Microsoft Game Room (360 + PC)

[S0L]

Spotted this elsewhere - but thought it might be of interest to some of you

http://www.videogamer.com/news/game_room_brings_classic_arcade_experience_to_xbox_360.html

Basically Microsoft are releasing a 'virtual' arcade for 360 and PC, where you can play classic games under emulation. Looks like they plan to add new machines all the time into said arcade.

Not sure about the payment model (you can either buy machines outright, or choose to pay per play) but certainly one of the more interesting developments emulation wise for a while

Yeah, yeah, not as good as a proper cab I know, but when you live in a box like I do, you don't always have room. Be interesting to see what they do with the hiscores too!

--Update --

Trailer spotted here too - http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=230920 - looks like you design your own Arcade and fill it with all manner of interesting goodies

---
S0L
---

[DJ_Izumi]

So it's XBLA with more titles and an expanded menu system like Namco Musuem 50th Aniversery crossed with SecondLife?

Well, let's see what it offers in terms of 'retro titles'.  I'm honestly getting tired of Namco and Atari's offerings over and over agian in the same compilations and jsut rereleased.  Sure, Namco Musuem Virtual Arcade is a STEAL for $20 compared to how much those games would cost on XBLA, but does Namco have to stop at 1987 for it's retro games?  I mean come on, you could TOTALLY do Prop CYcle on the Wii!  How about a retro throwback Ace Combat aimed at arcade multiplayer online action?  Kinda like Ace Combat meets After Burner?  Maybe just some late 80s and early 90's arcade games other than Mortal Kombat?

[deadpool18]

Kotaku.com has a lot more info on this and video.  Personally I think that it looks like a great idea but a little bit overpriced, especially for the Atari 2600 and Intellivision games.

I already like the Namco virtual arcade space in Playstation Home, but this looks like a more complete package.

[DrumAnBass]

Looks like a knockoff of 3D Arcade: http://www.mameworld.info/3darcade/arcades/arcades.htm

[DJ_Izumi]

Having seem the game list, I'm not impressed any more.  Very very few of the games bring out the 'Oh man, I remember this one!' feeling.  Sure I'm younger and it's more early-mid 90's stuff that brings out that feel, but arcade from that era had lots of 80's stuff too.  It seems more like a laundry list of any game they could find more than anything.

I'd honestly have more fun with Sega Genesis Ultimate Collection and Namco Musuem Virtual Arcade.  Though Midway or whoever owns their stuff now needs to put their games on 360 and PS3 now.

[Hurray Banana]

Looks like a knockoff of 3D Arcade: http://www.mameworld.info/3darcade/arcades/arcades.htm

I thought that when I looked at it, wonder if that's the origin of the M$ project.

[Havok]

Looks like a knockoff of 3D Arcade: http://www.mameworld.info/3darcade/arcades/arcades.htm

I also thought the same thing once I saw it. I bet someone over at Microsoft saw 3darcade, and thought it was a great idea for online. Actually, I think it is a pretty cool concept and is a virtual resurrection of the arcade. Probably won't last, but nice to see nonetheless.

[DJ_Izumi]

I'd hardly say that 3D Arcade pioneered this idea.  Firstly, similar themes can be seen on PlayStation Home and in SecondLife.  More over, Sega's 2001 RPG 'Shenmue II' featured a 3D virtual arcade where the game character could play emulated versions of Outrun and Space Harrier.

The flaw in this thinking is that the belief that only one person could have possibly said 'Hey let's navigate a virtual arcade and play games!' and anyone else who came up with the idea must have gotten it from the first guy.  It's just a neat and obvious idea and lots of people have probably come up with it on their own.

[deadpool18]

Looks like a knockoff of 3D Arcade: http://www.mameworld.info/3darcade/arcades/arcades.htm

Can you actually launch games with these like a frontend?  That would be really fun.  If so, how do you install one of these?

[DrumAnBass]

Can you actually launch games with these like a frontend?  That would be really fun.  If so, how do you install one of these?

