E3 09: Xbox 360 Games On Demand
Somewhat buried in all the Natal and Halo ODST hubbub was Microsoft's announcement of its Games On Demand service, launching this August. Similar to Xbox Classics, Games On Demand will offer retail, disc-based games for purchase and download - sans disc.
For the first time you'll be able to purchase games with a credit card, or with Microsoft Points if you prefer not to see the dollar/euro signs. Licensing information will be stored server-side, so anyone can play a game you've downloaded on your console - and you'll be able to re-download the games whenever you'd like, making it relatively easy to manage the 4-6GB file sizes. You'll also be able to download your Games On Demand purchases on another console if you've logged in with your ID - making your digital purchases quasi-portable and, maybe more importantly, recoverable if your Xbox explodes.
Since there are no discs involved, you'll also be able to launch one game from within another - tired of Mass Effect? No need to quit to the dashboard to launch Assassin's Creed.
Xbox's Marc Whitten wouldn't say whether or not the Games On Demand catalog would sync up with the retail release schedule, but he nodded toward a screen that showed the first titles (Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, BioShock, LEGO Star Wars and Oblivion) and suggested I could draw my own conclusions. I'm guessing that means a delayed digital release, since those titles are the big hits of seasons past.
Also slipped into the announcement is the new five-star rating system for all game marketplace content, as well as a new "Top Rated" category in the marketplace.
Games On Demand will release one title a week when it debuts in August - as far as the first slew of titles are concerned, anyway. Pricing was not announced.
tiny dancer
Posted to E3, Hot Stuff, Video Games on 5 June 2009
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: e3, e3 09, games on demand, microsoft, xbox 360
Awesome! I'm glad they're implementing this! I like the idea of digital content since you don't have to worry about running out of physical shelf space for your games. However, they shouldn't really bother releasing games that are considered to be very poor (AKA: Sonic the Hedgehog '06).
I am looking forward to get more down loadable games.