All the same, seeing as N+ was an average (ok, considering it's environment, XBLA, decisively above average) these guys dont really have much ground to stand on...

exion

Leathersoup

TearsandScreams

I think some of you may have missed the point that Raigan was trying to make. What a lot of developers are annoyed about is that at the time of the interview it was incredibly hard to get a game on the service, yet the games that were actually appearing on it weren't that good (in our opinion). On top of that they had just announced that the royalty rates were going to be cut, meaning only the big publishers would be able to put their games on that service, meaning more of the games that we consider not so good (which again, is a personal opinion).

So it was a rant against that door-keeping-regime, rather than a rant against other games on the service. We were saying that they should open up the gates, and let the users decide (which coincidently was announced the very next morning: XNA Community).

The problem is that the headlines that are appearing online are taking this argument out of context, and it seems most of the comments are based on reading the headlines alone.

- Nick

NickWaanders

There are groups that bust their ass off and see not a penny, hoping merely to put some work on a resume and possibly attract a fan base. There are so many excellent mods that just never made it. These people should be thankful XBLA exists, or they would have nothing.

The Commissar

The worst one in my opinion would be Nintendo DS, it has good amount of awesome games (I own 15), but the console has hundreds of games and most of them are stuff like Horsez: Barbie Takes Care of Babyz shovelware crap.

Kyoujin

StratfordX

..but ya, i totally agree with McWhertor on this one... we should encourage developers to talk about whatever they are feeling.

whatever.

joelface

I got no qualms with what they said :)

I liked N (free downloadable game) but i doubt i'd play it enough to warrant paying for it. It reminds me a little of the old Impossible Mission (what with the robots and all).

Duoae

NPlace

How is this different from everywhere else?

Oh right, it isn't.

Seriously, these fucking idiots need to shut up and work on their next flash game to bilk people out of 800 points with.

RawSteelUT

They act peeved that they have to compete with other titles -- like somehow they thought XBLA would be some empty space they could own. If that is what they wanted, they should have gotten on board earlier.

If a lot of games on XBLA are crap -- so what? Nothing is making anyone buy any of them and EVERY game has a FREE trial. And I would submit that the fact that the N+ guys don't like most of the games, so what? They aren't supposed to like every game. There are games on there I like, games my wife likes, games my kid likes, and some that none of us like -- and since they all have trials, I haven't yet bought one without knowing what I was getting.

wheezo

XBLA does have its fair share of crap though (Yaris, that's your cue! get out there!)

DarkTetsuya

That being said, I personally love the ports, if only for the sheer amount of players you can find on the XBLA service. There needs to be some blance between old and new.

And yes, some games are bad on XBLA. But I don't think it's as bad of a service as most of Kotaku users claim it is. Not that Microsoft cares either way. Pong would sell a 1,000,000 downloads. It's all about the cash.

NoCash

I'm really getting tired of hearing people say dumb shit in an interview and then when shit blows up they go "Oh, what I really meant was..."

Act like professionals and not internet fanboys, and you won't have to worry about being misquoted or whatever.

And yes, I agree, there is a lot of shit on XBL.

heretrix

Another thing you have to consider is that 90% of the "shit" xbox live arcade consist mainly of classic arcade remakes. Games that have house hold names. Games that I could mention by name, to my parents, and they would know what im talking about. People will pay for that, even if its a bad port.

ParadoxControl

However, it was a very well thought out game, very deep and has lots of proper features like replays, easy to use leaderboards, etc. All the things the games these guys chastize don't.

Kudos to them though I have to admit, at least most of these crappy games have demos so you can try before you buy.

SeedyROM

omnibot2000XL

For everybody saying there's gobs and gobs of good games on Live Arcade, I believe the issue is this:

1) Count the games you really like.

2) Do not count any retro games unless they've been heavily modified. Pac-Man CE is heavily modified. TMNT is not. It's great that Live is like an old-school arcade with all the retro titles, but these are all old experiences we buy to relive - not new content to explore.

3) Now compare this number to the total number of Xbox Live games out, and you'll understand their grievances with the huge amount of crap titles and barely any good ones. Don't like N+? Fine. Their argument still stands.

Oh yeah, I love the shit out of Super Star Strike HD. (Stardust's name in Asia)

Chef

or did you mean namco arcade classics v featuring awesome titles like phozon, warp & warp, super world stadium '95, blastoff, assault & galaga!

to me, that's a cash grab. i'm glad i can finally buy galaga without a load of suckass games that i don't care about. my only complaint is there aren't enough classics on there. where's my strikers 1945? sub hunt? bubble bobble? raiden fighters? arkanoid? rampart?

mac-phisto

Nex Antonius

Bunch of developers complain because microsoft retains too much control and demands somewhat high standards.. now these complain they are too low .. err.. what?

Get down from your delusional idealistic cloud indy devs..

