Do you actually bother with XBLA games anymore?

[dave17]

At first I thought the arcade games were neat, I bought a few. I got worms cause I liked it when I played it like 10 years ago, I also got eets chowdown and bomberman. They cost me 10$ each and I think they kept me interested for up to 2 hours each, which is pretty crap value, so I've just given on the xbla games and have no interest in them. I'll play a demo every once in the while when I need to find something to do for 10 minutes, but that's all.

Now that the 360 has been around for some time, some of the older titles are getting very cheap and it's not that hard to find games for 10$. I dont see much point in arcade games, unless they somehow COMPLETELY blow you away, since now you can get a full (but older) game for basically the same price and it'll most likely keep you busy for a lot longer. And you can always give it to a friend or trade it back in since you have a physical copy. And you can get 4x the nerd points. I mean, would you rather buy Tomb Raider Legend or this week's mediocre arcade game?

Past full version games will just get cheaper and cheaper while the arcade games will be fixed at 10$, so I dont see how xbla expects to do well, at least with the cheap/smart consumers.

[RAMSTORIA]

im playing puzzle quest right now

[Sporadic]

I play Arcade games more than I do retail ones.

[dave17]

Actually, that's one of the few games that might be worth buying, but I have on the DS already. It works well on a portable, but who knows if it'll keep my interest when on the 360.

[buzzcola]

the price is what keeps me away they should at least lower price for older games

[nativetongue88]

i myself am a fan of a decent amount of live's game.

you do bring up a very good point though as the system is older and games are getting cheaper. i would like to see microsoft drop the price on some of the live games. i think it would be smart for them. i would buy some of the older titles if they dropped from 800 too 400 points or so.

[Trenchalicious]

I tend to stay away from the $10 ones unless I like them. I will buy most $5 games and enjoy them with friends and what not.

[Lupuri]

Symphony of the Night is a must have...
Doom...
MK3..
After that... eh.
Really depends if you wanna play the game or not... I think its a nice feature, and would buy something if I thought I was gonna play it. Thing is a lot of the older games that Id want, I have with GC or Xbox..

[KingBroly]

I bought TMNT, Castlevania, Bomberman, then my first 360 died. I bought the two free games. I haven't bought one until now when I got Carcassone for free. I didn't take up the DRM issue with Microsoft, so I don't know if I can just re-download them and I'd get the offline rights to them again or not. It SEEMS like I can (little checkmarks are there), but who knows.

There hasn't really been anything of quality lately. It's expensive and underwhelming.

[DesertEagleXIX]

After getting Screwdived and Shreked on this week, I'm a bit more hesitant.

This had to be the two worst releases in Marketplace history. Still, I really enjoyed E4 recently.

[AshesofWake]

all the time, love arcade games

[omgu8myrice]

no, there are so many good games out for the 360 right now, i dont waste my time playing arcade games.

some of them are cool, but things that were fun on the genesis 10 years ago just arnt anymore.

[Mechafenris]

im playing puzzle quest right now

I second that... one of the best investments I made in XBLA. :)

I don't have it for DS or PSP, so it's new to me. :)


More generally,

...I play lots of Uno (to unwind from the day... no, single player)... and lots of Bankshot Billiards, because it's just fun. ;)

[ryanbph]

i play them from time to time

[Azumangaman]

I've got 17. I certainly regret some (Fatal Fury Special), I'd say that the ones I love (Catan, Puzzle Quest, Jetpac Refuelled etc.) outweigh the ones I don't love.

[terribledeli]

Own them all. Only regret buying Novadrome and Shrek N Roll. Novadrome because its a turd. Shrek N Roll because its a super turd.

Value doesn't factor in it for me. There are weeks when I can't afford to spend hours playing any game and the arcade is an excellent companion during those times.

[Gameboy415]

I actually have yet to buy even one.

I'm interested in E4 and Jetpac after playing the demos, but the prices are a big turn-off.

[richierich]

prices need to be lowered. Bomberman is great for 2+ people though, up to 8 players online.

[smellhasreturned]

Pacman CE and Geometry Wars are still amazing

[rodeojones903]

No, I haven't bought one it a loooong time.

[SynGamer]

I've given up on Arcade games simply because i refuse to pay $10 and not be able to trade it when i lose interest.

[SNAKE EYES EX]

Lately there are just far too many great retail games to worry about Arcade games. I love arcade, but generally they are a good time sink when there is nothing else to play.

[crunchb3rry]

I only buy the top-tier ones...which is to say probably less than I can count on one hand per year based on Microsoft's fucked up certification process. I'm still waiting for Castle Crashers and Ikaruga is still MIA. Seems like for every good game announced you have to wait through 30-40 shitty games that seem to have a much easier and faster time from the point of announcement to the appearance on the Marketplace.

