Microsoft’s attempt to replicate Playstation Home the arcade experience just got a lot lamer. Microsoft have confirmed earlier rumours that they’ve slapped the service with a one-size-fits-all E10+ rating.
This has pros and cons – The biggest positive is that Microsoft can now add games to the service whenever they like, without having to get those games rerated by the ESRB. this leads to its biggest caveat – none of those games can be rated T or M – meaning your favourite even marginally violent games won;t be headed to the games room any time soon. So there’ll be no Street Fighter, no Double Dragon, no Metal Slug and certainly no Mortal Kombat.
Of course all of those games are available as downloads on the Xbox Live Arcade service, making me wonder why this Games Room is coming in the first place.
Hit the jump for a list of the 30 games the service will launch with.
1. Centipede (arcade)
2. Asteroids Deluxe (arcade)
3. Tempest (arcade)
4. Crystal Castles (arcade)
5. Lunar Lander (arcade)
6. Jungler (arcade)
7. Road Fighter (arcade)
8. Scramble (arcade)
9. Finalizer (arcade)
10. Tutankham (arcade)
11. Shao-Lin’s Road (arcade)
12. Super Cobra (arcade)
13. Red Baron (arcade)
14. Gravitar (arcade)
15. Battlantlis
16. Astrosmash (Intellivision)
17. Mountain Madness Super Pro Skiing (Intellivision)
18. Armor Battle (Intellivision)
19. Space Hawk (Intellivision)
20. Sub Hunt (Intellivision)
21. Sea Battle (Intellivision)
22. Space Armada (Intellivision)
23. Astrosmash (Intellivision)
24. Star Raiders (Atari 2600)
25. Outlaw (Atari 2600)
26. Yar’s Revenge (Atari 2600)
27. Millipede (Atari 2600)
28. Football (Atari 2600)
29. RealSports Tennis (Atari 2600)
30. Combat (Atari 2600)
Where are Rainbow Islands and Bubble Bobble? Why no Pang (Buster Bros.)? Simpsons Arcade? No?
Source : VG247
Last Updated: February 3, 2010
Potty391
February 3, 2010 at 15:48
even though i’d never use this service (got most of the arcade games ever released stored somewhere on my PC), I have to say this is quite gay… kiddy games is not my cup of tea
Q121
February 3, 2010 at 16:14
Wow… this is almost as bad as pets for your avatar….
spl0it
February 3, 2010 at 16:22
LAME!!! No Golden Axe, No Altered Beast …..
Bobby Kotick still milking that cow
February 3, 2010 at 17:31
Who exactly does Microsoft think is its target demographic?
I’m all for trying to include the rest of the non-gaming world or those who faintly remember standing in an arcade, bored out of their minds, while their boyfriend or girlfriend (successfully) performed a Mortal Kombat fatality on some poor kid, but Microsoft is really making strange decisions now.
Achievements were a good idea. Avatars were a bit of a hit and miss, but I’d say generally it’s not bad, the earlier ideas about Natal were fairly OK and avatar pets were a little strange, but this new press release regarding their Game Room is taking the cake in absurdia.
mitas
February 3, 2010 at 22:30
sounds lame….
Greeckos
February 4, 2010 at 19:32
i think this is rediculous, and i think its an insult to the 18+ aged people who play xbox. The avatar thing was kind of cool, but then i realized just how kiddy it was.
“How about a Lancer from Gears of War for your Avatar to just hold?”
“…..murmur murmur…”
“what microsoft? its a gun? yeah i know that!!!! thats the point!”
“but…the children…”
“ef the children!, put a parental block on it or something!”
i think its just terrible, most people who play Xbox 360 are teens and adults. leave the Wii to handle the tots.