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"Xbox LIVE facts"

Taken from : http://www.msxbox-world.com/

"Xbox Live will allow gamers to play multiplayer Xbox games with other gamers everywhere on the Internet via a broadband connection. With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the Xbox console was built from the ground up to be an online gaming system so there’s no need to buy additional peripherals or upgrade the console.

Xbox Live will enable all gamers to find their friends easily; talk to other players during game play through the Xbox Communicator headset; download current statistics, new levels and characters to their Xbox hard drive; and play online.

Xbox Live Availability:

Xbox Live launches in North America, Japan and Europe this fall for the Xbox video game system and ramps up with consumer beta programs starting this summer.

Xbox Live Requirements:

To play Xbox Live, gamers need an Xbox, an online-enabled game available at retail; a broadband connection (available from any broadband service provider); and the Xbox Live Starter Kit , which will be available at launch. The Starter Kit includes a year’s subscription to Xbox Live, an Xbox Communicator that plugs into the Xbox controller and facilitates all voice communication with other players, and some fun pack-in games.

Pricing:

In the United States, the Starter Kit will be available for $49.95. For the estimated retail price of a single game, gamers receive a year's subscription to Xbox Live, an Xbox Communicator that plugs into the Xbox controller and facilitates all voice communication with other players, and some fun pack-in games.

In Japan, the retail asking price of the Starter Kit is 6,800 yen, comparable to the price of one game title. The Starter Kit includes a year’s subscription to the service, an Xbox Voice Communicator, Phantasy Star Online and some pack-in games.

Pricing and specific offers in Europe will be announced locally at a later date.

Portfolio:

Xbox Live will initially support four Xbox Live-exclusive games including: "Unreal Championship" (Infogrames, Inc.); and "MechAssault™," "Whacked!™," and "NFL Fever 2003" (Microsoft Game Studios).

Other upcoming Xbox Live titles include "Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder™ 2" from Activision, Inc.; "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon™," "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six™ RavenShield™" and "XIII" from Ubi Soft® Entertainment; and "SEGA Sports™ NFL 2K3," "SEGA Sports™ NBA 2K3" and "Phantasy Star™ Online" from SEGA® of America, Inc.

Worldwide, Xbox has 60 companies committed to developing more than 50 Xbox Live games by the end of next year. Xbox Live has incredible support from our partners around the world. In Japan, 40 publishers are planning to bring 47 Xbox Live titles to market.

Xbox Live Service:

With its service approach, Xbox Live will deliver the most seamless, easy-to-use and consistent online gaming environment for gamers, developers and publishers alike.

It was designed by gamers for gamers and includes features such as delivery of real-time scores and statistics so gamers can compare themselves to the best players in the world; quick and easy game launches; fast downloads; the ability to find friends online across games with only one click; and the ability to maintain a single identity across all games with a single password.

Microsoft is building four data centers — in Seattle and Tukwila, Wash., Tokyo and London — in order to run a scalable, secure and gamer-friendly service. Xbox will assist publishers by managing the hosting, networking, security and billing so that game creators can focus on creating awesome game content.

Xbox Live Key Features:

• Gamertag. Gamertag is a gamer's unique online ID for all games across the global gaming service.

• Friends list. This feature allows gamers to find friends online and invite them to a game — no matter which Xbox Live game they're playing.

• Xbox Communicator. Voice communication is integrated with all Xbox Live multiplayer games and enables voice interaction with teammates and opponents. Key elements of this feature exclusive to Xbox include voice masking, global muting and parental control.

• Matchmaking. QuickMatch enables players to enter a multiplay experience with a single button-click, and OptiMatch, an Xbox Live exclusive, helps them select games and opponents based on similar skill levels.

• High-speed content downloads to the Xbox hard disk. Only Xbox offers console gamers the ability to download and permanently store both free and for-a-fee content that can include new levels, characters, missions and statistics."

I think you just get one chucked in. Re-volt i think.

Xbox Live is going to come with a game according to the American Xbox site but as of yet I don't know what they mean by this. Does it mean they choose the game, is it one just for Xbox Live? Or is it going to be one of the many Xbox Live launch titles that you can choose in store? All should be revealed over the next few months.

Microsoft said it'd be about the price of a game for Xbox Live.

going by the estimated costs tis mean we should be paying about £40-£50?

if so then that sounds a bargin. wonder if they'll do an online x box pack as i might get that hehe

still i can't be bothered to talk much about it as i can't wait. i play online already with my pc but to play halp and the like online will be cool

So far I think the games that are looking good as far as a clan goes are Unreal Championship, Halo 2 (of course), Mech Assault, Counter Strike and Ghost Recon. Maybe we can look at the possibilities on Star Wars: Galaxies as well. :-)

Yeah that'd be awesome, except we'll have to wait until xmas 2003....

Would'nt it be REALLY good if Bungie released a downloadable patch for Halo so it would work with Xbox Live, just like all the other Xbox Live games.

especially*

Yeah, that sounds like a cool idea. We could do it for other games too, especiall Halo 2 :).

Savvat mentioned we start an SR forums clan type thing on Unreal.

I am going to get this as soon as I get broadband back again (which should be christmas time) and then I'm going to whip you all on Unreal Championship and especially YH on PGR2 :D ,whilst sounding like mickey mouse.