Ludwig

The N+ developers don't like many XBLA games is about the most sound conclusion I can gleam of their statement. That's ok; that's their opinion. As developers though, speaking through that forum, to the work of other developers crap, and even going as far to imply that other's work should be culled out so quality (their work) can shine is a sad commentary; I just cant agree with that.

I do feel they have a valid point about their needing to be a better way to sort and/or present things... thats important and let's just say if one followed the evolution of XBLA, you'd see this was happening. Is it happening quick enough, maybe not. The whole argument still wreaks of unjustified shit talk which he admitted to due to some business dealings and that makes this argument uglier. Sad commentary for professionalism indeed.

okenny :)

ceilingFANBOY

giovonti

Well, yeah, but the point is that you could try all 80 of them for free and only buy the ones you enjoyed. Which is more than you can say for retail. And the ones you do enjoy are a tenth of the price of retail games (in the UK anyway).

cdammers

bdiddyb

The XboxLive Arcade is a retail service. Why should it be any different??

The problem is not Xboxlive, or retail, or even gamers... it's capitalism.

Think about it for a minute... the best game ever made came out of communist Russia, so what does that tell you???

FunkyJ

Cchrist

kojirodensetsu

Agreed; I wasn't impressed with N+ when I tried it out on my cousin's 360, and thank gawd I didn't bite into the hype and made it an impulse buy.

Byakko

jcsunshine

XBLA games are NOT COMPULSARY! Some crap games exist because somepeople love them purely for fanboyism or nostalgia. If you think the game's crap, then simply it was not released for YOU.

Furthermore, thats why "TRIAL VERSION" exists.

Ultrasinc

For some reason Puzzle Quest, Rez HD, and Carcasonne which I got for free were such positive experiences for me that I associate the four letters "XBLA" with good feelings. Maybe I just feel like that because I didn't have to fork over hard cash in bill form, so the experience of playing those games felt much more gratifying. Who knows?

debloon

Yeah i loved super stardust though i guess its not for everyone

Tom Clancy's Samuraidino

Sure there's some shit. There's also some classic games on there.

If they want to talk shit about XBLA, they should talk shit about the retarded DRM licensing.

whiptcracker

Omega Five, Rez, Castelvania SotN, Puzzle Quest, bunch of random old school games, like TMNT, SF2, etc with online and upcoming stuff like Ikaruga validate the XBLA in my eyes.

The PSN is looking to be on the same track as the XBLA and I couldnt be happier. I play more XBLA games longer than my 'retail' games.

Is there shit? Ya, but I'm not out buying Crusin' Wii or Spider-Man 3 for any consoles. Why would I buy the crap on the XBLA either?

KirbyMorph

Also, some of you need to differentiate between total crap and niche games. Triggerheart Exelica isn't going to appeal to non-shooter fans, but with insane achievements and such hardcore scrolling shooters can probably get a whole lot of kick out of it. Likewise, unless you can get a kick out of repeating patterns for hours till you get that perfect routine in N+ probably will be of no fun.

Not to say that I don't agree with their view that a lot of the XBLA titles are crap. If I didn't see people around me playing some of those titles, I'd probably never have bothered to try them out.

muu

Put this block in your portfolio for future demonstration of your writing chops.

krokus

TrettOff

DannoHung

/Hopefully you be able to find the irony and forgive me.

Redface, The Dark Messiah of Justice

NPC

:p

MetalGearMax

Tob3z

I'm going to get lynched, I know it.

Dioxen

They are right about XBLA tho, it sucks...a lot. I can see what's happened, Microsoft thought it would be a little sidline "for the fans" project, with no real money being activly made, most of that would come from downloadable content, instead XBLA is the money spinner thus MS are trying to squeze out the cash cow that XBLA has become.

In doing so big companies are being green lit with awful games - see Capcom's last two games. While in some cases they bring us old classics, admitedly, I, like the developers of N+ were hoping for a more Indi slant. It's a pitty but in this case money rules the roost, not quality.

Jambolia

JoBo

Don't care. Didn't like N+, so I dunno what their quality control includes. What do they expect, though? AAA titles with each release?

Every game must receive a 9.0 or above to be on Live?

Are we forced to buy the games or something?

I dunno. Sounds like self servicing whining like that Jonathan Blow guy.

Zombie Attack!!

excel_excel

Lemming To The Sea

Word of advice to backpeddlers - don't make snide remarks about something new when you're apologizing for your previous word choice.

Maldron

Insomnia Bob

Yatterman

You work off the shitstorm but NOT STIRRING IT, guys. You don't need to name more things you don't approve to make company for disapprovals of the past.

Xiedo

Hahahahahah

Barbara

TheEngineer

these guys are on crack. N+ doesn't even look fun. could be wrong, i guess. but' it looks awful and boring.

jumping off the play "boring" Super Stardust....

jfx316

Gigith

Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.

AUAnonymous

Len Bias Cocaine Surplus

MCWHAMMER

balls187 upside yo head