neither do reviewers.
It’s no secret that Xbox Live Arcade games these days have had a tough time garnering an average review score of over 7.5/10. It seems that in order for a game to score high the developers must do something that will absolutely blow gamers right out of the water. A simple port of the game and an online multiplayer component added is not enough to impress anymore. In some ways it’s a bonus to some that developers take the time to rejuvenate a classic or add content to a game that’ll result in hours of extra gaming (as in the case of Bionic Commando Rearmed), but these days not all games released are going to do that. Some users of the Xbox Live Arcade look for games to reminisce, while others look for something that will keep them busy for days, weeks, or even months.
If we go ahead and let the media tell us what to buy and what to stay away from, sales for the service would seriously be struggling. That’s not to say that reviews from the media are always wrong, because sometimes they can be bang on. You should only be influenced by the media on your purchase to so much of an extent. When all is said and done it’s you that makes the final decision because you’re the one that’s buying the Microsoft Points to download the game.
One of the best things to do these days is to research the potential purchase. That doesn’t just mean wait for reviews. That means taking a look at previews, descriptions, videos, and downloadable trials. Reviews can deter or push users towards making a purchase, and it’s so difficult to predict if you’re going to feel the same way the reviewer feels after you’ve purchased, downloaded, and played the game. That’s why you’ve got to get involved in the purchase decision process with the game and not let others do all the work for you. As a supporter and frequent user of the Xbox Live Arcade there has been a handful of games that I’ve purchased after going through a couple reviews that highly recommended the game. When all was said and done I became extremely disappointed that I went and wasted 400 or 800 Microsoft Points on a title that I should have stayed clear from. Who’s to blame here? No one but myself.
Do the majority of games on the Xbox Live Arcade suck? I don’t think so, but I do have an acquired taste for games that are on the service. We all have an acquired taste. I’m in favor of the retro and classic titles that are available on the service. I don’t even bother with the new wave of titles that are appearing on the Arcade. Games like DOOM, Sonic the Hedgehog, Frogger, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are all titles that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and don’t mind paying for. The majority of these games mentioned don’t have hours and hours of replay value, but I knew that before making the purchase and was alright with that. To other people that use the service, I might have a terrible taste in games. That’s alright, because we’ve all got our preferences. I’m just one user that will continue to support the retro and classic titles that continue to be released on the Arcade.
There’s no doubt that the Xbox Live Arcade interface needs to be worked on. It definitely needs to provide more information that can be useful to the user that’s considering a game to purchase. Simply letting users weed through genres of games isn’t that helping. Also, who’s to say that a game featured as an Xbox Live Arcade Hit is going to satisfy all gamers? How much do we let prices dictate our purchase? Again, it all comes back down to tastes and preferences to every user that uses the service. There’s really no reason why Microsoft can’t update the interface to include sections in the Xbox Live Arcade that have the top ten most purchased games or even let users rate the games they’ve purchased through a five star rating system. Users browsing the Xbox Live Arcade could see the overall consumer rating for a game like DOOM is 4.5/5 stars. It’s not much, but a few little changes could go a long way in making the service a better place.
No matter what happens in the future there’s always going to be someone that says “this game sucks, just avoid it at all costs.” There’s going to be times where that statement is true, but there will be times where it is not. The Xbox Live Arcade does boast a large library of games and the service will continue to expand in the future months and years. Some of them will suck, some of them will not. We’ve heard this particular saying so many times before, as one man’s trash is the next man’s treasure. You can certainly apply that to the Xbox Live Arcade. Everyone has the opportunity to be a critic, so in the future lets just be smart shoppers. The Arcade has something for everyone to enjoy, whatever that game might be.
Comments
JDUDE11
9884
They also reject too many good games. Metanet said a racing game and a "physics-puzzle-based Thrust-like game" were rejected. I recall the Duke Nukem 3d devs even said in another interview that they were surprised at what was rejected as well.
If you guys remember Eternity's Child, I read that Microsoft rejected their game too. I thought it was about size, but the creator said that himself on either his blog or an interview that Microsoft flat out said they did not want their game.
That, and they also need to fix their crappy DRM.
EDIT: Their royalties also need to be fixed. The creator of Eternity's Child (which is now coming out on wii ware) said that he heard from other devs that they no longer plan to develop for XBLA because of royalties and are switching to developing for Wii Ware and PSN.
