The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Xbox Originals: OP Updated
oddment
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Here is the thread to discuss anything related to the new Xbox Originals service, be that the games it offers, what you hope it will offer in the future, news on updates for the service and/or new games arriving soon, or even general praise/bitching to do with it. Here in the opening post I shall include as much info as possible for those not up to speed. I may not remember everything, so if you believe something needs to be added, please let me know.
WHAT IS IT?
Xbox Originals is a service launched with the Fall Update on December 4th 2007. It allows you to download an original Xbox game on to your hard drive. However, because it is basically a disc image and therefore runs off the backwards compatibility software, it works just the same as if you had the physical game (ie, no fancy 360 upgrades!).
IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT?
Here is a list of things from Microsoft that should inform you further...
Xbox Original games are carefully selected based on fan feedback and the quality of the play experience on the Xbox 360. All Xbox Original games have been thoroughly tested to offer a great gameplay experience when played on your Xbox 360. However, there are some differences in their behavior due to their being designed for the original Xbox. If you’ve played disc-based games for the original Xbox on your Xbox 360 using the backwards compatibility feature, you’ll find that Xbox Originals behave in the same manner.
Gameplay Differences:
If an Xbox Original game features additional content, such as demos or game trailers, those items aren’t supported when playing that game on the Xbox 360. Selecting one of these items will cause your Xbox 360 to stop responding and require you to restart your console.
The white and black buttons on the original Xbox controller now map to the Left Bumper and Right Bumper, respectively. See the controller maps available for each game on Xbox.com for specific controller functions for each game.
To exit an Xbox Original game, press the Xbox 360 Guide button, then press the Y button to exit to the dashboard, or press the A button to shut down your console.
Xbox Original titles that are designed for 4:3 (non-widescreen) displays will show black boxes on either side of the screen when played at 720p or higher resolution, in order to avoid distorting the original game images.
You can’t purchase premium content (such as add-on maps) for Xbox Original games using Microsoft Points. To purchase content for Xbox Original titles, you’ll need a credit card on file for the Xbox LIVE account you’re using in order to make the purchase.
Publisher logos at the start of a game can be choppy on first play.
Xbox LIVE Experience:
Xbox Original games don’t feature Achievements or Gamerscore. The original Xbox didn’t support Achievements, and these games are designed to run just as they did on the original console.
Some Xbox Original games don’t support Xbox LIVE multiplayer gameplay. Check the game’s page on Xbox.com for information on local and LIVE multiplayer features.
Xbox LIVE notifications (such as notifications that friends have logged on) won’t appear while playing an Xbox Original game.
You’ll be automatically logged out of Xbox LIVE when you launch an Xbox Originals game. If the game supports Xbox Live, you can re-connect by logging back in via the game.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
At the present time, an Xbox Original game will set you back 1200 MS Points, which is around $15 or £10.
WHAT'S AVALIABLE?
Originally there were 7 games avaliable on the service for most of the world. This number has now expanded to 11, with the most recent 3 being added February 11th 2008. These games are detailed below, including how much space they'll take up, a link to their PDF manuals, a description taken from gamestats.com and any known issues.
Halo
As a member of an elite military force, you must fight to defend the Earth from alien aggressors on the ancient alien artifact known as Halo. You must fight your way through Halo's mountainous terrain and underground labyrinth to discover the secrets of the mysterious world, and protect the human race. Escaping Halo with your life requires a cunning wit and a major arsenal of weapons.
Switch between foot-based fighting and vehicle-based attacks, where you can pilot flyers, tanks, or buggies, or man the guns while another squad member drives. Multiplayer action in Halo: Combat Evolved gives players the option of co-op missions or free-for-all shootouts.
SIZE: 2.3GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: There are some very mild frame rate drops.
