Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Speaking of Booty, did anyone else besides me pick it up during the sale? It's actually pretty fun. Looking to play some MP if anyone is interested.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Interesting article from Joystiq. Sounds like MS is strong-arming publishers to make games exclusive if they want to appear on XBLA. That might explain the paucity of content lately. Still doesn't explain Mega Man 10 or Fret Nice, though.
edit: Oh, I see. Those games were published by outside publishers. It's the independent developers who are getting frozen out. Not as bad and more understandable now, but still pretty hostile towards Mac users as well as independent developers who don't want to end up in the Indie Games tabs. I guess this explains why the super-polished Rotor'scope isn't an XBLA game


Machinarium dev moves on to Sony after Microsoft passes on publishing its critical darling
by Xav de Matos { 36 minutes ago }

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.c...achinarium.jpg

A report late last week on XBLAFans.com claimed that Czech game studio Amanita Design had been "refused" a publishing deal to bring the critically-acclaimed Machinarium to Xbox Live Arcade, because the game was not an Xbox exclusive. While the quotes in the article were incendiary, they echoed information Joystiq received from developer Golgoth Studio earlier this year, when it too was denied a publishing deal from Microsoft for Toki HD. (Microsoft decided Toki HD didn't fit with its current portfolio.)

The key is that neither game has been refused space on the platform -- Microsoft has simply decided not to publish the games itself. Microsoft requires all XBLA titles be attached with a publishing partner, meaning neither Amanita Design and Golgoth Studio can self-publish the games on the XBLA platform. Sony and Nintendo do not have the same policy for the PlayStation Network and WiiWare, respectively.

Joystiq contacted Amanita Design founder Jakub Dvorský for to clarify the situation. "They told us, 'It's not Microsoft-exclusive, we don't want it.' They didn't cite the Mac and Linux versions [as reasons for the refusal] but it's quite clear that's the reason," Dvorský told Joystiq via email. As it did with Toki HD, Microsoft recommended Amanita Design pursue other publishers, an idea the team doesn't appear intent on exploring. "It means if we want to release the game on XBLA we must throw, probably, most of the profit out of the window -- to the publisher. Just because we created Mac and Linux versions."

Microsoft's official stance -- and policy, according to Dvorský -- is the company does not publish games that are not exclusive to its platforms. During the year-long process of waiting for a response from Microsoft, Amanita Design never expressed interest in submitting Machinarium to Sony's PlayStation Network. Now that Microsoft has decided against publishing the game, Amanita is exploring Sony's platform. "We submitted the game to Sony after Microsoft refused it," Dvorský said

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I understand wanting to get a developer to be exclusive to your console, but if by doing so you're creating a gap and giving your competition exclusive rights by default, aren't you defeating the purpose? Especially if you're looking at a "critically-acclaimed" game already.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

There should be no reason another publisher can't pick up the game and get it onto Xbox Live. All that's saying is that MSFT Game Studios won't publish a game that's on other platforms, not that MSFT won't let the game on XBL.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

And it says you can't self-publish so the dev has to artificially pay a third party (MS obv prfers MS) to do that for them.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Wait, they want Microsoft to front the money to publish the game, but still want to take it multiplatform? :wtf: That doesn't even make sense. Who would even think for a second MS, Sony or Nintendo would even go for that?

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I agree. I guess the gripe is that they can't then publish the game for the iphone or the Mac (apparently there are games for the Mac -- who knew?). The unfair thing is that they can't self-publish an XBLA game. Sony certainly doesn't have that restriction for PSN games.

I'm curious : Who published Braid? Because that eventually found its way to PSN and I was pretty sure it was an independent title.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braid_%28video_game%29

Braid did have a 15-month exclusive window on XBLA over PS3. From that link, it seems that there was also a 8-month window before it was on the PC even, but it doesn't read like that was contractual.

