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Xbox Live Goes Online
abhikhurana writes "
Internetnews is reporting that Microsoft has launched Xbox Live
broadband gaming service. To access Microsoft's service, Xbox gamers
have to buy a $49.99 starter kit, which includes 12 month's worth of
access to the Xbox Live service and a headset kit for voice
communications. Microsoft said that about 16 games with online play
capabilities will be available by the end of the year.
So has anyone already tried it? If so, what do you think about it?"
Ok why in the world isn't halo one of the games included in the service, or is it? If you ask me the xbox website is rather cryptic: "look for these new games" ---feel free to correct me, im just talking here.
I've been wondering why there havn't been more options to use voice in online computer games... or has that changed in the past year or so?
In any event, I think the option of voice communication will bring a whole new dimension to online gaming. It'll be intresting to see how it all plays out.
It would also be pretty cool to see games like starcraft use voice recognition rather then complex keyboard commands do things.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
Or do you need to get, say, a cable modem or whatever. The most annoying thing about getting consoles online is that you always needed to use a spesific ISP or whatever, even though I've always had an always on ethernet connection to the 'net (well, since I've been in the doorms, anyway)
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
$49.99 which includes one year or service. How much after the year is up?? Sounds like ms trying to "trick" people again, like they did with the $300 rebate at retail stores if you sign up for 3 years of MSN... I guess here, instead of locking you into a contract, they get you hooked on the gaming and assume you'll pay full price after the first year... Anyone have any idea how much it will cost after the first year?
The real issue with this service is that they haven't set the yearly rate yet. Next year this service could be 20 dollars a month if MS so desired...we don't know. The other sad point is that they aren't stopping 3rd parties from charging over and above the normal Live fee for their games. Example: Sega has announced they will charge for PSO on Live...so this could get really pricy!
Unstable Apps: Our Android Apps Don't Suck
Been beta testing EverQuest Online Adventures, its been fun thus far. Don't have an Xbox, I'd be interested in its online setup. Do you have to use MSN? Doubt that will happen, at least for the time being...
For comparison though, it was $39.99 for the PS2's Network adapter and a card for a free game to play on-line. Included is the usual demo's, but the big thing is no need to pay any yearly fee's, although that will probably come with some games (or some form of monthly access...).
With the Xbox, will this happen? Or is that a one time yearly fee with content from various games free online? Maybe you will have to pay individual companies a monthly fee seperately from MSFT's tax? Will it only work with Xbox live? If you decide you want to head out alone will you be able to? they have sunk so much money into the Xbox and intend to do more, but they will at one time or another actually want to make as big a profit as possible.
StarTux
I think so. The Xboxer's I know have really been jumping up and down at this and from my own experience with a friends machine I can tell you it's very addictive: much more so than playing alone.
One thing that I have considered is how good an internet telephony app this is - i've already heard of friends who would normally make long distance calls using the lobby of one of the games to chat in.
I wonder whether Microsoft will develop a specific telephony app using the Live system as a backend... AFAICT the demand is there and this would be a really killer app.
I would pay to play online for this. I know it is hard to put away the anti-microsoft bias for just a few minutes, but really - think about what your getting here. Games free of cheating and any sufficent lag - if it works as well in effect as it does on paper. .
1) an Action Sports game would not lag awfully bad. Everyone on this network must have a broadband connection. No 56kers lagging down the server
2) Too low of a resolution? Have you ever heard of HDTV? I know that is a bit of an investiment, but for those who have it, i cant imagine it would be too grainy to play an RTS.
3) Have you tryed Halo? How about Time Splitters 2? I was skeptical weather or not I could stand to play a FPS on a console, but the controller works. For me, it just seemed natural, even after playing on a key/mouse combination for quite some time.
500 Dollars? Thats a little more then you would spend on a Xbox. 200 for the box, 50 for the service and 50 for a game. Whats that..300? Might make a more reasonable Xmas present for a high school student then a Computer.
