Xbox Live offers Games on Demand

[alibhai]

Bangalore: Microsoft's Xbox has announced a new update which will allow gamers to directly download games to their Xbox consoles. Gamers can now browse, purchase and download games through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web starting August 13. Xbox LIVE Marketplace includes a large library of favorite titles right from the start and more titles will be added every Tuesday.



Full games can be purchased using Microsoft points or a credit card. Once a user downloads a game its purchase history will be stored by Xbox live. With the help of this feature a user can download the game as many times as he wants. Original game CD will not be required to play these downloaded games. Some of the games available right now for Games on Demand include Mass effect, Assassin Creed, BioShock, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Call of Duty, etc.

There is still some confusion about Xbox's playing and sharing feature. Xbox website says, "As with other LIVE content, your game license is linked to your Xbox LIVE account. Download your purchased games to any console you are logged into with your Gamertag, and anyone else can play on the console that your game was originally downloaded to." This statement portrays two things. On one hand it says that you can download a game that you have purchased to any Xbox console with Gamertag account while on the other hand it says that you can only play a downloaded game on the console where a game was originally downloaded.

Along with Games in Demand there are many other features that have been added in this new update. An Xbox user can now read, download or print any game manual available in Web Marketplace. Users can also equip their avatar with animated items that they can interact with and carry around. Also, premium items can now be downloaded for avatars, including branded apparel.

Xbox has also made few changes in user interface making it easier to navigate. If an Xbox subscription is about to run out then a user will be notified when they sign into their Xbox account. There will be a new All Games view inside the profile panel now which will includes a summary of achievements earned across all the games played and will also shows all the games completed by user.

This year, Xbox will also add new features such as Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Zune Video.