Cozy up to the virtual Xbox 360 fireplace
by Dustin Burg 
{ Dec 22nd 2008 at 1:30PM }
During this time of year, we begin feeling envious of those who are lucky enough to own a fireplace and can snuggle up next to it with a hot cup of cocoa and oversized blanket. For those who are beginning to feel the fireplace envy creep in, we recommend navigating to the Community Games section and downloading the newly released virtual fireplace.
For "only" 400 Microsoft points, you can download Fireplace and own your very own Xbox 360 fireplace. This Fireplace "game" comes complete "realistic smoldering embers and flickering" and requires no skill to ignite. Check out the amazing Fireplace video after the break and wonder exactly why you haven't yet made the purchase.
[Via Major Nelson]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason Johnson @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:35PM
First!
Though it is a neat Idea 400 points ?!?
NuFsAiD @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:04PM
I bought this yesterday, it was only 200 MP...
Kevin Gass @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:37PM
This crap is why I dont like the whole "Communtiy" games. Spending 400pts on this crap on feeds MS and cheap-o devs to making quick cheap games
Serio @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:37AM
You mean like cheap milk forces you to buy it so that they can continue to make cheap bad milk?
kentawilson @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:37PM
cocaine is a powerful drug!!!!
Mazrael @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:46PM
doesn't even look realistic.. or sound it for that matter..
What is the point of this.. you'd have to turn the screensaver off.. but then, there's too many games on the 360.. for this to be of use unless it's to keep your screen 'warm' to jump straight into gaming once the presents are out the way xmas day..
Adam Rogers @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:47PM
I cant believe they are charging for this stuff.
Deck @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:50PM
400 MS Points? Really? That's just ridiculous.
If it was free I would say that it was kind of neat and a nice gesture. Charging for this though is just absurd.
Ryan @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:09PM
My thoughts exactly. To charge five bucks for this is totally ridiculous.
Mokano40 @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:39PM
Agree with you.
Masa Cheez @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:56PM
I was going to say the same thing. Shame on you MS, shame on you indeed. This is basically a screen saver that we are expected to pay $5.00 for. (I'm not saying that MS is holding a gun to our heads making us purchase this either.) I love my Xbox, my Live and my Xbox games, but this is just redonculous...
JerkfacedFed @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:23PM
its not microsoft setting the price you idiot. if you would have read the article you would see that its a community game, developed, rated, and priced by independent developers! if you dont like the price, dont buy it, or anyone else can make their own fireplace game and set it to free or 80 points ($1) to beat this. the community also rates the games so give it a bad rating and the kid who made this will not sell a damn copy to anyone.
Masa Cheez @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:35AM
Boy, your name says it all huh jerkfacedfed?? Merry Christmas to you and pull the coal out from up your ass so maybe you settle down a little bit, eh?
h2ogo2049 @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:54PM
maybe it could run the system extra hard to produce actual heat for 400 points.
Ben @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:54PM
I wouldn't get it for free..
Bantha Skull @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:03PM
But at least the Snow Globe is free...
ridiculous.
+++volume+++ @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:42PM
For real? This is 100% worth the money. No questions asked!
Nuggstein @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:45PM
@Bantha Skull - The snow globe isn't even a download. :P
Sean D. @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:54PM
It'd be nice if the light from the fire interacted with the bricks in some way... and if the fire looked like actual fire. Perhaps some interaction for 400 pts? The way it is now, it utterly sucks.
If they offered an HD version of video footage of an actual fireplace with no expiration for 200 points I'd probably get it.
xenocidic @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:07PM
i think they're trying to make us feel more at Home on our console . . .
;>
Mr. Nosuch @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:07PM
I guess 400 points is the going rate for people too stupid to just loop an HD video clip on their Xbox.
Bobluling @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:10PM
HAHAH!! You poor people! I have the real thing!
Sorry I thought I had to throw that out there.
Charads @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:14PM
I guess this should work fine, seeing as the 360 will warm you up.
Tony @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:15PM
You get to demo it, it's obvious what it is. Community games means anything in the world can go up there and it's kind of buyer beware.
Hopefully no one out there would actually blow $5 on it, but if they do they know what they're getting.
sag969 @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:17PM
neat idea, but i don't get why whoever developed it stuck a $5 price tag on it. Maybe if it was $1 (80 points?), I might buy it. But yeah, something like that should really be free.
Prox @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:19PM
So what's different about the demo? Could I just run that instead?
The Hoffmeister @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:29PM
It sounds like they threw bubble wrap in a REAL fire...
Loban @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:31PM
This is a neat idea for a night of "romance" with your significant other. I'd imagine it produces some nice lighting and sounds and with the lights off it might be kind of cool. But for 400 points, forget it.
imbecile pete @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:31PM
...that is the stupidest thing on xbox.why did they make it 400 pts?
unless it is cursed and they want to be sure that nobody will buy it...?
