Microsoft Announces Games On Demand Line-up News

Although we’re still some time away from day one releases on Games on Demand, Microsoft today released the list of titles that we can expect when the service launches with the Xbox 360 dash update on August 11th.

The full list includes:

• Assassin's Creed (2007)
• Burnout Paradise (2008)
• Call of Duty 2 (2005)
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
• Fight Night Round 3 (2006)
• Kameo: Elements of Power (2005)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007)
• Mass Effect (2007)
• Meet The Robinsons (2007)
• MX vs. ATV Untamed (2008)
• Need for Speed Carbon (2006)
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
• Perfect Dark Zero (2005)
• Prey (2006)
• Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (2006)
• Sega Rally (2007)
• TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED (2006)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas (2006)
• Tomb Raider Legend (2006)
• Viva Piñata (2006)
• Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in Paradise (2008)

The line-up represents a considerable mixture of first and third-party titles and gives an indication of the criteria Microsoft is employing.  Although there are a considerable number of older titles, the latest is the September 2008 release of Viva Pinata 2.  Less than a year old, perhaps its lack of commercial success is the reasoning behind its inclusion.

Ultimately it’s a win-win situation for Microsoft and third-parties, providing a platform for back-catalogue titles that wouldn’t receive any shelf space in video game retailers.

No word on the price as-of-yet, however we took a look at the prices on Amazon.co.uk and observed that prices range from £5.44 for Perfect Dark Zero to £17.99 for Assassin’s Creed.  Our guess is Microsoft will attempt to pitch these at 1500 Microsoft Points, although 1200 would be a more competitive price point.  But with Xbox Original and some Xbox Live Arcade titles at this figure, it’s doubtful whether Microsoft would attribute them at the same price.