Lumines Live premium content explained

Lumines Live!

Lumines Live premium content explained

LoneDrifter420 10-20-2006, 1:09 AM
Thanks to Major Nelson for supplying the link to this article:

"There will be future content you can choose to buy. Just like other games with downloadable content, you can choose what you might enjoy the most, or stick with the base game. FWIW, all the Achievements are available in the base version of the game, so you won't be missing out if you choose not to pay for additional content.

The Lumines Live base game comes with the following:

*Challenge Mode: Unlimited gameplay, with 12 different skins (visualization and music)

*Puzzle Mode: Five different puzzles

*Mission Mode: Five different missions

*CPU Mode: Trial Tournament: battle one opponent through one stage

*Online Multiplayer over Xbox Live: Unlimited gameplay battling friends head-to-head

*Xbox Live leaderboards

*Time Attack Mode gameplay recording, which can be viewed by other players

***************************
Premium content: Advance Pack: 22 new skins for Challenge Mode New leader boards for Advance Challenge mode

There will be several add-on packs for Lumines Live coming in early 2007:

*Artist Pack featuring music video skins like the Madonna "Sorry" music video you've seen in some of our 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".

http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2006/10/19/538076.aspx

What people don't seem to be understanding, is that Challenge mode is the main part of any Lumines game, that's the main game. And you can play it limitlessly with no restrictions. At no point while playing the main game(base mode) are there any interruptions or prompting to buy additional packs. You can play it as long as you want. There's also the included multiplayer. Just those two modes alone could last months and months.

There is also an interview at IGN with Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, which further explains the structure of the game:

IGN: Were there any technical issues that hampered you in any way when creating Lumines Live?

Tetsuya Mizuguchi:"On the data side, we had to fit the game into 50 MB, so we have to include everything in that size. Yes, it's a real limit."

"...So first, we have the technical issue. We have to include everything into 50 MB. But we have another reason. We want people to customize Lumines. We want people to look at Lumines and, depending on the artist, or the season, or the music, we want to give them different reasons to consider buying the game. So, we have two reasons."

"...we actually came up with Skin Edit mode. This is basically, say you were playing the PSP Lumines, and you came to a certain skin, and you played hours and hours of it, well once you leave your PSP and come back to it, you feel like, shoot, if you really want to play that skin, you have to start from scratch. You can't just pick up where you left off. So, now you can customize your own skin edit mode. So, after you open up a bunch of skins, you can customize them, put them in order, or just use the one skin."

"... users that are optimistic, but it's really more about the business and the platform. The way we're providing content to users is changing. The easiest way to compare things is the way we buy music now. We went from cassettes and albums and CDs to downloading games on iPod. We're talking about games, but if you look at the last time you went to Amoeba or Tower Records and bought 10 CDs, versus when you're at the airport or at home or wherever you download music and downloaded songs, you're really only going to buy the songs you want. You're only going to purchase maybe two songs out of the whole album. So, it's really up to you, the user, the gamer, the listener, what you want to buy, play, or listen to. It's up to you as to what you're comfortable with spending."

"...So yes, Lumines has this image. It was a successful launch title on PSP and it came in a package, it came on a UMD. And now it's not. So now people are worried. And maybe even upset that they can't even get the full pack in one software product. But really, it's just changing the way we provide the content."

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/740/740214p1.html

Not like this will help, since every single time there is premium content made available for a game, there are people complaining that it should be free, for some reason or another. But hey, a few people might 'get it'. I personally love the game and will buy all of the premium content available.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

LoneDrifter420 10-20-2006, 2:37 PM
Bump :D

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

II bombfirst II 10-20-2006, 2:46 PM
How much will the artist pack be? This seems to be the only one I'm intrested in.

۩ Forum Founder

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

A7GUITAR 10-20-2006, 2:47 PM
Ok its not that I care how many packs they have. I dont care if they have 100 packs. My problem is the price. For 1200 MS points it should be the full game but what I got is only worth about 400 MS points or 800 if you want to push it. Im tellin ya now that *** artist pack and others better be free or Microsoft is gonna get a big middle finger from me!

ROCK 4 EVER!

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

II bombfirst II 10-20-2006, 3:01 PM

A7GUITAR wrote:
Ok its not that I care how many packs they have. I dont care if they have 100 packs. My problem is the price. For 1200 MS points it should be the full game but what I got is only worth about 400 MS points or 800 if you want to push it. Im tellin ya now that *** artist pack and others better be free or Microsoft is gonna get a big middle finger from me!

You're saying a game that originally costed 40 dollars on PSP should be rereleased on 360 with online mutliplayer, leader boards etc...for only five dollars? People like you who expect everything for free just need to STFD.

When you go see a great movie in the theatre you don't complain because you spent 10 dollars on it. Next time do research on things before you buy and you can avoid weeks of complaining.

