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[Wario64]

Saw this from CAG, these games are not on the Xbox Live Marketplace anymore:

Cyberball 2072
Defender
Gauntlet
Joust
Paperboy
Robotron 2084
Root Beer Tapper
Smash TV
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Some of them are still available on amazon.com though. Hooray digital distribution!

 

[Daigoro]

LIVE ARCADE

*coming soon*

edit: er game room. whatever the hell its called

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Yeah okay, Midway's not around anymore, so what? Doesn't Warner own the rights to all these anyway? What does it matter who the money's going to?

NINJA EDIT: oh wait, I forgot about Game Room. Well I'm dumb.

 

[firehawk12]

Yeah, that sounds like they're just prepping them for the Arcade thing. I just wonder if you can redownload them?

I still have a copy of Lost Cities that I'm afraid to delete because it was removed from the marketplace after the whole Activision-Vivendi merger.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

So, a shift of old and insubstantially enhanced arcade emulations head to Game Room. Guess Konami and SNK stuff are next on the list? Does this mean that purchases before the marketplace shift get transferred over seamlessly to Game Room versions once launched or do those pre-GR versions of those games remain the old Arcade incarnations when you re-download 'em?

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

Mortal Kombat 3 won't be going to the game room. M rated games aren't allowed on the service.

 

[Chrange]

Probably due to licenses changing hands, not Game Room.

 

[SamBishop]

So, a shift of old and insubstantially enhanced arcade emulations head to Game Room. Guess Konami and SNK stuff are next on the list? Does this mean that purchases before the marketplace shift get transferred over seamlessly to Game Room versions once launched?

Something tells me you don't quite "get" the whole idea of the Game Room. There's nothing stopping Microsoft from prepping updates and stuff -- in fact, that'd be kind of the idea; here's the original for however many points (or lifetime buy-in) and heeeeere's the new version!

Done Bionic Commando: Rearmed-style, it could be huge. I'm excited.

Also, uh, Midway is no more, and I have no idea how ridiculous the rights to some of their stuff must be these days. The money gleaned from people buying those titles now, however minuscule, effectively goes nowhere. Well, minus MS' take.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, beaten.

 

[Kajiba]

That sucks. I think we can live though.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Mortal Kombat 3 won't be going to the game room. M rated games aren't allowed on the service.

Okay, but that game seems to barely qualify an M-title given the current standard of graphic violence ratings in games. It's more or less a 'hard' T because its so cartoony by comparison to the average modern visual depiction of gore.

Probably due to licenses changing hands, not Game Room.

Hmm...yeah, I guess that could be it, too...though the timing seems oddly perfect for a reappearance as GR releases in less than a month.

 

[Noogy]

Probably due to licenses changing hands, not Game Room.

I have a feeling this might be the case. Too bad if true... Smash TV was one of my favorite early XBLA purchases.

 

[Gravijah]

Okay, but that game seems to barely qualify an M-title given the current standard of graphic violence ratings in games. It's more or less a 'hard' T because its so cartoony by comparison to the average modern visual depiction of gore.

It doesn't really work that way. :lol It's M, so it's M. Doesn't matter if it's barely.

 

[Snuggles]

Thank god I bought Paperboy before they took it down, close one.

 

[OMG Aero]

Something tells me you don't quite "get" the whole idea of the Game Room. There's nothing stopping Microsoft from prepping updates and stuff -- in fact, that'd be kind of the idea; here's the original for however many points (or lifetime buy-in) and heeeeere's the new version!

Done Bionic Commando: Rearmed-style, it could be huge. I'm excited.

In all the interviews I have seen about Game Room, Microsoft are very eager to point out that these are the original versions of the games with no changes to them.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Something tells me you don't quite "get" the whole idea of the Game Room. There's nothing stopping Microsoft from prepping updates and stuff -- in fact, that'd be kind of the idea; here's the original for however many points (or lifetime buy-in) and heeeeere's the new version!

