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MS Expects Half of All 360 Owners To Use Live
Gamespot is reporting that Xbox chief officer Robbie Bach expects half of all Xbox 360 owners to use the Live service. From the article: "Bach confirmed that currently, only 10 percent of Xbox owners--some 2 million users--subscribe to Xbox Live. With the addition of the free 'Silver' version of Xbox Live, Bach believes that about 50 percent of the console's owners will go online via the 360. However, they will still have to pay to play games online via the new Xbox Live Gold."
When you consider that Xbox Live Silver will be free, will have barely any features, and will likely be forced down people's throats. Though I guess some of that expectation can be attributed to increased utility withing Xbox Live itself and more people with broadband.
"This is considered plagiarism."
What can you do with Xbox Live Silver? Download more content? I don't really understand what the incentive is for companies to release free downloadable content. I mean, they've already got your money. Seems like the smart thing to do would be to save any new content you create and release an updated or director's cut version later, or adopt the EA model and if the game is successful, just start releasing it every year with very small changes. Paid downloadable content makes sense, at least, but I don't see how big a part of the 360 strategy that is. The important number for Microsoft should be how many more people can they get to pay for Xbox Gold, especially if the price is going up compared to current Xbox Live rates.
That's one harsh console.
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
I don't think lawsuits are what Nintendo is afraid of - they're afraid of a bad user experience for the new gamers they're trying to usher in.
If you've played online on Live or PS2, you'll understand. The language, while offensive, is nothing compared to the childishness, the racism, the homophobia, the sexual harrasment... Imagine being in High School, except everyone is anonymous and thus can't be held accountable for anything they say. (cf. John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory) I'm a hardcore gamer, not easily offended, and *I* certainly don't want to play with voice chat in SOCOM or BattleField. It's like swimming in the raw sewage of humanity.
If your last gaming experience was Super Mario Bros. 3, and you're enticed back in to gaming when you have kids, a wife, and a mortgage, you don't want to be called a mexican jew lizard in Mario Kart by some 14-year-old in Alabama. You might not sue over it, but you're sure not going to play online any more, regardless of whether you were warned or not.
I yearn for you tragically. A. T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army.