XBox Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits: $9.99

[bapenguin]

How can you make the selection of Greatest Hits titles even better? Makes a Greatest Hits selection of Greatest Hits!

Microsoft announced today a new retail program called the Best of Platinum Hits, the next evolution of the wildly successful Platinum Hits Program. The Platinum Hits and the Platinum Family Hits Programs innovated the retail space by providing the best games at the best price for customers. Moreover the program has provided new business opportunities for publishers and retailers. To date more than 100 games have participated in these programs with each game, extending their life in the market by more than two times the average game.
Full Press Release Inside.

Hits of Hits. That's just silly, though the $9.99 price point is sweet.

[bapenguin]

Best of Platinum Hits Program Offer Popular Xbox Games for $9.99

March 2, 2006 – Microsoft announced today a new retail program called the Best of Platinum Hits, the next evolution of the wildly successful Platinum Hits Program. The Platinum Hits and the Platinum Family Hits Programs innovated the retail space by providing the best games at the best price for customers. Moreover the program has provided new business opportunities for publishers and retailers. To date more than 100 games have participated in these programs with each game, extending their life in the market by more than two times the average game.

The new Best of Platinum Hits Program extends this concept even further by providing consumers with popular Xbox titles for the low price of $9.99 (SRP). Starting March 2006, best-selling games like Fuzion Frenzy (Microsoft Game Studios), Project Gotham Racing 2 (Microsoft Game Studios), and MechAssault (Microsoft Game Studios) will be available at the new price point.

"Microsoft is very happy to introduce this new program to our customers. With over 24 million Xbox's and over 200 million games sold worldwide, we believe this new program provides a great value to Xbox owners, our retail partners, and publishers" states Gunn Robison, Director of Games Retail Marketing for Xbox.

The roster of titles participating in the first wave of the Best of Platinum Hits Program includes:

• Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Bethesda Softworks)
• Enter the Matrix (Atari)
• Fuzion Frenzy (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Project Gotham Racing 2 (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Shrek 2 (Activision)
• Soul Calibur II (Namco)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder (Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3(Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubisoft)
• Tony Hawk’s Underground (Activision)
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (Activision)
• True Crimes: Streets of LA (Activision)
• MechAssault (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Counterstrike (Microsoft Game Studios)

About Xbox and Xbox 360

Microsoft revolutionized the gaming industry with the November 2001 launch of Xbox (http://www.xbox.com), its first-generation video games and entertainment system, now sold in 26 countries. Microsoft launched its next-generation system, Xbox 360, in Columbia, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico and North America. The system will be launched in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan in 2006. Xbox 360 (http://www.xbox.com/xbox360) is the most powerful video game and entertainment system, delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox Live online gaming service, and unique digital entertainment experiences that revolve around gamers.

[UnderHero5]

"• Counterstrike (Microsoft Game Studios)"
Counterstrike on Xbox sold well enough to be a Platinum Hit?
News to me. I was under the impression that not many people played/liked it on Xbox.

[askheaves]

How many of these can I play on my 360?

That's somewhat rhetorical since I don't care to buy much in the way of xbox1 games, however somewhat realistic since I'd be willing to pay 10 bucks for geometry wars, much less a full-on cream of the crop Xbox game.

[Klade]

Enter the Matrix? gah

[Grimmjow]

"• Counterstrike (Microsoft Game Studios)"
Counterstrike on Xbox sold well enough to be a Platinum Hit?
News to me. I was under the impression that not many people played/liked it on Xbox.

i was thinking the same thing

[Ultima Thulian]

$10 dollars for a brand new Counter Strike, Soul Calibur 2, or Elder Scrolls 3? Tough to complain if you ask me.

[WastelandDan]

Enter the Matrix? gah

My thought exactly

[fitbabits]

Tough to complain if you ask me.
That won't stop some people, though.

[Ultima Thulian]

That won't stop some people, though.

Sad but true.....hey that's a Metallica song! Sorry, brain isn't exactly on Full Throttle today. :p

[Roc Ingersol]

Is that the GotY morrowind with the expansion content?
or the original xbox release?

I might pick that up if it's GotY...

[fitbabits]

Is that the GotY morrowind with the expansion content?
or the original xbox release?

