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Xbox Game Room Officially Announced

ces
by Phil Kollar on January 06, 2010 at 10:00 PM
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It was previously leaked via a video published earlier than it was supposed to be this afternoon, and now it has been confirmed: At their CES keynote tonight, Microsoft announced a new service coming to Xbox Live named "Game Room."

Though Microsoft was light on details on the service (and video showing it off was blocked for those streaming the keynote online), it sounds like Game Room will be a personal virtual arcade where you can purchase and play classic arcade titles from the '70s and '80s. Unlike traditional Xbox Live Arcade games, you'll actually be able to walk around a virtual space that contains art and sounds from the original arcade cabinets for each game you purchase.

In addition to playing games yourself, you'll be able to invite friends into your Game Room to check out your collection and try out the games. It's unclear if they'll be able to play full versions or demos or how this service will work exactly.

We're still waiting on a list of specific titles available for Game Room, but Microsoft promises that the service will launch with 30 games from Activision, Atari, Konami, and others. The service will receive new games every week after launch just like Xbox Live Arcade, with a whopping 1,000-plus titles already planned.

Game Room will launch on both Xbox 360 and Windows PCs this spring. As an added bonus, a single Game Room purchase will allow you to play the game on both your 360 and your PC. Each game will cost 240 Microsoft points ($3.00) or 400 Microsoft points ($5.00). Alternatively, you can pay 40 Microsoft points ($0.50) for a single play, just like in a real arcade. How quaint.

Microsoft touted the social aspect of the Game Room announcement as part of their "ever-growing repertoire of non-gaming experiences to make the Xbox platform enjoyable to everyone." In line with that dedication to non-gamers and gamers alike, they mentioned these interesting statistics on Xbox Live:

-One-third of all time spent on Xbox Live is devoted to non-gaming activities

-10 million people have logged into Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, or Zune on their Xbox 360 since the services were launched

-100 million songs have been downloaded for music games such as Guitar Hero 5 and Rock Band 2

-200 million Avatar outfits have been created

That's an awful lot of numbers that seem to cement in Microsoft's increasing focus on opening up the Xbox 360 to all sorts of entertainment outside of gaming. Then again, Game Room is still rooted in the medium we all love the most. Are you excited about a future of showing of your virtual arcade collection to buddies on Xbox Live?

[Image via Kombo]

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  • by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 10:56 PM

    Eh.

  • by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:13 PM

    I like it

  •
    by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:31 PM

    Wow...I can't imagine paying $5 a game to play an avatar playing an arcade game from 30 years ago. Wonder if we'll stand in line like in PS3 Home...LOL Sounds pointless, but hey....whatever starches people's pasta...

  •
    by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:37 PM

    Could be interesting.  Like Home with a more focused approach.

  •
    by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:37 PM

    Ok?

    I mean, I like the whole having a world to move around in thing as I love Playstation HOME but most of these types of games can be played for free, so I guess it would depend on the software line up.

    If its a bunch of games that I can play elsewhere for free then no thank you.

  • by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:47 PM

    Well, I like the fact that we get a room for our avatars. Can't wait to see this play out.

  •
    by Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:51 PM

    why are people who have PS3 commenting here

    this is x-box news

    4 people who care and own a 360

    haters can go suck a Dick

  • by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:24 AM

    Way to be original Microsoft. Is it possible to come up with a more blatant rip-off of PlayStation Home?  Hey marketing geniuses, wake up!  Home isn't popular with PS3 users and this will be even less popular with 360 users.  At least PSN is free (for now).  Now Microsoft will just use this cheap trick this as more justification to charge $50 for online gaming.  

  • by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:31 AM

    Well, how hateful of you.

    The reason us PS3 fans are reading and commenting is because at first glance this article looked like microsoft was taking a competitors great idea and calling it their own again...like the avatar idea they took from nintendo.

    so suck that 'till your ring goes red!

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:31 AM

    you know, i might actually get this

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:34 AM

    Interesting that MS is coming up with this now. PSN already had Home and now MS is trying to compete with Sony via Xbox Game Room. I'd like to see how this arcade room will come about and how well MS can implement it.

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:35 AM

    I agree with Mr. Riddler.......

    My opinion, however, is still kind of open on this one. It seems interesting, but could easily fall through if not perfectly done.

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:35 AM

    I dont mind an Arcade game here and there but if I have Mass Effect 2 sittin in my console, their ain't no way I am playin some old Arcade game.  Stop livin in the past people!

    Also, to the PS3 fans..........the PS3 is completely original and did not borrow ANY ideas from anything that came before it.  It has not improved on the wheel, it completely re-invented it.  True?

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:41 AM

    @TheN8, although I mostly agree with what you're saying... I have a problem with you saying that Microsoft ripped off of Nintendo. Wasn't Playstation the one that ripped of Nintendo first?

    Although, I don't blame any company for ripping off another company's idea... all I want is the most innovative, creative experience. Anything to drive the video game industry forward is a good thing, in my opinion.

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:41 AM

    I want to see how this plays out...

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:49 AM

    cool

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:56 AM

    They better have Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros 3, even if they are Nintendo products. There would be nothing better than getting an achievement for Stomping 100 Goombas Heads. ooh rah.

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 12:56 AM

    I don't understand the appeal of this service. This "Game Room" doesn't come with any games and you have to spend between $3 and $5 to get titles that are, conservatively, 20 years old. I'm sure that there will be people that are interested in this, and the addition of Achievements is sure to help it along with a certain crowd, but I bought my Xbox 360 primarily to play Xbox 360 games. If Microsoft is going to keep up this 'be all things to all people' approach then how about they let me customize my home page down to just "Play Disc In Tray" and "Netflix"?

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 01:02 AM

    Pointless.  Should be able to just download the arcade game and play it from your XB360 Dashboard.

  •
    by Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 01:20 AM

    Another excuse for not meeting people in real life.  Those meeting are akward anyways, who wants to look at a person when they're talking, that's so 20th century.

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