I did a search for "xbox live arcade" and didn't come up with any threads specifically about this. This news is several months old, but perhaps this can serve as a reminder that it's coming...

Microsoft is going to be giving out free discs at retail stores that have bundles of arcade classics like Dig-Dug, Gauntlet and Joust and party games and mini games and such... all Live enabled and future downloads will be available. All the games will be stored on your hard drive and can be accessed any time without a disc. Free games, man. Maybe this will push those on the fence still about Xbox Live to spend the 50 bucks.

Here's a list from a Q&A on IGN - looks like something for everybody:

Examples include:
Retro Arcade: Classic arcade titles like Dig Dug, Pole Position, Galaxian, Joust, Defender, Robotron, Gauntlet, and many more from publishing partners include Namco, Atari and Midway.


Card & Board: Poker is a huge one. Titles include classics like Hearts, Spades, Backgammon, and Chess, as well as branded board games like Monopoly and Scrabble.


Puzzle & Trivia: Bejeweled, Zuma, Hexic, Fuzzee Fever and Mah Jong Tiles.


Action Arcade: This category includes new takes on classic action games, as well as side-scrolling shoot-em-ups and old-school 2D platformers. Titles include Alien Sky, Hamsterball, Feeding Frenzy and Marble Blast.


Social Sports: These are the types of games that you would play with a group of friends on a Friday night while hanging out. Titles like Bowling and Pool are going to be big here.

I'm really looking forward to this, any idea on the timeframe? I really haven't been keeping up with my video game news recently.

Great idea if the cost is negligible.

Sounds cool.

I saw a preview in Xbox Nation about this. It didn't have a release date, but it looks great, though.

I'm looking forward to some online Joust and Gauntlet action.

I've been keeping my eyes on this.. might get me to revive my Live account.

i believe this is going to be free.

i think it will be bundled w/ the new xbox live kits and you can get standalone discs at stores.

that was the impression i got from the xbn magazine article.

Yeah - sorry that wasn't clear. This is going to be completely free. New free downloadable games every month. The XBN article didn't have a release date, but it did have October 2004 in the article title - I assumed that meant October was when this was being released. We'll be able to pick it up in retail stores as a free disc and the new versions of Xbox Live Starter discs will have these new games as well. It'll be accessed by a menu in the Xbox Live screen and the list of games will be updated every month. Puzzle and Trivia games, Social and Sports games, Retro Arcade games, Card and Board games... this will be more addictive than crack... they're gonna have Galaga for fuck sake.

Online co-op Bubble Bobble.

I was under the impression that we would have to pay a small fee for a "set" of games. If it's free, that would be fantastic. Either way, this is a great idea on Microsoft's part.

i've just been told that some of the games will be for a small fee... probably the ones we want like galaga.

Ahh - okay... just read something that said Live Arcade will be free and that'll include access to a constantly updated list of games and free playable demos for all of the games available. Some games will require a fee unfortunately... perhaps most games. Guess we'll have to see. Half of Infinium Phantom's proposed line-up is comprised of simple games like some of these... pop-cap type games. MS is beating them to the punch.

Online Joust. sweet ass.

This is going to be mighty sweet. Dig DUg baby!

Does anyone know the time frame MS plans to start this? I can see having to fight the wife to get on Live now, she loves puzzle games.

I think this comes out next month.

i just read that games (or collections of games) will cost $10-20
http://xbox.ign.com/articles/555/555...html?fromint=1

Kind of disappointing. I'd pay $5 apiece for a lot of these packages, but $10 is stretching it and 20 is a definite no go. I still think it's a great idea, but bad pricing...at least if this is true.

The price is ridiculous. They should be using this to attract more people to Live. Most games I have only cost me $20.

You'd think that some of them would be free just for signing up for XBOX live, and most would be 10 or less. I refuse to pay 20 bucks for a game and not have an actual disc of it in hand, especially with the disc error stuff that happens at times for the XBOX. I've had to trade mine back in twice in a year.(got the 15 buck a year replacement plan at EB)

This was such a good idea, too.

frogger?

Well, for those interested, the review of the launch titles is (are?) now up at IGN here.
What a shocking disappointment. $10 for Bejewelled? $15 for three classic Namco arcade games with no online multiplayer WTF?
It also says that online games will be $19.99 which is almost beyond belief. I've always thought that MS' online Live stategy was risky but brilliant. This is just retarded. It's destined for complete failure and deserves nothing more.

I was wondering when new news about this would come up. I'm glad I didn't get too excited cause this plan they have sucks. So much for a new age in retro gaming.