Maybe the Xbox is a kids system, though I dont see where you get that impression from. Just because it is a console? And it is hardly a system for the computer illiterate - I have my computers for when i want to play on them, but I have my Xbox for gaming. When i want to go out, buy a game, and pop it in the Xbox and play online I can. No need to worry about drivers, compatibilty, or anything else of the sort.
I never liked consoles much, and I know that computers have there advantages, but im beggining to like my Xbox more and more as I play it.
I for one think Xbox live is great. MotoGP and Whacked are both shit games to be fair, but XBL makes them great. You'll flame me I know, but it is just like MS says, the voice makes all the difference. Still no lag, no troubles, no glitches. Just pure gaming. Now We just need to wait till the good games are released this friday. Give it a chance, my flat mate has been converted to the dark side.
--- The one with all my ramblings http://www.veebs.com
Here in NYC I went to 4 different stores to see if they had xbox live. Each store I went to said they were sold it. Looks like MS is doing something correct with xbox live.
The PS2 service is free, and games companies provide and manage their own servers.
The XBox service is (probably ) $10/month after your free year runs out. Microsoft runs and maintains all the servers.
All XBox titles need to confirm to Microsoft's standards, including support for Instant Message, and voice headset. This increases the amount of development effort required to launch an XBox Live game versus a PS2 online game.
The PS2 supports a USB keyboard for online chat. The XBox does not support a keyboard, counting on their required headset support to be enough.
Which is the better service? I am putting my money on Microsoft as providing an overall better service.
With the PS2 there are no guarantees of what your experience will be from game to game. Different games will have different interfaces and capabilities. They'll have different hosting infrustructures, with different levels of server reliability.
With the XBox you will get consistency. You'll get a gaming ID that your online friends can use to find you regardless of what game you're playing. You'll get about the same level of reliability accross servers and similar ping times. Having access to online features that work consistently accross all games (instant message, voice headset) will help people feel a sense of consistency that will let them focus on the game and not on the interface.
Keep in mind as geeks we aren't as sensitive to interface consistency as muggles..er non geeks. Most non geeks don't like figuring out how to do something with each new title.
I'm not convinced that XBox is going to become the market leader, in fact if Sony has brains they will crush the XBox with the PS3 and include all the best features of XBox Live in the PS3's network play. However, unless Sony makes changes to how they run things, for now the XBox live service looks like a better service (and the better service doesn't always win).
---
I support spreading santorum
And you should also know that Microsoft isn't marketing towards kids. The Xbox was, from the day of it's inception, targeted at more mature gamers who have cash to spend. Most mature gamers HAVE a credit card. Here's a clue for you:
Goto a bank. Open an account up. Have them issue you a debit card. Use card for XBox Live. If you're underage, have your freakin parents do it for you, but if you can't accomplish these very simple steps without bitching and moaning, maybe you shouldn't be online.
And why should they set up for a mail in payment system? I know for a fact from my time at Amazon.com that accounts receivable is a pain in the a55. Checks bounce. Information on Money orders can easily be forged. My favorite was "John Smith" ordering 15 books on how to cultivate and grow weed. People are actually stupid enough to send cash through the mail. Not just cash, foreign currency. Are you seriously going to want to wait for you check, MO to arrive and clear before you play online? Did you bitch because Everquest does the same d*mn thing, as does every MMORPG? You expect them to take mail-in payments as well?
You need a FREE iPod Nano
interesting how 2000 swedish ends up in 180-190 usd considering the going exchange rate is like 9 swedish to a dollar....
I have been playing unreal chamionship since it was released yesterday. The game is every bit as fun as the pc version (unreal tournament 2003) and include some cool xbox only features:
- ability to either talk smack or cordinate an attack via voice
- widescreen mode for those with big tvs
- 480p mode (HDTV)
As a side note, there are currently (as of 9am PST) ~21000 distinct people who have played at least one match of unreal championship. That works out (so far this weekend) to between 7 and 8 people per minutes purchasing, signing into xbox live and playing unreal championship.
PS. If you think you can take me on, look for 'bunny of death'. WOOT!
OMG.
It's pretty damn incredible, all...
