Feature: How Uno Has Saved Xbox Live Arcade Subscribe to this RSS feed
New Xbox 360 titles may be few and far between, but Xbox Live Arcade is gearing up for a great year, starting off with perhaps one of the best XLA titles yet -- Uno.
While I love my Xbox 360, I'm starting to get a bit annoyed with its lack of games. True, I've got Oblivion, GRAW, and some Tomb Raider to keep me busy, but I'm greedy and want more. Well, it's just too bad that "more" doesn't seem to be coming for quite some time. For all accounts and purposes, I should have sold off my Xbox 360 long ago, but there's one thing that keeps me coming back for more -- Xbox Live Arcade. What once seemed like an afterthought to the gaming masses has turned in to a bonafide money-making machine for Microsoft, especially during a cool Spring/Summer period where new game releases are few and far between.
The Numbers
First, let's take a look at some of the numbers. Since the Xbox 360 launched last November, there have been around four million downloads from Xbox Live Arcade. While that total probably includes a hefty number of free demos, it's safe to say that a majority of them are full versions, given the large number of players taking part in online multiplayer and leaderboard participation. The most downloaded game has been Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, followed by Marble Blast Ultra, Uno, Gauntlet, and Smash TV.
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is the most downloaded XLA title
Uno, despite releasing a few weeks ago, is one of the most popular Xbox Live Arcade titles yet. According to Microsoft, it ranks #2 overall in total online multiplayer participation, and also boasts a staggering downloadable content attach rate. 94 percent of all Uno gamers downloaded the special 35th Anniversary Uno deck the first week the game was released.
The Best Xbox Live Arcade Game
All of these stats and numbers, however, don't really answer the question of why Xbox Live Arcade is so darn popular. The answer is found in the game Uno, the title that perhaps best displays why Xbox Live Arcade games have found a home in the hearts of gamers. The game itself is simple enough; play numbered and colored cards all while trying to discard your entire hand and win the game. You can also play a multitude of special cards that can reverse the order of play, force your opponents to pick up more cards, or wild cards that change which color is in play.
94% of Uno gamers downloaded this special deck
The real fun of Uno lies in its online multiplayer gameplay, which lets you and three others gamers battle it out, complete with voice chat and the soon-to-be-released Xbox 360 camera. The game of Uno is all about the social aspect involved in playing, whether bluffing while playing a +4 card or seeing and hearing the reactions of your opponents when you deal them a bad card. They'll laugh, cry out, or sometimes just swear up a storm. Couple these reactions with a camera and voice chat, and you've got one heck of a good time. It's multiplayer gaming at its best (and most simple) and it's one of the main reasons why Uno is so popular with gamers. It's not trying to revolutionize gaming in any sort of way, but is instead taking game back to its roots -- a group of people having a good time.
You can't deny that games like Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and Marble Blast Ultra are incredibly popular. They're simple yet extremely competitive, two hallmarks of a great arcade game. But, I believe that the real future of Xbox Live Arcade lies in games like Uno. The arcade atmosphere isn't just about games, but also about the social aspect of gaming as a whole, whether you're playing with friends or complete strangers. With Microsoft planning on releasing 30 to 35 new Xbox Live Arcade games by the end of this year, they're bound to have even more success with those gamers looking for simple, yet addictive titles to enjoy while waiting for those Fall-release flagship Xbox 360 titles.
