While some Xbox 360 owners might enjoy the luxury of downloading a major retail title from the comforts of their couch, the odds of finding a bargain in Xbox Live's Games on Demand service is looking slim.
After perusing the selection of full 360 games available for download courtesy of Tuesday's Xbox Live update, it seems games are falling in the price range of $20-$30.
Players can purchase titles such as Mass Effect, Perfect Dark Zero and Burnout Paradise for $19.99. Games including BioShock, Call of Duty 2 and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga sell for $29.99. The full list of Xbox 360 games is below.
Almost all the games on this list can be found at retail stores for the same price or less, depending on where you shop. For example, consumers can purchase a new copy of BioShock at GameStop for $10 less.
But don't be surprised if Games on Demand prices eventually start to drop. In an interview with magazine Edge, video game analyst Michael Pachter believes Microsoft is experimenting with Games on Demand prices, and is targeting 360 owners who value buying a retail game without leaving the house.
I think that the point of pricing at or above catalogue prices at retail is to capture the convenience customer, who wants the game and doesn't plan to make a special trip to the store to buy it ... The Games On Demand service should be popular with convenience focused customers, as some people will value the immediate gratification of a download, the ability to download 24/7, etc.
Pachter says prices for games will likely drop if demand for downloads is low.
Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect top the list of recent titles that will become available for download when Microsoft launches the Games on Demand service for Xbox Live, the company announced.
Microsoft revealed 24 of the 30 titles that will appear on the service when the latest Xbox Live update launches August 11.
Here's the complete list:
Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
BioShock (2K Games)
Burnout Paradise (EA)
Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
Dance Dance Revolution Universe (Konami)
Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)
Karaoke Revolution American Idol Encore (Konami)
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)
Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios)
Meet The Robinsons (Disney)
MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)
Need for Speed Carbon (EA)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (EA)
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
Prey (2K Games)
Rainbow Six Vegas (Ubisoft)
Ridge Racer 6 (Namco)
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Rockstar Games)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega)
Test Drive: Unlimited (Atari)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Softworks)
Viva Pinata (Microsoft Game Studios)
Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise (Microsoft Game Studios)
Microsoft says new titles will be released each week, and a user's purchase history is saved, meaning they can re-download titles whenever they choose.
The company also announced a few additional brands tied to the Avatar Marketplace, a hub where players can buy outfits and other merchandise for their avatars. Users can buy apparel from Adidas, Quiksilver and Roxy as well as clothing tied to games such as BioShock 2, Gears of War 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction.
