The Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is, without a doubt, a big selling point for the Xbox 360. Some people might not look at it this way, but it has been one of the best reasons to own the system.

Far be it from Microsoft to turn "hardcore" gamers into "casual' gamers, but that is exactly what they have done. Xbox Live Arcade appeals to both hardcore and casual crowds, and is also a big reason for its success.

History
Let's first step back to the original Xbox, just for a moment. If you purchased the Xbox Live Starter Kit, you also received a disc to install the XBLA. Classic arcade games were priced at $4.99, but most games were $9.99, and a few topped out at $14.99.

The problem was that not many people knew about the service, it was also late out of the gate, debuting in late 2004. It almost felt like a beta release in this regard, since one year later came XBLA on the 360.

Xbox 360 Launch
Now, not only is XBLA prominently displayed on the "Games" blade, but there is also a free (by free I of course mean free with the hard drive) game included. Scratch that, a good free game. The original XBLA might have come with Ms. Pac-Man, but now we get Hexic HD.

Hexic HD is a puzzle game designed by Alexey Pazhitnov, the creator of Tetris. Pazhitnov works for Microsoft now, and has crafted yet another infinitely addictive, infinitely playable game in Hexic HD.

Hexic was there to wet our appetites, and wet them it did. At the launch of the Xbox 360 there were 14 other arcade games for purchase. The launch lineup was packed with all types of great games.

• Bankshot Billiards 2
• Bejeweled 2
• Gauntlet
• Geometry Wars Retro Evolved
• Hardwood Backgammon
• Hardwood Hearts
• Hardwood Spades
• Joust
• Mutant Storm Reloaded
• Outpost Kaloki X
• Robotron 2084
• Smash TV
• Wik: Fable of Souls
• Zuma

On the XBLA you have two kinds of games: coin-op classics, and modern casual games. A lot of the modern casual games are updated versions of classics, or they borrow concepts from games that have grown near and dear to our hearts.

So far, coin-op classics cost 400 MP (Microsoft Points) which is about $5. All other games have been 800 MP or $10. Bankshot Billiards 2 has been the lone title at $15, but this was also free with a one-year subscription to Xbox Live.

The prices are better, and the games are better. Geometry Wars Retro Evolved would be the poster child of the lot, boasting a 40% purchase rate — forty-percent of people who downloaded the demo (each XBLA game is available as a demo) bought it. And at $5, who can blame them. Who needs Halo 3 at launch, we have Geometry Wars!

As of this writing, there are 21 games available for purchase over Xbox Live. The last two released, Astropop and UNO, are among my most played games.

What Comes Next?
UNO was released the week of E3 this year, but there was much bigger news for the XBLA than UNO. Lumines Live! was announced. This was a bombshell announcement, and a big blow to Sony, as Lumines is no longer a PSP/PS2 exclusive title.