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[Mdk7]

I've always been a proud multi-platform owner (and i still am this generation!), but one thing i really really loved about the Xbox 360 was the Summer of Arcade. It was an amazing initiative for the Xbox brand IMHO, and great excuse to keep playing during the hot season (a time that's not usually crowded with releases).
Throughout the years it gave us stunning masterpieces and quirky little gems that helped to define a generation: think about it, we got Braid, Castle Crashers and Geometry Wars 2 in 2008, we got Shadow Complex and 'Splosion Man in 2009, we got Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light and LIMBO in 2010, we got Bastion, From Dust and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet in 2011, we got Deadlight and Dust in 2012 and Brothers and Charlie Murder in 2013.
And then, after 6 years of success and popularity (ok, last year was certainly not that great...), what happened? Why did they decide to kill it, or at least to skip 2014 - the first summer of their new system, which could and should have been a chance to shine - without even saying a word about it?
As an Xbox player, i honestly feel pretty disappointed, and please do not tell me it's because they removed the distinction between retail games and Xbox Live Arcade titles: that would be pure PR bullshit, in that case they could have easily called it "Digital Summer" or whatever instead of suppressing it.
What's your opinion about this, my dear fellow Gaffers?

 

[HadesGigas]

"Arcade" doesn't exist on Xbox One. And there's not exactly a lot of exclusive games ready for any platform.

 

[madmackem]

I agree with the op, it really made xbox live stand above psn, they had some killer summer of arcade titles in the past. Its went so down hill the last arcade like title i bought on xbox was peggle 2, i would spend so much money on summer of arcade and live as a whole but its down to maybe two titles in the past year.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Agreed, even if XBLA is going to die they should do something like "Summer of Indies".

 

[aspiegamer]

"Arcade" doesn't exist on Xbox One. And there's not exactly a lot of exclusive games ready for any platform.

Games previously mentioned are not exclusive, making your point completely invalid.

Besides, they could easily name it something else and/or still have the event on the 360.

 

[HadesGigas]

Games previously mentioned are not exclusive, making your point completely invalid.

Besides, they could easily name it something else and/or still have the event on the 360.

The games people cared about were generally exclusive or timed exclusive.

I can't even think of any upcoming Xbox One (or 360 for that matter) digital only releases that come out in the next couple months. Can you?

 

[soul creator]

My guess is it's because the industry has moved towards self-publishing and indie developers releasing games when they want to, rather than tied to a platform holder's specific portfolio schedule.

And yes, probably also because games are games, and not segregated between "arcade" and "real games", lol.

Of course, that shouldn't stop them from doing other types of "spotlights", like the iOS store does, but I don't think it's gonna be as much of a "thing" as it was back in the day.

 

[Mdk7]

The games people cared about were generally exclusive or timed exclusive.

I can't even think of any upcoming Xbox One (or 360 for that matter) digital only releases that come out in the next couple months. Can you?

Bad timing schedule is not really an excuse when you're talking about a company as big as Microsoft, IMHO.
I mean it happens, but they're to blame even more for that.

 

[HadesGigas]

Not excusing anything, it's just the way it is. "XBLA" style games aren't even coming out on a weekly basis. Pretty much no one has been ready for this gen, from first party to third party.

 

[Castef]

I think they should announce it.

Maybe it has been replace with a session of strong discounts?

Anyways, why remove something they build up over the course of six years? Seems to me a waste of a nice recurrence.

 

[Castef]

Agreed, even if XBLA is going to die they should do something like "Summer of Indies".

Also, "Arcade" is a wonderful word to be associated with videogames, regardless of LIVE Arcade, so why not keep it?

 

[MauroNL]

Will probably make some kind of return when Ori and Inside come out.

 

[EvilKatarn]

The last two summer of arcades were not that great anyway.

2009-2011 were nuts though. Absolutely nuts.

 

[Mdk7]

The last two summer of arcades were not that great anyway.

2009-2011 were nuts though. Absolutely nuts.

I personally loved Deadlight, and liked Dust quite a bit (not a fan of the art direction and hated your sidekick, but Noogy got the gameplay damn right!), but yeah the previous one were better.
2013 was kinda terrible.

 

[Castef]

The last two summer of arcades were not that great anyway.

2009-2011 were nuts though. Absolutely nuts.

2008 and 2009 were the best.

 

[Castef]

By the way, Summer of Arcade 2013 was announced on July 8th.

So, we they are still in time.

Let's wait and see.

 

[Shaneus]

Rez HD, motherfuckers.

 

[enzo_gt]

The last two summer of arcades were not that great anyway.

2009-2011 were nuts though. Absolutely nuts.

It's no coincidence that the best Summer of Arcades also coincided with the peak of indie game quality this gen.

 

[Mdk7]

Rez HD, motherfuckers.

It came out like in January/February (i remember 'cause it was like my most wanted game ever... and i got a RROD the week before). XD

 

[TheOddOne]

A) More profitable venues to launch new games;
B) The rise of self publishing, competitive pricing and different business models;
C) Certification process and updates are still a major hurdle on consoles;
D) Microsoft has a terrible reputation because of past problems with handling indie developers and/or their games;
E) Developers have less reason to stick or team up with middle-men.

A mix of the above.

 

[Shaneus]

It came out like in January/February (i remember 'cause it was like my most wanted game ever... and i got a RROD the week before). XD

I just remember it was a part of the Summer of Arcade. Well, wait... Summer of Arcade in Australia

 

[Lemmy]

Probably ain't got the games for it. Surprised they haven't tried to keep it going on 360 at least, but then there's likely not a lot releasing there either by all accounts.