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Xbox Live Beta Report

Posted by michael on from the borg-tendrils-sighted dept.

mrquackers writes "CNN has an interesting article up giving its thoughts from the Xbox Live beta test. The system actually gets high marks for its ease of connectivity, matchmaking and voice communicator, but the writer doesn't seem convinced that Microsoft's going to have a big success with this (though he vows to do a better job of backing up that statement "next week")."

5 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Its all about the Benjamins...... by jimson · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Its hard enough to get people to pay for music. I'm not sure why MS thinks it will be any different for people playing games. I can't imagine this will be cheap. (Sounds kinda like game porn. "give us your credit card number and we'll charge you for the minutes.....till your card runs out....")

    I wonder how long it will be until someone has figured out how to set up an 'illegal' P2P network to 'illegally' play your games online without paying?

  2. M$ Hopes Lie in Chat? by boa13 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Interesting article. Microsoft has never been so much an innovator than an integrator, taking existing technologies and bringing them to the masses (bugs included).

    Kits for chatting live with online oponents have been available for some time, even though I've never had the chance to use one. What Microsoft is doing is standardizing this feature on the XBox Live. It is a huge bet for them, but perhaps the only way to save a system that is lagging behind the competition.

    The question is, of course, whether the new "experience" will be "compelling" enough to save their virtual ass. Is there a slashdotter here that has already experienced online chatting? The reviewer says it actually is a good feature, is that your opinion too?

    But then, even if this feature proves to be that good, Microsoft will be facing another challenge: scaling it up. As the reviewer said several times, the architecture has yet to be tested at full-charge.

    As for me, sorry Microsoft, but some of your competitors have a game catalog that is much bigger than yours, including hundreds of old games that are available for a bargain. Yes, I am cheap.

    1. Re:M$ Hopes Lie in Chat? by martissimo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think the voice chat feature could well be a key to online gaming with a console. Just sitting and playing against an anonymous opponent could probably get boring quite quickly, and with the way consoles controls work the feasibility of being able to type out a text message while playing like you can do with a computer is lost... there's just no way you can operate a console controller with 1 hand, and peck out a message with the other on a keyboard.

      As far as i know the only PS2 game that supports voice chat so far is SOCOM, MS guaranteeing that players will be able to communicate via their headset in all online games really does seem like a pretty decent plan.

      How their centralized servers hold up to the load is the biggest question mark i see. I really dont think the 50 bucks a year to play is gonna turn off all that many people who allready have invested in the x-box, buy the new games, and are paying for the broadband required by the console to connect, these are people who take gaming pretty seriously and obviously have a fair bit of disposable income.

  3. Forget obscenity... by Shalome · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Forget about the obscenity factor.. how long is it going to be before little Johnny's mom in California realizes she can talk to little cousin Jimmy's mom in New York.. without paying a long distance phone bill?

    --
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  4. Live is actually pretty damn cool by jordanda · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm on the beta and I'm quite impressed. Two games were included in the beta: NFL Fever 2K3 and Re-volt. Both games completely suck. The amazing thing is that it doesn't matter. Despite the face that both games suck the easy voice chat feature completely redeems them. Everyone is required to have a decent connection which means less drop-outs. Also, since players can't edit the game files there are no cheaters.

    Neither of the included games has any team-play aspect so chat generally is reduced to three phrases: "Fuck...I crashed", " Ha ha. I passed you"and "I win!". It will be interesting to see how it works out in Unreal Championchip and Battlefield 1942.