Nov13, 2007
Software... update. Two extremely dull words that, when combined, become even duller. So why is the entire gaming community currently abuzz about the next iteration of the Xbox 360 dashboard? When did mandatory software upgrades become so dramatic and controversial?
Easy - when Microsoft announced that this update had something to do with Halo. Starting December 2, you'll be able to download some of the original Xbox's classic titles and play them on your 360. No disc, no ugly green box, no need to move your ass off the couch. Popular games like Fable, Fahrenheit, Crimson Skies, Crash Bandicoot, Burnout 3 and, yes, Halo: Combat Evolved will all be available at the push of a button.
But are these old timers still worth the asking price of $15, or 1200 MS points? If you don't already own Halo, you can buy it newon Amazon for only $10... $7 used. If Crimson Skies didn't already come packed with your console, you can nab it used foronly a dollar. These cheaperretail copies will work on a 360 using backwards compatibility, so why should we pay $15 for an intangible download?
As the downloadable library expands, however, we expect to get pretty excited. Already, the criminally overlooked and difficult-to-locate Psychonauts is being offered. Nice. Throw some other forgotten gems on the list (Breakdown? Stranger's Wrath? Panzer Dragoon Orta?) and we might forget all about next-gen.
Half-Life devs worried Gabe Newell "promised things that they couldn't possibly deliver" for the iconic FPS, but "they just didn't know" that they'd be able to do it yet
Former Valve exec recounts the meeting where Half-Life's publisher almost killed the iconic FPS: "Half-Life would quietly die. I was stunned"