[v1et r1ce]

The only ones I bought were Bomberman an TMNT. Both I would say only entertained me for a few hours each (Bomberman lasted longer). The other games (Bankshot, Robotron 2428, Joust, Hexic, Carres w.e that game was free today, Aegis Wings, that honda game) I got for free and last a little while until I get bored with them.

I am looking forward to Castle Crashers...

[Puffa469]

Ive purchased a handful. SOTN, Bomberman, E4. And a few of the ones that went on sale, like Gauntlet. I also bought the arcade unplugged disc.

I would buy more of them, if they were a little cheaper. Sooo many of those $10 games would be instant purchases for me if they were $5. I loved the demo of Exit, but Im not paying $10 for it. I'd also love the Bomberman expansion stuff, but its just not worth the money. Silly hats and accessories dont make me a better Bomberman player.

I'd also never pay more than $10 for DLC. I loved Puzzlequest on the DS, and if it was $10 on Live, I'd be playing thru it again. But anything over $10 is too much for what is essentially a long term rental. You dont own your XBLA games, you cant resell them, or lend them to friends, or even transfer them properly to a new 360.

That said, I like the idea of these smaller, simpler games. Theres enough variety there that anyone should be able to find something they like. I just hope they have more sales and freebies in the future.

[SpazX]

I have 36, but I didn't pay for them. If I were actually paying I might have like 10. There are plenty of good games, but a lot of them aren't worth $10.

[kaptinmorgan]

i think the puzzle games are fun, all the ones i payed for were technically free though cuz i won a crap ton of M$ points off the tropicana deal, (4400 or so) but i also really like bomberman, carcassonne is free right now, and i enjoy that one, also aegis wing is free and if you like the old scrolling plane shooters, its great. just nice to play something different if you get bored of whatevers in the tray at the moment. ooh and if you like dumpster diving, yaris is free, even thought it's garbage.

[RudyPants]

Lately there are just far too many great retail games to worry about Arcade games. I love arcade, but generally they are a good time sink when there is nothing else to play.

QFT. Once February hits, I'll go back to some of my arcade games to kill time before GTA 4. For now, its on to the big retail hitters. They're my number one stunners.

[integralsmatic]

i have a few myself...but since i got a wii..and i love the VC..id rather spend money on that..than the XLBA stuff...once Ikaruga makes its appearance..ill go buy that.

[fraggedbylaggers]

Own them all.

:applause:

you sir have wasted a great deal of money. I have like 50 or something but I passed on many of the crappy ones like novadrome and some i dont even bother considering (SHREK AND ROLL?)

[archibishopthedoge]

I have a few, but as previously said the retail games are more interesting. The arcade games are good when bored. I like Marble Blast a lot though as cheesy as it is at times and I still will play Hexic occasionally.

I also downloaded Sonic and Sonic 2, for nostalgias sake. Luckily those were free because I don't think they've aged particularly well.

[xdl]

The way I look at it, considering you never actually own any of these, paying actual money for them is a complete waste unless you sink hours upon hours into them. I have 5 or 6 now, all of which I got for free. Looking back, the only one I would actually be willing to pay for is SOTN. The rest are just little time killers that consume $5 or 10 at a time, when you can buy a good clearance game at the same price.

[getmyrunon]

I don't like the idea of not physically owning copies of them. I've only got the free games (Poker, Hexic, Carcassone). I'll pick up an arcade disc if I can find a nice mix.

[Strider Turbulence]

It's been pretty bad lately as far as releases go, but I play Puzzle Fighter and Street Fighter II' more than anything else on xbox.

[Chris Dillon]

I havent had one peak my interest. They all seem so dull. I'm really hoping they would do risk because me and my friends always want to play but don't want to set up the board.

Edit-Wow, somehow I have 12 of them though.

[ProtoEXE88]

The last one I bought was E4, but I play them all the time. XBLA was one of my bigger reasons for buying the system.

[Spybreak8]

Yea I love the arcade games, its a good system if you don't have a lot of time or you're taking a break from your heavy hitters. I've got a number of em, prob below 10.

[PenguinMaster]

I've tried the trials of every single XBLA game and I haven't found a single one worth the asking price. I have two 1600 point cards that I got for $20 total a while back but I can't find anything good to spend them on.

[thrustbucket]

XBLA will never get old because the games on it are designed to be very pick up and play, and very casual. Most of the games I can play with my wife are on XBLA.

Even with 4 or 5 new AAA full retail titles, sometimes I just crave a simple little XBLA game in between. I love their simplicity and their casual nature.

They fill a hole that most retail games can't provide.

[KingDox]

I only buy ones that I really like. Usually those are ports from the PSP like E4 and Luminies. Those are worth it to me. But since I'm a CAG I keep my eyes open for deals on Points cards.

