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Microsoft is going with broadband only XBoxLive service. Under this system, you must have access to a broadband network of some kind, and pay Microsoft a monthly fee. The electronics are already in the XBox, but you will still need a cross over cable - depending on which type of broadband you have (ie, ADSL phone line). You may also need extra software loaded onto the XBox hard disc.
Sony has a device which contains broadband, analogue, and hard disc which fits into the back of the PS2. Like XBox, you can connect via various types of broadband using an appropriate lead. But the analogue 56k also means that you can use it on a normal analogue phone socket. This would be lots slower, but it might be good enough for slow moving games (SimCity, etc) and things like email and web access. There is no monthly charge using the Sony system.
So where does this leave us? In the UK, broadband is limited to just a few lucky area's. Anyone who claims otherwise has not seen the official BT broadband map. ADSL (broadband) has to be the main method of getting broadband in the UK since Cable networks cover very few area's. On the map, ADSL ON exchanges are marked green, while non-adsl is white. There are only pockets of green on the map, and it will be years before even half the UK gets it. So XBox Live will be a very limited product here, if they even release it in the UK. PS2 broadband will suffer the same. Only the analogue support on the PS2 will work everywhere - but this will not bring about the Online revolution because it's slow and unreliable. In the USA, it could be a different story - many area's get broadband along with their Cable tv network, which is a lot more popular then in the UK.
Sony has a device which contains broadband, analogue, and hard disc which fits into the back of the PS2. Like XBox, you can connect via various types of broadband using an appropriate lead. But the analogue 56k also means that you can use it on a normal analogue phone socket. This would be lots slower, but it might be good enough for slow moving games (SimCity, etc) and things like email and web access. There is no monthly charge using the Sony system.
So where does this leave us? In the UK, broadband is limited to just a few lucky area's. Anyone who claims otherwise has not seen the official BT broadband map. ADSL (broadband) has to be the main method of getting broadband in the UK since Cable networks cover very few area's. On the map, ADSL ON exchanges are marked green, while non-adsl is white. There are only pockets of green on the map, and it will be years before even half the UK gets it. So XBox Live will be a very limited product here, if they even release it in the UK. PS2 broadband will suffer the same. Only the analogue support on the PS2 will work everywhere - but this will not bring about the Online revolution because it's slow and unreliable. In the USA, it could be a different story - many area's get broadband along with their Cable tv network, which is a lot more popular then in the UK.
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phi11ip - i was getting at cost to the customer. Sign up, subscription, etc. In any case, i takes more than a couple of servers and half a dozen people to run a service - even for a system to match the XBox capacity in the UK. This is serious hardware and software stuff. Backup servers, switches, firewalls, it's a big job.
Dave RJR wrote:
> What's that, only about 20% of XBox users have Broadband. Is that just
> UK, or worldwide? If it's UK numbers, then Bill may not even release
> XBox Live here. There simply would not be enough users to justify it.
> It also indicates, that even where people can get broadband, it
> doesn't automatically mean they are using it. Other issue also play a
> part, like cost.
IT won't cost that much for MS to release it here. All they need are a few central servers to keep it running.
If people won't get BB then there's no point in releasing anything!
I'll say again, modem gaming will annoy people and just make them waste their money...
Fanboy!
> What's that, only about 20% of XBox users have Broadband. Is that just
> UK, or worldwide? If it's UK numbers, then Bill may not even release
> XBox Live here. There simply would not be enough users to justify it.
> It also indicates, that even where people can get broadband, it
> doesn't automatically mean they are using it. Other issue also play a
> part, like cost.
IT won't cost that much for MS to release it here. All they need are a few central servers to keep it running.
If people won't get BB then there's no point in releasing anything!
I'll say again, modem gaming will annoy people and just make them waste their money...
Fanboy!
What's that, only about 20% of XBox users have Broadband. Is that just UK, or worldwide? If it's UK numbers, then Bill may not even release XBox Live here. There simply would not be enough users to justify it. It also indicates, that even where people can get broadband, it doesn't automatically mean they are using it. Other issue also play a part, like cost.
