Penny Arcade Adventures hitting XBLA on May 21
Microsoft has politely informed us that next week's Xbox Live Arcade game is none other than Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One. It should be out by the time you're done saying the title, then. Developed by Hothead Games, in collaboration with mighty adventure game designer, Ron Gilbert, and the folks behind Penny Arcade, the game sees Gabe and Tycho leap out of their webcomic frames and into an episodic RPG adventure.
Even at 1,600 MS Points ($20), we don't think anything short of a clawshrimp attack will keep us away from this one.
Even at 1,600 MS Points ($20), we don't think anything short of a clawshrimp attack will keep us away from this one.





















(Page 1) Reader Comments
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Does the game have online multiplayer?
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http://www.playgreenhouse.com/
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A) Less-polite people to agree
B) Less-polite people to disagree
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I'll wait to hear how long the game is, but at this point, I'm doubtful of my purchase.
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http://www.playgreenhouse.com/
How long have you been reading Penny Arcade? How many times have they asked you to pay for anything?
I've been reading for at least 5 years, have never been asked to pay anything, and don't feel the burning desire to ever buy one of their books.
So, a $10 game plus $10 to Mike and Jerry for 10 years of strips? In short, quit your bitchin'.
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Also buy the books, Tycho's commentary alone on some of the comics is worth it.
That said, this looks like a cool game with a cool art style. It probably is worth $20.. but not on PC. Playing anything on PC means no big screen and no 7.1. If its not on my chosen platform, I cant support it.
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2) No other XBLA game of this size and scope has sim-launched on PC and Xbox Live. The ones that eventually get ported to XBLA have already had a full retail life like the Xbox originals.
3) It is a complete game and can be enjoyed as such. The story continues and you won't have to wait for a year to get the next game hence episodic versus sequel.
4) Not as many people seem surprised at $19.95 for PC but are surprised at 1600 points because they are conditioned to expect $10 or $15 at most. As already stated, unless you are going to wait months after launch for it to finally make its way to Live, the economics just don't work with such pricing for games that are trying to be more than the standard Arcade fare.
Digital distribution is arguably still in its infancy. For developers to have a go at it, platforms are going to need to support multiple pricing for different scope and style of games--if successful, developers and gamers benefit from a broader and more innovative selection of games. N+ is fantastic and a great price (I recommend everyone buy it) and if it were not for platforms like Live, it would not have grown from what it was originally. However, it was made for a small budget with a small group of guys and there are only so many of that kind of game that can be made. A story based game is a different beast.
Whether this game is worth $20 is going to be up to gamers at large to decide but for digital distribution to grow which I think is exactly what game development needs right now, things have to change.
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http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/pennyarcadeadventuresepisode1?q=penny%20arcade
I wouldn't plump for an 800 point XBLA title with that score, let alone at this price. If there's a demo I'll definitely give it a go though.
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http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/943006.asp?q=penny%20arcade
And pretty much every Live title has a demo . . . I think it is a requirement.
I love how price sensitive folks are on here. They'll pay $5 for a latte but scream if a game is over $10.
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I'd prefer a VG Cats game anyways...
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