MS goes Platinum

While the games clearly have not

News by Tom Bramwell Contributor

Published on 11 Feb 2003

What with PS2 Platinum and Cube Player's Choice, budget titles are well represented on both consoles - and generally by the cream of the crop, too.

However, now it's Microsoft's turn to flog games cheaply, and word has escaped Redmond of its plans for the title, price ($19.99) and the line-up. Oddly enough, the budget line will be called "Platinum Hits" in the US, where Sony's equivalent is known as "Greatest Hits". This is bound to annoy Sony a fraction, although it isn't really piggybacking the brand name as such, because we'll hazard a guess that nobody in the US is really aware of the European Platinum line for PS2 anyway.

Indeed, we're not so bothered about the name on that basis, but we would argue that a few of the games are as likely to be Platinum in sales terms as the Xbox is likely to overtake PS2 hardware sales by the end of the year. Blood Wake, folks? Really? Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex? Simpsons Road Rage? Star Wars: Obi-Wan, a game so bad that I was in a coma for several weeks?

Needless to say there are some definite goodies in there, including staff faves Project Gotham Racing, Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams (Inner Fears in Europe) and RalliSport Challenge, and hopefully this new price point will make titles like Amped, which didn't do so well on release, slightly more attractive. We understand MS is doing similar things in Europe very soon, although as anybody familiar with Amazon will know, most of the Xbox games on the list below are discounted already…

The full line-up can be found if you cast your eyes further down, courtesy of GamePro, who also bring news that MS' Platinum Hits line should be in stores in North America tomorrow. Or today. Who knows? There's no timestamp on the story.

Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding

Blood Wake

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire

Max Payne

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

Project Gotham Racing

RalliSport Challenge

Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams

Simpsons Road Rage

Spy Hunter

SSX Tricky