Fable
RPG from the mind of Peter Molyneux. In Fable, the players' every action determines their character's skills, appearances and moralities. Life stories are created from childhood through adulthood and on to old age. Players may choose the paths of righteousness or dedicate their characters' lives to evil; observing as they transform into reflections of their actions and decisions. As players' characters develop, the world reacts to them and their actions. People comment on their successes, failures, appearances and behaviors. Their many opinions are expressed through applause, mockery, trepidation, panic and even flirtation. With each person characters aid and every creature they slay, the world is changed forever. In Fable, gamers decide: "Who will I be?"
SIZE: 3.2GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: There are some random bursts of audio static and some minor texture issues and a short hang up when removing tattoos.
Psychonauts
Surreal action adventure game starring Raz, a powerful young cadet at psychic summer camp. While working on his levitation merit badge, Raz discovers that someone is kidnapping psychic children and stealing their brains. In order to foil this evil plot and earn the title of Psychonaut, Raz must project himself into the minds of one bizarre character after another to battle their nightmares and mental demons. He does all this while continuing to earn his psychic merit badges in Telekinesis, Clairvoyance, Pyrokinesis and more. Players run, bounce, float, climb, swing and sneak while defeating monsters, lunatics and demons with the Psi-Blast, a mental burst of energy that will banish nightmares.
SIZE: 3.9GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: None yet reported.
Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit
Third-person adventure thriller, created by the team behind Omikron, Indigo Prophecy gives gamers the unique chance to play both hunter and fugitive, which in turn leads them to speak, explore, interact, fight and confront unknown dark forces. For no apparent reason, ordinary people are randomly killing total strangers. Although there is no link between the murderers, they all seem to follow exactly the same ritual and pattern. Lucas Kane becomes one of these murderers when he kills a stranger in the men's room of a restaurant. Finding himself in control of Lucas, the player is haunted by strange visions and the desperate need to find out what is happening to him. At the same time he must keep one step ahead of the police, especially Inspector Carla Valenti and her teammate agent Tyler Miles.
SIZE: 1.9GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: None yet reported.
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge combines thrilling aerial combat with the swashbuckling style of a Hollywood action-adventure movie. Set in an alternate 1930s world of gunship diplomacy and sinister intrigue, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge lets gamers pilot powerful aircraft against nefarious air pirates and behemoth war zeppelins. As the daring air pirate Nathan Zachary, leader of the infamous Fortune Hunters, players take off on a high-flying adventure, filled with daring escapes and damsels in distress. Features Xbox Live support for up to 16 players at once.
SIZE: 4.1GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: There is some minor flickering at the top of the screen that happens very rarely. The “Press A to Continue” message is missing when the host player leaves a multiplayer game.
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Everyone's favorite marsupial makes his GameCube debut in his biggest adventure yet. This time Neo-Cortex has had enough. Having been defeated one too many times, Cortex has developed a Super Secret weapon to finally rid himself of his arch-nemesis, Crash Bandicoot. Cortex has been busy building Crunch, a genetically engineered super-creature designed for one thing only, to defeat Crash Bandicoot once and for all!
There is just one thing missing? a power source for the new diabolical creation. Uka Uka, Cortex's master, calls upon the powers of the slumbering "Elementals." These four ancient masks harness the powers of earth, fire, water and air. If Cortex's super weapon wears these masks, he will then hold the power of the elements! However, to power this weapon, Cortex has set up bases around the planet, sucking the earth dry of its valuable elemental resources.
It's up to Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco to defeat Cortex and his monstrous creation before they take over the world!
SIZE: 935MB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: None yet reported.
Fusion Frenzy
Fuzion Frenzy is a non-stop party game. which combines frenetic action of a futuristic street sport with the action-packed fun of mini-games set in a dynamic 3-D urban environment. The game includes six arenas and more than 45 mini-games.
SIZE: 2.0GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: There are some minor frame rate issues.
Burnout 3: Takedown
Burnout 3: Takedown takes the popular racing series even further as it introduces a unique 'crash and burn' racing concept and a one-of-a-kind special effects engine that delivers spectacular visuals. The intensity heats up as players race, and often crash, their way through oncoming traffic in an attempt to claim the top spot. Boasting multiple single-player, multiplayer and online crash and race modes, Burnout 3 offers players the opportunity to race through busy city streets and be rewarded for taking risks that result in heart-pounding action and electrifying crashes.
