xbox live community games

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Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
Kodu Game Lab Micro-Review: Baby’s First Game Development Kit
Xbox Live Community Games Renamed
Binary Tweed's Political Puzzle Platformer Clover Looks Delightful
XNA Creators Club Games Priced, Detailed

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okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
It's never made sense to me why someone pays for something they could have tried for free and then calls it a complete waste. Logic states if you tried it for free and were compelled to buy it then something in there must have been good otherwise if you bought it outright and then realized on the first time playing it that you hated it then you're an idiot.

To bad there's no arrow pointing down :(
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dathascome
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
I think what would help the indie games is if microsoft filtered what comes out. Wasn't there supposed to be some sort of peer review for which games would make it to be sold? That is obviously not the case with all the utter trash you see on there. At first I would look at what there was and try a few things out, now since there's so much garbage to sift through i never look there at all. It's too bad.
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SadAstronaut promoted this comment dathascome was starred dathascome was unstarred

Mcmax3000
07/24/09

@dathascome: The peer review system is for making sure that the content ratings that the developer gave their game are accurate. It has never had anything to do with the quality of the game.
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Chinpokomon promoted this comment Mcmax3000 was starred Mcmax3000 was unstarred

Kobun
07/24/09

@dathascome: It's coming with the dashboard update. All that's happened so far is Microsoft changed the channel's displayed name earlier this week. There's a great site called xblcg.info (since relaunched as xboxindies.com) which allows people to vote on games and browse through them more easily, but how many people are going to bother going to a website let alone know it exists?

Being able to download trials for all indie games is great, but there's just too much output for the average user to sift through. XBLCG current has 357 games since launching in November, not even a year ago. While it'd help the image projected on the Dashboard if Microsoft filtered out the crap, I think it would prohibit a lot of experimentation and stifle interest in development to get rejections based on a subjective review process. The current way is fine; it just needs a quick and easy rating system.
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Kobun was starred Kobun was unstarred

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
07/24/09

@dathascome: Remember you will be able to rate anything on XBLM with the new updates... the best part is that you have to buy it to rate it; no Metacritic shenanigans. For better or for worse, there will also be Top rated sort options on all XBLM so it'll work a lot like the app store EXCEPT for for the major fact you get demos on XBL.
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Lunasaur
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
I would buy a 80MSP Indie game over a Gamerpic anytime
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Mr. Pie. Also Known As Mr. Pumpkin!
07/24/09

@Lunasaur:
word.

I'd rather buy a couple of indie games with the spare points you get when purchasing an arcade game, than wasting them on a theme, or some crap like that...
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Chinpokomon promoted this comment

ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
A-P-P-L-E was it's name-o
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cookingzombies
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
I'm fearful that, despite being an incredible idea and a great initiative by Microsoft, the damage may already have been done due to the original pricing restrictions. Thoughts?
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Chinpokomon promoted this comment cookingzombies was starred cookingzombies was unstarred

kobeashi
07/24/09

@cookingzombies: well, on the bright side, I think a lot of people never even noticed "Community Games" amongst all of the other windows floating around on the dashboard. If they rename it and move it to a more visible spot, it may have a chance yet =)
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Chinpokomon promoted this comment kobeashi was starred kobeashi was unstarred

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
07/24/09

@cookingzombies: The pricing was never the big complaint from people, it was how hard it was to find and ratings.

I don't think it's too late plus they've made directed changes in key areas that reduces or even eliminates the barriers of entry.

I'd just wish to see people stop seeing verbally selling it like it's shit and then turning around and touting games on the app store on iTune where truly heinous shit exists. Perhaps because XBL sells to gamers and iTunes sells to a larger audience, MS needs a way to sell indie games to a larger audience outside of XBL; clearly it's too good to let die at the hands of jaded pretense.
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cookingzombies
07/24/09

@okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under): I think we agree that the under-promotion and bad positioning was a big issue, but I can tell you that when I saw the pricing of most games I stopped bothering to check back.

Of course, one has to wonder just how low the game creators are ready to sell their games for. Guess we'll soon find out...
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Wally P. Kockenhymer III
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
A lot of people have criticized MS's Community Games Program, but I think those critics are missing the overall point of the XNA Program to begin with.

This service is not going to make you money and the large % of these games are going to be crap, but even those crappy games play a significant role in doing what the XNA was designed to do which is a place for aspiring game developers, and or hobbyists a platform to develop on that is super cheap but will also allow the developer to get both positive and negative feedback.

With that said I think MS's XNA Program will begin to shop a lot of positive results 5-10 years down the line as younger developers enter the industry. I can almost guarantee you will hear a lot of developers down the road credit the crappy games they made for XNA as tremendously helping them get to where they are today. Just be patient, you will see results.
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SadAstronaut promoted this comment

Kobun
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
Opening development to Japan is what XBLCG needed sorely from the start. Generally speaking, the better known PC indie titles come out of Japan. Too many Western developers have just used it just looking for a quick buck and/or to showcase their ability to slap something together in XNA.

The Indie Games channel does host some excellent games, but it really needs something along the lines of a Cave Story to sell it to consumers same how Braid sort of legitimized XBLA in the minds of many. Stuff like Gamerbots is fairly impressive by Community Games standards, but it's too barren and pricey (even at just 400 points) to compete with the more professional XBLA stuff.
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Kobun was starred Kobun was unstarred

Rayonic
07/24/09

@Kobun:
>> the better known PC indie titles come out of Japan

Yeah, the better known stuff. Like.... um.... hm. The only one I've ever heard of is that crappy looking robot game you've posted a video of.

Oh wait, Parappa the Rapper was an indie game. Yeah that's totally recent.
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Kobun promoted this comment Rayonic was starred Rayonic was unstarred

Kobun
07/24/09

@Rayonic: ...

