Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Xbox Project Helix logo on black background
Xbox Xbox Project Helix announced, "next generation console" will "play your Xbox and PC games," Microsoft says
The new GamesRadar+ logo on a dark background adorned with crosses in orange and grey
Games The next generation of GamesRadar+ is here
Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus leaping into action in the intro sequence of X-Men: The Arcade Game
Action Games After 13 years away, all-time- classic X-Men: The Arcade Game returns to headline a new collection of retro Marvel games
Xbox Project Helix logo in front of Series X silhouette with Game Pass box art in backdrop.
Xbox The next-gen Xbox is basically being pitched as a Steam Machine rival
Arc Raiders characters standing together
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders patch nerfs Hurricane Caches so you can't just "walk away from every session" with an armful of blueprints
Xbox Game Pass deals
Xbox The best Xbox Game Pass deals in March 2026
Halo
Games Xbox co-founder says Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has "a hammer called gen AI" and "there's a nail with an Xbox logo"
Arc Raiders character holding golden sledgehammer on dark blue starry background
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders lead says "revisions are probably required" on uneven events which have just become a camper's dream
Arc Raiders character using welding torch in thick glasses
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders lowers Expedition requirement to 3 million coins, lets players "catch up" on missed skill points
Team Fortress 2 meet the spy trailer screenshot of medic
Games A terrifying 20,282 games were released on Steam in 2025, and just 608 managed to get 1,000 reviews, expert finds
Close up of My Arcade Outrun edition with mini steering wheel in glass cabinet at CES 2026.
Retro A bunch of new Sega mini arcade machines are inbound
Halo: Campaign Evolved keyart showing Master Chief on Installation 04
Halo Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful remake tasked with relaunching a legendary franchise for a new generation of players
Arc Raiders
Third Person Shooters Everything in Arc Raiders' Escalation and 2026 Roadmap
A character fighting a chicken in Fable.
RPGs As GTA 6 looms near Fable's fall release date, Xbox Game Studios head isn't super worried about Rockstar
Upcoming video game movies - Firewatch
Adventure Games New Xbox boss says great games make you "feel something," unexpectedly calls out 2016's Firewatch
  1. Games
  2. Xbox

Xbox Live Arcade games are about to double your Gamerscore

News
By Tom Goulter published 13 March 2012

XBLA games get increased Score and Achievements

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Microsoft's announced revisions to the Gamerscore policy for Xbox Live Arcade games. Starting next month, developers will be able to include up to 400 points' worth of Gamerscore through a maximum of 30 Achievements, announced Major Nelson today. Currently, the maximum GS allowed on an XBLA title is 200 GS, with most titles offering around 12 Achievements.

Above: Soon, more people than ever will be able to offend our de facto fashion editor with shirts like these

While April and May will see devs offered the choice of sticking to the old, 200 Gamerscore structure, come June all titles will be required to offer 400 GS. With more and more XBLA titles coming in at larger sizes and higher prices, it makes sense for Microsoft to offer developers a way to increase the value of their titles for score-hungry players.

You may like
  • Fable 4 What to expect from Xbox in 2026
  • The new GamesRadar+ logo on a dark background adorned with crosses in orange and grey The next generation of GamesRadar+ is here
  • A screenshot of three cats battling against two shark-like enemies in Mewgenics. The Binding of Isaac creator's new roguelike Mewgenics already has over a third of the achievements of Isaac despite it being 11 years and 3 expansions ahead

Such players have been discussing the changes on Xbox360Achievements, reckoning that (assuming no changes are announced to DLC policy) Arcade titles can soon offer up to 800 GS including DLC Achievements. But if you want to really max-out your Gamerscore, the best course is still – sorry to say – lots and lots of Japanese dating sims.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Microsoft
CATEGORIES
Xbox Platforms
Tom Goulter
Read more
Fable 4
What to expect from Xbox in 2026
 
 
The new GamesRadar+ logo on a dark background adorned with crosses in orange and grey
The next generation of GamesRadar+ is here
 
 
A screenshot of three cats battling against two shark-like enemies in Mewgenics.
The Binding of Isaac creator's new roguelike Mewgenics already has over a third of the achievements of Isaac despite it being 11 years and 3 expansions ahead
 
 
Arc Raiders character using welding torch in thick glasses
Arc Raiders lowers Expedition requirement to 3 million coins, lets players "catch up" on missed skill points
 
 
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Like Skull and Bones, Assassin's Creed Shadows and Mirage are "AAAA" games, Ubisoft producer claims
 
 
Arc Raiders raider in a pilot helmet looks at the camera in a sunlit forest
"It's what we had time to do": Arc Raiders Expeditions won't always give extra skill points or cost 5 million coins
 
 
Latest in Games
Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs felt "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard
 
 
Palworld Pal with shocked expression
"I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation"
 
 
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would sell more
 
 
Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him
Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion will be "really f*cking hard" at its highest difficulty, dev threatens
 
 
Mass Effect
"F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
 
 
a ditto human sitting on some logs with pikachu and pichu
Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
 
 
Latest in News
Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs felt "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard
 
 
Palworld Pal with shocked expression
"I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation"
 
 
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would sell more
 
 
Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him
Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion will be "really f*cking hard" at its highest difficulty, dev threatens
 
 
Jin, Mugen, and Fuu standing in a row
Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action Netflix series from One Piece studio, and the original creator is on board
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
    1
    Marvel Rivals devs couldn't help but "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard: "It's not guaranteed"
  2. 2
    "It's going to be really f***ing hard": Diablo 4 is getting 8 new difficulty tiers in Lord of Hatred because Blizzard wants OP builds to actually have to try
  3. 3
    Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
  4. 4
    "I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation" with a "decade of continuous, massive updates"
  5. 5
    "Whoever sells more copies pays for the other's therapy": Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads, and ironically the friendslop collab that followed sold more than both games combined

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...