SIZE: 2.32GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: Very minor performance drops in multiplayer mode.
Ninja Gaiden BLACK
Expanding on the grueling and action-packed game by Team Ninja, this new edition of Ninja Gaiden (which is rumored to be called Ninja Gaiden Black) is a complete edition of the game, with the two Hurricane Pack downloadable add-ons included in the package for more sword-slicing, wall-running, shuriken-throwing action than you can handle.
SIZE: 5.9GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: No audio is heard during the display of the publisher logo. There is a minor performance drop during the Alma cutscene. Original Ninja Gaiden Arcade game does not run and is not supported.
Black
The developers of Burnout take the heavy throttle of its highly-evolved graphics engine, shove a threaded barrel into its exhaust ports, and load it up with high-caliber bullets with Black, a first-person shooter from EA and Criterion Games.
Join the world’s most brutal and enigmatic strike force. The BLACK tactical squad operates under the cloak of complete anonymity and deniability to protect the US from threats foreign and domestic. It answers to no one, allowing it to carry out brutal and overt operations around the globe. From manipulating politicians to controlling intelligence networks and militaries, BLACK operatives are trained at the highest level in psychological warfare, espionage, and lethal arts. Go deep into the world of clandestine warfare as you use any means necessary to get the job done.
SIZE: 2.1GB
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: There are some minor lighting issues with non-player characters.
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Pirates! offers players the chance to take on the role of a privateer the Caribbean. From here, the game is pretty much up to you. You can get involved in trading, treasure hunting, ship fights, town assaults, duels and all manner of other activities. The game is wonderfully episodic and presents a variety of opportunities to the player based on context. You pick your nationality from Spanish, English, French and Dutch, a starting date, and a special talent, such as sword fighting or ship handling. Once you've created a captain, you're given a ship and a few men and tasked with charting your own course through the waters of the Caribbean and the sometimes stormier sea of European politics. Based on Sid Meier's 1987 classic of the same name.
SIZE: Not Yet Known
MANUAL: Original manual and 360 controller map
KNOWN ISSUES: There is minor stuttering during the introductory video, and there is some texture tearing and instances of textures disappearing in the game.
For a bit more information about the games, their strenghs and issues, have a look at IGN's article here.
Thats all I have for the time being. Tell me if theres more you think I should add! Also, would like a picture of the Xbox Originals store front if anyone can find me one, to pop in the opening post! Thanks!
Discussions commence!
PSN Sig Hidden Within!*
*Thanks Thanatos!
*Thanks Thanatos!
oddment on
0
Posts
That being said, nothing catching my eye on the list so far, and going by Major Nelson, these aren't on a set date of release like the Arcade stuff is, so who knows how often they will be releasing them. I'm just hoping that this will spur them into fixing some of the emulation issues with some of their glitchier BC games. More reliability means more people buying, which means more motivation to keep up with BC updates.
I haven't even gotten around to playing it yet. If I had known I could have waited and downloaded it, I might have.
Psychonauts I picked up during the spring, but that was worth it.
Honestly, ever game on the list that I want to play I already own, and many of them cost even less for a used copy (and don't take up space on the HDD.)
Still, I think it's a great concept, and I am sure that there are people who will get much use out of it. I also think it'll help 360 Elite sales, since there is now a reason to have a larger HDD OTHER than movie downloads.
A couple weeks ago, Major Nelson mentioned Indigo Prophecy on his podcast as being one of the launch titles for the service, even though it wasn't on ANY listthat had been released to the public. I think the matter was a PR confusion, not a switch on the operating end.
Also, Burnout 3 is a third party title that has a sequel on the 360, while al other titles with sequels currently out (Halo and Fusion Frenzy) are first party. Not enough data to declare a trend, but maybe it's something.
It's funny though, the promotional videos on Inside Xbox and also for Xbox Originals itself show the title menu for the service, and in all of them that I saw, it was Burnout instead of Indigo as well.
