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.
XBL Community Games Research - Please Help!
DeejayBinaryTweed
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi All,
I'm conducting a little research into consumer perception of Xbox Live Community Games. So far, Microsoft have not made any sales figures public, so a lot of us are making business without any figures to base them on.
If you (and any other 360 gamers you know) could answer the following questions, both the XNA community and I would be very, very grateful!
1> Have you explored the Xbox Live Community Games Marketplace?
2> How many (if any) Community Game Trials have you downloaded?
3> How many (if any) Gommunity Games have you purchased?
4> How many (if any) XBLA titles have you purchased in the last twelve months?
5> What is your impression of Community Games thus far?
Thanks for your time! So far, it's looking like people either don't use CGs at all, or have downloaded tens of them.
I'm conducting a little research into consumer perception of Xbox Live Community Games. So far, Microsoft have not made any sales figures public, so a lot of us are making business without any figures to base them on.
If you (and any other 360 gamers you know) could answer the following questions, both the XNA community and I would be very, very grateful!
1> Have you explored the Xbox Live Community Games Marketplace?
2> How many (if any) Community Game Trials have you downloaded?
3> How many (if any) Gommunity Games have you purchased?
4> How many (if any) XBLA titles have you purchased in the last twelve months?
5> What is your impression of Community Games thus far?
Thanks for your time! So far, it's looking like people either don't use CGs at all, or have downloaded tens of them.
Deejay - Managing Director
Binary Tweed - New games that are a bit like old games, but better
Binary Tweed - New games that are a bit like old games, but better
DeejayBinaryTweed on
0
Posts
2>I've downloaded about three, I think (If needed, I can list them).
3>None
4>None
5>I think it's an interesting idea and would probably buy something off it in the future.
I admit I haven't bought much of anything from it, but I am interested in the concept of an access to indie games on the 360. Statsistics are statistics, eh?
Starcraft 2: jawaka.947
Shame the mainstream press make their advertising revenue from publishers, because there's probably never going to be that many column inches dedicated to even the best community efforts.
Binary Tweed - New games that are a bit like old games, but better
1. Yes, a fair amount.
2. Probably a couple dozen.
3. None so far, but then, I haven't purchased any other games since CG came out, either.
4. I want to say... three? Probably three.
5. It's a huge step for Microsoft to take, opening up their game console to anyone who wants to make games for it. As an indie game developer I love the idea. The execution still has some flaws. There needs to be more of a way for the cream to rise to the top, because there is a lot of crapware on there. Trial limits need to be more flexible--eight minutes is an improvement over before, but it's still too short for many kinds of games. MS should allow developers to set the trial length up to a (higher) limit. They need to get sales data out there to developers, as well. Overall, though, I'm very pleased that they've put something like this out there, and I hope it works out to be a viable marketplace for gamers and developers alike.
2. 0
3. 0
4. 0
5. Really no impression at all. This is maybe the second time I've even heard of Community games. That's part of the problem I think. Honestly I don't even know where on XBL they are located.
EDIT: I didn't read #4 correctly. I've bought 3 games this past year.
You're not the first person to mention, unfortunately. Looks like Microsoft and us developers will have to raise awareness as best we can.
You can schedule trials for download, and purchase full games from Marketplace on your PC. For example, here's a link to Biology Battle, which is a rather good twin-stick shooter from the good people at Novaleaf.
Binary Tweed - New games that are a bit like old games, but better
I'm a Comp Sci grad student who tinkers with XNA on my laptop -- so far nothing that even looks remotely game-like to show -- and I really want these to succeed. Under the old 360 interface, I had an easy time finding new content. Community games with the old interface would've been great.
Am I missing something obvious? Or do others also find the new interface makes it more difficult to find content?
XBL Michael Spencer || Wii 6007 6812 1605 7315 || PSN MichaelSpencerJr || Steam Michael_Spencer || Ham NOØK
QRZ || My last known GPS coordinates: FindU or APRS.fi (Car antenna feed line busted -- no ham radio for me X__X )
1) I've looked through the community games channel, yes.
2) I've downloaded 3 or 4 demos, and looked at the details pane for just about everything there.
3) I haven't purchased any.
4) I've purchased 6 XBLA titles in the last year.
5) While I appreciate the work people put into the community games, and would like to be proven wrong, my general impression is that it's a bunch of amateurish garbage. Everything from the names of the games to the presentation (e.g. graphics and music) to the gameplay has struck me as ranging from bland (at best) to offensive (at worst).
EDIT: I should say that I think a lot of it is over-reaching on the developers' part. I'm far more accepting of simple graphics with some artistic sense to them (e.g. Geometry Wars, Puzzle Quest, Castle Crashers, Darwinia) than I am a lot of the stuff I've seen in the community games thus far.