Neuromancer @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:56PM
Could be worse, someone made an iPhone app that costs $999.99.
pete @ Jan 7th 2009 1:15AM
yea but that was taken down pretty quickly... this has been up for a while now
readmore @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:00PM
My plasma TV will love it.
And as a bonus I'll still get to enjoy it while playing games and watching movies!
/burn-in joke
Skeets5977 @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:14PM
....but, is there achievements?
HazyCloud @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:17PM
I went ahead and bought it. Pretty cool. Freaked the dog out a bit. Can't say I'll regret the purchase any more than my Call of Duty 2 DLC. Oh yeah, and this was 5 bucks less.
fireplace freak @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:26PM
I bought this. Worth every penny. Wouldve paid 1200 points for it - its that good.
Much better than horse armour.
Maxx the Slash @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:29PM
My grandpa paid 99 cents for a fireplace DVD. And it's more realistic than this.
If they dropped this to 200 points, then MAYBE I'll consider it.
Brandon @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:35PM
GoTY? yes!!!
Siriusly? @ Dec 30th 2008 11:38AM
This just in! Not included in the item descrip. it runs on 1.21 GIGAWATTS !!!!
Mr. Nosuch @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:40PM
There's a cheat code you can enter which changes the animation so that instead of wood burning, it's a pile of money.
dylan @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:47PM
Is it Avatar compatible?
Trekster_Gamer @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:51PM
400Ms points WTF!!!!!!
400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!400Ms points WTF!!!!!!
smak @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:59PM
At least make the shit look real... thats the crappiest fire i've ever seen.
carg0 @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:04PM
the absurdity of charging $5 for this shouldn't surprise anyone.
let's try and remember that M$, still to this day, continues to charge us for wallpapers and thumbnails, which are all but worthless now thanks to the new-look dashboard. on top of all that they also expect us to pay $3 for those "premium" themes.
it's text book 'nickel & diming' at it's finest.
Dante @ Dec 22nd 2008 10:20PM
Are there achievements??
Tryton @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:24PM
Sean D. said...
It'd be nice if the light from the fire interacted with the bricks in some way... and if the fire looked like actual fire. Perhaps some interaction for 400 pts? The way it is now, it utterly sucks.
Don't Worry, I just heard they will be selling an add on pac for only 200 pts! It should gvie that "Real" feeling
Cyber-Tyrant @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:43PM
400?!
Pass...
c4v3man @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:50PM
I would only pay for this if it had a glowing Ruby behind it and cost $1000. The nice thing is that if you turn the Xbox around it actually will make you feel warm like a real fireplace.
That being said, I just got a PS3 for me and the wife, and I only wish I got it before my X360. Since I've experienced the greatness that is the Xbox 360 (including 1 RROD), the PS3 just feels half-baked. Where's my WMA-DRM support? Why do I have to reset it each time I move it to a new TV? Why are the R2L2 buttons so freaking hard to push? Other than Blu-Ray, everything the PS3 can do the X360 does better bar-none.
JACOB @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:57PM
If I could place my avatar in the fire and watch him burn then it would be worth five bucks.
Or maybe a virtual Santa. Yeah, I'd like to watch Santa roast in the fire.
James @ Dec 22nd 2008 6:16PM
why the hell would you want to do that?
yyr @ Dec 22nd 2008 5:17PM
(Cross-posted)
OK, this kind of bothers me.
I spent 11 months creating the XNA Community Game Snake360. It has 300 levels that can be played in single-player or co-op modes, ranging from really easy to really, really challenging. It also has survival mode, two battle modes for up to 4 players, Internet Ranking, special modes for kids... easily 10+ hours of gameplay. The graphics aren't that great and I'll admit that, but the soundtrack is excellent and the gameplay is top-notch. Anyone who enjoys arcade-style games should love it. The multiplayer is great at parties, to boot.
Snake360 costs 400 points. The same as this... fireplace.
I am running contests RIGHT NOW with $450 in MS Points and LIVE Gold subscriptions as prizes, including a "race" contest to clear 90% of the single-player game. The contests have been open for two weeks now and nobody has completed the 90% race yet. I have done this in 5-6 hours, so I know it's possible.
I have submitted news about the contest to several major gaming sites and blogs--including this one--SEVERAL TIMES. None of them will run the story or even contact me to ask about it. Last I checked, gamers like contests and prizes...and yet nobody on the editorial board of those sites feels this is newsworthy.
Now, on the front page of this very blog, there is a story about a fireplace "game." I feel like promoting my contest is impossible, and yet... this.
(If any of you, for some reason, feel like learning more about Snake360 or the contests, you can visit www.snake360.com.)