Microsoft sets clear Gamerscore point totals

Microsoft has made it clear just how many achievement points should be included with Xbox 360 games.

BIGVIP over on Microsoft's Gamerscoreblog has made a post outlining how many Gamerscore points should be included with each retail game, free download, premium download and Arcade game.

Firstly, "regular disc-based games MUST have 1,000 Gamerscore in the base game." A portion of the 1,000 points can be delivered via free add-on content. Publishers also have the option to offer a further 250 points via add-on content from Xbox Live Marketplace - free or paid. This makes the total Gamerscore for any one game 1,250.

Xbox Live Arcade games can include up to 200 Gamerscore points, with up to another 50 points for add-on content.

This is a new set of rules so previously released games don't have to abide by the new standards. BIGVIP also notes that the upcoming release of Crackdown will offer only 900 Gamerscore points on the disc, but will deliver additional free content containing the remaining points.