Microsoft is being anal over XBLA

Does any of you kids (sorry if that insults you) have ANY idea at all how companies, copyright etc. work? Do you really think Microsoft can simply decide "hey, let's take this old PC/Arcade game and release it on XBLA"?

1) The copyright holder has to agree to it. Sometimes they are hard to get hold off, sometimes they don't want their very old game to be rel-released because they have other plans for it etc.

2) The developers would have to re-create the game from scratch. Most old arcade games are written in assembly language for the particular CPU from the arcade machine. You can't simply run that old code on a different CPU. Sure, there is the possiblitly of emulation, but then you couldn't have archivements, online-play etc.

3) Most of the time the original developers are also the copyright holders (Capcom, Sega etc.) and THEY decide what happens with their software. They could create some arcade classics and offer them via XBLA, but clearly they don't always want to. They have their own idea how it should be done (e.g. these 20-games on a PS2 disc).

4) You also have no idea about the economics. To re-create one of this old classics costs several hundred thousand dollars. With only $6 income, where a portion goes to the credit-card companies, and bandwidth costs and servers etc. there isn't that much left. Perhaps only about $2 reach the creators. And they then have to pay a portion to the copyright holders etc. You have to sell quite a few copies to break even.

MS is primarily a publisher. They can neither decide nor simply create new games out of thin air. They also forced Epic because they are the publishers of "Gears of War" so contractually they have a say in what gets published and how it gets published. That a company wants to make as much as possible is only fair. That is what companies are about. Making money.

Something should be included for free, because you already paid $60 for the game? What kind of logic is that? So when you buy a burger you should also get the fries for free? Hey, you already paid $5 for the burger. For that kind of money the fries should be free. Newsflash: it costs money to create additional maps (and fries) and you either pay for what you want or you don't get it. Simple as that.

"I don't care how it all works. I know better. I'm a spoiled child that wants wants wants."

You obviously didn't read a single word... Sad sad sad

They need to sell millions of copies of one single arcade game. They need to at least sell several hundret thousand copies to break even. Do you realisticly think that of the 10 million 360 owners, millions will buy "Golden Axe" or something similar?

Grow up. If it would be worthwhile, they would have done it already. It's not. Simple as that.

the file size cap has been lifted so plenty of bigger and better games can be put on XBLAD3monXg

Heck I would probably like to see it open up to the point where developers don't even need to go through MS channels and could just put games on as they see fit, with a MS certification of course.

Hoobinator

This statement makes no sense. You say you don't want the developers to go through MS channels, yet they must be MS certified? Mmmkay? There are lots of good games on XBLA and I'm pleased with it. They've brought a lot of my oldschool childhood favorites, i.e. Double Dragon, Contra. Granted, they weren't quite the versions I was hoping for, but they were fine nonetheless. Indie developers are on there, too.

Go download Cloning Clyde, Castlevania, Alien Hominid, Mutant Storm, Geometry Wars, Worms, etc. etc. and quit your griping

[QUOTE="Hoobinator"]

Heck I would probably like to see it open up to the point where developers don't even need to go through MS channels and could just put games on as they see fit, with a MS certification of course.

Intrakitt

This statement makes no sense. You say you don't want the developers to go through MS channels, yet they must be MS certified? Mmmkay? There are lots of good games on XBLA and I'm pleased with it. They've brought a lot of my oldschool childhood favorites, i.e. Double Dragon, Contra. Granted, they weren't quite the versions I was hoping for, but they were fine nonetheless. Indie developers are on there, too.

Go download Cloning Clyde, Castlevania, Alien Hominid, Mutant Storm, Geometry Wars, Worms, etc. etc. and quit your griping

why does everyone get offended when someone makes a valid "gripe":? Let the guy gripe if he wants to! At least he is putting across his opinion in a respectable manner, hell...........which is more than i can say for most of the posts in this thread......in fact - more than i can say about moaners in the entire GS community. Im not defending his issue, just that his point isnt totally invalid, and i think some of you are missing his actual point. 

"I don't care how it all works. I know better. I'm a spoiled child that wants wants wants."

You obviously didn't read a single word... Sad sad sad

They need to sell millions of copies of one single arcade game. They need to at least sell several hundret thousand copies to break even. Do you realisticly think that of the 10 million 360 owners, millions will buy "Golden Axe" or something similar?

Grow up. If it would be worthwhile, they would have done it already. It's not. Simple as that.

Flavour666

Hey thanks for your help. I should consult the oracle most often.
But i still dont care.
XBLA is not a great succes for Microsoft, maybe that is the answer. Some games are worth, others dont or you can found them in a emulator for PC.
I prefer play games on my XBOX 360 than any of those games that nobody knows.