Yeah, it was flawed: shitty save system, buggy, and unforgiving gameplay that got downright grueling at times. But I loved it and the fact that Head First was so unapologetic with the design and mechanics (I'd usually bitch about not having a flashlight in a game this dark, but loved the atmosphere and feeling of dread the lack of light created). This game unnerved me and had me seeing shit in the dark corners of my game room. There was an oppressive, slow-burn malevolence to this title; it leaves you feeling cold, hopeless and absolutely overwhelmed as the story progresses.
Definitely one of the ol' black box's hidden gems if you're looking for some really hardcore horror/action.
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents... some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new Dark Age." :^:
Ng Security Industries, Inc.
PRERELEASE VERSION-NOT FOR FIELD USE - DO NOT TEST IN A POPULATED AREA
-ULTIMA RATIO REGUM-
Ya know, I bought that and barely played it when it first became BC. I got to the part in the hotel where you wake up and get chased through various rooms, and it glitched bad on me, and I was so annoyed by other things that when I realized that i would have to go through a big cinema and a long ass load time again, that I shelved it til later and never went back. I gotta dig this out sometime.
My god it looked like a Quake 2 mod though.
However, I'm very interested in the service. I'd really like to get Fahrenheit again, and possibly give Psychonaughts a go, and it is a very convenient way for me to do so. I may be able to find those games cheaper in a shop (doubtful though... especially Psychonaughts), but more than anything its the convenience of it. Plus, if they start to release one a week like with Arcade games, which they could possibly do, it'd give those of us with far too much free time some options. It seems like a happy medium between Arcade games and full on 360 games. I really do hope they release some of the more interesting oXbox games aswell... I would purchase Ninja Gaiden Black in a heartbeat!
On top of that, as Aoi says, it gives MS even more reason to continue working on their BC updates. So yay.
*Thanks Thanatos!
I've been keeping an eye out for an Xbox copy of Psychonauts for ages, but haven't found it. At this stage I'm willing to pay the slight premium ($15 in MS Funbucks versus maybe $10 used now) for it, but honestly the hard drive requirements are what stay my hand right now. To quote myself from the other thread:
The only thing that pisses me off so far? Fable is the vanilla version, but the theme included with it says "Lost Chapters".
What the hell.
Wait, you can use a networked computer for storage?
Edit: when I say someone, I mean a legit company, they sell them at gamestop, or they did, when I found it.
Nevertheless, I spent the last year having just bought an Xbox filling out my collection 2nd hand, and I don't think I paid more than 1200 points = £10.80 on any game, and whilst hard drive space remains a premium, I still thats the way to go.
Regardless I massively support this idea, as for games to grow as an art form, they have to be considered more than temporary distractions. They need to exist for multiple console generations.
(Which is something Sony used to understand.)
2009 is a year of Updates - one every Monday. Hopefully. xx
Wait, it is?
Thank you, you just saved me fifteen dollars.
Just as a note, and no I'm not saying this makes the space issue fine, but I'm guessing these games work in the same way that arcade games do. So you download one, play the hell out of it, and if you find yourself lacking in space, you delete it. MS tracks what you own, so you're able to just download it and play it again later if you are so inclined. Again, not saying it's a good way to do things, but it'll hold most people over til the 120 GB drive drops in price.
*Thanks Thanatos!
*Thanks Thanatos!
Yeah, it's the same reaction I had when Nintendo started releasing the NES Mario games on the VC. I want em, but have held off, as I'll be damned if I'm spending the points again when they finally get around to releasing the All Stars versions of the games.
Thoughts of a Part-Time Hobbyist - A Wargaming and RPG Blog
What bothers me is that these are just cookie cutter reprints. It's cool and all, but for the money I would have liked to have been able to play them online as well, which I see you can with Crimson Skies because it's XBL, but why not with Halo? Would it have been that hard?
There were a lot of bugs, and the BC just made it worse. Playing it on an original Xbox if you can find one is my advice.
