Xbox Games Store

Last updated
Xbox Games Store
Xbox 2005.svg
Developer Microsoft
Type Digital distribution
Launch date
  • November 22, 2005 (Xbox 360)
  • November 22, 2013 (Xbox One)
Discontinued
  • October 22, 2017 (Xbox One)
  • July 29, 2024 (Xbox 360)
Platform(s)
Status
Website Xbox 360 Marketplace (Archived)

Xbox Games Store (formerly Xbox Live Marketplace) was a digital distribution platform previously used by Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console and formerly by the Xbox One. The service allowed users to download or purchase video games (including both Xbox Live Arcade games and full Xbox 360 titles), add-ons for existing games, game demos along with other miscellaneous content such as gamer pictures and Dashboard themes.

Contents

Initially used by the Xbox One during its launch on November 22, 2013, the Xbox Games Store was replaced on on October 22, 2017 by Microsoft Store as the standard digital storefront for all Windows 10 devices. [1] The subsequent Xbox Series X/S consoles also use Microsoft Store.

The service also previously offered sections for downloading video content, such as films and television episodes; as of late 2012, this functionality was superseded by Xbox Music and Xbox Video (now known as Groove Music and Microsoft Movies & TV respectively).

As announced by Microsoft on August 17, 2023, the Xbox Games Store for the Xbox 360 was shut down on July 29, 2024; however, following its termination, backwards-compatible Xbox 360 titles remain available for purchase on the Microsoft Store for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [2]

Services

Xbox Live Arcade

The Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) branding encompassed smaller, digital-only games that were only available through the Xbox Games Store, including ports of classic games and new original titles. [3] [4]

Games on Demand

The Games on Demand section of Xbox Games Store allowed users to purchase downloadable versions of retail Xbox 360 titles, along with games released for the original Xbox. Downloadable content was also offered for these titles through the service, allowing users to add additional content for these titles.

Xbox Live Indie Games

As part of the "New Xbox Experience" update launched on November 19, 2008, Microsoft launched Xbox Live Community Games (later renamed to Xbox Live Indie Games), a service similar to Xbox Live Arcade, with smaller and less expensive games created by independent developers and small studios using the XNA framework. [5] Such games were added to the service after successfully passing through a peer review system that prevents inappropriate content from appearing in games and ensures that games meet certain technical standards and do not misrepresent their content.

Video Marketplace

The Xbox Games Store also formerly featured a Video Marketplace alongside the other services that allowed for the distribution of movies and TV shows in both standard and high definition. Initially, while TV shows could be downloaded and saved, films could only be rented, expiring 24 hours after initial viewing or 14 days after purchase. [6] Content partners that were signed up to the service at launch included Paramount Pictures, CBS, TBS, MTV Networks, UFC, NBC, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Other movie studios have since supported the service including Lionsgate Films and Walt Disney Pictures as announced at E3 2007. [7] At CES 2008, MGM, ABC, the Disney Channel and Toon Disney announced their support for the service. [8]

At launch, the Video Marketplace encountered widespread problems such as lengthy download times, duplicate billing for the same content, and downloads that could not complete, or for which users would have had to repay to complete. [9]

On March 6, 2007, the South Park episode "Good Times with Weapons" was available for free download; this episode was free only in the high definition version until April 3, 2007, however. Starting on March 13, 2007, all episodes from South Park's 11th season were offered uncensored. Also, starting on July 26, 2007, the pilot episode of Jericho was available for download free of charge for both the standard and high definition versions.

In late 2009, the Video Marketplace was replaced by the Zune Video Marketplace, and later accompanied by a Zune Music Marketplace. Both Zune Marketplaces were replaced by the new Xbox Music and Xbox Video services in late 2012. [10] [11]

Criticism

Most complaints and criticisms leveled at the Xbox Live service concerned the Xbox Live Marketplace:

Problems with replacement consoles

Per Marketplace design, the digital rights management license for downloaded content is tied to both a specific user and to a specific console. This means that to access the content, the user either needs to be signed on to Xbox Live using their Gamertag, or be playing on the original console the content was purchased on. [12]

As a result, users with replacement consoles cannot use previously downloaded content without being connected to Xbox Live. This has the effect of restricting usage of purchased content when no Internet connection is available. An additional wrinkle is added when there are multiple accounts on one console. In this case, all accounts can normally share content when it was downloaded on that system. However, if the system is replaced, then only the actual Xbox Live account to which the content is tied can make use of it (a workaround exists whereby the non-purchasing gamertag can use the content, but only if the original purchasing gamertag is signed into Xbox Live as a secondary profile).

