Autumn Xbox 360 update to enable downloadable Xbox games, including Halo 1

It's getting to be about time for an Xbox 360 Dashboard update, and Official Xbox Magazine is reporting that the Fall update, due December 4th, will come packing a huge new feature: downloadable Xbox games. The list includes some biggies: Fable, Burnout 3, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, and, or course, the original Halo. Games are reported to cost 1200 points, (around $15), and the games list is expected to grow over time. Of course, Microsoft hasn't confirmed any of this yet, but December is right around the corner -- looks like we'll find out soon enough.

Update: Well, that didn't take long -- according to Microsoft, downloadable "Xbox Originals" will be available starting on December 4th.

[Via Joystiq]

[Thomas @ Nov 13th 2007 12:20PM]

Will Microsoft ever add an internet browser to the 360?

[melloncollie @ Nov 13th 2007 12:22PM]

Why?

[cody @ Nov 13th 2007 12:25PM]

Why not.

[Billy @ Nov 13th 2007 12:45PM]

Mellon - uh, cause both the other consoles have one?

Really, it could be useful. I know I would use it quite a bit.

[teej @ Nov 13th 2007 12:53PM]

dude, get a fucking computer.

[dznetworks @ Nov 13th 2007 1:50PM]

He has one obviously.

[andyg8180 @ Nov 13th 2007 1:53PM]

boooo... theres a reason why XBL blows away the other consoles' online connectivity, and its not because of the internet... I used the internet on the PS3 for all of 3 minutes till i was back to my laptop... say no to the browser...

It's bad enough we have phishers, then we'd have to worry about viruses from the internet...

[Larz @ Nov 13th 2007 2:15PM]

I use my PS3 browser a lot. If you're sitting on the couch with friends and want to look something up on the net real quick it's pretty useful. I have my PS2 keyboard and mouse plugged in at all times so I don't see how it's that much different than a computer anyways. I will say that the Wii browser kicks everything's butt though. The zoom feature is really really handy (not just for porn either). I would use the Wii browser a lot more if I was using the Wii for gaming (just not that many fun games for it at the moment). So, yeah, long story short... add a browser to the 360!

[Cash @ Nov 13th 2007 2:16PM]

I shelled out 40 bucks for the keyboard attachment for my dreamcast years ago, and after about 5 minutes I realised that surfing the web on your TV is dumb, and that 40 bucks would have been better spent of friggin' Ecco the Dolphin.

Yeah it might be fun to watch videos and all from my couch, but lets face it: youtube already looks god-awful on my 22" monitor. How is it going to look on my 50" DLP? Give me DivX, give me (good) IPTV, and I'll be happy MS.

P.S. If it's coming out in December... wouldn't that technically be a Winter Update, not a Fall Update? Why not go all marketing spin and just call it the Holiday Update :-)

[teej @ Nov 13th 2007 3:02PM]

@dznetworks,
it's not obvious...he could have made his post via Blackberry, cellphone, PS3, Wii, etc... nice try though.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 13th 2007 5:15PM]

if you use a Cell phone you get redirected to m.engadget.com which only shows the news... no comments.

[Nick Ritch @ Nov 13th 2007 10:26PM]

@ Andir3.0
When browsing on my iPhone it doesn't redirect me to any lame ass "mobile version" of any site.

[Chris R. @ Nov 13th 2007 12:20PM]

Forget the games. It is a nice feature but I want Divx support.

[Dani @ Nov 13th 2007 12:27PM]

Native Divx would be great, though River Past Video Cleaner or Transcode 360 work nicely in the meantime :D

[Alan Strangis @ Nov 13th 2007 12:51PM]

Though Transcode works okay, native support would be the best route. I'm not impressed with Transcode's output (though definitely better than Orb or TVersity - ugh). Lack of DivX is the only reason I still have my orig Xbox in the home theatre loop - thankfully Samsung's DNIe actually HELPS the picture in that situation - about the only time it does.

[Chris @ Nov 13th 2007 1:13PM]

Let me guess, mod-cip/soft mod plus XBMC.

I have the same combo for Divx support as well. If the 360 did Divx I might ditch the original Xbox.The only hold out would be that XBMC can decode DVD .iso images on the fly. I rip my DVD's to my server and use XBMC as a video jukebox during parties.

[Alan Strangis @ Nov 13th 2007 1:33PM]

Yep, chip and XBMC. I've found that some DVD .iso's stutter on playback (it's kind of hit and miss), so I wouldn't miss it too much. I've always been curious to see if the 360 Media Center would handle networked DVD files, but haven't gotten around to it yet. It would be cool if it did, AND did upconversion to HD but I'm probably dreaming there.

[CubeGuy @ Nov 13th 2007 3:33PM]

Networked ISOs work fine. That's why my XBOX is still in my entertainment center.

[prateeko @ Nov 13th 2007 12:24PM]

So much for that 50MB (or is it "250MB" now) on Xbox Live game downloads, huh?

[prateeko @ Nov 13th 2007 12:24PM]

I meant, "50MB (or is it "250MB now) limit"

[FordGTGuy @ Nov 13th 2007 12:43PM]

That limit is for XBLA games not XBL downloads.

[spyder91 @ Nov 13th 2007 3:20PM]

It'd be pretty sweet if you could download a 50mb Hi-Def movie off of marketplace though...