And one more thing about the drm. I have bought more than 60 arcade games(worth 500 dollars all together) which now don't work because of their retarded drm. I have had to deal with Microsoft support almost 10 times and the issue is still unresolved.
Sorry for the rants and my complaining. I'm usually not the type of person to whine and complain and am actually a huge XBLA fan. I play XBLA more than retail, and it was even the reason I started playing my brother's xbox. XBLA is pretty awesome and a great service. They just need to fix all these issues.
EDIT 2: XBLA also rejected Ketsui and Dodonpachi, two shumps from Japan, which I heard are extremely popular.
Whet Wurm
I'll agree with all parties thus far. Everyone has great points. Here are my observations:
1.) Microsoft couldn't promote a non-Halo game to save itself. I really think if MS wants to make XBLA a success, they need to promote it. This means giving it its own blade, an advertizing budget, and a compelling line up. Unlike retail, where people are hyped about getting the newest "pretty box", XBLA releases come and go like farts in the wind. Capcom has done an excellent job hyping SSF2HDR, but MS hasn't done jack about it. They seem more worried about whoring out 10 cent gamer pics than getting gamers in on the digital distro.
2. Penny pinching sucks. Microsoft is THE richest tech corporation in the world (as far as I know), and they are OBSESSED with nickel and diming everyone as much as possible. They aren't concerned about the big wins and that will hurt them. They talk about how important XBLA is, but they don't invest in it. On top of that, they drive away quality (and not so quality) developers by raping their already weak royalties in the name of profit. MS, just stop... at least until XNA is widespread.
3. Users are not allowed to really go crazy with XBLA games. They lack all the really appealing aspects of retail games. For example, they aren't portable, despite their size, because of the god-awful shite that is XBLA DRM. I can't take Carcassonne over to a friends house and play it because DRM says NO! Furthermore, I can't add on and share user created content.
I have other thoughts on this, but I don't want to go overboard. Thanks!
Tomacco
22869
Let me just clear something up about Eternity's Child as far as I know. The game is going to be horrible. I have not played it yet, but based on what I've heard and what little bits of video we've seen, all signs point downwards.
Don't get me wrong, the art style is fantastic. But it reaks of a storybook artist thinking that actually making a game is the easy part.
As for the metanet folks ... they have some very valid points, but I'd imagine that will get lost in how freaking stupid the guy is making himself look. The one thing everyone should take from this idiots tirades is this... "You can't dig up"
JDUDE11
9884
I don't think the wii ware version of Eternity's Child looks too good either, but the 360 version looked fun.
EDIT: BTW, it's nice to have a discussion about things like this. We should do this more often.
Tawse and Turn
11849
XBLA has a fair amount of not so great releases, but the Wii download store has some hideous crap which bombed the first time they were released and have you looked at the PSN PSP download store? A fishing game which didn't even score a 2 (out of 5) when it was released for the PS1!?!
The bad game to good game ratio is an industry issue and by far not XBLA specific. Look at a rack of Wii retail games and you will notice the vast majority are all crap. Then look at PSP, PS3 and 360 games and you will notice all the games with high hopes but are just blah or have gamebreaking bugs.
On Eternity's Child I agree it is an artist who is creating amazing visuals, but the game side is completely foreign to him. In an old thread when he explained why he was leaving XBLA he showed just how little understanding he had of even computer graphics. I expect his release to be pretty, but not much more.
As far as the Metanet guys, well...N+ would have been an amazing marvel back when 3DFX was on the Voodoo 2. In fact a similar physics demo shipped with a FPU add on ship for a 386 I bought. N+ isn't bad, but it was not the godsend to gaming they feel they created. Their ego needed to be deflated a bit and I hope the criticisms of their remarkes is having that effect.
Introversion seems to like XBLA and so does Ninjabee. Two companies which have created amazing games covering different genres. I'd have to hold their opinions far above those of a group of people who created a single cult hit.
As far as royalties go...well the more money good devs get from the sale the better, BUT that also means the bigger companies will be pushing out more crap. If an indie dev can make decent cash off sales and profit then a big company can whip crap out for less in total (and faster as well as more often) and keep a decent profit margin going.
Economics at is best/worst.
Edit: As far as ratings go I personally feel XBLA titles have gotten the short stick. Many reviewers use the same standards for XBLA titles as retail titles. A prime example is an XBLA title being called short of being a handful of hours gameplay (first run through) and being too short but a 6-7 hour game costing 6 times as much is considered alright.
ImmortalWeapon7
10938
Does XBLA suck? I think suck is a relative term, in some cases.
I, for the most part, look at the entire 'coin-op classics' section in the suck category because I find the idea of paying $5 for games like Pac-Man and Frogger pretty sucky. But others can justify purchases like that. Same goes for other categories or game types. It's all relative.
Other things I look about XBLA and don't like is the nearly minimal promotion the thing has. I think it's time for at least another XBLA compilation from MS to release (excluding PopCap's own collection). I still think there's a pretty high percentage of frequent LIVE users completely oblivious to it.
Another thing that's been bothering me (which somewhat relates to my two previous points) is where are my indie games? I'm grateful and all for bringing games like Outpost Kaloki and Eets to the Arcade (which were originally PC games you could only buy online) but where are games like Gish and Aquaria?
And as happy as I am to see a new 1942 (since it's been awhile since anything's come out of that franchise) I DON'T want another Street Fighter. There's already been like 10 versions released in the past couple of years. One already on the XBLA and SFIV is coming out sometime this year. Enough is enough.
In all honesty, I haven't even really been paying much attention to the XBLA lately. With the exception of The Dishwasher, Castle Crashers, and Penny Arcade Adventures, there isn't really a whole lot of truly new content I have my eye on. I've been really looking into indie gaming on the PC in the past couple days.
henri08
14750
As I've read somewhere, the American game studios just make games with good graphics and quality rather than making something new and creative.
I think that it is pretty much correct.
For example, the Xbox 360 Dashboard would be a lot better. I don't say that it isn't good already - I mean that they would improve it in multiple but easy ways.
For example, the review and the 'Top Ten arcade games' things would be really good additions. Also, the prices of the Arcade games are way too high.
There are a few bargains there though. I'm referring to Geometry Wars, Assault Heroes, Small Arms and to Jetpac Refuelled now, which are real bargains and must-buys - they cost only 400MSP and they're high quality games.
But you must notice that everyone doesn't like what some other guys do. As it is said earlier in this topic. But I'm sure you'll like least at some of those four games.
For example, who pays 800MSP for a chess game? I don't see there any sense (Though I don't blame if you've bought but I don't see it worthy hehehe, do you?). The games are certainly too over-priced.
So the ways I would improve the XBLA things:
etirmi
5262
I think they just had an axe to grind and it was very unfair. True, they have some garbage games, which I don't buy. On the other hand they have a lot of good games, like Catan, like Carcassonne, like Switchball, like Feeding Frenzy, like Miniature Golf, like Pinball. The list could go on and on. I always try out the game before I decide if I am going to buy it. I also have a WII and Xbla is far superior. When Xbla releases a classic, which is usually been upgraded for HDTV, we can expect to pay $5. Nintendo releases 15 year old games with no upgrades and charges $10 or $15 for it. The only thing on their service that is remotely worth what they charge is the Internet Browser, and that is difficult to use. I don't know about PSN because I don't have a PS3 yet.
VirulentDiurnal
39731
I love XBLA. I wish those that didn't would just simply play what they liked rather than crapping on someone else's good time.
ShinobiSteve81
51280
Yea some people piss and moan about too many 'retro' games being on here, but I'd rather be able to play TMNT 4 players over XBLA than pull out my NES, an play it 2 player with crappier graphics....or have people crowded around my computer monitor on an emulator. And as has been said, there's tons of great original games for XBLA as well. An some games which used to be PC ones? I'd rather play it on my tv from the comfort of my couch than have to sit in a computer chair to play those games.
One thing I do agree upon that was said above, is MS needs to promote XBLA more. I've always thought this was a problem....the casual gamer only buys retail games, and doubtfully gives alot of the arcade games a chance. More sales, price drops, and banner ads would help this quite a bit, but they're too busy promoting The US Army n stuff like that in some banners.
blades144
15787
Two words: Free Service! Stop making me pay for XBLA access to login to your servers to buy games! That is like asking for a cover charge at a supermarket. Get onboard and stop CHARGING! That is my only gripe.