That makes buying the games easier to do. And you can demo all of them so there has to be at least 1 or 2 you think are good enough to buy.


I can't wait till HD Rez comes out.

[Slate]

Yes, Since carcassone was free yesterday (And still is today) I will be playing it because it is FUN! :)

[Mrcapcom]

I have about 6 or so games I love the XBL Arcade. But I guess its just me, but they do put out some crappy games Screwjumper is teh meh to me but I might grip up word puzzle. I try to get games that are alil simple because my wife plays with me alot.

[MM3_XBOX]

Once I decided to buy Puzzle Quest I started playing more arcade games than console games. With Puzzle Fighter, Sonic 2, and a couple others already sitting on my HD I gained a new appreciation for these games. Now that the big console titles are here I'd say I'm more 50/50 with my playtime, but that may once again change.

[doubledown]

I generally don't play XBLA that much. I believe I bought a few, I know my wife liked some at the time (Jewel Quest and Cloning Clyde). But besides that, games I actually bought are slim. I think TMNT is one....I may get a few more, just looking for something I really like.

[BustaUppa]

There's a lot of crappy games on XBLA, but there's a lot of crappy games in retail too. Believe it or not, I actually bought my 360 because of a Live Arcade title (UMK3). And I'm still actively playing the game online a year later, so it was definitely worth it! It's hard to go wrong when they take one of your favorite games/franchises of yesteryear and add online play. So anyone who's a fan of Mortal Kombat, Puzzle Fighter, Sonic 2, Bomberman, TMNT, Streets of Rage, Street Fighter, etc. has very little to complain about!

And seriously, it's no big deal when a week goes by without a AAA arcade title coming out. I barely have time to play even a fraction of the games I own, so an off week ain't a tragedy.

[BattleChicken]

Pacman CE and Geometry Wars are still amazing

Agreed. I spend more time on Pac Man CE than any of my other 360 games lately.

[The Mana Knight]

Not much anymore. Many of the good stuff, I already own on PSP or in a classical compilation. Bomberman Live, Geometry Wars, and UNO rock, but outside of that, I just don't care to buy stuff. The demos don't really do much to convince me. I just stick to mostly retail games on my 360.

[FoxHoundADAM]

I don't play many but I love: TMNT, E4 quite often. I liked Geo Wars and Zuma but it just takes to long to play them at this point for me.

[BustaUppa]

I actually hate the whole DRM/no physical media thing, but Microsoft kinda forced my hand when they put UMK3 on live :-P
Now I have to sacrifice my principles every time I play these games, and a small part of me dies inside.

Oh well, at least the whole "MS Points" thing allows for numerous ways to cheat the system. And the lazy side of me kinda likes having all the arcade games right there on the hard drive.

[Layd Dly]

I only buy the really good ones or that im very interested in. ie. Castlevania its a must own game exp. for XBLA offers a ton of game time and actually has attainable acheivments. I also like puzzle games as does my fiance, they are good mind numming games. I would like some more sgood and stand-alone games though. Puzzle Quest is also awesome. and who doesnt like UNO.

Top 3 worth buying IMO
Castlevania SOTN
Puzzle Quest
Uno

[kaptinmorgan]

mrcapcom had a good point, i have a total of around 10 or 11 games, but they are good to have when the old lady wants to play something with you, but she has no idea how to play halo or what the hell an FPS is, she's always down for uno or frogger though, so it's pretty cool.

[Ryukahn]

The only arcade game I've bought in the last 8 months or so is Puzzle Quest. It was a great feature when I first got my 360, but now there are just too many good retail games for me to have time for anything but the absolute best from XBLA.

[Chris Dillon]

Whats e4? Feel dumb askig.

[-Never4ever-]

I think the real question is do people actually bother with 360 retail games anymore . . .

[whoknows]

Whats e4? Feel dumb askig.
Every Extend Extra Explosivenessess

[Pylis]

I love Arcade. I'm sitting on about 45 titles right now. Most I've enjoyed, though there've been a couple stinkers.

[RelentlessRolento]

Arcade games are the only reason why I rationalize keeping my 360. If it weren't for them my 360 probably would have left my home long ago.

[djbooba]

The arcade games are always hit and miss. It's like renting a game and keeping it sometimes. You may never play it again but you have it. I practically lived in the arcades as a kid and stuff like Contra and Rush N Attack will never get old.

[musha666]

I play Arcade games more than I do retail ones.

Me too. They are usually more fun, free (if youre a CAG then you probably get all your MS points for free), and dont have to fuss with a disc.