۩ Forum Founder

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Scuzzy19 10-20-2006, 3:07 PM

A7GUITAR wrote:
Ok its not that I care how many packs they have. I dont care if they have 100 packs. My problem is the price. For 1200 MS points it should be the full game but what I got is only worth about 400 MS points or 800 if you want to push it. Im tellin ya now that *** artist pack and others better be free or Microsoft is gonna get a big middle finger from me!

Please keep arguments like this in the proper threads comment on the article on hand Please we dont need another thread flooded with this

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

A7GUITAR 10-20-2006, 3:19 PM

First of all its not a re-release because like it or not the game was changed almost 50% from its original gameplay and brought to 360. And also anything on xbox live arcade is supposed to be cheap as that is what was said and implied at the E3 Microsoft press conference.

ROCK 4 EVER!

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

MechChimp 10-20-2006, 3:42 PM

Dear Bombfirst,

I wouldn't complain if the 1200MS points package wasn't actually called "complete".

If you want to let user know what a game would play/look like, just use the trial version, not the one we've spent some money to buy.

And please, could someone point me to where I can find infos about what we're actually getting and not getting on XBL Marketplace?

The only thing I can read there is the word "complete"!

To use your movie comparison it's just like going to theatre and being forced to leave half-way in during the projection. Is that what I have to research for?!

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

JediJunky UK 10-20-2006, 3:50 PM

LoneDrifter420 wrote:

Not like this will help, since every single time there is premium content made available for a game, there are people complaining that it should be free, for some reason or another. But hey, a few people might 'get it'. I personally love the game and will buy all of the premium content available.

Good thread...

Like the beginning of your thread stated, you are effectively paying for a "full" game which consists of the Base Mode with 12 skins to collect and also being able to achieve all the achievements with-out having to purchase any add-ons. You can then play around with the 12 Skins in Edit mode which extends the fun factor of the game. So when you break it down, I really don't think that 1200 points is all that bad.

"Try not. Do or do not, there is no try..."

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

ChewyWaffles 10-20-2006, 4:12 PM

SteManCorps wrote:
Good thread...

Like the beginning of your thread stated, you are effectively paying for a "full" game which consists of the Base Mode with 12 skins to collect and also being able to achieve all the achievements with-out having to purchase any add-ons. You can then play around with the 12 Skins in Edit mode which extends the fun factor of the game. So when you break it down, I really don't think that 1200 points is all that bad.

At best Q! was stupid for the way they structured their pricing. At worst, deceptive and greedy. I'm on the side of the latter.

There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange. - Daniel Webster

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

II bombfirst II 10-20-2006, 4:15 PM

MechChimp wrote:
Dear Bombfirst,

I wouldn't complain if the 1200MS points package wasn't actually called "complete".

If you want to let user know what a game would play/look like, just use the trial version, not the one we've spent some money to buy.

And please, could someone point me to where I can find infos about what we're actually getting and not getting on XBL Marketplace?

The only thing I can read there is the word "complete"!

To use your movie comparison it's just like going to theatre and being forced to leave half-way in during the projection. Is that what I have to research for?!

Actually for those of us that did the research we knew much in advance before the game released that some things weren't gonna be in the core game. I can understand why people are dissapointed though.

۩ Forum Founder

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Zacabeb 10-20-2006, 4:55 PM
We really need a mod to put together this info, if not a direct quote of what John Porcaro posted at Gamerscoreblog, in a sticky and locked thread. Even though it won't save the day or immediately reduce the onslaught of threads on the subject, he did a great job summarizing things in a reasonably humble fashion.

Whoohoo! New Wheel Achievements!

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Tokeio 10-20-2006, 5:56 PM

LoneDrifter420 wrote:
But hey, a few people might 'get it'. I personally love the game and will buy all of the premium content available.

Thanks for the great post. I "get it" and love it. Can't wait for the rest of the packs!

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Tokeio 10-20-2006, 5:58 PM

BigNastyCurve wrote:

At best Q! was stupid for the way they structured their pricing. At worst, deceptive and greedy. I'm on the side of the latter.

One key piece of information you're missing is the fact that all XBLA games are REQUIRED to be no LARGER than 50MB.

The base game = 50MB
Advanced pack = 50MB

That is a lot of content for $21. Quit whining and don't buy it.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Aresef360 10-20-2006, 5:59 PM
Okay, that's fine and dandy, but what I hate is how the other modes are crippled like bad shareware. *beat 5 missions* Nice work!.........now pay us more. Eventually.

Rangercast
Founding Member, on XBL since 11/16/02

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

ChewyWaffles 10-20-2006, 6:05 PM

Tokeio wrote:
BigNastyCurve wrote:

At best Q! was stupid for the way they structured their pricing. At worst, deceptive and greedy. I'm on the side of the latter.

One key piece of information you're missing is the fact that all XBLA games are REQUIRED to be no LARGER than 50MB.

The base game = 50MB
Advanced pack = 50MB

That is a lot of content for $21. Quit whining and don't buy it.

lol, it's not even the full game with those two packs. Oh, tell me, were they required to price the base pack at 1200 points? Why not 400 for the base and 400 for all the others? Stop being such a yes-man, mmk?

