Slashdot Mirror

koniosis writes "XboxLink has just launched their new site for XLink Kai7 - this nifty little soon-to-be-available tool lets you play LAN-enabled games over the internet with some funky packet sniffing. You can play PS2/Xbox and Gamecube games online, connecting through your PC, and it's completely free - there's even 'integrated Speex.org codec based group chatting'! The XLink Kai download client itself 'will debut... on Saturday 22nd May, at midnight BST', according to the site, but you can register as part of the community now." We've previously covered the WarpPipe tunneling software for GameCube, but this multi-platform solution looks even more enticing.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the Xbox-Scene messageboards, where a public Beta 0.03 has been announced for the Windows-based XLink Kai tunneling software, compatible with both GameCube and Xbox. XLink Messenger was previously one of the more popular Xbox apps of this kind, since it "tunnels your system link traffic between people, creating an Xbox Live style environment for free", and XLink Kai is a "rewrite... from the ground up" that also supports Nintendo GameCube in a similar way to the previously mentioned Warp Pipe GC tunneling software, which also "enables you to play LAN-supported GameCube games over the Internet for free with other GameCube gamers."

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the Xbox-Scene messageboards, where a public Beta 0.03 has been announced for the Windows-based XLink Kai tunneling software, compatible with both GameCube and Xbox. XLink Messenger was previously one of the more popular Xbox apps of this kind, since it "tunnels your system link traffic between people, creating an Xbox Live style environment for free", and XLink Kai is a "rewrite... from the ground up" that also supports Nintendo GameCube in a similar way to the previously mentioned Warp Pipe GC tunneling software, which also "enables you to play LAN-supported GameCube games over the Internet for free with other GameCube gamers."

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Warp Pipe website posting, in which the creator of the GameCube tunneling software alleges that "members of [planned GameCube tunneling alternative] Xlink community have exploited the fact that our source code (previously open source) is still sitting our SourceForge CVS servers." The confusing allegations, eventually shown to be unrelated to the Xlink creators, have ended in the Warp Pipe code declared closed source and removed from SourceForge. However, the Beta of the Warp Pipe online-enabling software for the GameCube, which "...will support residential DSL and Cable broadband with either a router or 2 NIC setup", is still due before the end of the year.

Thanks to Planet GameCube for their news story revealing that a GameCube version of the Xbox-specific Xlink Messenger tunneling software is in progress. According to the site, "The XLink team says initial testing with the GameCube and their... [Windows] software ran 'nice and smooth'." This free utility, due out before the end of the year, is an alternative to the Warp Pipe GC tunneling software previously mentioned on Slashdot Games - the products allow you to play LAN-only GameCube games over the Internet using "a PC... a broadband connection, and a router or a second ethernet card to connect the GC to your PC", in the absence of significant Nintendo support for much-desired online play.