The lights are on
[Update]
Through its PR agency, Edelman, Microsoft issued an official statement on this story, assuring gamers that Xbox Live is in no danger of being taken down.
“Xbox LIVE Arcade is and will continue to be the premier destination for quality downloadable games at a great value, boasting an ever-growing, eclectic library of hundreds of games, spanning every genre. We are committed to providing new downloadable games for Xbox 360 and continuing our work with 1st and 3rd party developers on the platform. We have no plans to dissolve the service at this time.”
[Original Story]
In a new interview, Microsoft's Michael Wolf speculates that Xbox Live Arcade will eventually be phased out as digital distribution matures.In an interview with Vox Games, Wolf, Microsoft's global marketing manager for XBLA, said that the service might eventually be taken down due to the increasingly blurred line between large-scale retail games and ambitious XBLA games.When asked if XBLA would eventually be phased out of existence, Wolf answered, "Personally, I'd say absolutely, yes. I think digital distribution has to be like that. I don't think XBLA will be leaving soon. It is an incredible platform. We have XBLA fans, I don't think it's going to be announced anytime soon. One thing Microsoft has proven is that we continue to try and adapt and innovate in experiences."However, that doesn't mean that the company is turning its back on downloadable games. It would rather be a reaction to the changing market, citing the example of Remedy's Alan Wake: American Nightmare, which in past year's would have been a retail, disc-based game. In the future, as XBLA games become more ambitious and more triple-A games go digital, designating games as "Xbox Live Arcade" games might be a meaningless distinction.Source: Vox Games via XBLA Fans
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peace
Open mouth insert foot. He should have clarified his statement in the first place.
I love this generation of gaming, but i hate the way its being delivered to us and i hate the fanboy wars. cant enjoy anything without being screamed at.
So then it will likely only be a name change then.
Doesn't sound like big news, just the natural course of events, so as long as these games are still available for me to get, any way is fine
Not at this time but someday... that isn't shocking news.
Well I'm glad it won't be phased out. I don't see any huge alternative anyway and it's quality. Other than phasing out the points system, that has it's pros and cons.
Somebody is getting reprimanded for opening their mouth. This is like that Miyamoto retiring thing, you gotta be careful with what you say these days. Same thing happened with Sakaguchi, Suda and a bunch of other people.
Interesting development.
Dear MS,
Please do better. Also American Nightmare is NOT a full length game, it was barely a few hours of story, and although survival mode is better than RE5 for example, it's not looking like it will be expanded.
Hate,
Me
I implore you all to read the Origin, Steam, PSN, XBL, or Wii online user agreements. They all specifically state that the company has no obligation whatsoever to provide support for or access to your digitally purchased games in the future, should they choose to remove the infrastructure which lets you use those games.
If you don't believe me, read the EULA's yourselves. This is why Digital Distribution is garbage and why anyone who is in favor of it without extreme liability on the offerer's behalf is deluded and ignorant.
I can't wait to see what becomes of Xbox Live