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Microsoft explains Watchmen file-size News
Xbox 360 News by Tom Bramwell
Microsoft has said that the Watchmen game's massive 1.2GB file size was permitted because the company makes exceptions for "superior gameplay" judged case by case.
Xbox Live Arcade games used to be restricted to 50MB, but the company has permitted breaches before, most notably with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Portal: Still Alive.
"We have set Xbox Live Arcade game file limits as a general guideline. An important part [of] Xbox Live Arcade is easy access, and keeping file size down is a vital part of that," Microsoft explained to Ars Technica.
"Equally important is offering titles with superior gameplay. We weigh both considerations on a case-by-case basis, and will make exceptions when it makes sense to ensure the best customer experience."
Some may scoff at the idea that last week's Watchmen game boasts "superior gameplay" - us very much included - but the breach is hardly surprising given XBLA's competition with PlayStation Network, for which Sony doesn't impose the same size restrictions.
In any case, it's hardly the first time Microsoft has bent the rules, and not just on the subject of XBLA file sizes. Back in the day we were told that boxed Xbox 360 games were permitted to offer 1000 gamerpoints and add 250 in subsequent downloadable content. Halo 3 has since gone on to offer 1750 total.
The last guidance to developers Eurogamer has seen - dated mid 2007 - said that boxed games could offer up to 50 Achievements for 1000 gamerscore, and then up to 10 additional Achievements for 250 gamerscore post-release. XBLA titles were allowed to offer 250 gamerscore off 10 Achievements, and then another 50 gamerscore from a subsequent three.
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seasidebaz
10/03/09 @ 09:19
+1
XBLA titles were allowed to offer 250 gamerscore off 10 Achievements
I thought it was 200 points, then an extra 50 off of DLC? |
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GamesProgrammer
10/03/09 @ 09:22
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Its obviously more to do with not letting sony get an exclusive than anything to do with superior gameplay.
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Britesparc
10/03/09 @ 09:38
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@ seaside
Yeah, pretty sure it's 200 + 50 additional.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 10/03/09 @ 09:39
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asphaltcowboy
10/03/09 @ 09:40
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Those money hats which Warner Brothers send out must be a superior fit.
lol! well played :D |
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Don't get me wrong, I think Watchmen is alright, but not "superior" to the likes of Streets of Rage 2, Golden Axe or Castle Crashers. All of which I think you can have for the same prices (assuming Crashers is 800, I know the others 2 are 400 each).
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 10/03/09 @ 09:55
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kangarootoo
10/03/09 @ 09:58
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Watchmen game aside, the file size limit is outdated and its good that MS are making exceptions.
The limit was there to cater for core system users with memory cards, but really anybody with a 360 and no HDD is impeding their own full enjoyment of the system, and you can buy 20gb HDDs for less than a wireless headset these days. MS shouldn't hamstring the ability of XBLM to deliver a variety of content just because they started off with a (frankly odd) variety of base systems. |
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1.2 Gig? That's quite surprising actually. It'd be nice if that meant that more games would be coming out at a slightly bigger size than normal. but it seems likely it'll be saved for future incidents of this sort.
@seasidebaz: Arcade games always have twelve achievements rather than ten as well. Also how did Halo 3 manage to get an extra 500 points anyway? |
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ryohazuki1983
10/03/09 @ 10:07
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@Toothball
Because Halo is a MS game. I remember when I worked in the compliance team for certification, Halo/fable failed some of Microsofts TCRs (granted they were minor, like using two utility regions etc) but it didn't matter as it was MS afterall! They can do what they like. Only EA got away with a load of shit as well! |
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el_pollo_diablo
10/03/09 @ 10:10
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I think that by 'superior' they mean 'PSN has it, so we'd better have it too'
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XBLA - max 12 Achievements 200G + DLC 50G
Retail - max 50 Achievements 1000G + DLC 250G, (exception: exclusive key DLC +750) edit: other rules min Achievements: 5 max points for an Achievement: 500G minimum points for an Achievement: 0G Well, that was written in an editorial in x360a.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 10/03/09 @ 10:49
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designerheadache
10/03/09 @ 10:53
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clearly, they dont want the game of the "movie of the moment" to be a PSN exclusive, and it will probably make a crap load of cash too, as both XBL and PSN are full of idiots who lap this kind of content up.
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ryohazuki1983
10/03/09 @ 10:56
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Wasn't too fussed on the game, didn't even finish the demo, probably because the asking price was so high; At 800pts I might of got it, but playing through I just thought its not worth the £££.
Edit: @designerheadache Yep, Major Nelson just released the top selling arcade games for last week and watchmen is at #1.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 10/03/09 @ 11:16
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My vote already goes for one of the worst games of the year. Horrible tearing, lame moves (what the hell makes starting of with only a simple punch and kick fun? Haven't these guys played GoW to see you don't need to strip chara's to keep interesting), the same fucking thing the whole time in boring environments, making a stupid beat em up out of it, etc.
Superior my ass. |
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I think Watchmen's 1.2 GB file size is because of the detailed graphics and audio myself. I don't think its large size has much to do with the gameplay as you could probably have the same game running in 150 MB with inferior production values.
Besides, the game is downright rubbish IMO. If Microsoft think that game has superior gameplay then I think they need to seriously think hard about leaving the industry altogether. Seriously! ;) |
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michaelius
10/03/09 @ 17:59
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Good luck to MS fanboys who brag about $200 price point trying to play it on x360 arcade :)
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GiarcYekrub
10/03/09 @ 18:32
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I want a big HD my 20Gb feel small and inadequate but 120GB still doesn't do it for me, when are MS gonna step up the sizes again?
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Superior (volumes of crappy) gameplay perhaps.
I think the game size limitations are fair enough in general - you need to draw a line somewhere when you look at such a service as a whole - and Sony never imposed a limit because they knew their online service would never get the use Live does, primarily because we tend to make more use of things we're paying for each month but also because it is better on the whole. There's an imposition of a defined canvas there and that works well on any system - people get more out of the walled garden of coding for any machine the longer a machine sticks around and the tighter the constraints of the format, the faster innovation progresses. It follows then that occasionally this innovation should be allowed off the leash - Braid customers and avoiders alike would probably at the price-point have wished for another 500 megs of the game to download. Watchmen is a pile of crap on Live, a really fucking bad game. It might not have been and we can only hope that quality control sees us get the best from this sort of off-leash downloadable game. In fact, I think it is a step in the right direction, particularly with shit games like Watchmen. Think about your second-hand shelves in the shops - full of bollocks. Movie tie-ins and cartoon tie-ins, all obscuring the quality titles contained amidst them. If these sort of things end up on Live instead, in a try-before-you-buy format the crap licenced game genre will die or at least feel quite poorly. Our shelves will contain fewer but better quality titles. Win-win. |
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I'm just going to say this the telltale games that are coming from the episodic wallace and grommit series and the sam and max seasons 1 and 2 plus the next season are likely to be between 500MB to 1Gb each.
So I don't think its Microsoft getting money hats, more that a game such as ensuring a xbla game of say solitaire should be over 200MB for it. I think what they mean to say is effort. I mean if Bungie said they were developing an episodic game based on halo universe they wouldn't mind the size limit. ITS ALL ABOUT FREAKING PERSPECTIVE |
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