Done Bionic Commando: Rearmed-style, it could be huge. I'm excited.

I'm not following. I was under the impression that GR was to be a new category for DD releases...a segregation in the marketplace where old and unenhanced console and arcade emulations are put, leaving Arcade to be focused on remakes and wholly new releases.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

I'll delete my Smash TV and see if I can redownload it. No, I don't care if that CAG thread might have the answer already.

Edit: And I can.

If this just means Joust and Robotron show up cheaper in game room then I have no complaints. If it means they are gone... well fuck that.

 

[elektrixx]

I care about none of those, but it is a grim look into the future of digital distribution.

 

[kuYuri]

Well, Microsoft did talk about delisting XBLA titles awhile back.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

It doesn't really work that way. :lol It's M, so it's M. Doesn't matter if it's barely.

Well, I get that, but that was a specific and distinct title release rated by the ESRB as an Arcade game. A new Game Room version, even if it is technically the same code and content, could be submitted for appraisal and receive a different rating based on the standards of the time, could it not? Does a game that received an M from the ESRB in '94 necessarily stay an M in 2010 when so much has changed as far as what seems to be a marked change in the general acceptance level of violence and gore, sex and nudity, and controlled substance use and foul language in games? A game like GTA IV, had it been submitted for rating years earlier in its released form, would very, very likely be resigned to never having a rating other than AO and not the M it does have. Times change, and so, too, do the standards for ratings.

 

[TheShampion]

I care about none of those, but it is a grim look into the future of digital distribution.

Is it though? How is this worse than retail?

 

[Chrange]

I care about none of those, but it is a grim look into the future of digital distribution.

Jesus Christ...it's licenses changing hands because someone went under. You can't buy them new in stores either, so there's no fucking difference. Why is it that every time ANYTHING happens, it's a "grim look" into the future of digital distribution?

People who already bought them can still get them, but they can't keep selling them as a new product because of licensing. It's happened with other games in the past. Freaking doomsayers.

 

[Gravijah]

Well, I get that, but that was a specific and distinct title release rated by the ESRB as an Arcade game. A new Game Room version, even if it is technically the same code and content, could be submitted for appraisal and receive a different rating based on the standards of the time, could it not? Does a game that received an M from the ESRB in '94 necessarily stay an M in 2010 when so much has changed as far as what seems to be a marked change in the general acceptance level of violence and gore, sex and nudity, and controlled substance and language in games? A game like GTA IV, had it been submitted for rating years earlier in its released form, would very, very likely be resigned to never having a rating other than AO and not the M it does have. Times change, and so, too, do the standards for ratings.

Is there precedent to changing ratings when releasing them on different platforms? I'm rather curious, now.

 

[Monty Mole]

No great surprise.

It's been clear from the rumours that MS didn't want retro games on XBLA anymore that they had something else up their sleeves. Then Game Room was announced.

I think Game Room is a great idea but the pricing is all fucked up. I think there should at least be the option for a monthly or annual subscription fee where you can play as much as you like on anything you like.

 

[The Faceless Master]

well, MKII an Joust are still on the PSN, but Sony is the publisher there...

 

[Rlan]

Yup @ Faceless Master, SOE published Mortal Kombat II PSN, so they're still up there.

Monty Mole - No, unless we see Namco physically remove Pac-Man, that's not how it's going to fly. The fact that Mortal Kombat III, a game which was one of the Top 20 selling games on XBLA for 2009, has been removed means it's something more than "making more money".

 

[Monty Mole]

Yup @ Faceless Master, SOE published Mortal Kombat II PSN, so they're still up there.

Monty Mole - No, unless we see Namco physically remove Pac-Man, that's not how it's going to fly. The fact that Mortal Kombat III, a game which was one of the Top 20 selling games on XBLA for 2009, has been removed means it's something more than "making more money".

Has MS announced Namco support for Game Room?

