Could you describe the changes we can expect to see in the Marketplace in the near future?
This means that we need to allow developers more time and more space to make even bigger and better games. So we are officially increasing our XBLA game size limits dramatically from 150mb to 350mb. We are also giving publishers more flexibility in how they price their games and opening up a new 1600 Microsoft Points price point for some of these now bigger and better games.
What would qualify a title for delisting? Would Microsoft choose titles for delisting, or would the publisher or content creators be involved in the decision as well? Are there any titles currently on the Marketplace we can expect to be delisted in the near future?
The way it will work is that the title will need to be at least 6 months old and have a Metacritic score below 65 and a conversion rate below 6% on the service. This way titles are not just considered if they are not selling well or not getting good reviews, but actually a combination of both. We will also give a three-month notice before delisting any title. Overall I think you will find this will focus the catalogue more on larger, more immersive games and make it much easier to find the games you are looking for.
Can you explain a little bit more the background on the new 1st party studio?
Well the main idea behind the concept is to invest deeply in developing original content that will be compelling and exclusive to Xbox LIVE. This is a place where we’ve redoubled our commitment and I’m putting both dollars and people behind new games that push the quality and the bounds of the system. Wish I could share more today, but definitely stay tuned on this, as we have some very exciting things in the works including some big original XBLA games we will be announcing soon.
Last year Xbox 360 owners got a spring dashboard update in early May. It's now late May and you still haven't announced anything regarding this year's update. Should 360 owners be holding their breaths for it?
We have taken a different approach this spring and spent a lot of our time and resources of building the proper infrastructure and scale for the service not just today but also into the future. So while most users will not notice any significant changes to the dashboard this spring, I can tell you that the team will be releasing a new digital rights management (DRM) tool next month that will allow you to better consolidate your licenses for downloaded content to a single Xbox and allow you the freedom to be able to play your content both online and offline.
There have been some high profile complaints on the web about how difficult it is to transfer things like XBLA game licenses to replacement 360s in the wake of an under warranty hardware failure. Would these changes to DRM policy address these issues, letting people who have experienced such failure re-license their purchases on their new Xbox so they don't have to be connected to Live to play? Are there any other sorts of changes to DRM policy being made here that would affect the end-user experience?
Yes, this new tool will officially launch next month on Xbox.com and will allow you to be able to consolidate these licenses onto one box so you can access things like Xbox LIVE Arcade games and TV show you have downloaded even if you are not online. Because this involved allowing users to re-download licenses for content that belongs to our partners it has taken some time to work out the agreements with them to allow this, but we have heard the concerns from folks about DRM and are happy to announce that everything is nearly in place to roll this out in June.
Texas Hold em - Free
Contra - Free from Old Spice Challenge
Arkadian Warriors - Paid for
Aegis Wing - Free
Yaris - Free
Quote from: some dude on neogafI just went to check to see if this was true or not (not that I don't believe you, but I was interested), but yeah, when I pushed delete, I got a blade that reads "GALAGA is not available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. If you delete it, you will not be able to download it again."
Oh shit. It begins.
The way it will work is that the title will need to be at least 6 months old and have a Metacritic score below 65 and a conversion rate below 6% on the service. This way titles are not just considered if they are not selling well or not getting good reviews, but actually a combination of both. We will also give a three-month notice before delisting any title.
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The whole point of DD is to provided unlimited shelf space since they are no physical barriers like shelf space.
Steam FTW.
Imagine how Steam would be "booting out" lesser know games :rofl
:rofl :rofl :roflSteam FTW.
Imagine how Steam would be "booting out" lesser know games :rofl
You can just download them from a torrent site :rofl
Well here's the funny bit. Everyone agrees that something has to be done about the clusterfuck of an online store that the marketplace currently is now. MS wanted to put the less popular games in a "bargain bin" section, but most of the publishers balked at this idea. Hence the current solution. Games that have been removed however, can still be purchased if someone playing a game that has been removed invites you to play the game.even if this is true, do you think nelson or ms would say publishers don't want this?
Anyway, expect the likes of Major Nelson to clarify things next week.
You may have seen the Next-Gen.biz article with Marc Whitten, and it may have left you confused.
Don't panic - we've seen your questions, and we have some answers for you.
We've upped the XBLA size limit from 150mb to 350mb.
We've stated that underperforming games on XBLA may be delisted. To be delisted, a game has to meet all three of the following criteria:
* Been on the service for at least 6 months
* Have less than a 65 Metacritic rating
* Have a conversion rate of less than 6%
Now, let's get into your delisting questions:
Q: What's "conversion rate"?
A: When people download a trial XBLA game, and then purchase that game, that's called a conversion. So if less than 6% of all trials downloaded lead to full game purchases - that's one of the 3 criteria we look at when deciding to delist a game.
Q: Why are you delisting games?
A: We have a LOT of XBLA titles onto the service. By filtering out the lower performing games, it will actually make it easier to find the games you really want.
Q: If I bought a game, and deleted it, can I redownload it even if it's been delisted?
A: Yes, you can. Go to Download History under the Account Management section of marketplace (far left blade).
Q: Can I still play a game after it's been delisted? What about playing online? What about leaderboards?
A: Yes, yes, and yes. The game will function normally even after being delisted. You can continue to play the game single and multiplayer, as well as use the leaderboards as you normally would.
Hopefully this helps clear up some of the confusion. Leave comments here and we can pass on feedback, and attempt to answer any other questions you may have.
While I'm sure I'll get a lot of hatred here in the comments, please keep it constructive.
While it may feel good in the short-term, calling us idiots and swearing isn't going to help make a better product unless you explain WHY you think we're idiots.
If they can't figure out why they are being called idiots, then they are truly idiots.yeah, you are not our xfag emperor :(
MS must have collected all their lepers and put them all in the Xbox division. That is why Bungie and Peter Moore wanted out.
I just listened to the new Major Nelson podcast, and he alleviated a lot of concerns I had
You can -still buy the games-, but they won't be publically available.
What you have to do now, is find someone who bought that game, and have them use the "Tell A Friend" feature, which gets sent to you - and from there, you can try the demo, or buy the game.
The games -will still be on the server/service- but just not cluttering the shelves.
Obviously this can easily be alleviated by setting up another section of XBLA for these "bad" games and making the high-sellers and popular titles their own, but Microsoft obviously has enough trouble making good decisions as it is.
People really want to play and purchase these shitty unpopular games, huh?