Yah 3D Arcade is a frontend. Tricky to customize, but pretty cool. I use it on my main MAME cab. The best starting point is to download 3D Arcade DVD 2.0 - basically everything you need minus ROMS.

See: http://echo.messageboard.nl/2243/viewtopic.php?t=1895

[Havok]

That post is over 4 years old, the download link is dead...

[DrumAnBass]

You can probably find a bittorrent file for it...

[Popcorrin]

If you read throught the 3darcade forums you should be able to find a good link of where to download the 3darcade dvd 2.0.  Also someone is working on releasing 3darcade dvd 3, not sure how long before that happens.

I use 3darcade and in my opinion I think it is the best frontend out there.  Not too fun to setup though.

The frontend hasn't been updated in awhile but people continue to add models and new arcades.  I think the latest arcade added was a recreation of the luna city arcade and it looks pretty cool.

[Alpha17X]

I foresee microsoft trying to go after the MAME community when this project doesn't do as awesomely as they want it to.

[DJ_Izumi]

I foresee microsoft trying to go after the MAME community when this project doesn't do as awesomely as they want it to.

Arn't they already targeting the people who want to play the games from thieir childhood?  Which, BTW, amongst casual users, WELL out numbers the tiny 'MAME Community'.

[TOK]

I foresee microsoft trying to go after the MAME community when this project doesn't do as awesomely as they want it to.

Whats to go after? The ROM's have been floating around for 10 years. There is absolutely no way to reign that in at this point.

[Alpha17X]

I foresee microsoft trying to go after the MAME community when this project doesn't do as awesomely as they want it to.

Whats to go after? The ROM's have been floating around for 10 years. There is absolutely no way to reign that in at this point.

True but a lot of companies have a terrible habit of lashing out at whatever and whoever they can when their illconceived ideas don't play out how they'd like.   Also for some reason I was all Doom and Gloom when I posted that.

You're right however, even if they did lash out they'd just be that.. loud angry person that yells about random things as life goes on around them.

[DJ_Izumi]

True but a lot of companies have a terrible habit of lashing out at whatever and whoever they can when their illconceived ideas don't play out how they'd like.   Also for some reason I was all Doom and Gloom when I posted that.

You're right however, even if they did lash out they'd just be that.

How would they even lash out?  Come to your house and go at your cab with a fire axe?

[Alpha17X]

Comment about how MAME 'hurts'  the Game Room experience and 'Ruins it'  by lowering profit margins was my idea.  But it was way past my bed time.

Waaay past my bed time.   *Tinfoil hat*

[ark_ader]

Funny someone mentioned Mame and Microsoft.

Doesn't Aaron Giles work for Microsoft?

[orion]

I foresee microsoft trying to go after the MAME community when this project doesn't do as awesomely as they want it to.

Well I think they might be more likely to go after the rom sites, now that they have even more of an economic interest in 30 year old games. I also heard that the game room would work with Natal when it's released. That aspect is what interests me the most, as I see that it could have the potential to totally suck, or if it works well, kill the need for frankenpanels.

[DJ_Izumi]

The 'MAME Community' is absolutely microscopic compared to the potential user base for Game Room.  Look at all the technical threads here.  Getting MAME to work right, to not lag, to get the controls mapped, get the right romset for the right version of MAME, lots and lots of stuff that from a technical point is beyond many many people.  Sure they could learn it but maybe they just want to press start?

The problem I see here is that the game lineup sucks.  It's just boring.  Anything good is already on XBLA or on compilations already released for consoles, the rest is trivial stuff.  Atari 2600 Combat gets pretty dull when you realize it's just 50 versions of 'Tank'.  But maybe they'll get cooler stuff.  I'd be all over this stuff if some more modern arcade games got on it.  I'd kill for simple and effective Daytona USA with online play.

[S0L]

I doubt they'll go as modern as Daytona. They are saying they'll have 1000 machines made available via it. I hope they're arcade, much as I like 2600, I'd rather this stayed more arcade focused.

Besides, I want to do Daytona

---
S0L
---