Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Xbox titles downloadable!

The future is digital downloads.

Well, not the future, but a future. Or, more like a part of the future is digital downloads. Except they've been happening for a while now. So let's just say a part of the retro future is digital downloads.

Anyway, part of the Xbox Live Fall (?) Dashboard update will include (tambor rollo, por favor) the ability "to download and own full Xbox games, such as 'Halo,' 'Psychonauts,' 'Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge' and 'Fable,' among others".

Download, own, and play games. Imagine. It's like GameTap on Xbox Live.

More deets*:
"With no disc necessary, and at just 1,200 Microsoft Points per game, Xbox LIVE members can easily rediscover these hit titles, or check out a game they missed the first time around. This launch lineup is only the beginning, as Xbox 360 owners can expect to see a growing catalog of Xbox games to download and own over the coming year."
`I can't find details on the list, but I wonder if it will be limited to Microsoft-published games (Brute Force, anyone?), or will include all of the backwards compatible titles (Breakdown downloadable? Sweet mother ...

Of course, 1,200 Microsoft Points per game is too ridiculously high -- $14.99. You can buy many of the games on the Xbox backward compatibility list for $9.99 (new) or lower (especially used), just like you can buy a DVD boxed set way cheaper than you can download all of the episodes from Xbox Live -- and someone's pocketing the difference, since there's no $4-$8 physical manufacturing cost.

It's in the right direction, though. Once they fix the pricing model across XBL, I bet they see an explosion in digital purchases.

*Like my street lingo? I'm trying to keep it real with the articulate online gamer peeps. Fuh ral, dat's da shizzle.

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