Sony and Nintendo are not asking for access fees, so what is the magic that is XBLA? Why does it cost anything?
I currently have 47 arcade titles so it is not like I don't use it.
ShinobiSteve81
51280
"Stop making me pay for XBLA access to login to your servers to buy games!"
Uhmm, am I missing something here? You don't have to pay to get on the servers to be able to buy a game...any silver (read FREE) or gold (read pay the fee) member can buy any game....you just need the service to play them online. Which I don't honestly mind since XBLs online service is still much superior to what I've played on other systems.
Tawse and Turn
11849
Yeah, XBL Gold is far superior to dedicated servers!
Oh, crap...that isn't right, that isn't right at all!
Seriously though, unless IPTV is (or such) in bundled into gold with some other perks charging for inherently inconsistent P2P is asking a bit much.
VinnieDaMac
13457
Is this kinda like when the maker of Space Graffiti was complaining that his game was getting outsold by Frogger even though his game sucked?
Did N+ not sell as well as Frogger either?
Tawse and Turn
11849
Its Space Giraffe, but most likley.
Big companies are given high ratings for inferior games in most magazines and larger websites. This ends up with a lot more free advertising and all that fun stuff.
Compare even high rated indie games such as Eets to decent at best ports like UMK3 and you will notice a heavy slant twards the larger company. Heck, MS sells retail cards for UMK3.
I don't know how they decide what XBLA titles go on the spotlight section, but the non new release titles are almost always from big companies. How can Assulat Heroes and Assulat Heroes 2 both be new releases?
N+ isn't a hideous game, but the devs felt it was a godsend of gaming. With that sort of attitude any criticism will bring out anger. Minter reacted a bit the same at first, but he was straight out being black balled by press, the N+ guys were press darlings. The real difference is I would go out drinking with Minter.
thebiggameover
8505
"I love XBLA. I wish those that didn't would just simply play what they liked rather than crapping on someone else's good time."
right on man. i love tempest. but out of the many people ive shown it to, only one likes it.
i love abba, but if the guys who made n+ dont like abba, i guess abba is shiit.... :(
Yungstar 2006
80480
"Stop making me pay for XBLA access to login to your servers to buy games!"
"Uhmm, am I missing something here? You don't have to pay to get on the servers to be able to buy a game...any silver (read FREE) or gold (read pay the fee) member can buy any game....you just need the service to play them online."
thats one of the problems for quite a few users, they never tried anything other than gold so they think you pay for everything. doh!
as for LIVE it's self. i'm very happy with the games it has and have bought many.
N+ i did not care for the demo so did not buy it, i'd suggest the progs behind that game should wise up and realise that we have a choice in what we buy and N+ was not a must have game.
blades144
15787
OK, let me reiterate. "Gold", "Silver", "Bronze"(I know there is no Bronze), whatever. These levels should not exist. It should be free across the board. I'll pay for the games. The mere fact that I bought a 360 should get me any "Exclusive Trailers", "Sneak Peeks" whatever Microsoft should have to offer as a member of the consumers who bought the console.
Stifler
17215
Good to see some discussion flowing. I'll have a new series launching in the next week.
strategykinq92
18105
I think microsoft is getting a little too greedy with xbla royalties.
Mystakill
11515
I think that the quality of the games has gone down over the last year. Disappointments like Rocketmen, Screwjumper and Arkadian Warriors, shovelware such as E4, Marathon, and a bunch of sub-par arcade ports didn't help matters much either. Also, who in their right mind would pay $15 for old Xbox games when they can pick them up in the bargain bin for $10 or less?
Aside from the quality issues, the "standard pricing" of 800+ points and the draconian DRM system have made XBLA less palatable for me, personally. When I have time to play, I'd prefer not to have to worry about whether or not the games I've already purchased will work for my family or me because I may or may not have Internet connectivity.
Tawse and Turn
11849
If I was still buying points regularily I would pick up Ninja Gaiden on XBL as I have never played it and it goes for $20+ used in my area. They only buy it back for $5 so for the same net costs I get to keep the game and not give GameStop any business (yes there are other used places in my area, but GameStop actually has Ninja Gainden for the cheapest).
Now as far as DRM goes...combine that issue with the pain of dealing with MS customer service and you have some serious valid complaints.