I think the Sony Online pack has broadband, analogue 56k, and combined with a hard disc - so if you go on line with a ps2, you would automatically have a hard disc as well.
*However, wasn't there some talk about the UK PS2 Online pack NOT having analogue 56k (ie, broadband would be a requirement in a country that has almost zero broadband coverage).
*However, wasn't there some talk about the UK PS2 Online pack NOT having analogue 56k (ie, broadband would be a requirement in a country that has almost zero broadband coverage).
El blokey wrote:
> Especially considering only about 20% of XBOX users have BB. Way to
> go, MS!
It's better than having a network full of slow modems!
> Having people to play against is better. There will be many more PS2
> online users than XBOX ones for sure, when you see how many more units
> they have shifted and how many network adapters they have sold in
> Japan and America compared to Microsoft.
But allowing Modem users is stupid, people will hate it. You will waste your money on the HD and find out that playing over a modem is absolute crap!
> By the way, there ARE games that have broadband specific options, or
> some games that are broadband only (like SOCOM).
>
> So try not to be an idiot next time you post.
Idiot?
You really think that modem gaming will be good!?!
It's a waste of money and time for people who want to use it...
You need BB to enjoy games online properly. There maybe a few games that are OK, like the worms series where you take turns but apart from that, everything else is crap!
> Especially considering only about 20% of XBOX users have BB. Way to
> go, MS!
It's better than having a network full of slow modems!
> Having people to play against is better. There will be many more PS2
> online users than XBOX ones for sure, when you see how many more units
> they have shifted and how many network adapters they have sold in
> Japan and America compared to Microsoft.
But allowing Modem users is stupid, people will hate it. You will waste your money on the HD and find out that playing over a modem is absolute crap!
> By the way, there ARE games that have broadband specific options, or
> some games that are broadband only (like SOCOM).
>
> So try not to be an idiot next time you post.
Idiot?
You really think that modem gaming will be good!?!
It's a waste of money and time for people who want to use it...
You need BB to enjoy games online properly. There maybe a few games that are OK, like the worms series where you take turns but apart from that, everything else is crap!
Mr Ripper wrote:
> Either that, or the mother of all memory cards!
chortle... Since they are also intending to release enhancement disks with Space Travel, more classes, races, etc.. at regular intervials, surely they wont suffer PS2 owners constant DVD swapping?
> Either that, or the mother of all memory cards!
chortle... Since they are also intending to release enhancement disks with Space Travel, more classes, races, etc.. at regular intervials, surely they wont suffer PS2 owners constant DVD swapping?
Armatige Shanks wrote:
> Also if they enhance/add characters objects to the game, you'll need a
> HDD to store it all?
Either that, or the mother of all memory cards!
> Also if they enhance/add characters objects to the game, you'll need a
> HDD to store it all?
Either that, or the mother of all memory cards!
gerrid wrote:
> Dreamcast didn't have a HDD, and that worked fine. Although, I think
> that online gaming is boring.
But did it have any MMOLRPG type games... BIG adventure types?
I understand Sony are intending to release Star Wars Galaxcies for the PS2... games of this nature invariably require tuing and upgrades before they get everything right, which themselves will required patches, faxes, and rule changes...
Also if they enhance/add characters objects to the game, you'll need a HDD to store it all?
I just wondered :)
> Dreamcast didn't have a HDD, and that worked fine. Although, I think
> that online gaming is boring.
But did it have any MMOLRPG type games... BIG adventure types?
I understand Sony are intending to release Star Wars Galaxcies for the PS2... games of this nature invariably require tuing and upgrades before they get everything right, which themselves will required patches, faxes, and rule changes...
Also if they enhance/add characters objects to the game, you'll need a HDD to store it all?
I just wondered :)
heh, a PS2 HDD will probably be only 20GB at 5600 rpm, and will probably cost about £120.
A complete rip-off.
A complete rip-off.
Dreamcast didn't have a HDD, and that worked fine. Although, I think that online gaming is boring.
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