I might pick that up if it's GotY...
I believe it's the vanilla version, sans additional content. :(

[gzsfrk]

Heh... "Greatest" Greatest Hits. I love it. :)

Of course, I disagree with the "Greatest Hits" label for most of the titles to begin with; they should read, "Games that didn't sell as many copies as we anticipated and thus now have forced us to try and recoup our investment through rebranding".

[DaedalusFolly]

Excellent news. I joined the the xbox (first generation) owning crowd late, only 6 months ago or so. Still alot to catch up on. I only beat Halo 2 last night.

[EternalGamer]

Actually I believe the GotY Morrowwind has been available for $10 at Best Buy for sometime, so I would actually guess it IS the version with the expansions.

Not that I'm complaining but one thing they could do to possibly sell me some of these titles--make them work on the 360. All new and rereleased Xbox games should be programmed to be compatible by now. Why isn't this happening?

Dan

[Royal Fool]

So, how long until the Xbox 360 will get budget re-releases? Methinks more than a year, heh.

[Hizawky]

I am still waiting on Mercs: Playground of Destruction to be 360 compatible. And Advent Rising. Advent Rising most especially, since its the game that broke my fucking XBOX.

[gzsfrk]

Not that I'm complaining but one thing they could do to possibly sell me some of these titles--make them work on the 360. All new and rereleased Xbox games should be programmed to be compatible by now. Why isn't this happening?

Well, that would be nice, but there's really not much business (or other) sense behind waiting to offer these games at reduced prices just because they're not yet BC with the 360. I mean, everyone has to remember that it's not as if it's as easy as waving a wand and adding the compatibility downloads to Live. As for new games not being compatible when they come out, again, that would be great except that we're talking games, many of which have been in production more than 2 years, that are last-gen games--that is to say, those that use every last ounce of machine specific optimization and trickery to get the most out of the box. Games which, naturally, are more difficult to emulate in a software HLE layer. Not that it can't/won't be done, but it's unreasonable to think that a publisher will hold back releasing a game that's ready on their end until BC is likewise prepared to go.

And finally, they Greatest-Greatest hits are, I'm sure, a last gasp attempt at squeezing just a little more revenue out of dated games on a declining console (not saying that the Xbox user-base is shrinking, just that the focus on it is in a downward state as MS seeks to build 360 mindshare). I very much doubt they would be releasing these with the idea being that they're driving 360 sales, even IF BC for all the titles were already available.

[*Legion*]

They should take some inspiration from rock bands.

You follow up "Greatest Hits" with something like, say, "The Very Best of...", or "Essential Hits". Or "20th Century Remasters" :)

[emperordahc]

Now they'll have to expand that (collector hating) silver border a bit further so the original cover picture is the size of a postage stamp.

"Oh, snap!" :)

[Magnanimous Gnome]

Gah, that press release was vomit inducing.

That's not really much of a surprise, but still.

[Reed]

Uh oh, Microsoft PR is going to bring down the hammer. "Greatest Hits" is what Sony uses. It's "Platinum Hits" for the Xbox. Oh Bapenguin, you Sony fanboy you. ;p

In any case, this meta best hits of hits thing is pretty silly indeed. They really could have just announced that, "These Platinum Hits titles are now just $9.99!"

[Ultima Thulian]

People, people, who cares what it's called? Brand new games for $10! And they'll add more titles to their $10 dollar list soon enough. I just don't understand the reason for complaint...MS has games (some great, some good, some shitty) for $10. The downside is the silly name and the fugly silver packaging. So what. Soul Calibur, brand new, for $10, sound damned good to me. It's probably the best fighter for the system.

[fitbabits]

I am still waiting on Mercs: Playground of Destruction to be 360 compatible. And Advent Rising. Advent Rising most especially, since its the game that broke my fucking XBOX.
I love love LOVED Mercenaries. Pissed all over GTA in my book.

[bapenguin]

Uh oh, Microsoft PR is going to bring down the hammer. "Greatest Hits" is what Sony uses. It's "Platinum Hits" for the Xbox. Oh Bapenguin, you Sony fanboy you. ;p

In any case, this meta best hits of hits thing is pretty silly indeed. They really could have just announced that, "These Platinum Hits titles are now just $9.99!"

Silly me. I guess I could have titled it Double Platinum Hits. :)

[Gpig]

I still need to get Panzer Dragoon Orta, Shenmue II, and Full Spectrum Warrior for the xbox. I know Full Spectrum Warrior was a platinum hit, and I just haven't seen Panzer Dragoon Orta and Shenmue II around(I bought a dreamcast back around the time Ninja Gaiden came out, even though I'm not a big fan of that game, it was just coincidentally the time I caved). They need to make Metal Slug 3, and Metal Slug 4&5 platinum hits. People would eat them up at 20 bucks.