Microsoft's original attempts to resolve these issues were limited to transferring licenses to consoles replaced under warranty. This required contacting Microsoft support, and the console must have been replaced through Microsoft itself or a warranty from the retailer where it was originally purchased. License transfers could not be performed in the case of a voluntary upgrade (e.g., if the user purchased a newer Xbox 360 replace their old console).

As of June 2008, Microsoft has released an online tool that allows users to transfer licenses from the console where they were originally purchased to another. This is done in a two-step process, where all licenses are first migrated on the server side, and then downloaded onto the new console. To prevent abuse, this process can only be performed every four months. Licenses remain bound to the Gamertag regardless, so users who store their profiles on portable memory units can continue to use purchased content on any console when signed into the service.[ citation needed ]

Pricing

Price consistency and whether some content should be available free of charge has also been a source of criticism related to the Xbox Live Marketplace. A notable incident was Microsoft charging for a Gears of War map pack that developer Epic desired to provide at no cost (although it was made free four months later in September 2007). [13] Exacerbating the controversy, Game Informer made claims that Microsoft forced companies to charge for content the company itself wanted to distribute free. [14] In this case, Microsoft Publishing was responsible for setting the price, with this not actually being a policy of the Xbox team or Xbox Live Marketplace as was implied. Free content is indeed possible, but much of the free content is promotional in nature, such as the titles Yaris and Dash of Destruction .[ citation needed ]

The Microsoft Points system previously required to purchase content was criticized for being deceptive in terms of actual real-world cost, as well as for users often having to purchase more points at once than are immediately needed (in North America, users could only purchase points in increments of 400, costing around $5). [15] [16] In June 2013, Microsoft announced the discontinuation of points in favor of credit using local currencies, which took effect in an Xbox 360 software update released on August 26, 2013. [17] [18]

Regional lockouts

After the Spring 2007 dashboard update, Microsoft increased the security on the regional content restrictions. [19] This made obtaining entertainment content for international markets impossible, while the US market has a substantial offering in comparison. Even some free content, such as downloadable extras for retail games, is impossible to obtain in certain regions, despite there being no legal or censorship problems (an example of this would be the second Gears of War map pack; while the first pack was initially available free worldwide, the Spring 2007 update made both unavailable to many Xbox 360 owners).

In the case of New Zealand, all child accounts were banned from downloading any marketplace content in mid-June. As of October 15,2010 these are still locked from downloading anything apart from software updates and user-created content, no matter what the rating.

Xbox gift card scam

Besides using direct funds to purchase items from the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft offered Xbox gift cards that could be purchased at retail outlets or included in game packages. These cards included a 25 alpha-numeric code that could be redeemed via the Xbox or on the web for specific content or towards Xbox Points to be used for purchase on the store.

In 2017, Volodymyr Kvashuk was hired at a contractor within Microsoft. He was part of a team to test Microsoft's e-commerce websites which included the purchasing of Xbox gift cards. Kvashuk found that in the test scenarios, he was being given legitimate Xbox gift card codes. He began quietly collecting codes and later sold these to others. By the time he was caught by federal agents, he had obtained over $10 million in value of Xbox gift cards and sold these at about half their value for Bitcoin, from which he purchased an expensive house and car. Microsoft had discovered the large use of these gift cards and eventually traced it to an internal source, leading them and federal agents to Kvashuk, who was convicted and found guilty on 18 felonies in 2020. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Xbox network, formerly known and commonly referred to as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Gaming for the Xbox brand. It was first made available to the original Xbox console on November 15, 2002. An updated version of the service, adding the Xbox Live Marketplace, became available with the Xbox 360 console launch in November 2005, and a further enhanced version was released in 2013 with the Xbox One. The service is used on the latest Xbox Series X and Series S and, in addition to a Microsoft account, is the account for Xbox ecosystem; accounts can store games and other content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox Live Arcade</span> Digital video game download service

