Microsoft Announces Gameroom, Your Own Virtual Arcade

Brilliant! This is very much like a front end for MAME called 3D Arcade. Being able to walk around, see the cabinets, and hear the sounds of the arcade really adds to the experience. The pay per play feature is nice as well. Could 6 Player X-Men be in our future? Very much looking forward to this!

This looks really, really cool. Will some of the games we've already purchased (like 'Splosion Man) be importable into the Gameroom?

@TXS

I was thinking the same thing, I hope all current Arcade games that we have on live could have a cabinet that would be cool.

I really do miss the arcades and the sounds of the various games as you looked for an open cabinet, god those were the days.

First big question just to clear things up, when you buy the "cabinet" for 400 or 240MSP, do you, and any friends you invite to your Gameroom play for free, or does it still cost 40MSP a game?

It would be nice if the version of Gauntlet I purchased ages ago would simply import into the Gameroom. But like all businesses, I bet they try to get a little more money out of me first. Even if it's just an "upgrade" cost of 80MSP.

But I'm worried that since you can play the full game for one credit at 40MSP, they will not have free game demos for any of the Gameroom games. If you want to try before you buy, spend 40MSP to try it.

its definitely a cool concept but the cost seems kind of steep. why not have a TRUE virtual credit system where you earn credits playing games or getting achievements so i'm not wasting MS points which are technically virtual but still derived from my hard earned cash.

it sounds like MS is working hard to pump money out of our avatars. they gave us avatars, got us comfortable with them, now there's the avatar marketplace and soon this virtual arcade for us to waste money on. maybe i'm just being cynical.

@TheRidGE, @smurphster - very valid concerns - the nickel-dime approach to get us to spend $50 before we realize is kind of scary.

I know I've spent around $200 on Rock Band songs - mostly impulse buys when people come over and want to see what's new and available.

The concept art shown is pretty cool - I hope it loads faster than PSHome ("Beta").

Coolest thing is the 3-screens strategy coming to life and letting people play titles they've paid for on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on their PC with Windows LIVE ID sync-ed. Next step is making these classic arcade titles port to Smartphones!

Cool. Interesting, but I also am concerned about the lack of demos for games. The demo feature of XBLA is amazing, its something I really felt left out on with my PS3. Now, if I have to pay to try a game, I'm much less likely to try it at all.

What would be better is if the 50 cents went towards your purchase of the game. So if you put enough change into it, eventually its yours.

--- Replying to blakepro -----
yeah, like rent-to-own... that would be cool