The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Being an X-Box fan I tend to do a lot of surfing with the word X-Box in a browser nowadays, but there's something new around regarding this console that has quite a few interesting ramifications for retailers and e-tailers, Special Reserve included.
A little click over to the Microsoft.com main site, and they already have an e-store up and running, but the interesting things on there aren't the products, but the options available to you.
There's a button for X-Box games marked as 'Trial Version', indicating that you can download a free demo from the internet to your X-Box and try before you buy. Free perhaps? I would think so, most demos are.
There's another button for X-Box games marked as 'Enhance It'. This one troubles me; it is either very good, meaning you can download upgrades to weapons, extra levels, altered graphics, new vehicles, new characters, or it means you can download the dreaded 'patch'. Time will have to tell on that one.
Like all sites there is also the 'Technical Support' link, but the layout of the official Microsoft Games site makes it VERY easy to find it for each individual game should you require it.
But here's the crunch, there's also a very easy to find 'Buy It' button next to each game listing. Are Microsoft intending to push into the retail market for games big time too? It appears at present that only the Microsoft published titles are listed on there, but they are the biggies like Halo, Amped, Project Gotham Racing and Oddworld to name the most awaited.
I would expect, this being the main Microsoft site, that only the Microsoft games themselves would appear here, and that other developers will be left to their own methods for providing backup information and technical support for upgrades and the like.
But with a lot of Microsoft titles being released on the X-Box in the future, and freely available from the main website itself, will the expected takings from other retailers be dented? Will they just not bother to stock Microsoft games and instead concentrate on the other releases from other developers?
A little click over to the Microsoft.com main site, and they already have an e-store up and running, but the interesting things on there aren't the products, but the options available to you.
There's a button for X-Box games marked as 'Trial Version', indicating that you can download a free demo from the internet to your X-Box and try before you buy. Free perhaps? I would think so, most demos are.
There's another button for X-Box games marked as 'Enhance It'. This one troubles me; it is either very good, meaning you can download upgrades to weapons, extra levels, altered graphics, new vehicles, new characters, or it means you can download the dreaded 'patch'. Time will have to tell on that one.
Like all sites there is also the 'Technical Support' link, but the layout of the official Microsoft Games site makes it VERY easy to find it for each individual game should you require it.
But here's the crunch, there's also a very easy to find 'Buy It' button next to each game listing. Are Microsoft intending to push into the retail market for games big time too? It appears at present that only the Microsoft published titles are listed on there, but they are the biggies like Halo, Amped, Project Gotham Racing and Oddworld to name the most awaited.
I would expect, this being the main Microsoft site, that only the Microsoft games themselves would appear here, and that other developers will be left to their own methods for providing backup information and technical support for upgrades and the like.
But with a lot of Microsoft titles being released on the X-Box in the future, and freely available from the main website itself, will the expected takings from other retailers be dented? Will they just not bother to stock Microsoft games and instead concentrate on the other releases from other developers?
Page:
At last another person who awaits the Xbox antisipation.
I can't wait untill spring. I hope to have enough then for the console, 2 games and the DVD upgrade. Everyone check out Xbox.com. Quite a bit of info there about the games and the console itself. I want Jetsetradio Future now god dam it!
I can't wait untill spring. I hope to have enough then for the console, 2 games and the DVD upgrade. Everyone check out Xbox.com. Quite a bit of info there about the games and the console itself. I want Jetsetradio Future now god dam it!
"I just hope that it isn't patches they plan to have. That could destroy the X-Box chances of making it big" Said Aliboy.
"Lets hope it ruins the X-box once and for all!" Replies Shocky.
Shocktrooper - X-box-lover-hunter :-)
"Lets hope it ruins the X-box once and for all!" Replies Shocky.
Shocktrooper - X-box-lover-hunter :-)
FantasyMeister wrote:
There's another button for X-Box games marked as 'Enhance
> It'. This one troubles me; it is either very good, meaning you can
> download upgrades to weapons, extra levels, altered graphics, new
> vehicles, new characters, or it means you can download the dreaded
> 'patch'. Time will have to tell on that one.
I just hope that it isn't patches they plan to have. That could destroy the X-Box chances of making it big.
There's another button for X-Box games marked as 'Enhance
> It'. This one troubles me; it is either very good, meaning you can
> download upgrades to weapons, extra levels, altered graphics, new
> vehicles, new characters, or it means you can download the dreaded
> 'patch'. Time will have to tell on that one.
I just hope that it isn't patches they plan to have. That could destroy the X-Box chances of making it big.
Someone once said that many of them use a car to visit their friends down the street.
If that isn't the peak of laziness...
If that isn't the peak of laziness...
Too true, too true!
Turbonutter wrote:
Also, Americans
> might not like waiting for their game to be delivered and would
> rather go to the local store.
True, but surely most Americans would like to sit eating McDonalds and get fat, and wait for the ame to plop throught thet letter box, rather than have to *gasp* expend some energy walking down the road!? *Shock, horror!*
:-)
Also, Americans
> might not like waiting for their game to be delivered and would
> rather go to the local store.
True, but surely most Americans would like to sit eating McDonalds and get fat, and wait for the ame to plop throught thet letter box, rather than have to *gasp* expend some energy walking down the road!? *Shock, horror!*
:-)
I doubt it FM, because the MS website will probably retail at the RRP, something that can be beaten by most stores. Also, Americans might not like waiting for their game to be delivered and would rather go to the local store.
I'm sure if they do, then they will have websites for each region, wont they?
I can see the benefits of e-tailing. But if Microsoft do it they might have a wee bit of trouble pleasing everyone... if it's just US games, then the Europeans will feel let down and so on and so forth.
Plus, just because people download the games from the MS site doesn't mean they won't get them cheaper form places like SR.
Hopefully the X-Box will be multi-regional. I wish the GC was, and the block is, in my opinion, the only major flaw concerning the Gamecube!
I don't think retaillers need to worry, they'll sell enought X-Boxes on their own as it is, just because Microsoft, like Sega and Sony sell games from the website and push their own games like Nintendo Sega and Sony do doesn't mean retaillers will have trouble selling games. It didn't before and I doubt it will now.
Game
Plus, just because people download the games from the MS site doesn't mean they won't get them cheaper form places like SR.
Hopefully the X-Box will be multi-regional. I wish the GC was, and the block is, in my opinion, the only major flaw concerning the Gamecube!
I don't think retaillers need to worry, they'll sell enought X-Boxes on their own as it is, just because Microsoft, like Sega and Sony sell games from the website and push their own games like Nintendo Sega and Sony do doesn't mean retaillers will have trouble selling games. It didn't before and I doubt it will now.
Game
I'm hearing more and more good things about the x-box every day. If I only i heard the price was gonna be lower!
Page: