Live Arcade Unplugged

[Serapth]

Rumour has it that a "best of" package of live arcade games is going to be made available at retail. The package consists of:

Geometry Wars Evolved
Texas Hold 'Em Poker
Bejeweled 2 Deluxe
Outpost Kaloki X
Wik: Fable of Souls
Harwood Backgammon
plus 1 month of Live Arcade Gold service.

And will retail for approximately £20 ( about 36$ USD I think ).

You can read more about it here. (http://www.totalvideogames.com/news/Xbox_Live_Arcade_Unplugged_10179_6024_0.htm)

Wouldnt have been the selection I would have chosen but still, if your not on live its worth it just to get Geometry Wars! Where is Marble Blast?

[dimsumx]

This is more of what I'd call the "Geometry Wars and some other games" package.

That said, Wiki is a pretty good title IMO, and Bejeweled is popular with my wife. Throw in a month of service....not too bad of a package I think.

[KidCactus]

But why is 1 month Live Arcade Gold included? If you're able to get online for that, wouldn't you also be able to download the above mentioned games?

[Syrinx]

I want to know when the rest of us will get Texas Hold'Em

[EternalGamer]

Except that Bejeweled alone is $10. Add Wik and Geometry Wars (the two other really good games which are $5 each) and you are already up to $20. That means the other three games are essentially free.

[Watership]

But why is 1 month Live Arcade Gold included? If you're able to get online for that, wouldn't you also be able to download the above mentioned games?

For some people you have to drag them, kicking and screaming, to get online with consoles. I know someone in my office who bought an Xbox 360 who never goes online, yet has broadband. He doesn't log in, he doesn't even have his ethernet connection hooked up. He knows there are arcade games there, but is just ignorant about the fact that there are free trials, demos and free content, and especially ignorant how good some of the games are.

Seeing this in retail might bring in people like him.

[dimsumx]

But why is 1 month Live Arcade Gold included? If you're able to get online for that, wouldn't you also be able to download the above mentioned games?

Yes, but you'd be paying an additional fee for the full versions of the ones online.

Microsoft is smart in this aspect: Introduce people to Live and XBLA, and give them a month to try it out, with the possibility of those same people either sticking around or purchase more games before they end their one month membership.

[KidCactus]

Watership: But wouldn't your friend just play the games and still not care about the free service included, since it would still mean he would have to actually hook it up to the net?

[Watership]

Watership: But wouldn't your friend just play the games and still not care about the free service included, since it would still mean he would have to actually hook it up to the net?

I think people are still not completely sold on "pay" online gaming. Once they get into xbox-live and really start playing games, they understand. Getting a hardcore PC gamer to think about paying 5 bucks a month for it? That's not so easy.

Give them something free, and see what they have to play when they get online, the product will rope them in.

[Grimmjow]

I want to know when the rest of us will get Texas Hold'Em

i agree, thats another XBLA game that im looking forward too

[mkelehan]

Another way they could increase Marketplace sales would be to release a USB dial-up modem for Silver accounts only. Now that there's background downloading, why not?

[BleedTheFreak]

I want to know when the rest of us will get Texas Hold'Em

That is a good question. And will it be free, as rumored?

[Mr.Green]

Marble Blast is my favorite XLA game, By far. I just can't hop in the Geometry Wars bandwagon. Probably because I suck at it, but that's a good enough reason for me. :)

[Serapth]

That is a good question. And will it be free, as rumored?

I've heard no. Apparantly it was going to be sponsered by goldenpalace and for some reason that fell through. Just rumour at this point though.

If this is Microsofts attempt at getting people to go online for Live Arcade downloads, in addition to the free gold month, they should throw in 400 points, so people will download a game and get hooked on it.

[Wyrm]

Good for me, I'll probably pick this up with my 360 (which I'm hoping I can get soon).

[Salesmunn]

I'm going to assume you can load these games onto your hard drive right from the disc. It would suck to have to have the disc in the system to play them.

I normally save my disc tray for the over-priced ports. :-D

[EGO]

That's awesome! I was mainly going to pick this up, so I had hard copies of my favorite XBLA games Geometry Wars, Wik and Bejeweled (Uno and Astropop are fun, too). Now I get Texas Holdem and a month free!?!? Holy Crap!

When does this damn'd thing ship!?

Only problem now, is that I have to actually GO OUT and get the games... got used to just hitting "download", which is really cool on a Sunday night, when everything's closed, but you're wanting to try something new/different.

[EternalGamer]

Another way they could increase Marketplace sales would be to release a USB dial-up modem for Silver accounts only. Now that there's background downloading, why not?


Or just let those of us with dial-up modems share our internet connects with the 360 for "Silver" downloading purposes only.

[WastelandDan]

I tried the demo for Wik and I thought it kind of sucked. Definitely didn't seem worth the price tag, which I believe was 800 points.

[EGO]

I tried the demo for Wik and I thought it kind of sucked. Definitely didn't seem worth the price tag, which I believe was 800 points.

I wouldn't say it sucked, but at first I was like... WTF?!?

Once you get used to the controls and all, it's pretty cool.

Kindof like Bionic Commando done by Oddworld.