How long will games/content from Xbox Live be playable?

James in VA

James in VA

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I know there is a separate thread about EA shutting down servers for older titles. I also know that Xbox Live is shutting down support for original Xbox games on 4/15/10. That said, when we purchase games and add-ons for our 360s via Xbox Live, how long will we be able to play them? When the next gen Xbox comes out, do you think we'll be able to import all our digital purchases? If not, it makes me think that I should always make purchases on disc e.g. the Arcade compilations and add-on discs for Fallout 3, GTA4, etc. Thoughts?
 
[quote name='James in VA']I know there is a separate thread about EA shutting down servers for older titles. I also know that Xbox Live is shutting down support for original Xbox games on 4/15/10. That said, when we purchase games and add-ons for our 360s via Xbox Live, how long will we be able to play them? When the next gen Xbox comes out, do you think we'll be able to import all our digital purchases? If not, it makes me think that I should always make purchases on disc e.g. the Arcade compilations and add-on discs for Fallout 3, GTA4, etc. Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

I don't think anyone would know if things will transfer with a new system. Granted from what Microsoft has stated is that Xbox 360 life will go on longer than the original xbox life span. My thought is buy what you want to play and enjoy them while they last (which could be forever).
 
Any other thoughts? Nothing lasts forever but the prospect of my digital purchases disappearing makes me inclined to purchase everything I can on disc. Especially since the 360 is 5 years into its life cycle.
 
Always buy a retail disc if possible. You OWN a retail product. You only lease DLC at the publishers terms, which are heavily slanted in favor of not you.

Unless the DLC version is substantially cheaper than the retail product (which is almost never the case) always BUY retail.

The chances of Microsoft letting you import games and other DLC from this generation to their next gen console is ZERO.

They are adding an 'Arcade Room' to the 360, and you can't even use your exisiting arcade game purchases, you have to buy the games AGAIN for the SAME SYSTEM!

Bought Frogger? Good for you. Want to play it in the 'Arcade' fuck you buy it again.
 
would be severely fucked up if the next Xbox isn't backwards compatible with the 360. The first Xbox was understandable...they threw the system together kinda quickly, it was MS' test run of the game market. Now that the XBL infrastructure is so fleshed out, it seems like it's here to stay. Can't see them scrapping it and expecting people who invested so much in the 360 to just drop it.
 
Yea, the problem is that nobody really knows what will be available to re-download and play in the future when it comes to DLC. You can speculate all you want about things, but it will be a total crapshoot. MS has said that things like your Gamertag and gamerscore will carryover to the next system, but this was said 2 or 3 years ago when there was a different timeframe on when the next system will come out. Now with people thinking that the current generation of consoles still have 4-5 more years left in the current lifecycle you should at least have access to your content for that long. Probably longer, but if you think you will be able to play/access/download the content you paid for in 10 years, well good luck.

I would say that if you can get a physical copy of a game that is always the way to go. At least you own something. With DLC and buying full games on the console you really only own a limited use license. Sure you might be able to play the game or re-download the content if it gets corrupted, but you really do not know how long you own the license for.
 
@ Puffa, Ninja & Glock: Thanks for the feedback! I just wish the news was better. All that said, I'm going for retail discs whenever possible . . . even for major expansion packs such as those for Fallout 3 and GTA4. I have all my old games and systems dating back to my Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision. In 2020, I'm going to want to still have my games for the 360. I guess I'll largely be out of luck for XBLA titles after my 360 hard drive eventually dies.
 
Aren't the arcade games downloaded onto your hard drive? As long as you don't delete them, shouldn't they be at least playable on a 360 minus whatever online features the game may have had?
 
I swear I think we have this thread every few weeks.

The long of it is that no one will know anything until another console is announced. Who even knows when this may be. With the economy the way it is, I doubt we'd see anything any time soon.

No one has the answer. It's all speculation at this point.
 
[quote name='James in VA']Any other thoughts? Nothing lasts forever but the prospect of my digital purchases disappearing makes me inclined to purchase everything I can on disc. Especially since the 360 is 5 years into its life cycle.[/QUOTE]

You're asking questions that not even Microsoft employees would have the answer to right now. Time will tell.
 
mtx & Scorch: Sorry if this was a redux on the topic. I've been on CAG awhile but spend 99% of my time in the deals area. I got some good info from the responses thus far and hopefully a few others have as well.
 
I can kinda see MS not allowing certain DLC not being able to be downloaded on their next console, though i hope it will be.

However, if i'm not able to re-download the Arcade games i've bought on XBL onto the next MS system i will be MIGHTY PO'd!!!!!!! And i will be triple PO'd if they EVER re-release an XBL arcade game and force me to buy it again if want to play it.
 
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