Xbox Live Arcade Size Limits Limiting Capcom Games?

[MarketTantrik]

Xbox Live Arcade Size Limits Limiting Capcom Games?

Microsoft "surprised" by Bionic Commando texture issues.

By Crispin Boyer, 02/21/2008

 

From 1UP

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While interviewing Capcom Producer Ben Judd for our Bionic Commando: Rearmed preview today, we learned that not all versions of this hearty downloadable remake of the NES classic are being created equal. When the game hits this spring, the PlayStation Network version (as well as the PC incarnation) will have higher-res textures than the Xbox Live Arcade version. Blame Live Arcade's 150MB limit on file sizes, Judd explained.

 

"That's surprising to hear," says John Schappert, Microsoft's corporate VP of Xbox Live, Software, and Services, when we asked him about Capcom's issues later in the day. "Last I checked it was Capcom that had an exception to our file size with Street Fighter II [Hyper Fighting].... We raised our limit to 150 megs, which seems pretty darn great.... I don't think it has limited our games in any way. Look at Rez HD. Look at Poker Smash. Look at Undertow. These are very, very, very good games."

 

Microsoft doesn't have any plans to raise the limit, which Aaron Greenberg, group marketing manager for Xbox Live, sees as something tied into the whole Live Arcade mission statement. "We still want Arcade to stand more for quick pick-up-and-play games that are easy to download," he says. "They're still uniquely different than the retail games. We have to draw a line in the sand somewhere."

 

Both Schappert and Greenberg say they'd be surprised if Capcom's upcoming downloadable Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix also suffers from textures that aren't as sharp as those in the PS3 version. "We have 10 million members," says Schappert. "Where would you want your best games to appear?" Greenberg adds, "Street Fighter II [Hyper Fighting] is the number one-selling game in the history of Xbox Live Arcade. That's where the fans are."

 

Meanwhile, Schappert says he and his team are on call if Capcom can't get Bionic Commando: Rearmed's high-res textures to fit under the 150MB limit. "There are 800 different factors [besides memory issues] that factor into development," he says. "There's also prowess of programmers. It's never cut and dry.... If we need to help them program their stuff, we have people on [XNA General Manager] Chris Satchell's team that fly around and help our dev teams out when they need it.... I'm kind of new, but [Capcom] knows someone's number at Xbox Live. I'm certainly willing to help them out."

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[KnackChap]

awesome, way to go