LOS ANGELES--On Monday, Microsoft announced a host of new Xbox Live services
during its E3 2009 press conference. Today we had a chance to take a
closer look at the most important changes coming to the Xbox Live
Marketplace.
As reported earlier this week,
the Games on Demand feature will let Xbox 360 owners buy and download
full games to their consoles using a credit or debit card, as well as
Microsoft points. The service will launch with a library of more than
30 titles, including Mass Effect, BioShock, Assassin's Creed, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Today, Microsoft revealed it will be updating the Games on Demand store
every week following launch, with prices "comparable" to retail. Lego
Star Wars: The Complete Saga was the only one priced, though, at
$19.99.
However, the best part of Games on Demand is that the games players download--around 6GBs per game--will remain playable on any
machine that can log in to the account on which the purchase was made.
If a 360 gets damaged or lost, players can re-download them again on
any machine at any time free of charge. This also applies to Xbox 360
owners who find they don't have enough space on their machines--they
will simply be able to delete the downloaded games and re-download them
at another time, also free of charge.
Microsoft also went into more detail about the new Avatar
Marketplace, which will let 360 owners purchase clothing and
interactive props for their avatars. There is a whole range that has
been specifically designed with game content, including Halo, Fable II,
and Gears of War 2, as well as third-party content, such as Splinter
Cell. Owners can purchase T-shirts and caps with logos, as well as
props relating to the games--we were shown a remote control Warthog
from the Halo games. Microsoft is also working with real clothing
labels to design avatar outfits that fit fashion trends, such as
steampunk or "street." The cost of these items is about 80 Microsoft
points ($1) for a T-shirt and 320 points ($4) for an interactive prop.
Stay tuned for more Microsoft news and updates during GameSpot's ongoing coverage of the
Electronic Entertainment Expo.