 

[Petrae]

I know it's not a perfect world and all, but some sort of advance notice just wasn't possible? Thankfully I can get all of those games back if my hard drive / when my Xbox 360 fails, but seeing those titles just vanish is unsettling at best.

At least with physical media, you always have a copy and it's not on some server that can be taken down without warning.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Game Room games will be cheaper than Arcade games, any way. People should be happy.

 

[Petrae]

Has MS announced Namco support for Game Room?

Not publicly. Looks like Atari and Konami are the two biggest supporters, and the list shows some Intellivision IPs.

 

[PJX]

Is it though? How is this worse than retail?

You will always find copies of the game around. I can still purchase a game from 15 years ago on ebay, thrift shop or other places. You can't do that with digital distribution, once its gone it is gone.

 

[akilshohen]

I just thought of all the old Neo Geo titles that could be on Game Room

 

[Aaron]

I know it's not a perfect world and all, but some sort of advance notice just wasn't possible? Thankfully I can get all of those games back if my hard drive / when my Xbox 360 fails, but seeing those titles just vanish is unsettling at best.

At least with physical media, you always have a copy and it's not on some server that can be taken down without warning.

Games can be pulled from shelves without warning. If you already have a copy, it's exactly the same as Xbox Live, since you can re-download whenever you want, even if it's a pulled game.

 

[Petrae]

Games can be pulled from shelves without warning. If you already have a copy, it's exactly the same as Xbox Live, since you can re-download whenever you want, even if it's a pulled game.

Point taken.

 

[Rlan]

Has MS announced Namco support for Game Room?

Midway certainly hasn't since who knows how they "exist" anymore. WB games hasn't publicly announced anything either.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

You will always find copies of the game around. I can still purchase a game from 15 years ago on ebay, thrift shop or other places. You can't do that with digital distribution, once its gone it is gone.

Of course, but the flip side is that DD releases are more conveniently accessible within supported territories, and not subject to the spikes in valuation that older, more niche physical releases are. For instance, you wouldn't ever be paying $100+ for Rez HD, an all-around objectively superior release of the game, while that might be what you have to pay for a PS2 or DC copy of the game. If you wanted it for collection purposes, that's one thing, but what if you just wanted to play it because it was good? There's no perfect side here. Just having the choice is the best thing going right now. (And, yes, I know that Rez HD included on that retail X360 disc with other Q games is the better deal.)

 

[Mar]

This is what worries me about digital distribution. If the platform holder decides to remove the game, it's gone. It may not happen in this case, but they certainly hold all the keys and can remove a game from existence whenever they want.

With physical media I can (and do) buy games from as far back as birth of the medium.

There are many advantages to DD, and it has certainly made gaming a whole lot easier and diverse. But it concerns me greatly the power the platform holders possess.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

This is what worries me about digital distribution. If the platform holder decides to remove the game, it's gone. It may not happen in this case, but they certainly hold all the keys and can remove a game from existence whenever they want.

With physical media I can (and do) buy games from as far back as birth of the medium.

There are many advantages to DD, and it has certainly made gaming a whole lot easier and diverse. But it concerns me greatly the power the platform holders possess.

You do realize that once you download it the copy you have is just as physical as any disc you can own, right?

 

[Mar]

You do realize that once you download it the copy you have is just as physical as any disc you can own, right?

And if xbox live is disabled and your console breaks. Then what?

 

[Aaron]

And if xbox live is disabled and your console breaks. Then what?

Then all those games you have on disc won't be very usable either.

What if every game DVD in the world spontaneously combusts? What will you do then?

 

[Chiaroscuro]

Humm....

Some are still available at Amazon. However, I cannot buy from them (region restriction).

Can any GAF member buy me the codes? I will sent you the payment by paypal.

I need:
Cyberball 2072
Defender
Gauntlet $ 5
Paperboy $ 5
Robotron 2084 $ 5
Root Beer Tapper
Smash TV
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

But it seems that Amazon is only carrying 3 of them.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Wait im confused, despite the fact these are moving to the gameroom thing am I right in thinking if you ever deleted them off your hard drive that you wouldnt be able to download them again if you paid for em?

