Xbox 360's Games on Demand service gets demoed on video
By Darren Murph 
posted Jun 7th 2009 12:32PM
posted Jun 7th 2009 12:32PM
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Nice!
No more camping at stores for ex. Fallout 3 :D
Woh Hoo!
GO 360!
This has been on the PS3 for a long time, and without the absurd cost of Microsodft's HDD.
That's great, but I don't own a PS3, I own an xbox360.
Really Nando? You downloaded MSG4 onto your ps3? Yeah, I didn't think so. So I guess you are you talking about 'demos' and 'mini' games from the PSN. Yes, those too have been on the xbox 360 via xbox live for ages. Infact, since launch.
Puggs was referring to full-length games more so than cheaper $19.99 mini-games or 'homebrew-style' games. Tell you what, if your able to, download MSG4 instead of buying it from a retail store and post a video of how it works. I'd love to see it in action. Since the uncompressed material from the blu-ray disc at around 30GB will probably take 10+ hours to download even on a very very fast connection, please make the video at like 128x speed so we don't have to spend all day.
Meh! This will be the "heroine" of the platform. Feels groovy when its happening but does ass loads of damage longterm. Meaning MS needs to get off of the 90s old DVD platform already. Xbox 360 will NOT have legs (i.e. that 10 year pipe dream) if they don't adopt a larger storage medium (Blueray, or other). The devs will be limited in their ability to create rich, immersive, near reality experiences. We will increasingly see 40gb+ IPs as the standard and then a watered down 8gb version (kinda whats done for the DS). I say large Xbox 360 capacity drive, Xbox 720 or BUST!
@ Frankenstein - I hear you on that. And as for 'no more waiting in line' I hope microsoft has some serious bandwidth arrangements for when everyone tries to download Halo: Reach at the same time...
Nice. It's going to be a lot easier to do the unethical immoral illegal act of loading pirated ISOs.
Xbox 360 is getting closer and closer to the PC gaming experience...
PC gaming is all about buying the latest second best card and upgrading. Don't you know anything?
Do you really think that Microsoft would release this if they hadn't already taken every possible measure to prevent it from being copied? Xbox Live Arcade games have been stored on the HDD since the console was released, and we don't hear about rampant piracy of those. I'm betting that a good amount of DRM will be employed here. This is a cool service, but I'm just going to stick to buying the game discs. Downloads will take hours and how are you supposed to use this on a different Xbox 360 (if you have 2) without having to recovering your gamertag and re-downloading the game.
thats what REMOVABLE HARD DRIVES ARE FOR DUNCE CAP!!
I haven't had trouble buying a game since way back when Gears of War was first released and it quickly became the top seller. Nowadays retailers order plenty of disks for anticipated releases and the only problem I run into is buying special editions. When I bought GTA4 with the gym bag and the safety deposit box, i had to really look hard since I don't preorder games.
Way back when Gears of War was released.... 3 years ago? You must be 9.
Comcast's Bandwidth isn't pleased.
Mr bandwidth throttling will like it.
Oh man I hate that guy. He's a total virgin.
hhaa yeah this is awesome, and im sure comcast is whining AND im sure well all get screwed by comcast.
any torrent files i have loaded up all of the sudden drop my comcast connection completely. its like magic.
I hate comcast and i cant get anything else in the complex i live in yet. ultra lame
I wouldnt be surprise if eventually there was a surplus of just PURE ISPs like NETZERO and Juno was in the days of dial up.
I dont want all this bundled nonsense and i dont want to pay zillions of dollars.
its too bad the infrastructure costs so much for the high speed access.
Lets all band together and create the PEOPLES ISP!
NATION WIDE BROADBAND FOR COST!!! 10MBps up and down minimum
eMax, its funny you say that since there's an engadget story about Korea working on doing just that. Free wireless internet anywhere in the country at 100mbpsec or something crazy like that. The whole system is costing about 10 billion I think it was? However, free-internet access...anywhere...anytime...for any device that supports wifi. I think it kind of neat since you could potentially have access to the vast amounts of information on the internet at any time. Mind you, you might not really want access to that information but...still...it would be there :P:D?
