Lumines on XBLA and the New Pay-for-Content Model

Since its highly acclaimed release on PSP, Lumines has gathered a dedicated fan-base reaching the cult status among console users, so it's no wonder we'll soon see it launch on Xbox 360 Live Arcade. The unique title shall require a different payment plan than all previous XBLA games, a sign that Microsoft is prone to market experimentation. Gamers may find frustrating having to constantly buy content in order to be allowed to compete in the game's challenges.

GamerLife comments on the subject: "But then, once you hit a certain point in the 'Mission' or 'Vs. CPU' modes of the game, you'll be asked to pay up again for the ability to keep on progressing. All in all, you'll have to spend another 700 points ($8.75) to get the rest of the levels, bringing the real cost of Lumines Live to nearly $24. What lesson can we take from this? Clearly, Microsoft understands that there's a major disconnect here between what they'd like to make off direct-download game sales and what customers are willing to pay based on their perceived value. That's why, rather than go with straight dollar amounts; everything is priced in 'points.' 1200 points seems somehow cheaper than $15."

It appears there is a growing gap between Microsoft's micro transaction expectancy and what the public is willing to pay for extra content. After all, XBLA games used to have their content sold in full and at lower prices, but now Lumines sees a rather unfair treatment. When they hit you for extra payments while you're playing the game you thought you purchased, you tend to realize that splitting a once-complete game up into chunks is a cheap thing to do. We're not talking about added content; it's just subtracting content that was already in the original release.