As for the Best of Platinum hits? I'm not a fan of racers but I might pick up Project Gotham Racing 2 just to see what it's like, and I might also pick up Soul Calibur 2 despite owning the gamecube version, simply because I only have my xbox with me in my dorm. I can't really complain.

[divinechaos]

They should take some inspiration from rock bands.

You follow up "Greatest Hits" with something like, say, "The Very Best of...", or "Essential Hits". Or "20th Century Remasters" :)

How about "One Hit Wonders"?

[mister_slim]

But I thought game prices had to go UP?

Now I'm confused.

[NightRain]

I may actually pick up Rainbow Six 3 again, I really enjoyed that game when it first came out. I still play Black Arrow sometimes too, I was hugely disapointed by Lockdown though, I'd say it is the worst Tom Clancy game made, I even liked Sum of all Fears better.

[NightRain]

People, people, who cares what it's called? Brand new games for $10! And they'll add more titles to their $10 dollar list soon enough. I just don't understand the reason for complaint...MS has games (some great, some good, some shitty) for $10. The downside is the silly name and the fugly silver packaging. So what. Soul Calibur, brand new, for $10, sound damned good to me. It's probably the best fighter for the system.

Soul Calibur II was a great game but it isn't the best, DOA Ultimate is probabaly the best, I also really enjoyed both Mortal Kombat games, especially deception.

[Kelegacy]

I love love LOVED Mercenaries. Pissed all over GTA in my book.
Your book read like Charles Dickens on downers.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

But I thought game prices had to go UP?

Now I'm confused.


Yeah, wouldn't raising these up to $30 make them more money by industry logic? :rolleyes:

[Megalith]

I think they should follow this up with a Platinum Dissapointments line.

First game up, HALO 2.

[Kelegacy]

But I thought game prices had to go UP?

Now I'm confused.
No. Because so many people own the hardware, game prices drop. New hardware means you'll have to pay a premium for the priviledge of playing on a shiny new console. It all makes so much sense and I'm fine with prices going up--I'm made of money and can afford it. After all, prices haven't really rose in three decades...they have to sometime, right? If you can't afford another 10-20 dollars, get out of the hobby. You don't belong here.

Don't get me started, slim. Don't get me started.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

No. Because so many people own the hardware, game prices drop. New hardware means you'll have to pay a premium for the priviledge of playing on a shiny new console. It all makes so much sense and I'm fine with prices going up--I'm made of money and can afford it. After all, prices haven't really rose in three decades...they have to sometime, right? If you can't afford another 10-20 dollars, get out of the hobby. You don't belong here.

Don't get me started, slim. Don't get me started.


Wha? So now gaming is only for the privelaged? I thought you were a liberal Kel. :p


I'm hoping that whole post was sarcasm and I'm just too tired to pick up on it.

[mister_slim]

No. Because so many people own the hardware, game prices drop. New hardware means you'll have to pay a premium for the priviledge of playing on a shiny new console. It all makes so much sense and I'm fine with prices going up--I'm made of money and can afford it. After all, prices haven't really rose in three decades...they have to sometime, right? If you can't afford another 10-20 dollars, get out of the hobby. You don't belong here.
*Cries*

*Cries some more*

I was reading the other day that supermarkets in Britain have started selling games as loss leaders, to bring people into the stores, kind of like what Wal-Mart does with music. Apparently the British retailers aren't as firmly controlled as the American chains.

[Kelegacy]

Wha? So now gaming is only for the privelaged? I thought you were a liberal Kel. :p


I'm hoping that whole post was sarcasm and I'm just too tired to pick up on it.

Yes, I was kidding.

You must have missed the thread I was alluding to. Apparently I was retarded to think that games should stay the same price even in the new era. My rationale stinks and I should be euthanized for my stupidity.

[overdrivechao]

I think they should follow this up with a Platinum Dissapointments line.

First game up, HALO 2.

Which you still love.

[Ultima Thulian]

Your book read like Charles Dickens on downers.

Nice. :D That easliy gets 5 out of 5 waffles in my book. Hell, throw in some butter 'n syrup too...that was hilarious.