Microsoft confirms downloadable Xbox games

[King Ellis]

So, today their were rumours abound of Microsoft introducing downloads for Xbox games on Xbox Live Marketplace on 360. Games like Halo would be availible to download for 1200 points. Well, it seems that Microsoft has now confirmed this. I can't find a link to a statement from MS but it's being reported on gaming sites.

Microsoft has confirmed earlier reports that 'Xbox Originals' will be made available for download starting Dec. 4th as part of the Fall Update (the update's additional features have yet to be revealed). Each game can be purchased and downloaded for 1200 points ($15).

In its press release, Microsoft explicitly named Halo, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies and Fable as titles for the Xbox Originals initiative, but did not confirm exactly which games will serve as the jumpoff: "This new service will launch with an array of blockbuster titles spanning the most popular genres from action-adventure to classic role-playing games." Third-party reports claim the preliminary lineup will include Halo, Fable, Indigo Prophecy, Crimson Skies, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex and Burnout 3.

Also:

Microsoft also added some announcements about the fifth anniversary of the launch of Xbox Live on November 15. In celebration, Microsoft will be offering a free download of the Xbox Live Arcade game Carcassonne (Hexic 2 in Korea) starting at 12:01am EST November 15. The game will be free to all subscribers for 48 hours. Also, all subscribers who have been a member of Xbox Live since 2002 will receive 500 MS Points for free.

Yay, for free! Hope it happens for us Europeans. We normally get stiffed on freebies and decent content. I'm also wondering if it's for Gold users only or Silver gets it too. Kulex will be left out. Anyone here been on from the start? 500 points isn't to be sniffed at. Well, I guess you can if you think about how much you've payed in subscription fees.

Anywhoo, this is an interesting development in general. We already have the Wii offering a wide catalougue of games for download for a variety of systems and the PS3 has PS and PSP games. It'll be nice if we get some games that don't feature on the emulation feature of the 360. eg Strangers Wrath, which I am always led to believe is a hidden gem for the Xbox.

The whole thing is another step in the direction of a time when there are no media formats and all our games, videos etc are delievered on demand. Shame i'm just stuck on this 20gb 13gb 360 hard drive which is pretty much full anyway. Those games ain't gonna be small.

Edited November 13, 2007 by TheEllisComplex

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Carcassonne is an excellent tile-laying board game. Something I play a LOT with the wife so I'm kinda jealous on this one.

[zero]

Those Xbox games have to take up a good portion of memory though, wouldn't they? Especially when all those games mentioned I'm pretty sure are backwards compatible and you could pick up in the bargain bin for less than $15. It's a nice gesture, but I'd much rather MS work on polishing up their backwards compatibility library

[tristy]

Not to mention the download time for those games. They'll likely be over 3 gigs (right?). Hell, it took me upwards of an hour to download the demo for Jericho, and some episodes of iMPACT, and only the Jericho demo was a gig.

[King Ellis]

On the other side though, people are now wondering if these downloads will offer any extras. Perhaps achivements or, in the case of Halo, online multiplayer.

Also, because we lack a good generic Xbox thread (I was kinda using the Live thread but Zero put paid to that ) I'll make note of a cracking deal for any Americans (At least I think, not sure how foreign orders work).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=...ocId=1000164521

Buy Bioshock from amazon.com for $50 and you get The Darkness for free. I know a lot of you might already have one, if not both of them and with a deluge of new games out you might your attention on them. But still, two good/great games for that price is pretty damn good.

[King Ellis]

More for frees! To celebrate Xbox Live is 5ive, we are being treated to 6 free themes!

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Mech Assault

Halo 2

Ghost Recon 2

Gears of War

Xbox LIVE is 5IVE

I would reccomend that to avoid blindness you either not use the LIVE is 5IVE theme or at least change the guide menu background. Sheesh. Otherwise the only other one to avoid is the GRAW2 theme which is just pants.

Still a few hours till free Carcassonne, hmmph.

Edited November 15, 2007 by TheEllisComplex

[Guest Kou]

Carcass is now free and after getting a hang of the rules I tooled the computer 130-45. Aww yeah.

[King Ellis]

I got ass raped on my first game like 90-50 or something. Still I managed to pull 3 achivements out of my ass somehow so it wasn't all bad.

Also, going back to the original topic:

No achivements for Xbox Original ports, so sayeth Major Nelson.

Edited November 15, 2007 by TheEllisComplex

[Kaney]

Xbox LIVE is 5IVE

[Crybaby Bunting]

Where are the themes at? i can't find them on the dashboard

then again it might be US only

[King Ellis]

They should be under new arrivals as "Xbox LIVE is 5IVE!"

Also Kaney, you were, according to the users thing at the bottom of the page, writing a post when I was writing mine. It took you 20 minutes to post a picture of 5ive?

[Kaney]

No. Futurama kept me twenty minutes late >_>

[Maxx]

Of course they only release games which are for the most part already backwards compatible,

[King Ellis]

Damn Cascarrone, me and the computer shared an epic 62 point castle and I ended up 13 points short of the 150 point game achivement. Damnut!

Sweet, got it.

Edited November 15, 2007 by TheEllisComplex