Xbox Games Store

The Xbox Games Store (formerly the Xbox Live Marketplace) is a digital distribution platform for Microsoft's Xbox One and Xbox 360 video game consoles. Users can download or purchase video games (including both Xbox Live Arcade games and full Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles), add-ons for existing games, game demos, as well as other miscellaneous content such as gamer pictures and Dashboard themes using this service.

The service formerly included features for downloading video content, such as films and television episodes; as of late 2012, this functionality was replaced by Xbox Music and Xbox Video (now known as Groove Music and Microsoft Movies & TV), which are available exclusively on the Xbox platform.

Services

Xbox Live Arcade

The term "Xbox Live Arcade" refers to digital-only games available on the Xbox 360's Xbox Games Store, including reissues of classic games and original creations.

Games on Demand

Games released for the original Xbox are also available on Games on Demand, which is accessible via the Xbox Games Store. The most significant benefit of this version is that some of the deleted downloadable items from expired Xbox 360 titles are included.

Xbox Live Indie Games

Microsoft launched the "New Xbox Experience" on November 19, 2008, which included a community gaming platform called Xbox Live Community Games and then renamed to "Xbox Live Indie Games," a service similar to Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA), with smaller and less expensive games created by independent developers and small studios.

After successfully going through a peer review system that prohibits inappropriate material from appearing in games and ensures that games adhere to certain technical requirements, as well as ensuring that games do not misrepresent their content, these features are added to the service.

Former

The service was originally distributed by Vivendi through its cable television channels and movie theaters. Other media companies have subsequently signed on, including Paramount Pictures, CBS, TBS, MTV Networks, UFC, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Lionsgate Films and Walt Disney Pictures were two additional motion picture studios that announced their support for the platform at E3 2007. MGM, ABC, the Disney Channel and Toon Disney have all stated their commitment to the service at CES 2008.

The Video Store sold movies and TV shows, including both current and past series like Star Trek and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. While television episodes could be downloaded and stored, films could only be rented—they expired 24 hours after first viewing or 14 days after purchase.

At launch, the Video Store faced numerous difficulties, including delayed downloads, duplicate billing for the same material, and downloads that might not finish or in which users would have to pay to finish.

Starting on March 6, 2007, the South Park episode "Good Times with Weapons" could be downloaded for free; nevertheless, this episode was available only for the High-definition version until April 3, 2007. All episodes from South Park's 11th season were uncensored accessible beginning on March 13, 2007. As well as starting on July 26, 2007, the pilot episode of Jericho was available for download free of charge for both the Standard and HD versions.

In early 2009, the Video Marketplace was replaced with the Zune Video Marketplace, and eventually followed by a Zune Music Marketplace. In late 2012, both Zune Marketplaces were supplanted by new Xbox Music and Xbox Video services.

Criticism

The Xbox Live service has incurred the most complaints and criticisms: the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Problems with replacement consoles

The digital rights management license for downloaded material is linked to a specific user as well as a specific console with Marketplace design. This implies that if the content is purchased on an original console, the user must log in to Xbox Live using their Gamertag to access it.

Users who installed content prior to the April 2, 2014 shutdown are unable to access previously downloaded content unless they are connected to Xbox Live. As a consequence, users who have replacement consoles will be unable to utilize their purchases until they connect to the Internet. When there are several accounts on one console, this becomes even more complicated.

If a user is signed into the same account on both systems and has some content downloaded to his or her local storage, the data will be accessible across all accounts. However, if the system is replaced, only the actual Xbox Live account to which the content is linked may utilize it (a workaround exists whereby non-purchasing gamertag can use the material if original purchasing gamertag is signed into Xbox Live as a secondary profile).

The following are just a few examples of problems that Microsoft has attempted to address but has been largely unsuccessful in doing so. Transferring licenses to consoles replaced under warranty was the company's first line of attack. This necessitates contacting Microsoft support, and the console must be replaced through them or a retailer who sold it as part of a warranty. License migrations were not possible when replacing an older Xbox 360 with a newer one (e.g., if you bought a new Xbox 360 and wanted to keep your old console).

Microsoft has published an online tool that allows users to move licenses from a console where they were originally purchased to another, as of June 2008. All licenses are first migrated on the server side and then downloaded onto the new console in a two-step procedure.

This procedure can only be done every four months to prevent abuse. Regardless, licenses are still linked to a Gamertag and may therefore be used on any console if the user is signed in to the service.

Pricing

Some content, such as game patches and online play, is available on a subscription basis. Some gamers are concerned that the pricing of this additional service will cause Xbox Live users to flock to competing services (such as PlayStation Network) while they remain trapped in the restrictive Xbox ecosystem.

Consistently high renewal costs can also be a deciding factor for consumers when purchasing gaming consoles. In addition, many industry experts have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the Xbox Live Marketplace's lack of price consistency and whether some material should be made free at all times.

Epic wanted to give Gears of War map packs for free, but Microsoft charged money for them (although it was later made free four months later in September 2007).

The situation was exacerbated when Game Informer claimed that Microsoft had compelled businesses to charge for content it wanted to provide for free. Microsoft Publishing was in command of setting the price in this instance, yet this wasn't an Xbox team or Xbox Live Marketplace policy as previously stated. Free stuff is feasible, but a large percentage of it is promotional, such as Yaris and Dash of Destruction.

Microsoft Points previously needed to purchase content was criticized for being deceptive in terms of real-world cost, as well as for users frequently having to buy more points at once than they need (in North America, consumers could only spend money on points in increments of 400, costing around $5).

Microsoft announced the retirement of points in favor of credit using local currencies, which took effect with an Xbox 360 software upgrade released on August 26, 2013.

Regional lockouts

After the Spring 2007 dashboard upgrade, Microsoft made the regional content restrictions even more secure. This prevented consumers in foreign countries from accessing entertainment products, while the US market offers a far wider selection.

In certain areas, even free stuff is out of reach, despite the fact that there are no legal or censorship issues (the second Gears of War map pack is a good example; while the first contained two previously available maps for download to all Xbox 360 owners, the Spring 2007 update made both unavailable to many).

All child accounts in New Zealand were shut off from downloading marketplace content on June 15, 2010. These are still prohibited from downloading anything other than software updates and user-generated data, regardless of the rating, as of October 15, 2010.