[Danimal]

Own them all.:shock:

[mietha]

Since Puzzle Quest, no, I haven't actually. I own 51 arcade titles, but since finishing PQ, I think I've only played 3 others, none of which for very long (Streets of Rage 2 was fun though on my playthrough of it). I play every demo but haven't bought any since PQ. A big part of that however is the XBLA games of late have been shit. This week's offerings may be the worst duo yet. They are both basically glorified, not very good, flash games at $10 each. It's a joke and an insult. Besides, November is always big release month. There's just too many new games to bother with the arcade right now. That said, if you don't have PQ, BUY IT. It really is one of the best games (period, not just in the arcade) games on the system.

Edit: You know, I just realizied Shrek-n-Roll is the new official worst 360 game. Seriously, if you've not played the demo, go do so. It is just impossible to properly explain how horrible it is. You really have to experience it for yourself.

[flojomojo]

I've tried the trials of every single XBLA game and I haven't found a single one worth the asking price. I have two 1600 point cards that I got for $20 total a while back but I can't find anything good to spend them on.
I think this might be a generation-gap thing. I grew up with arcades and even though I have MAME and all the classics collections, the XBLA ports of old games are very well done and they're cheap as coffee. If you can't find something you like among the 100 titles on offer, you're either not looking very hard, or you're under 25 and just don't "get" the appeal of arcade-style games.

XBLA is one of the main reasons I bought a 360, and I spend a lot more time and money on the quick-n-simple independent games than the fancy disc-based releases. I was heavily into PC games in the 486/early Pentium days, when PC Gamer magazine would have 12+ demos a month, and many of them resemble the stuff we can get on XBLA for a bag-o-quarters. Nowadays PC gaming is all about army simulations and Warcraft, no diversity at all.

For me, these would be system-sellers if I hadn't already bought the machine: Alien Hominid, Pinball FX, Space Giraffe, both Mutant Storm games, Geometry Wars, Marble Blast, Joust, Robotron, Pac-Man Championship Edition, Assault Heroes, Puzzle Fighter II HD, and more.

Wii and PS3 have some good stuff too, but without demos for everything, it's not nearly as well thought out. The Wii's Virtual Console in particular is full of a lot of crap -- or maybe that's because I'm "too old" to think the Turbo-Graphx16 and NeoGeo are worth chasing.

I'll gladly give you $25 for those cards if you seriously aren't going to use them. I know I would use them! I could PayPal you the money and you could PM me the codes, no shipping required.

[GuilewasNK]

I enjoy the Arcade games a great deal. I still play Pac Man CE and Robotron a great deal.

[dmendro]

About 1 in every 5 arcade games released is worth owning. Recently I've bought BSG and Puzzle Quest. BSG has gotten panned, but I actually think it's pretty cool once you learn how to actually fly the ships in 2D. :P

[fraggedbylaggers]

About 1 in every 5 arcade games released is worth owning.

About 1 in every twenty retail games released is worth owning.

At least on XBLA you dont waste as much money by purchasing a crappy title by accident.

[mang9432]

i think i've spent more time playing geometry wars and pac man ce than any other game on 360.

[terribledeli]

:applause:

you sir have wasted a great deal of money.

Not really. Stocked up on sale priced points. Split the cost with a couple of buddies. The occasional "review" code makes it way to my inbox. Wham-o. Probably spent $100-150 total. Considering I could have spent that money on some really pathetic retail games...I don't consider that a great deal of money.

[Chris Dillon]

No way shrek is worse then totemball.

[Slate]

Own them all.

Surely you are joking.. Oh, You AREN'T? :shock:

[danked]

About 1 in every 5 arcade games released is worth owning.


lol...:applause: In my opinion theirs not even 5 XBLA worth owning. Greatest Idea ever but the games ether suck ot cost to much. no RAIDEN wtf

[Chacrana]

No. Uno was fun for a few rounds... mainly because I got it free. SFII sucked... but again, it's kinda fun for a social game. Symphony of the Night was worthwhile simply because it's SOTN, but it's worse than the PS1 and PSP versions. There's just... not many good games and what is worth playing still isn't all that compelling.

[Coraanu]

Aegis Wing is probably the most-played game on my system. Tetris, Assault Heroes and Worms get decent amounts of time for me also.

[Pookymeister]

I havent had one peak my interest.

Not many pique my interest either. There are some gems in there though.

[GuilewasNK]

Not many pique my interest either. There are some gems in there though.

Pac Man CE was met with derision by many until they actaully played it. It is really good. I recommend people at least try demos of the games. You may be pleasantly surprised.

[shieryda]

Puzzle Quest FTMFW, y'all.

Castlevania was supposed to be good, but I couldn't get the damn thing to play the full version.

Uno is great, but I got it for free.

I still think the pricing is wack, and believe that Microsoft should start selling point cards in 100 point increments.

I own 11 Arcade titles, and they are nice to play during breaks from GHIII, Orange Box, Halo 3 and CoD4.