Things may have changed over at Microsoft in the last two years too.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Which is why publishers have many smaller dev companies under their umbrella-ella-ella. Even if they are the same company, they can work around the rule that way.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

So we're seeing a small, starry-eyed, and innocent developer with visions and dreams of beauty and wonder out in the world and they just got their first taste of Microsoft's windowless candy van?

I feel so blessed to have witnessed this miracle of transformation. I just wish BBC was there to capture it for the next Planet Earth series they do.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Eh, don't really see the big deal.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I don't remember--did we ever talk about all the cool little unlockable freebies included with Perfect Dark? There's like two gamerpics, two avatar items (a shirt and a prop), and a free premium theme. Good stuff. I love it when they throw in stuff like this.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Game Room news: Night Stalker (Intellivision) on April 29th :banana:

That's $3 that's already spent. I LOOOOOOOVE Night Stalker!

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Final Fight: Double Impact Demo

For 800 points, you get Final Fight and Magic Sword. I'm probably going to buy this later, especially if someone I know also gets it for some online co-op. If no one else does, I may just wait the 6-8 months for a sale on it. Anyone else got their eye on this?

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I love Magic Sword. Final Fight is.. okay, I guess.

I could probably dip in for co-op and achievements and such.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I'm probably getting Final Fight. Loved that game. Never heard of Magic Sword before in the Arcade, so that's just a bonus.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I was a sucker for Magic Sword, played it a lot in the arcades. Final Fight isn't bad, it's good here and there but it was no Streets of Rage. 800 points honestly is pretty good for achievements and I assume enhanced graphics. If anybody cares, Final Fight is available on Capcom Classic Collection Volume 1 and Magic Sword is available on Capcom Classic Collection Volume 2. These titles were released on the PS2 & Xbox (not backwards compatible :/)

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

So, did anyone give FF: DI a whirl (or a purchase) yesterday?

I only played through the demos and both were enjoyable. I really, REALLY loved the way the cabinet used a faux curved-glass trick. It really looked like there was a CRT in there showing the game. It was so subtle that I didn't notice it until about half-way through FF's demo. Very cool. You can kinda see what I'm talking about here:



I stand by my statement that I'll buy this if some others do for some online action. If not, I'll wait for the sale and pick it up immediately for 400 points this holiday season ;)

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I loved Magic Sword. Played it a ton at the local gas station. (Back in the awesome days.) Haven't had time to even check out the demo yet, but I'll definitely be giving it a go.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Why aren't these 2 titles part of the Game Room?

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

Because Capcom wanted to do it this way instead? There's nothing to say they can't be part of Game Room in the future. But Game Room titles can't go to PSN or be modified for online play or have their own bonus features.

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

OK maybe I'm missing something then. I thought the whole concept of the GR was to have a central point the community could play and have access to these retro titles?

By having titles like this on XBLA and 'maybe' in the GR I think they are just confusing us. Or maybe its just me? :confused:

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I'm getting the feeling that Game Room is going to end up as a spectacular failure...

Re: XBLA Thread Part 400 - Pinata's got a brown nose
 

I'm not defending or justifying the obvious potential for overlap. There are plenty of non-XBLA games bound for GR. If you prefer your games remade for XBLA, they are there and no one is forcing you to buy both or either. It's the property owner's right (in this case Capcom) to handle the title themselves as part of XBLA/PSN or to pass it off to Game Room or both. Atari and Konami already have games in both. Eventually Capcom and Namco and others will as well.

Game Room is for a faster delivery pipeline of tried and true ROMs, not remakes. GR is for the games that wouldn't see life again in a sanctioned manner outside of a compliation.

Should Game Room serve as an interactive, visual, central hub for your XBLA titles as well? By all means I agree 100% with that and I feel it was a missed opportunity for them. Would it be extra confusing for games like Centipede and Millipede and Scramble that are already available in both flavors? Absolutely, but they didn't plan for Game Room when they created XBLA 5 years ago.