 

[Brashnir]

Wait im confused, despite the fact these are moving to the gameroom thing am I right in thinking if you ever deleted them off your hard drive that you wouldnt be able to download them again if you paid for em?

you can download them again if you already bought them.

 

[SamBishop]

In all the interviews I have seen about Game Room, Microsoft are very eager to point out that these are the original versions of the games with no changes to them.

The idea is replicating an old-school arcade, and yes, you're quite right in that they'll be as close to arcade-perfect in terms of emulation for those original classics as they can be, but they've never indicated to me that there were fundamentally opposed to including graduations of the theme. In fact, Namco has been rather fond of doing just that over the years and their entries are, unless I'm mistaken, in the queue for future Game Room inclusion.

I'm not following. I was under the impression that GR was to be a new category for DD releases...a segregation in the marketplace where old and unenhanced console and arcade emulations are put, leaving Arcade to be focused on remakes and wholly new releases.

Hmmm... Perhaps you're right. I was under the impression that XBLA would still be a pool for whatever major releases were put out there and that the Game Room was meant to be both a throwback nod and a portal for MS-sponsored remakes. The stuff we see from, say, Capcom would still be XBLA releases.

Honestly, I think it may have been me that doesn't "get" what the Game Room is all about. Apologies; I must've misinterpreted things. Whoops!

 

[PJX]

You do realize that once you download it the copy you have is just as physical as any disc you can own, right?

You do know that there are some items on the marketplace that you cannot download anymore even if you have it in your download history. It comes up as "Unknown Item" or something to that effect.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Wait im confused, despite the fact these are moving to the gameroom thing am I right in thinking if you ever deleted them off your hard drive that you wouldnt be able to download them again if you paid for em?

Viewing Your Xbox LIVE Purchase History

 

[Son of Godzilla]

And if xbox live is disabled and your console breaks. Then what?

And if your disc breaks, what then? It's on your harddrive, it's not in nullspace to be magicked onto your playscreen only if Microsoft or whoever deems you worthy.

 

[Mar]

Then all those games you have on disc won't be very usable either.

What if every game DVD in the world spontaneously combusts? What will you do then?

I was under the impression you couldn't just copy a downloaded game from one console to another without also claiming your gamer tag on that new console.

As opposed to a retail game that will play on anything.

 

[SmokyDave]

You do know that there are some items on the marketplace that you cannot download anymore even if you have it in your download history. It comes up as "Unknown Item" or something to that effect.

This really pisses me off because I usually notice them at random in my DLC history and have no way of knowing what purchased content I just lost access too. Is Galaga still available for re-download or is it Unknown Item?

 

[Rhindle]

I was under the impression you couldn't just copy a downloaded game from one console to another without also claiming your gamer tag on that new console.

As opposed to a retail game that will play on anything.

No, your gamertag account is stored on your hard drive or memory card, and is not tied to the console in any way. If you have a game stored on an HD along with your GT account, you can plug that HD into any Xbox and play your games.

Now in theory (1) your Xbox could break could break beyond repair and (2) your memory device could break beyond repair and (3) Microsoft could shut down Xbox Live forever. In that case, you couldn't play your games. I'd say the chances of all of those things happening in succession aren't terribly greater than a disc getting scratched.

 

[SmokyDave]

No, your gamertag account is stored on your hard drive or memory card, and is not tied to the console in any way. If you have a game stored on an HD along with your GT account, you can plug that HD into any Xbox and play your games.

Now in theory (1) your Xbox could break could break beyond repair and (2) your memory device could break beyond repair and (3) Microsoft could shut down Xbox Live forever. In that case, you couldn't play your games. I'd say the chances of all of those things happening in succession aren't terribly greater than a disc getting scratched.

As long as you have internet access. Games are tied to the console and the tag, not the hdd and the tag.