There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange. - Daniel Webster

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

DeadJericho 10-20-2006, 6:07 PM

LoneDrifter420 wrote:
I personally love the game and will buy all of the premium content available.

Same here. Although im no good at the game personally, ill still get everything as its worth the cash i think.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Tokeio 10-20-2006, 6:34 PM

BigNastyCurve wrote:
Tokeio wrote:
BigNastyCurve wrote:

At best Q! was stupid for the way they structured their pricing. At worst, deceptive and greedy. I'm on the side of the latter.

One key piece of information you're missing is the fact that all XBLA games are REQUIRED to be no LARGER than 50MB.

The base game = 50MB
Advanced pack = 50MB

That is a lot of content for $21. Quit whining and don't buy it.

lol, it's not even the full game with those two packs. Oh, tell me, were they required to price the base pack at 1200 points? Why not 400 for the base and 400 for all the others? Stop being such a yes-man, mmk?

400 points? LOL. Dig Dug costs 400 points and is a joke. Q! is in the business of selling games and making money. Lumines Live! should have been released at retail for $49.99 and all this complaining would have stopped.

Instead, Q! took a gamble by supporting XBLA as well as delivering the game at a cheaper cost overall and we have someone like yourself complain? Someone like yourself who brags that they've reserved a Wii and a PS3? $20 to you is like the cost of fine toilet paper, why are you complaining?

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

LordMelfice 10-20-2006, 6:47 PM

DeadJericho wrote:
LoneDrifter420 wrote:
I personally love the game and will buy all of the premium content available.

Same here. Although im no good at the game personally, ill still get everything as its worth the cash i think.

Me too. The best Arcade game to date. One issue tho, online duels lol WAY WAY too laggy most of the time. They need to fix this asap. Some games I can't even move my pieces around...it's that bad :(

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

ChewyWaffles 10-20-2006, 8:20 PM

Tokeio wrote:

400 points? LOL. Dig Dug costs 400 points and is a joke. Q! is in the business of selling games and making money. Lumines Live! should have been released at retail for $49.99 and all this complaining would have stopped.

Instead, Q! took a gamble by supporting XBLA as well as delivering the game at a cheaper cost overall and we have someone like yourself complain? Someone like yourself who brags that they've reserved a Wii and a PS3? $20 to you is like the cost of fine toilet paper, why are you complaining?

lol, just because I've reserved a couple of consoles doesn't make me rich, nor does it mean I want to **** my money away to greedy developers. The fact is that the argument that they "had" to price the game this way is not even feasible. It's a non-issue. They didn't "have" to price things this way at all, they chose to because they're greedy and deceptive.

There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange. - Daniel Webster

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Tokeio 10-20-2006, 9:36 PM

BigNastyCurve wrote:

They didn't "have" to price things this way at all, they chose to because they're greedy and deceptive.

Again, your opinion.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

LoneDrifter420 10-21-2006, 11:48 AM
What all these complainers do not realize is that the modes they are complaining about, like puzzle mode, only offer a few hours worth of gameplay with very little replay value.

The main point of Lumines is to play the challenge mode to unlock new skins and raise your high score. These other little modes are little more than something on the side to mess with once in a while- with the exception of the included time attack mode, which can be replayed over and over to better your times. So they are going on and on, whining about these modes which only offer a few hours of gameplay, meanwhile the modes that are included offer virtually unlimited gameplay in the challenge, time attack, and multiplayer modes.

The thing is, these people have never played Lumines before, so they do not understand this. And hey I admit, the first few times I played Lumines back on PSP, I didn't see what was so great about it. But you have to stick with it, give it a chance and learn some strategies, and then you will realize the depth, addictiveness and greatness of the challenge mode.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Carp75 10-21-2006, 2:24 PM

Haha I'm trying to convince myself to buy this game and then I see that evil ho being mentioned. At least the Madonna video is in an upcoming optional pack so I can simply choose not to buy it. If I prevent her from getting just a penny in royalties at least I'm making a difference.

Thanks for the informative post.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

LoneDrifter420 10-25-2006, 12:52 AM

Carp75 wrote:
Haha I'm trying to convince myself to buy this game and then I see that evil ho being mentioned. At least the Madonna video is in an upcoming optional pack so I can simply choose not to buy it. If I prevent her from getting just a penny in royalties at least I'm making a difference.

Thanks for the informative post.

Yes the Madonna artist pack is optional of course, and the developers said that there is "no limit" for what they can do with extra packs in the future. So hopefully they will have artist packs for various artists and genres of music.

Re: Lumines Live premium content explained

Pesmerga Ryu 01-07-2009, 1:11 PM
This game is fun, but I've only bought the basic and Tokyo Club mix. I'm rather annoyed because I can't find the tracks from the Tokyo Club addon anywhere. With what we're paying for the addons we should at least be able to get free copies of the songs.