Games on Demand

[Hellfire Dragon]

So today, the 11^th of August 2009, Microsoft released their new update for the Xbox 360 dashboard. Aside from some small things like new items etc for avatars, and something about Netflix, they released Games on Demand. This is where you can purchase full games, that you'd normally be going to the store for. ie, Mass Effect. This is the beginning of the whole 'digital distribution' thing they were talking about. They're supposed to be releasing new games for it every week. Hopefully some newer will pop up but for now we just get the older ones like Mass Effect, Oblivion ,Assassin's Creed, Need For Speed: Carbon (I think) and some other ones. I got the update this morning. One I noticed was that he game's price is listed in actual currency instead of MS Points for some reason
You'll have to go to xbox.com to get the game's manuals.

Pros:

• No need to go out to the shop to buy games
  
• No more scratched up disks (common problem in places like Gamestop)
  
• Games are cheaper (apparently)
  
• No wasted plastic game packaging that will destroy the enviroment (for all you eco friendly people )
  
• There's probably more :p

Cons:

• Very limited selection of games right now
  
• Only older games are being put up, could take a while for newer ones to come in
  
• Games aren't really cheaper. The games are going for €30. Since these are mostly old games, you can pick them up for 10/20/25€ in a shop
  
• This will inevitably end up taking up huge spaces on our hard-drives so MS will have to release bigger hard-drives (more money for us to spend )
  
• Again there's probably more

So what's everyone else think?

[Starrodkirby86]

Is this going to end up as something similar to WiiWare, except there's actually some full-fledged games on this 'On-Demand' thing?

If so...*sigh*

[Hellfire Dragon]

Introducing WiiWare -- a unique family of games for the Wii console. Experience new and innovative gameplay, fresh takes on the classics--and much more. WiiWare games are downloadable directly to your Wii console in exchange for Wii Points on the Wii Shop Channel. Just make sure your Wii console is connected to the internet, and you'll be playing in seconds.

I think WiiWare is the same as Xbox Live Arcade Also,

a unique family of games for the Wii console

Unique my ass, it is the exact same as xbox live arcade. Exchange points for games at an online store

Games on Demand will be an epic fail if they don't release some more games, preferably the newer ones.
Well maybe not epic fail. It is nice to still be able to get the games. Alot of shops take down the older games and replace with the new. The only time you'll find an old game is in the used section and they're not always, if ever, in good condition.

So who knows. New games are said to be added every week so we'll see

Also, I would have thought MS would release they're own Halo games with the opening of the thing Halo 1 has been on Xbox originals for a while now.

[fugibo]

Introducing WiiWare -- a unique family of games for the Wii console. Experience new and innovative gameplay, fresh takes on the classics--and much more. WiiWare games are downloadable directly to your Wii console in exchange for Wii Points on the Wii Shop Channel. Just make sure your Wii console is connected to the internet, and you'll be playing in seconds.

I think WiiWare is the same as Xbox Live Arcade Also,

a unique family of games for the Wii console

Unique my ass, it is the exact same as xbox live arcade. Exchange points for games at an online store

Games on Demand will be an epic fail if they don't release some more games, preferably the newer ones.
Well maybe not epic fail. It is nice to still be able to get the games. Alot of shops take down the older games and replace with the new. The only time you'll find an old game is in the used section and they're not always, if ever, in good condition.

So who knows. New games are said to be added every week so we'll see

Also, I would have thought MS would release they're own Halo games with the opening of the thing Halo 1 has been on Xbox originals for a while now.

Firstly: No, idiot, "unique" refers to the fact that the games are only available for Wii.

Secondly: Is this DRM'ed? If so, it loses all cool points. Of course, even if it isn't, you probably still won't be able to back it up, so blah - unless, of course, it's cheaper than a full game (which is really should be, since there's no packaging/manufacturing required).

[Hellfire Dragon]

Firstly: No, idiot, "unique" refers to the fact that the games are only available for Wii.

I was thinking of exclusive

Yeah it really should be cheaper. Also I took a look at the xbox forums today, there's alot of completely outraged people complaining about it and the new avatar stuff. Of course, all the complaining is centered on the price. Not alot of people seem to like the idea of buying virtual items for your virtual avatar with real money, and no matter how many times it's pointed out that these things are optional, people keep making new threads to complain about them. Of course the things are fairly pricey for what they are. I mean a basketball is something like $3. Also there seems to be problems with the displaying of these extra items. They supposedly don't show up when other people are looking at your avatar
Now, games on demand probably won't survive if the prices aren't dropped. Right now you can get the physical game cheaper than what the GoD are being sold for. Though I bet there's an unbelievable amount of people to lazy to just go the shop and get them, or even go online and buy them there.
Oh and...

One I noticed was that he game's price is listed in actual currency instead of MS Points for some reason

Yeah well I was wrong about this one. You have to press 'A' on the Buy option, then 'Y' or 'X', can't remember, to switch payment options.

[King Munkey]

Doesn't the PS3 have games that you can download like this? All I can think of at the moment is Burnout: Paradise but I know there are other games that you can download.

[G_G]

Con: you needc an actual credit card instead of using microsoft points.

[fugibo]

Con: you needc an actual credit card instead of using microsoft points.

Or debit, obviously, which is usually easy enough to get if you have a bank account (which you'll almost definitely have if you're spending any significant money on this, as you'll probably be earning it yourself/etc)