The Lumines Live micropayments fallout and new Packs in 2007

It was only a couple of days ago that it had hit the fan of sorts, when gamers found that they were paying US$ 22.49 (1,800 MS points) for an incomplete Lumines Live! when they were expecting to receive a full game. Sentiments varied wildly across the spectrum. Some praised this microtransaction scheme as a way to pay for what you really want (and to fit the program within XBLA download limits). Others whined that they paid eighteen hundred points for what, in effect, was a demo.

Did Microsoft drop the microblockball somewhere? 1UP thinks it was the advertising that screwed it all up, and Microsoft’s feeling the heat. Let’s quote them, shall we?

We (meaning 1UP) knew the game was a testing ground for the microtransactions movement, but when the company’s own employees are admitting they weren’t clear about what “full version” meant when purchasing Lumines Live, the response should be: “!”

Points for full disclosure, someone once said. Gamer points, perhaps? Whether you think microtransactions work or not in this or any other case (like, say, the PS3’s Gran Turismo), or whatever your opinion may be on the price you pay for the Lumines Live! you want (and how full you want it to be), knowing what you’re buying into is still an important principle.

So in the interests of full disclosure (and the Gamer Points that will result), we’re going to print here what 1UP and GamerScore Blog say are the other micro-packs of Lumines Live! we’ll expect from Q Entertainment and Microsoft, to be released in early 2007:

• Artist Pack featuring music video skins like the Madonna “Sorry” music video (seen in some ad materials).  The Artist Packs can be used for play under the Challenge mode.
• Mission/Puzzle Pack featuring 50 new problems in Mission mode and 3 bonus skins, and 50 new problems in Puzzle mode with 3 bonus skins
• VS CPU Mode Pack featuring 11 new opponents/skins

And in the interests of full disclosure, personally and for myself, I felt the game was addictively fun. While it lasted, anyway.

It was only a couple of days ago that it had hit the fan of sorts, when gamers found that they were paying US$ 22.49 (1,800 MS points) for an incomplete Lumines Live! when they were expecting to receive a full game. Sentiments varied wildly across the spectrum. Some praised this microtransaction scheme as a way to pay for what you really want (and to fit the program within XBLA download limits). Others whined that they paid eighteen hundred points for what, in effect, was a demo.

Did Microsoft drop the microblockball somewhere? 1UP thinks it was the advertising that screwed it all up, and Microsoft’s feeling the heat. Let’s quote them, shall we?

We (meaning 1UP) knew the game was a testing ground for the microtransactions movement, but when the company’s own employees are admitting they weren’t clear about what “full version” meant when purchasing Lumines Live, the response should be: “!”

Points for full disclosure, someone once said. Gamer points, perhaps? Whether you think microtransactions work or not in this or any other case (like, say, the PS3’s Gran Turismo), or whatever your opinion may be on the price you pay for the Lumines Live! you want (and how full you want it to be), knowing what you’re buying into is still an important principle.

So in the interests of full disclosure (and the Gamer Points that will result), we’re going to print here what 1UP and GamerScore Blog say are the other micro-packs of Lumines Live! we’ll expect from Q Entertainment and Microsoft, to be released in early 2007:

• Artist Pack featuring music video skins like the Madonna “Sorry” music video (seen in some ad materials).  The Artist Packs can be used for play under the Challenge mode.
• Mission/Puzzle Pack featuring 50 new problems in Mission mode and 3 bonus skins, and 50 new problems in Puzzle mode with 3 bonus skins
• VS CPU Mode Pack featuring 11 new opponents/skins

And in the interests of full disclosure, personally and for myself, I felt the game was addictively fun. While it lasted, anyway.