The 360 thread!

[axel000]

Tried the new XBLA Choplifter (think its coming to PSN too).... nice try but no cigar. Made the chopper too big and lost the original gameplay quality. Feels too clunky.

I always thought the graphically simple Broderbund versions were great but the Sega Master System version was pretty arcade-perfect too. This one is a case of too much emphasis on graphics over gameplay.

[axel000]

Coming this year ?



Fez

[Deckard]

From Giz today - I know it is conjecture but if they dumped on the 2nd hand market couldnt new game prices be cheaper

The newest batch of rumours about Microsoft’s long-rumoured Xbox update are bordering on the unbelievable. Sources claim Microsoft may include a protection system that stops the console playing second-hand titles, plus those games will arrive on — gasp! — Blu-ray discs.
Both moves would be rather odd. The locking of used games would absolutely ruin the game-selling parts of the high street, which have grown to depend on the rapid turnover of games and the keen trade in second-hand titles. But is that a price worth paying to keep the big-money game developers and publishers, who loathe today’s trade-in culture, onside for another console generation?
The other part of the rumour, as reported by Kotaku, claims Microsoft will include a Blu-ray drive as its next home machine’s storage medium. This is also pretty bonkers, not just because of the HD DVD debacle, but also due to Microsoft clearly saying many, many times that it believes digital distribution is the future of selling games to men.
Perhaps Microsoft realises the internet still isn’t fast or omnipresent enough to support a few million people downloading Call of Duty at midnight on launch day? Especially if the future developers have up to 50GB of Blu-ray space to play with

[chub]

I would think a Blu-ray drive would be more to do with Microsoft trying to make the Xbox more of a media machine than just a games machine, which seems to be the case given the changes in the dashboard recently. In these days of high-def films and TV, DVD just isn't good enough anymore.

It's no good saying digital distribution is the way to go if none of it is available via the Xbox in countries like mine. I can't even get Last.fm on my 360.

[Bod]

SSX demo is out today.

[RiK]

SSX demo is out today.

Got it It's ace.

[RiK]

It's no good saying digital distribution is the way to go if none of it is available via the Xbox in countries like mine. I can't even get Last.fm on my 360.

And when those of us living out in the sticks still have a net connection like a piece of wet string.

[Mayhem]

Yeah... I had a discussion a couple of years ago with someone who works in Microsoft's XBLA division about digital distribution, and argued that until the following criteria could be satisfied within the majority of the primary location targets, then it wasn't viable enough, especially in light of the fact other media is aiming for similar models:

- actual speed of distribution via broadband
- the fact that a significant proportion of users never go online
- ratings and other content issues (which is why Indie Games aren't available in Australia for instance)
- download caps

[disciple]

Have to say I seem to have completely stopped buying XBLA games since the media centre focused redesign. Not entirely sure why except for a general feeling that I couldn't be arsed seeing what's new, possibly because everything seems to now be lumped in together under 'games'. I have around 2500 MS points in the account too.

[PVB]

Have to say I seem to have completely stopped buying XBLA games since the media centre focused redesign. Not entirely sure why except for a general feeling that I couldn't be arsed seeing what's new, possibly because everything seems to now be lumped in together under 'games'. I have around 2500 MS points in the account too.

The latest dash update made it slightly easier to find the XBLA and Indie games.

Top menu: Games, then down to Game Marketplace, up to Downloadable Games, then down to Game Type.

[venusian]

I'm with disciple on this one. Since the latest dash update I've just stopped looking. The new dash just makes looking for new arcade games feel like work. The few times I have looked there's seemed to be nothing interesting and new. And the only way to browse seems to be by alphabetic order.

[Jonesey]

Bit of a way off this one - but at least 343 have made a start.

[Deckard]

iPlayer out for Xbox Live - free too (as MS wanted to charge but BBC insisted it was free)

[Governmentyard]

iPlayer out for Xbox Live - free too (as MS wanted to charge but BBC insisted it was free)

I'm with MS on this one... they didn't want to charge for iPlayer as the BBC so disingenuously put it, they wanted to make it available on the same terms as other online interactive services, i.e. through Gold. That's not charging for iPlayer content, that's charging a flat rate for comparatively rock-solid content delivery portal access.

[KidQuaalude]

Microsoft aren't hosting the video tho are they? That would be the BBC surely? By making the iPlayer channel for XBL Gold customers only, they would be denying access to license-paying BBC customers.