You've heard of this XNA developed unreleased mech fighter in progress but nothing of the Kenta Cho shooters, Cave Story, Warning Forever, Ultimate Knight Windom, Rose and Camelia, Elona, and numerous other titles? Are you serious?

I'm hardly saying Western indie development is poor but rather the bulk of Western developers using XNA aren't working towards a more professional product. I wouldn't expect Japanese indie developers to flood Indie Games with crap like A Moron's Challenge, Barf and Beer, and so forth.
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Kobun was starred Kobun was unstarred

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
07/24/09

@Kobun: Man, that statement has no weight or proof behind it and you know it.
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Kobun
07/24/09

@okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under): It's my personal expectation. You could argue that Japan would only supplant crap like Barf and Beer with something like Hyper Burning Love Pantsu Sniffer EX 120%, but I doubt it, at least to the extent XNA sees it flooded with crap now. If my opinion is wrong nine months from now, you're more than welcome to throw this in my face. :p
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Kobun was starred Kobun was unstarred

OrtenseDemophon
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
Oh, look at that. Squirreltroll3000 is playing the $ card. Once again the trolls just look at the company name instead of if they are trying to make something good or not.
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FP_slomo788 promoted this comment OrtenseDemophon was starred OrtenseDemophon was unstarred

Misanthropic Gamer
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
This is nice, I guess, but the real culprits here are the XBLA games. What's the point, for example, in paying 400 points for an old genesis game when you could easily download the rom? And what's with the all the overpriced DLC? I'd buy a lot more if they lowered prices in general. The majority of stuff for sale on XBL is a rip-off.
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Showmeyomoves! promoted this comment Edited by Misanthropic Gamer at 07/24/09 6:16 AM Misanthropic Gamer was starred

yamiseth
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
only if they had achievements >> yes i know.. i have a problem.
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zgreenwell
07/24/09

@yamiseth: If they did there would be a whole lot of very easy games out there soley based around giving easy achievements.
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Showmeyomoves! promoted this comment zgreenwell was starred zgreenwell was unstarred

Squirrelbot3000
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
Oh, look at that. M$ is playing catch-up to iTune's pricing. Once again, M$ "pioneering" a bold new path in the world of consumerism.
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Squirrelbot3000 was starred Squirrelbot3000 was unstarred

Ferkner
07/24/09

@Squirrelbot3000: Wow! Using a dollar sign instead of an S for MS is incredibly witty and original! I've never seen THAT before! Good job, sir!
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SuperSonik promoted this comment Ferkner was starred Ferkner was unstarred

crim
07/24/09

@Squirrelbot3000: You are super smart,let no one tell you different. Figuring out that it was iTunes they're copying(because, yeah, Apple invented changing a dollar for something) is dead clever.
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BubbleF**kingBuddy promoted this comment crim was starred crim was unstarred

BubbleF**kingBuddy
07/24/09

@crim: This is why I can't stand the "X DID IT FIRST" comments on blogs like this. Of course someone will be the first to do something. That doesn't mean everyone afterwards is forbidden from ever doing it again.

Imagine if only Sony was allowed to make a system that used discs, or if the Genesis was the only console with downloadable games.
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BubbleF**kingBuddy was starred

SuperSonik
07/24/09

@Squirrelbot3000: Do you have a problem with money? I'd be delighted to take it off your hands if you have too much.
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SuperSonik was starred SuperSonik was unstarred

Brodka: regrettably
07/24/09

@BubbleF**kingBuddy: You are correct. Only General Motors should be allowed to build a car with a passenger airbag. They were the first to do it and Honda and Toyota should respect that.
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NoBullet
07/24/09

@Squirrelbot3000: I nominate your post for Commnet of the Week. Theres always a humorous post somewhere in there.
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NoBullet was starred NoBullet was unstarred

Harvest-Moon-Warlord
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
80MS points seems far more reasonable than 200MS points for these types of games.

I might even buy a few now.
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deanbmmv promoted this comment

Ashurahori
07/24/09

In reply to Xbox Live Indie Games Open, Selling Games For $1
Hope it gets to Portugal soon. Us lowly nations can't try out Kodu.
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Ashurahori was starred Ashurahori was unstarred

CutmanMike
07/24/09

@Ashurahori: You're missing about an hour of "ooh what could I make" before giving up due to limits
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Showmeyomoves! promoted this comment CutmanMike was starred CutmanMike was unstarred

Noodle-Works
07/11/09

In reply to Kodu Game Lab Micro-Review: Baby’s First Game Development Kit
LBP pulls this off better. game/level creation is never going to be flawless on any system just because of the technical side of things. thats why there's game studios game make games, not your friend down the street. the easiest level creator i've ever used is got to be the Unreal Editor. its just so clear and crisp and simple considering all the things you can do in a FPS. LBP is up there, maybe if you could get some mouse and keyboard controls working, it'd be even better. The hardest thing for me about LBP is that you're ALWAYS creating your level with the physics and game mechanics turned on. there's a lot of work arounds you have to do just to set up switches and machines to work correctly. Even when you "pause" the world, it wont help if you need to get a block or something inside a different part of the game. you cant float things through walls at all. its more like a level editor game you play rather than an actual level editor.

I'd love to see LBP on the PC!
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NoBullet
07/11/09

In reply to Kodu Game Lab Micro-Review: Baby’s First Game Development Kit
The coding is much more deeper than at first glance. You just have to spend extra time on it. People have been making complex codes to replicate RTS game mechanics, transporting, hidden button combos. Stuff like that which isnt obvious when you first see the stuff you can work with.

This game is a great example. Its a Shmup/DDR/GH combination

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