I started playing at 12 AM last night and stopped to take a restroom break and realised that it was 6AM!!!!
Needless to say, its incredible.
For the past two days, I've probably played my Xbox more than I have since I bought it this past May. The Xbox Live! setup is simply incredible. I haven't had so much fun playing console games in years. It's funny, I play PC games online all the time, yet I don't think I've ever heard the voice of any people whom I've played against.
Amazingly, there seems to be no apparent lag with the service thus far! I have my Xbox connected through my Linksys BEFW11S4 v.2. wireless router, and so far, so good. One odd thing though, in Whacked, I only seem to be getting 2-3 bars for my connection (and that's when all the computers are off). Now, even with all the computers on, it doesn't seem to change. Perhaps this is due to either poor service on the part of Rogers Hi-Speed, or perhaps it's a matter of distance, as a lot of people whom I've played with are in the United States.
In addition, there's this whole concern with Microsoft detecting and banning Xbox's with modchips installed. Apparently, you can disable your modchip (with a switch) and still be able to play, but if you went online with the modchip enabled, they ban your Xbox (likely its unique serial number). I agree that Microsoft has a 'right' to protect its service, but a more strongly-worded warning would have been nice.
This is the 1.0 product, though. Microsoft doesn't even come close to getting it right until 4.0 or 5.0...
Actually, this comment, depending on how it was intended may not be the flamebait it's been modded down as (-1, flamebait at time of writing)
There is an old saying that Microsoft don't get things right until version 3, and to my knowledge it's one that many in Microsoft themselves hold true. This, of course, poses an interesting problem for the XBox, and, to a lesser degree, XBox live (which is more tweakable as time goes on), in that it's largely a one-shot deal.
Of course, even if the X does totally flop, MS can go to v2 anyway, with XBox 2, but I think they'd really rather avoid that situation.
Right now, the X is looking fairly ill, and like it could well head the way of the Jaguar/Dreamcast, if it weren't for the fact that MS can afford to keep it afloat through it's bad times, and the fact that there's some really promising looking stuff on the horizon (including Xbox Live) - possibly not enough to save it, but just maybe.
Just so's to keep bias accusations out of this, I don't own any of the current gen of consoles (XBox, GC, PS2), however, I've been watching the "console war" with some interest
That PS2 will be victorious, there is little doubt.. However, until recently I'd been fairly certain that GC would come out as #2, and the XBox would either disappear all together, or find some kind of niche following...
Lately, I'm starting to think that's turning around - not yet, but quality GC software releases seem to be slowing a little, and as I already said, there's some interesting sounding stuff on the horizon for the XBox.
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
I work for the xbox Live! support team, if someone has a problem connecting to the service, they call me. So far I have not recieved a call from a customer wanting to cancel their account for the service sucking.
Looks to be doing good from the inside so far.
"When I look back, my life is not a foreign country, it's more like a library book returned long ago." - ????
The real killer app is called "Ever Crack", I mean "Ever Quest", too bad it's owned by Sony :)
Seriously, if EverQuest could be ported to XBOX or PS2, people would flock in droves since the game might actually have a chance of being stable, fast, and hacker resistant.
This would be the killer app... It might even revive the tech economy.
Unreal Tournament is great. I bought the Xbox and Live just for Mechassault, but Unreal is the no. 1 game for me so far. A lot of people are talking about Ghost Recon too. And all this stuff would be just console games without real humans as opponents. Once the AI is eliminated and real intelligence (well, semi-) takes over the game gets a lot mroe interesting. The difference between the bots and the real players in Unreal is obvious, even if they havan't changed their player name from the default which the bots also use.
I'm 33, and expected to have trouble putting up with a bunch of kids screaming "I 0wn j00! OMG LOL ur so lame!!11!!!11111" - but it's not. Most people sound about my age. The funniest thing about Live is that the headset will pick up people in the room with you. So you can hear someone's mum come into the room and tell him to stop playing now, and listen to him whine "just finish this game oh please oh please" and she won't let him. Or in some cases it's the wife saying "we have to go NOW!"