[rv @ Nov 13th 2007 5:29PM]

You can download a hd movie off marketplace (720p only). They are about 6-8gb.

[prateeko @ Nov 13th 2007 5:38PM]

Apparently RV and Spyder can't read. I said XBL GAMES. Clearly movies are going to take up a lot more space.

[sburko @ Nov 13th 2007 12:27PM]

It's not like I have these all on disc or something. I bet they're gonna be around 10GBs a piece. Sigh, off I go to buy a new HDD...and a Zune. Dammit

[paragraph @ Nov 13th 2007 12:36PM]

i don't think that much space, i mean really no more than 4gb, and images can really be compressed down. The real market here is obciously those who upped to a 120gb drive, or those with the elite.

The problem i see here though is that all of the games mentioned can be found new at most game stores for at the very most $14.99 (sans halo, who asks and hefty $25), and at places like Wallyworld, Suckit City, or Worst Buy for a mere $9.99 (even for halo). So really the advantage here is that you have a copy that you can't backup ;)

Really i see nothing special here, just something else to waste your moolah on.

[paul.davis @ Nov 13th 2007 12:32PM]

Just go buy a HDD and replace the old 20 gig with it. Should be a few websites to give you the steps to make it read as 120 gb HDD. And you'll save at least 80 bucks.

[blachole @ Nov 13th 2007 12:41PM]

Are they going to add LIVE and achievement support to these XBOX games?

[Big Sam @ Nov 13th 2007 12:59PM]

That would be the only way to make this compelling.

[blachole @ Nov 13th 2007 1:14PM]

Well if they can do it with Arcade games, I don't see why not, especially when they are taking their time releasing games.

[modified @ Nov 13th 2007 1:30PM]

Adding Xbox Live to Halo 1 would make this compelling.

[Alexander @ Nov 13th 2007 12:45PM]

Does the xbox use software to play the games, or is it a hardware chip like in some of the PS3's.

If it's hardware, then this is the first step so they can remove that hardware to keep the cost of the thing cheap.

[Doug @ Nov 13th 2007 12:48PM]

Original Xbox compatibility is all via software on the 360. No special hardware has ever been used for this.

[Grant @ Nov 13th 2007 12:47PM]

I think I speak for everyone when I say its about time!
but at the same time these games will absolutely rape anyone with a 20Gb hdd. I think this kinda seems more like a grand scheme to push more 120gb HDDs. I wouldn't be surprised if the 120gb drives start shipping with the original halo or something of that sort.

[Billy @ Nov 13th 2007 12:48PM]

I am looking forward to downloading some original Xbox games that I never got to try. But not Halo. Lord no, that entire franchise is a piece of shit.

[Blake Bowen @ Nov 13th 2007 2:13PM]

You, sir, are a moron.

[Alex Padilla @ Nov 13th 2007 12:50PM]

Two things:

1. Full console games via digital distribution is definitely a good thing. Look for this in future consoles, as well

2. Because of this new feature, we need MORE HDD SPACE. Microsoft, let us use our own external HDDs for this. Please?

[Mike @ Nov 13th 2007 12:53PM]

The original site that reported it, CVG, has taken the article down, btw.

Not sure what that means, but plz stop using joystiq. palgn reported it first :P

[teej @ Nov 13th 2007 12:55PM]

now if only the Halo 1 d/l had XBL multiplayer support...i'd stop playing h3.

[Carbonize @ Nov 13th 2007 4:39PM]

I've already stopped playing Halo 3 as it's crap. I couldn't put Halo 2 down but 3 is a major disappointment.

[JLynx @ Nov 13th 2007 10:21PM]

Dude... Halo 3 is not crap. It's at least a tasty muffin.

[Bullitt @ Nov 13th 2007 1:01PM]

Thank god for the 120 gb hard drive

[Carbonize @ Nov 13th 2007 1:02PM]

Explains the "Backup Xbox games" item on the list of things to add to Vista that Engadget refered to as a list of Windows 7 features.

But as has already been said you can buy the games already for next to nothing and not waste HD space. Now I'd be really interested if they'd do stuff like Halo with HD graphics like they did with Durundal but without the motion sickness.

Halo 3 sucks.

[CarpeD1em500 @ Nov 13th 2007 1:15PM]

BTW Engadget - check our the microsoft press release that officially confirms all of this.

Looks like your original post needs a nifty UPDATE!

[thematrixhasu2 @ Nov 13th 2007 1:29PM]

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[blade417 @ Nov 13th 2007 2:09PM]

I agree with you.....but not that many times.

MvC2 is one of the greatest fighting games of all time and I hope that I can download it very soon. Let's go microsoft, make one of your dissatisfied customers (me) happy.

[brad @ Nov 13th 2007 1:49PM]

can we please please please get halo 1 over live???

[Cameron @ Nov 13th 2007 1:56PM]

Well, this sounds like fun but if they're gonna make money on more downloadables, COULD THEY REDUCE THE COST OF THE BIGGER DRIVE! My 20 Gigger is outta space.

[Larz @ Nov 13th 2007 2:15PM]

Wow, 360 doing some "catching up" to the PS3 for once?

[Carbonize @ Nov 13th 2007 4:42PM]

Not really since it's cheaper in most cases to just go and buy the game from a shop. I can't see many 360 owners making much use of this. And at least MS stuck with one method of Xbox emulation rather than switching from hardware to software when they released it on a new continent.