Xbox Live Arcade was a video game digital distribution service that was available for the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles. It focused on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers. Titles on the service ranged from previously released arcade and console games to brand new games designed for the service, and were priced from a range of 5 to 20 US dollars. While originally requiring a disc to gain access to the service on the original Xbox, the Arcade was integrated into the Xbox 360 along with the rest of the Xbox Live Marketplace with the launch of the new console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Points</span> Digital currency issued by Microsoft

Microsoft Points, introduced in November 2005 as Xbox Live Points, were a digital currency issued by Microsoft for use on its Xbox and Zune product lines. Points could be used to purchase video games and downloadable content from Xbox Live Marketplace, digital content such as music and videos on Zune Marketplace, along with content from Windows Live Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Games for Windows – Live</span> Former online gaming service

Games for Windows – Live or GFWL is a deprecated online gaming service used by Games for Windows–branded PC titles that enables Windows PCs to connect to Microsoft's Live service. Users, each with a unique Gamertag, are able to play online, keep track of their friends' status, send and receive messages, gain and keep track of Achievements and associated Gamerscore, voice chat across platforms, and more. Some games allow for cross-platform play, such as Shadowrun, putting Windows players against Xbox 360 players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zune</span> Microsofts former digital media brand

Zune was a brand of digital media products and services that was marketed by Microsoft from November 2006 until it was discontinued in June 2012. Zune consisted of a line of portable media players, a music subscription service known as Zune Music Pass plus Zune Marketplace for music, TV and movies, streaming services for the Xbox 360 game console, and the Zune software media player for Windows PCs which also acted as desktop sync software for Windows Phone.

Games for Windows was a brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of the Windows Vista operating system. The brand itself represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game market in much the same way that console manufacturers regulate their platforms. The branding program was open to both first-party and third-party publishers.

The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information announced later that month at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). As a seventh-generation console, it primarily competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zune software</span> Discontinued media management software by Microsoft

Zune is a discontinued software program that was developed by Microsoft for Windows that functions as a full media player, library, media streaming server, mobile device management, and interface for the discontinued Zune Marketplace. The software is used to sync with all devices with Zune functionality including the Zune 4, 8, 16, 30, 80, 120, Zune HD, Windows Phone 7, and Microsoft Kin. Zune devices work exclusively with the Zune software, which applies many design principles of Microsoft's Metro design language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii Shop Channel</span> Online shop for the Wii video game console, 2006–2019

The Wii Shop Channel is a discontinued digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii, including exclusive games, and games from prior generations of video games. The Wii Shop Channel launched on November 19, 2006, and ceased operations on January 30, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zune Social</span>

Zune Social was the online component of Microsoft's Zune initiative. It was a social networking website that displayed a user's most-played artists, favorite and recently played songs, a list of the users friends, what the user's friends were listening to, and any comments about them. It has been compared to iLike and Last.fm in that it tracked and displayed, or "scrobbled", songs that the user had played.

Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain additional revenue from a title after it has been purchased, often using some type of microtransaction system.

Xbox Live Indie Games were video games created by individual developers or small teams of developers released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games were developed using Microsoft XNA, and developed by one or more independent developers that are registered with App Hub. Unlike Xbox Live Arcade titles, these were generally only tested within the local creator community, had much lower costs of production, and generally were less expensive to purchase. The service was released to widespread use alongside the New Xbox Experience, and as of November 2014, over 3,300 games had been released on the service, many receiving media attention. All Indie Games currently require the user to be logged into their Xbox Live account to initiate the start-up of each game. Indie Games were not available in Australia due to local classification requirements which were unable to be fulfilled, though there were workarounds which allowed Australian users to download them regardless. The Xbox Live Indie Games program did not continue with the release of the Xbox One, and the marketplace for these games was shuttered on October 7, 2017.

