| NXE Update Preview: Games on Demand |
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Microsoft's upcoming Dashboard update is scheduled to drop on Aug. 11th, and with it, full-downloadable Xbox 360 games will be available for purchase. We managed to get the Dashboard update early, of which you can read our initial impressions, which more noticeably includes the Avatar Marketplace, by clicking HERE. The Games on Demand service was in place for us then, although it contained no actual Xbox 360 games, that's now changed. As of last night Microsoft has added seven Xbox 360 games available for purchase, each is priced at £19.99/2400MSP, and available for purchase by an associated Credit Card or by using available Microsoft Points (MSP). We also had a quick nosey at the US Marketplace and their pricing in comparison to that of our own UK line-up. The US Games on Demand service features all seven of the same games that are available on our UK Marketplace, although those dastardly yanks also have two more games available for purchase (don't get envious just yet), which are Sonic The Hedgehog (see, you're not bothered now, are you?), and Bioshock (oh, wait?). The pricing of the US Xbox 360 Games on Demand currently stands at, like ours, 2400MSP, with the games being priced for Credit Card purchase at $29.99 (with a few titles available at $19.99/1600MSP).
The allure of Games on Demand is simple, buy games straight through your Xbox 360 in a similar fashion to purchasing Arcade titles. There's no going out to the store, no getting up for the posty for your latest delivered game, rollout that blanket and get one of those chairs with an in-built toilet - that dog is going to have to go though, the Fable 2 one is much better anyway. Great, isn't it? Well, we'll have to wait and see, things are certainly gearing towards the lazy gamer, that's for certain. Games on Demand is an exciting prospect, but not for the already released titles, but more importantly for future titles, and those blockbusters that you have to queue up for, and goto midnight launches for. If it turns into the way of Steam, and users can download/pre-order titles early through the Games on Demand service, and have the game's license unlock at midnight of the titles release, then the prospect of Games on Demand is very strong indeed. It almost needs to work this way to garner any significant interest, future titles need to come day and date with their retail release. That may be pushing the retail stores noses out a bit, but this inevitably seems to be the way we are headed.
The next thing is pricing, one can't expect that future titles such as Halo 3: ODST, Modern Warfare 2 etc. to hit Games on Demand and be at the existing price point we're seeing at this very moment of £19.99/2400MSP. It'd be nice if that happened, but realistically, it won't happen. That £19.99 is actually rather expensive when you look at those titles, Call of Duty 2 for example is £19.99/2400MSP on Games on Demand, and that's an Xbox 360 launch title, easily available on retail-disc for significantly less. Although, again, it's all about convenience, when you look at other titles such as Mass Effect, which is also at the same price point, then it does seem fair. Perhaps going forward we will see discounts for Gold Members on older titles in order to be balanced against retail, much like Microsoft does currently with some Arcade titles, where they offer 40% off or something of that nature.
More titles are scheduled to hit the service with the launch of the Dashboard update, with the prices ranging from 1600MSP/2400MSP, all of these titles are set to be ready for purchase come August 11th:
• Assassin's Creed
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted
• Burnout Paradise
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Call of Duty 2
• Prey
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis
• Fight Night Round 3
• SEGA Rally
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Test Drive: Unlimited
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
• Mass Effect
• Tomb Raider: Legend
• Meet The Robinsons
• Viva Piñata
• MX vs. ATV Untamed
• Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in Paradise
• Need for Speed Carbon
Posted By: Wayne Julian
Date: 2009-08-07
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