I'd love to have seen the $750 billion dollar bailout package be used on a us-scale free internet and cellphone network national wide more-so than GM survivng for 2 months only to need to fill chapter 11 ANYWAYS.
Yes! I have an Xbox 360 but haven't played it much. I don't have an Xbox Live account either. I think I might get an account now! One problem though, the servers might get jammed with people trying to download it.
if they are clever they do it the bittorrent style to assist there servers...
It's Microsoft we're talking about here.
Last I checked Microsoft outsource all their content distribution to Akamai, so I doubt they will have bandwidth issues. If they can survive patch day and service pack releases without a blip, I doubt games on demand will cause them any problems.
Thank you for the information, jep. I didn't know for sure, whether or not they could handle bandwidth attacks.
Does anyone know if you will you be able to re-download it for free if you delete it? I know you can do that for the games now, but I'm wondering if this will also be possible for these games. Kinda gives you a more secure feeling when you make $50+ purchase for an intangible product.
They have said that it will follow the same model as the live arcade games - download as many times as you please. They pretty much need to since even the 120 GB HDD is a little small for this to be used extensively (seriously MS - 320 GB hdd are below $100. How about a capacity bump).
You will be able to re-download games you have already purchased, the downloads are tied to your xbox live account, and anything you have purchased can be re-downloaded at any time.
Can you sign on to your xbox live account on any xbox ? All I see people during is one friend buying the game for 50, and then charging like 15 to download to his friends xbox's.
Yes, you can use your account on any xbox (he account can only be used on one at a time though), and yes you could download a game onto your friend's xbox, but the game is tied to youre account, so youre friend would have to be signed in as you to play.
so you would have to buy the game twice for another user on your xbox to use it?
No. The way it works on the Xbox is, once you purchase a game & download it, it just works on that console. The system actually checks an identifier for your console when you first purchase the game on Live, and ties that to it. If you later install the game onto a different console, you must sign in to Live on that console before it will launch.
yes, that means if you buy a newer Xbox and transfer/redownload your purchases, you have to log into Live whenever you want to play that content. It is possible, however, to call up Microsoft and get them to switch your account to the new console, so you don't have to keep logging in... but then the original console goes to the "must log in to play" on your purchases.
I was psyched at first, but those prices really need to go down before I consider using it. Shouldn't they be taking into account the fact that you can't resell or lend downloadable games?
I do believe that is the point. They cut out the used game market completely. And since you can't sell or lend your copy = more sales.
Price of games? surely they have to sell them cheaper if you are not getting the box and manual, there are no shipping costs etc.
i would think a tenner less would be easily done
You'd think that wouldn't you, but I'm sure Microsoft stated somewhere that the prices would mirror boxed RRPs. And before anyone starts slating Microsoft for this, name me ONE download service that sells the majarity of its titles cheaper than the boxed variants, hell, some of the titles on Steam are even more expensive than the boxed versions.
Cheaper sales would kill the hardcopies, and kill the profit. So lose-lose for MS.
Steam charges the same for it's box copies. Over time both prices drop so not big of a deal. This will be really great for getting all those older games that some people never played.
@MikeyQ it's not games but Kindle books are much (normally at least half) cheaper than their non-digital counterparts and the reason explained is exactly that since there's no printing/binding/materials used the price should be lower. I think that's a good model to follow.
Steam had ridiculous sales though. Like 75% off for a week. TF2 actually gets it's price LOWERED for a week whenever it gets new content, as well as a free weekend.
I like your idea, however the reason that out of all the media markets(Movies, music, games and books), only e-books are significantly cheaper than their printed counterparts, is that only with books does making the actual product make up a significant part of the total production cost.
No more reselling/buying used games on ebay :(
another reason why shops bankrupt and people sit home without work... at least they can play 360 all day long
It might cause some job losses in the used game market, but let's not forget that jobs are being created in the engineering market for people who have to design and develop these systems.
I have a feeling part of the reason they developed this setup is so that nobody could resell the games.
I don't plan much on game resale value anyway, most games i buy i hope to never get rid of.
I'm also guessing that now there will be people selling their xboxlive usernames and harddrives.
All you will have to do is drop 800 extra microsoft points to change the name on the account and then you get all their games that have been saved..
