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Xbox Live Arcade games to offer 400 Gamerscore

Starting next month, select Xbox Live Arcade games will offer twice the glory, jumping from 200G to 400G.
Andrew Yoon
15

As Xbox Live Arcade games continue to grow in both size and price, achievement hunters are no longer satisfied by the meager 200 Gamerscore points offered by downloadable titles. Starting next month, select Xbox Live Arcade games will offer twice the glory, jumping from 200G to 400G.

The new policy will allow Arcade games to feature up to 30 achievements. (The average game currently supports 12.) According to X360A, XBLA games can offer up to four DLC packs, each offering an additional 100 Gamerscore and 8 achievements. "That means that XBLA games can potentially end up with 800 GS across 62 achievements with any released DLC factored into the equation," the site concludes.

Major Nelson notes that the new Gamerscore requirements for Arcade games will go into full effect in June. Afterwards, all XBLA games will be required to offer 400 Gamerscore.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    March 12, 2012 1:00 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Xbox Live Arcade games to offer 400 Gamerscore.

    Starting next month, select Xbox Live Arcade games will offer twice the glory, jumping from 200G to 400G.

    • dantastic legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      March 12, 2012 1:03 PM

      cool, this should add some more depth to XBLA games if done right.

      • DrZettl legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        March 12, 2012 1:12 PM

        I love gamescore and achievements as much as the next guy, but how exactly do they add 'depth'?

        • mancide legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          March 12, 2012 1:13 PM

          Sometimes they entice you to play a game in a way you might not otherwise challenge yourself with. Sometimes they reward you for exploring instead of plowing through to the finish, etc. They can add depth to a game if done well, they can also distract from the experience if done poorly.

          • dantastic legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
            reply
            March 12, 2012 1:16 PM

            pretty much. i would have been done with skyrim quite early but with no real goal left to reach, i switched over to 100%ing the achievements which pretty much doubled my time spent in that game. gave me purpose! :)

            • DrZettl legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
              reply
              March 12, 2012 1:17 PM

              So is that purpose "Depth" or just busywork?

          • DrZettl legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
            reply
            March 12, 2012 1:16 PM

            True. I think the best example of that was Crackdown.
            But few games have done it as well as that game.

        • multisync legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          March 12, 2012 1:13 PM

          mancide will cut you

          • mancide legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
            reply
            March 12, 2012 1:14 PM

            Haha, no, I'll be the first to admit there are some poorly done lists out there.

            • dantastic legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
              reply
              March 12, 2012 1:16 PM

              Spend 200 hrs in multiplayer

              • dantastic legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
                reply
                March 12, 2012 1:22 PM

                play the game 2 days before release

                • mancide legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
                  reply
                  March 12, 2012 1:24 PM

                  Did anyone actually have that? I know Rock Band 2 had a little challenge in-game that sort of poked fun at hoping you had a legit early copy...

            • lord cecil legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
              reply
              March 12, 2012 4:40 PM

              what games have done it best?

    • Mecha Tofu Pirate legacy 10 years
      reply
      March 12, 2012 1:07 PM

      Cool. No reason not to, a lot of the XBL Arcade games are just as long as retail ones.

    • mancide legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      March 12, 2012 1:10 PM

      GAMERSCOOOOOREEEEEE!!!!! What's yours? Mine is 128,429

    • rtricoche legacy 10 years
      reply
      March 12, 2012 1:21 PM

      My friends pay more attention to my gamerscore than I do. I play, beat a game and move on. I don't even look at the achievements. I'm old school that way.

      • Mecha Tofu Pirate legacy 10 years
        reply
        March 12, 2012 1:25 PM

        Same. I like them in more arcadish games but I really don't give a shit when there's achievements in things like adventure games or things that are supposed to be non-linear but have achievements that want you to play a certain way, like the no kills achievement in Deus Ex.

      • thecray legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        March 12, 2012 1:37 PM

        I always play through a game first without looking at the achievements, but when I've beaten the game I'll take a look and see if there are any which seem fun / challenging.

    • spammehardo legacy 10 years
      reply
      March 12, 2012 4:10 PM

      If you let gamerscore and achievements influence your purchases you are part of the larger problem with this industry.

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