Xbox Live Arcade launches

By Ellie Gibson Published 13 June, 2005

Download classic games.

It's official - downloading games is the new going to the shops. First we had Nintendo's revelation that you'll be able to access classic titles from its expansive back catalogue to play on your shiny new Revolution console - at a price, of course.

And now Microsoft is offering games for download with the European launch of the Xbox Live Arcade service, said to offer "a new social experience that brings popular retro classics and broad-appeal games directly to your console."

All you need to get started is the special launcher disc, which comes free with all new Xboxes or can be obtained by calling 0800 587 1102.

The disc features 12 demos of games already available, which include card and boardgame titles such as Poker, Hearts, Spades, Backgammon, Chess and Hardwood Solitare - the latter offering "more than 140 versions of solitaire", apparently. Crikey.

The puzzle and trivia category includes classics like Bejeweled and Zuma as well as Fuzzee Fever, while action/arcade games such as Alien Sky, Hamsterball, Feeding Frenzy and Marble Blast are also on offer.

And finally, you can download yourself some 'Social Sports' games, like bowling, billiards and golf.

The demos on the disc are free to play, and you don't even need an Xbox Live connection to enjoy them, but full downloads start at an introductory price of £7.49 for the basic games and £11.50 for more advanced ones. We're told that more games will be added to the Xbox Live Arcade every month.

Xbox Live Arcade is up and running right now and you'd better get in there quick - launcher discs are only available while stocks last. At least until the factory has finished making the next batch, presumably.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • smelliot #1 7 years ago

    A tad expensive methinks. Plus I don't see why they can't just integrate it into the Xbox Live dashboard.

  • pantherboy #2 7 years ago

    I think this is a good move, I always thought there should more variety of short quick games on consoles like whats available for PC. I still only hope the quality isn't poor.

  • Dreddnaught #3 7 years ago

    Yea, why couldn't have been included as an automatic update to the LIVe service ?

    Certainly saves on the cost of pressing discs anyway.

  • Tonka #4 7 years ago

    It sounds like the windows games, only now online. Hey, wait a minute... I can play Backgammon online allready. Yey!

  • Hench #5 7 years ago

    Too pricy. I will not be getting. Microsoft is now being greedy. £7.50 for a basic game!!!!!
    Edited by 1 at 13/06/05 @ 18:46

  • gibbondrives #6 7 years ago

    this was on the OXM cover disc last month. the demos give you enough to get the jist of the games, and to me are fine for a freebie. doubt i'd buy any of them though, what with them being available on the pc already.

  • Slippy #7 7 years ago

    Called the number about the disc. Helpful chappy told me it's £4 P&P from Xbox or it's free from the usual game shops... you do the math.

  • #8 7 years ago

    Shocking prices! I played some of the games and tbh, most of the flash stuff on the net is much better.

    I reiterate, SHOCKING PRICES!!

  • Xerx3s #9 7 years ago

    So the demo's on the disc are free eh? Really, now thats always welcome (actually playing it is another thing). Is this number for all europeans or just for the brits?

  • hailstorm #10 7 years ago

    meh. Can't be bothered to faff around with a disk just so I can download a bunch of naff games which are vastly overpriced.

  • Carrybagma #11 7 years ago

    Shocking is right!

    There's me thinking that Nintendo might be taking the mickey with their retro stuff and then Microsoft proudly announce that you can pay to download 'Hearts'!

    Ohhh here's my £7.49 I'll have Winmine please. Oh. That's £11.50 is it? Pardon me.

    Just a thought - they wouldn't be so sick as to start an Xbox live 'hearts league' would they? Ohhhh that's too much to think about. Wait! No! Worse than that! People will form 'hearts clans' and create their own forums to dis their enemies! I shall be in the "Kidney-biting hearts clan" and call upon the fires of hell to destroy the gameplan of the urak-hai appreciation society clan! haha!

    [goes into coma]

  • Carrybagma #12 7 years ago

    [comes out of coma]

    Ohhh!!!