Well, not really, since nothing is changing concerning the normal boxed retail versions of games. Its just offering people a choice, in some situations I know I would prefer to simply get something on demand than go out and get it from a shop or wait for it to come in the mail.
Good for Microsoft there winning in the gaming category, soon (maybe) in the Mp3 category and with the release of Windows 7 in the computing category:) go get out your windows flag from the back of the wardrobe in the dark corner, throw that iMac out of the window and sing the windows starting up tune...oh crap, iMac's run bootcamp now? Is this covered in my warranty?:S
Have they given any indication on when we will be getting these upgraded features?
My main concern with this is that hopefully the infrastructure can cope with the service; I am already having horrible visions of people in their thousands trying to download a game on launch day and bringing LIVE to a standstill. I doubt that on-demand games at launch will happen for a long while though, and if it does it will just encourage retailers to make better offers and publishers to make the "limited edition" versions of games more worthwhile.
just like steam
they need to allow people to use larger HDD for storage, not just the pricey one from M$ which is hard to upgrade... maybe allow mutiple HDD to be used for different games...
also it would be cool to download the game before launch and 'unlock' it at launch time, so there wont be server congestion and unecessary wait.
Please make games like $10 cheaper to account for lack of physical copy and shipping costs, etc
Crosspost from Joystiq:
Game publishers have been struggling for years to figure out how to break GameStop and Wal-mart's stranglehold on game retail in the US. My guess is this the first step on a path that will lead to a "window" system akin to that employed by the movie industry:
The initial release of a game will be at game retailers on disc, with the brick-and-mortar retailers enjoying a 1-2 month "window" of exclusivity.
After that, it'll appear on Games On Demand for a slightly discounted price for a "window" of maybe a year (this will be to offset used-game sales--instead of paying GameStop $50 to purchase a used copy of a month-old game, you might be able to buy it on Games On Demand for $45.)
The final window would open after 1 year, where the game would be made available on a yet-to-be-announced game subscription service like GameFly, but for console games, where you can download as many games as you like for one flat monthly rate. Call it "Xbox Live Platinum" or whatever.
It's just my speculation, and the details may change, but I believe the basic model is sound: it marginalizes the brick and mortar retailers and provides a model for long-term sustained sales of a title. Those are things the game publishing industry have wanted for a very long time, and it's good for us because it reduces the hit-driven nature of this business.
The games sell for the same prices as the DVD versions (minus the usual steep drop in street prices) and you have to buy the needed disk space by yourself for ridiculously high prices from Microsoft. Even if you could use standard HDDs this would be tough to justify. Considering Microsoft’s HDD prices, it almost seems insulting!
I like downloads, but in order for this to work, the downloads would have to be constantly lower than the DVD versions and you should be able to use standard HDDs!
If Microsoft sold them digitally cheaper...they would be undercutting themselves on titles they publish.
You are looking at it like "I don't get a physical copy and I can't resell it so it should be cheaper." While myself and Microsoft are looking at it like "Microsoft is using their bandwidth to provide you with the ability to make your life more convenient by being able to prevent yourself from having to go to the score to purchase a game. And the excess bandwidth that it is going to take up is not free."
They wouldn't be undercutting themselves - they would be swimming in increased profits from additional sales from the used game market. It's also not necessarily "more convenient" as I can drive to my local game retailer and be back home before a game download would have finished - giving me the added benefit of 1. being able to sell my used game 2. use my game on more than one xbox360 in my home 3. not tie up valuable HD space on my 360 4. etc
Finally- now we wont have to drive all over town to find the newest releases and hope they dont sell out! No more putting our names on hold lists. Halleulia! Another brilliant move from Microsoft- elliminate the middle man! Of course, there will be those that prefer having a hard copy of their game, so there will still be Gamestops. But I, for one, am glad that I wont have to drive to one anymore.
I'm trying to understand why this is such an amazing feature, hell Sony have been able to do get this to work across both the PS3 and PSP for the last couple of years.
Ok list all the full retail PS3 game's that is up on the PSN right now, considering they have been doing this for year's. They should have a good size list, along with all the latest new releases such as Infamous which is a PS3 only title. Denial is a heavy thing i understand, just cause sony has just a few full retail games on PSN which i actually think it is 3 total. Doesn't put them in the same category as this or quote "Doing this for years".
