Spring Cleaning: Microsoft to purge Xbox Live Arcade stinkers

Are you a developer with a poorly performing Xbox Live Arcade game? Bad news--it's probably going to get the boot.

Stinkers need not apply

Stinkers need not apply

There are some big spring changes coming to the Xbox Live Arcade, and if you're a developer not all of them will be welcome ones.

Well, correction, if you're the developer of a game that fared poorly on Metacritic, you're in trouble, because Microsoft is ready to delist games that have poor review score ratings.

According to Marc Whitten, the general manager of Xbox Live, titles tagged for removal must have been out for more than six months, have a Metacritic score of less than 65%, and poor conversion rates (less than 6%). Whitten said Microsoft will give developers of these titles three months notice before titles are removed, possibly to plan for funeral arrangements or a going away party.

Our informal survey of the Metacritic toilet this morning turned up a few titles that fit the bill, should you want to investigate yourself to see what a game of this caliber looks like. Screwjumper rounded out the near-bottom with 40%, but it couldn't hold a candle to Yaris. The free "adver-game" for Toyota could only muster a measly 17%.

Comments [53]

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mstrmrdr82

hmmm so what happends when the costumer who bought some of these crappy games has to format his hard drive.....is he assed out ???

Se7entySe7en

mstrmrdr82 Posted at: 05/23/08 at 6:58 AM PST hmmm so what happends when the costumer who bought some of these crappy games has to format his hard drive.....is he assed out ???
From what I understand they're working on some kind of recovery system for a situation like that that's tied to your gamertag, not necessarily your hard drive.

AANTHUNDER

Se7entySe7en Posted at: 05/23/08 at 7:03 AM PST mstrmrdr82 Posted at: 05/23/08 at 6:58 AM PST hmmm so what happends when the costumer who bought some of these crappy games has to format his hard drive.....is he assed out ??? From what I understand they're working on some kind of recovery system for a situation like that that's tied to your gamertag, not necessarily your hard drive.
No, I think he's asking what if you bought these games and they are no longer supported on LIVE, do they get a compensation for it. I doubt that they get any kind of refund, these games are not big sellers and just like anything else they fall in value.

AANTHUNDER

mstrmrdr82 Posted at: 05/23/08 at 6:58 AM PST hmmm so what happends when the costumer who bought some of these crappy games has to format his hard drive.....is he assed out ???
did you buy any of those mentioned crappy games?

y2josh25

That's a dumb move and a good way to piss of the developers who put out the games on their network. They should just sharply cut the price of them and group them separately in the XBLA under "Classics" or something. People won't know the difference.

AANTHUNDER

EA cleans house every year to make way for their new sports lineup and cuts the servers to the past years online service.

AANTHUNDER

y2josh25 Posted at: 05/23/08 at 7:31 AM PST That's a dumb move and a good way to piss of the developers who put out the games on their network. They should just sharply cut the price of them and group them separately in the XBLA under "Classics" or something. People won't know the difference
I doubt anyone would have noticed that Yaris was gone unless it was mentioned as news on gameing sites. Truthfully, I didn't even know the game existed up on till right now.No one would have noticed those games were gone unless it was mentioned.

y2josh25

AANTHUNDER Posted at: 05/23/08 at 7:36 AM PST
Ok ok...that one absolutely has to leave. Microsoft should be ashamed of themselves for allowing that trash on XBLA.

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