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N+ Devs Rip Xbox Live Arcade
Pure Cajones
Even the fanboy-iest of Xbox 360 fanboys have to admit that, in general, the selection of games on Xbox Live Arcade sucks. With dozens of crappy racing games (Yaris, anyone?), scores of lousy Flash platformers, and, at last count, eight hundred billion Geometry Wars clones, there’s not much to recommend on the service. Sure, there are rare gems like Pac-Man Championship Edition, Carcassone, Undertow, Uno and Lumines, but they are far outnumbered by the myriad flops like Outpost Kaloki X, Novadrome, Shrek-N-Roll, Jetpac Refuelled and Bankshot Billiards.
While it’s common to hear gamers complain about the lack of quality titles on Microsoft’s service, it’s a whole different deal when a developer of a game that appears on XBLA does it. Normally, developers have enough fear/common sense/courtesy to leave the bitch-sessions to the message boards. But not Raigan Burns and Mare Sheppard, developers of N+, nor Nick Waanders, president the company that ported the title to XBLA.
In an interview with Gamasutra.com, the headstrong game makers tear into Xbox Live Arcade mercilessly, essentially calling the service crap. Said Raigan Burns, “the same people who are deciding what retail games get greenlit are deciding what Live Arcade games get greenlit. I guess it's because they have a lot of power that no one has pointed out that that's the primary reason. Those decisions that are ruining Live Arcade... it's like, who greenlit Word Puzzle? Who green-lit that hoverboard game that's just shit?”
The interview goes on like this, with the trio talking way candidly about, among other things, demos that give too much content, demos that give too little content, Microsoft’s baffling decisions on which games get to go on XBLA and the folly of charging for gamer pics and themes.
What does the Gamervision audience think? Are these guys helping Xbox Live get a better selection of game types and game quality? Or do you think they’re whiny, unappreciative punks who need to shut their mouths? More importantly, what do you think of XBLA’s selection so far? Do you regularly buy these games, and if so, are you happy with the level of quality? As for me, I just play the demos and forget they ever existed. Except Carcassone. Loved that one.
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Comments
I think that, while N+ is a good title, we haven't yet seen a great selection of games that anyone can just pick up and go with. I think that the argument is good for independent developers but I don't think that it's a wise move for them to do so in such a beligerant fashion.
Xbox Live Arcade is something I have always considered secondary to playing actual Xbox 360 titles. I have currently only purchased Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Doom, Undertow, and Poker.
The truth is that while the majority of the games on there aren't really what I'd consider worthwhile purchases, it really is just extra crap to me. I'm so content just owning a working 360, that I'm happy with one decent XBLA release a year.
See, the selection doesn't suck - people get that wrong. There is a ton of shitty games and a ton of great games. As long as there are good to download, who cares if you have the option to download crappy ones? It isn't like it forces you to do both.
Good point.
not like N+ is worth buying, when uhhh, it's free online? so what the hell are they bitching about?