Engadget needs to read up. This Games On Demand won't feature any NEW releases, it will only feature games that the retailers don't sell anymore.
Wheres the PS3 update with this feature...?
Lol when did you last update your system? This has been available on the PS3 for quite a long time now. I have quit a few full games i have purchase through the PS Store. Still rather drive the 5 mins it takes to goto walmart than to sit and wait for a 10gb+ game to download then hopefully have no missing data on the install.
These is no way that anyone is going share the games they download... it's not as easy as changing your gamertag, or anything like that. The games are tied to your ACCOUNT, not your gamertag. And if you access your account on a friend's 360, then when you sign out, your friend CAN NOT access that game any longer... unless you're willing to leave your account on his 360, and let him sign in whenever he wants, and I've never dont it, but I'm sure Microsoft isn't crazy about an account logging in at 2 locations at the same time.
This would also have to catch on BIG TIME, for it to have an impact on used game retail stores, not to mention the fact that there are way too many people out there who simply don't like the idea of not having a physical disc to hold in their hands, as well as no high speed internet connection, and a lot of people who just don't conduct online business.
And as far as re-downloading the titles, I didn't have a 360 for over a year, got a new one, signed in with my account, and everything I had previously downloaded the year before, I could re-download again for free. You're only going to lose what you paid for if you lose your account... so don't forget your email and password! Oh, and yes, for core gamers, a 320gb hdd would be a must. If i want to play something I've deleted, the last thing I want to do is sit and re-download a 5gb file. Installing a 5gb game on PS3 is enough of a pain, I can't imagine waiting to download it. I have a 15mb connection, and an HD movie takes a LONG time.
I have heard that Sony has been working on tech that etches an encryption onto your disc that only allows it to be played in that specific console. If that is ever implemented, then that is what will hurt used game retail stores.
Retail games cannot be downloaded still on the ps3. If I wanted to buy Madden 10 when it comes out, I would have to go to the store and buy it. I cant just download Madden 10 right to my hd...
And from what that 'demo' showed, you won't be downloading Madden10 the same day it comes out in the stores either...unless there was somewhere else that said that these downloadable games will come out the same date as the physical disc, your point is moot.
it really comes down to the HDD space for a LOT of people and right now it's not in our favor unless M$ changes how they price the 360 HDD (which anyone that has wanted to upgrade theirs knows it's beyond rediculous) or allow an easy upgrade path like the ps3 (and I kinda doubt it) they are going to lose on this feature, just look at the video posted here 5.71gb for Lego Star Wars. It is a good idea in general but until they make the HDD upgrade path cheaper/easier I can't see it being that great
it looks like ms may of listened to id words of wisdom on storage after all? in regard to rage and doom 4?
Holy Crap, Did everyone else miss the memo that downloading the full game probably will take hours? How about a multi dvd game? Or the fact that you will have crap bandwidth for you or anyone else in your household while you are downloading + not being able to play any games on your xbox.
Oh yeah... bandwidth caps..... less used games out there to buy / not being able to trade sell....
I noticed they had the price for lego star wars at $19.99....how does this compare with boxed copies sold in the US?
That's about a half to 2/3rd what I'd need to buy it for if I tried to get it used in Canada from GameStop etc.
And I'm supposed to believe something like Mass Effect 2 is going to release online time and date with retailers?
They really should have released another HDD with this along with a lower price to it. The pricing on their accessories is borderline insane.
i was wondering.. if say you have played a game previously and it is in your played games history for your gamertag if you could then download that game for free? though microsoft would most likely make you pay for thatas thats what microsoft has in common with governments they get money out of you... however it would make sense if you got say 50% or more of the acheivements for the game you could download it for free..though there is a whole lot of problems there as we all know there will be. just a thought though id love it. though ill have to wait a few more years.. Broadband in NZ is terrible.. SLOW,EXPENSIVE,SLOW we pay around $50.00 for a monthly bandwith usage of 10 gigabytes!!! i hate it. i can play hardcore for about a week then for three weeks strictly offline gaming. lol