MS goes old school...but only for new console owners

[WayAbvPar]

Linkage

Xbox putting 1980s arcade games online
'Pac-Man,' 'Frogger' for $5-$15

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 may exemplify the high-tech future of video game consoles, but the company is hoping some of its avid players still pine for the good old days of "Pac-Man" and "Frogger."

Microsoft plans today to offer some additional updated versions of popular 1980s-era games through Xbox Live Arcade, an online service that lets people download free trial games and buy them for between $5 and $15.

The company will offer a game every Wednesday for the next five weeks, including some retro games with higher-end graphics and new ways to play together. The first game on offer is the log-hopping, traffic-dodging classic, "Frogger."

Greg Canessa, a group manager for Xbox Live Arcade, said the downloadable games service has been surprisingly successful for the company. About 5 million free trial games have been downloaded by Xbox 360 owners, he said, and 21.7 percent of those have been "converted," meaning a person decided to pay for the permanent version.

Many people initially thought the Xbox Live Arcade, with its focus on less complex games, would be a draw for children, women or older players who don't fit the young male demographic traditionally associated with Xbox 360 owners. But Canessa said they've found that even the so-called hard-core gamers are interested in the arcade games and willing to pay for them.

Microsoft now has 20 arcade games available for sale to people who own an Xbox 360, the second iteration of Microsoft's video game console. Canessa said they hope to have about 50 titles available by the end of the year.

Good thing this is only for the 360. I don't think the original X-box could provide the huge resources needed to display Frogger in all its original glory.

[StGabe]

I basically bought my 360 just so I could play Lumines online and on a bigger screen.  While waiting for that I've been playing a lot of Mutant Storm.  Even MS comes up with a good thing every now and again.

[zero]

Im loving XBA, great idea and MS seem to execute it well.  Another thing XBA has working for it is that all arcade games have a demo you can try, to me thats a great idea.

[Hokers]

I can''t believe that the artiicle did not mention Galaga, I think of the 4 or 5 they are planning on releasing I think that will be the best seller.

[Yegolev]

Galaga, yeah.  I'd play that on the 360.

Whatever the final outcome of this next-gen ordeal, at least there are already benefits to Nintendo's VC and MS trying to squash it.

[WayAbvPar]

You could probably buy an entire standup machine for the price of a 360 at this point. Hell, Costco had a $1800 coin up machine with 80+ ROMs of old games on it. That is only like 3 360s plus a couple of games!

[Jain Zar]

There are a handful of Live Arcade games due the next 2 months, then its unknown, but there are a TON of Konami games in the pipeline.
Like Time Pilot, both arcade Contras, Track & Field, and Scramble.

Some good stuff.

[Margalis]

It's cool but also a little sad that the best 360 games are arcade games from 1985.

On other message boards I read most people are more excited about SF2:HF than any new 360 games. Odd times.

[schild]

Stop reading message boards for fighter fanboys. :P

[ahoythematey]

Not that I am backing the 360 here, but I gotta agree with schild.  My favorite fighting game ever is SF:A3, and even I am scared by the SF fanboys.  They almost put the bnet forums to shame.

[Rodent]

If I had Dhalsim like legs I'd totally kick you all in the chin, remember this isn't just SF2. It's SF2 in HDTV, the glory of the game will finally be realised!

[Cyrrex]

Here's a stupid question:  is SF2 going to be multiplayer?  I would be very worried about the lag, if so.  100ms of lag in that game would be a near deal-breaker.  It's literally the difference between me just standing there and getting kicked in the head, or giving you the old Sho-Ryu-Ken square in the bunghole.

[stray]

Here's a stupid question:  is SF2 going to be multiplayer?

Yes

I would be very worried about the lag, if so.

Other fighting games, more complex ones at that, have demonstrated good online capablities before this.

[Cyrrex]

Other fighting games, more complex ones at that, have demonstrated good online capablities before this.

I have been out of the fighting game genre for a while, but as a former afficianado, SF2 was always the game that was most about speed (especially the HF edition), split-second timing and reactions.  Anway, I hope you are right.

[schild]

Actually, more complex ones haven't shown sufficient only capability yet. Dead or Alive is nowhere near as frame intensive in terms of parrying and blocking as Street Fighter 2 Hyper. To be honest, there isn't much out there that's near as finicky as this. To say the least, I'm glad they delayed it until it was right. I'm by NO MEANS a hardcore fighter type, but goddamn do I love me some SFII and I know, more than nearly any other game, it has to be perfectly in sync and lag has to be near nonexistant.

AFAIK, none of the KoF stuff has really had broadband play yet - not like this at least - and is another one that games have to be perfectly in sync. The popular 3D fighters - SC, DoA, Tekken, Virtua Fighter - need to be pretty close to perfect. But they can get away with fucking up here and there. SFII Hyper can't. If it's so much as 3 frames off, it's noticeable.

[Cyrrex]

That is EXACTLY what I was thinking.  I wasn't exaggerating when I used the 100ms in my first post on the subject...that would be an eternity in SF2 HF.  But hell, if they pull it off, then that just may be the incentive I need to get the Gold membership thingy.

[Margalis]

It's been possible to play SF on Kaillera for years. It's still fun but it just isn't the same game. The input lag is killer.