And you really need to play it, it is fucking AWESOME.
猿も木から落ちる
1) Are load times diminished because the system is reading off the hard drive instead of a disk?
2) Are game saves stored separately than the games themselves (so you could delete a game when you're low on space while still keeping the save for later use when you redownload the game)?
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
The loading times are gone. Well, not gone - but much quicker.
I'm happy.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
Wahey! Someone happy with the service! So Crash is good then? Worth 1200 points?
Has anyone got Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy for you yanks) yet? How is it? Any issues?
*Thanks Thanatos!
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
1) Halo 1 Xbox was never intended to be played online. System link works by passing around the button presses. There is no dead reckoning at all.
2) Don't say "XBC", because playing it over XBC was horrible.
3) Even if they got it online, you'd max out at 4 people in the entire game, there'd be no way to chat at all, there's only Red and Blue teams.
4) Halo 1's multiplayer is ass and Halo 3's is much much superior in every way. Campaign is still awesome though.
5) If for some stupid reason they actually did bother to make Halo 1 Live compatible, they'd have to spend at least a million on hiring programmers, testing, programming, and more testing, and then it wouldn't be 15$ anymore. If you really want to play it online, go get Halo 1 PC, and even then it's online multiplayer is crap.
Wow, I thought I was the only one holding out for All Stars. I, however, am holding out for All Start + World, as I recently sold my SNES copy. Now that's a good game for a single purchase.
Registered member since '04, Lurking since '99!
Not related to Originals, but I got a new 360 a few months back and the Arcade games I bought whilst I had my old 360 now won't work unless I'm connected to Live. I don't have access to my old 360 at all now (it busted before the new warranty came into effect and so I got rid), but obviously have the same HDD and GamerTag. If I call up 360 support, would they be able to transfer it all over to the new console so the games can be played whilst offline, and by other profiles on the system?
*Thanks Thanatos!
I will agree that XBC was shit. I tried it once and cried in anger, never to try it again. You're right, with Halo 3 there's no need to have Halo online, and I really didn't mean to talk about halo specifically, but it would be cool to see some other games brought online.
Also, would there be a chance of one of the following happening?
KOTOR being released as a download, with the DLC (since it was xbox and pc only?)
KOTOR 2 being released, and patched to where it doesn't suck ass?
Probably not; they tend to act like dicks on this particular issue, or so reports have shown.
I know this came up recently in another thread; I think it involves calling up customer service and really harassing them to change your console ID, which is what sets your XBLA games to that specific 360 console. I've never done it myself and a lot of people are having the same problem as you, but I don't know how many people have been successful fixing it. I think if you really stress that you threw out the old system and bought a new one before the RROD warranty came out, you'll have a better shot at getting someone to help you.
This is what I was telling you earlier. They're working on it, and you might get some resolution so that you can play them without being signed in, or so others can play them, but they've got it set up at the moment where if you do a transfer, you have to be logged into your account to play the games. It's shitty, but they're fixing it (so I've heard)
EDIT: Beat by Lunker
*Thanks Thanatos!
Funnily enough, this has been Nintendo's answer to the same VC memory problems. :P I think this should work, and I'm likely going to test this out this week at some point. I have about 6-7 gigs free, so it's not a big deal to me either way.
This makes me sad. I never did get to finish it--my save file got utterly destroyed late in the game. The part where
I got rid of my old Xbox and Dark Corners when I picked up a 360, figuring I'd get another BC copy.
Regarding Halo 1 multiplayer: I can't ever go back to dealing with getting clipped from across the map by that fucking pistol. They did a great job with weapon balance in 3. But, yeah, 1 still has the best campaign of the trilogy, but I see no reason to revisit its multiplayer.
Ng Security Industries, Inc.
PRERELEASE VERSION-NOT FOR FIELD USE - DO NOT TEST IN A POPULATED AREA
-ULTIMA RATIO REGUM-
Short answer: Yes.
3DS: 1650-8480-6786
Switch: SW-0653-8208-4705