    [goes back again]

  • Sid-Nice #13 7 years ago

    With those games, the Revolution is already dead and burried. :)

  • Stoatboy #14 7 years ago

    To make this announcement and not mention Mutant Storm is practically criminal. It's one of the finest games ever written - an old-school shooter of the highest order - and whilst the Xbox version isn't as good as the PC version (frame rate issues mainly) for seven and a half quid it's an absolute steal.

  • Lothar Hex #15 7 years ago

    140 versions of Solitaire? I have ONE version on my computer and I never play that. What makes Microsoft think I'm going to pay £8-£12 for 140 versions?
    Edited by 1 at 13/06/05 @ 22:46

  • captain-future #16 7 years ago

    so the most used windows program (Solitaire) finally got its debut on xbox live arcade.

    oh my.

  • Dizzy #17 7 years ago

    Mutant Storm + Zuma

    Nuff said...

    Anyway.. this thing will be integrated into 360. I am not sure if I want to jump on this so late in the (old) XBox game.

  • Xerx3s #18 7 years ago

    Heh, what you all complaining about? 12 FREE demo's! I mean, its not like your gonna invest money in the other crap.

  • trevd72 #19 7 years ago

    its a sign of things to come with the 360.

    These games a small with i would imagine tiny development costs, So why such a high price when there is no media to store it on and packaging etc.

    also if something happens to you drive you lose the game and have to buy it again.

    and i agree that it should be downloaded to the dashboard free and the games should be a £ a pop.

  • Captain Fetid #20 7 years ago

    Laughable.

  • Bezzy #21 7 years ago

    Mutant Storm's worth having. Zuma, I believe, is good too. On the whole, I'm not hearing many titles that I'd love, though.

    Seems like an excellent distribution method which simply needs to reach its full potential with some killer apps...

    I'll get on it...

  • #22 7 years ago

    Give me golden axe, final fight or captain commando ...otherwise bugger right off ...if i wanted to play spectrum games i wouldnt have payed for an xbox ffs !

  • gizmo #23 7 years ago

    Its a great idea, its the price thats mis-aligned.

  • #24 7 years ago

    It would be a great idea if they had some decent games to download ( not games i can download on pc for free )

  • Teeth #25 7 years ago

    Mutant Storm is certainly worth 8 quid, as is Zuma. They are both masterpieces. I highly recommend you check them out, at least on your PC if not on your 'box.

  • Tweakmonkey #26 7 years ago

    Good idea - obviously nicked from Nintendo, but those games are a bit disappointing. Let's hope we can see better games in the future.

  • Frumper #27 7 years ago

    How is it nicked from Nintendo? M$ were going on about Live Arcade last year, Nintendo only released details a few weeks back. If anything it's the other way round.

  • geepersd #28 7 years ago

    the starter disc was also a covermount on Official Xbox magazine and for what it's worth they've got some decent (though simple games) - versions of defender, xenon II, marble madness / super monkey ball etc, all under different names of course. and there's a lot to be said for a quick play of a robotron / smash tv game with dual analog sticks.

    No intention of buying any of the games myself, but the 5 or so levels in each demo are worth downloading for a quick fix.

  • Tweakmonkey #29 7 years ago

    How is it nicked from Nintendo? M$ were going on about Live Arcade last year, Nintendo only released details a few weeks back. If anything it's the other way round.

    I stand corrected.

  • Teeth #30 7 years ago

    I think people are really devaluing Mutant Storm. It's easily worth even the higher price of 12 quid. Most indie games on PC will cost you more than that.

  • gizmo #31 7 years ago

    Its been out in the states since around last November!! Methinks Nintendo nicked from MS!

  • Xerx3s #32 7 years ago

    Wait, sega releases games on the xbox right? Why not have the kewl games from the sega systems ported? I mean, that should give a nice counter balance to the nintendo stock.

  • justMe #33 7 years ago

    Zuma is a masterpiece. Best action-puzzler since Tetris. Get it for your PC and enjoy it the way it was ment to be played, with a mouse.

  • stormcr0wfleet #34 7 years ago

    this is BS.. i could go to GAME and buy halo1 for £7 pre-owned... for these games they should charge 1 or 2 pounds at the most.