Xbox Avatars are avatars and characters that represent users of the Xbox network on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S video game consoles, Windows 10, and Windows 10 Mobile. Avatars originally debuted on the Xbox 360 as part of the "New Xbox Experience" system update released on November 19, 2008, updated on Xbox One with "New Xbox One Experience" Xbox One System Software on November 12, 2015, and reimagined with the release of the next generation character for Xbox One on October 11, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zune HD</span> 2009 portable media player by Microsoft

The Zune HD is a portable media player in the Zune product family released on September 15, 2009, by Microsoft. It was a direct competitor with Apple's iPod Touch series of mobile devices. It was initially released in 16 and 32 GB capacities. A 64 GB version was released on April 9, 2010. It has a touchscreen interface for navigation and included Wi-Fi for synchronization, access to the Zune Marketplace and Web browsing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Store</span> Digital distribution platform for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Series X/S

The Microsoft Store is a digital distribution platform operated by Microsoft. It was created as an app store for Windows 8 as the primary means of distributing Universal Windows Platform apps. With Windows 10 1803, Microsoft merged its other distribution platforms into Microsoft Store, making it a unified distribution point for apps, console games, and digital videos. Digital music was included until the end of 2017, and E-books were included until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groove Music</span> Microsoft audio player software application

Groove Music is a discontinued audio player software application included with Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Movies & TV</span> Digital video service

Microsoft Movies & TV, or Microsoft Films & TV, previously Xbox Video and Zune Video, is a digital video service developed by Microsoft that offers full HD movies and TV shows available for rental or purchase in the Video Store as well as an app where users can watch and manage videos from their personal digital collections stored locally. The service is currently available on Xbox consoles beginning with Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows computers beginning with Windows 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox</span> Video gaming brand owned by Microsoft

Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox network and Xbox Game Pass. The brand is produced by Microsoft Gaming, a division of Microsoft.

The Xbox system software is the operating system developed exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox home video game consoles. Across the four generations of Xbox consoles, the software has been based on a version of Microsoft Windows and incorporating DirectX features optimized for the home consoles. The user interface, the Xbox Dashboard, provides access to games, media players, and applications, and integrates with the Xbox network for online functionality.

References

  1. ↑ "Xbox Store rebranding to 'Microsoft Store' on Xbox One". Windows Central. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ McCarthy, Dave (August 17, 2023). "The Xbox 360 Store Will Close July 2024, But You Can Keep Playing Your Favorite Games". Xbox. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Developing for Xbox LIVE Arcade — Microsoft Casual Games". Microsoft. May 13, 2007. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved May 13, 2007.
  4. ↑ Patrick Klepek (August 13, 2007). "Gamefest 2007: 45M Downloads on XBL news from 1UP.com". 1UP.com . Retrieved August 13, 2007.
  5. ↑ "XNA Creators Club Online - frequently asked questions". Microsoft. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  6. ↑ "First Wave of TV Shows and Movies on Xbox Live". Microsoft . Retrieved November 24, 2006.
  7. ↑ "E3 2007 - Walt Disney Studios Now on Xbox LIVE Marketplace". July 10, 2007. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007.
  8. ↑ Block, Ryan (January 6, 2008). "Bill Gates: live at his 12th and final CES keynote".
  9. ↑ "Tech problems hit XBL video marketplace". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved November 27, 2006.
  10. ↑ "Technology News: Handheld Devices: Microsoft Sharpens the Picture for Zune HD". Technewsworld.com. May 27, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  11. ↑ Wingfield, Nick (June 4, 2012). "R.I.P. Zune". The New York Times . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Xbox.com "Shop 'till you Drop" (subsection):Usage restrictions". Archived from the original on August 26, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Gears of War Map Pack Live on Thursday" . Retrieved July 6, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Microsoft Charges Again for Gears Content". Edge Online. April 26, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  15. ↑ Thurrott, Paul (July 4, 2007). "Microsoft Zune Review". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010.
  16. ↑ Mossberg, Walt (November 9, 2006). "Microsoft's Zune Challenges iPod". All Things Digital.
  17. ↑ "Xbox 360 update turns Microsoft Points into local currency today". Polygon. August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Microsoft account transition to local currency". Microsoft. June 11, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Microsoft to Tighten Up Xbox Live Marketplace Region Controls". Xbox 365. May 5, 2007. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007.
  20. ↑ Carr, Austin (July 1, 2021). "Robbing The Xbox Vault: Inside A $10 Million Gift Card Cheat". Bloomberg News . Retrieved July 1, 2021.

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