Xbox Live: the terd Bill Gates will force you this Christmas

[mael]

Anybody heard of Xbox live?  While I've known about it for close to 8 months, I still get a kick with it everytime I hear of it.  I'll start off by giving some of the pros of it, and then the cons.

1.)  Speed. The xbox will only do broadband, and will cut out a lot of the laggy dialups that interfere a lot in games.  This will be good because it'll give everyone and their brother a chance in all games, and will reduce the "My ping time was crap, thats why I lost".

2.) Cost (first year).  Microsoft is planning on selling a startup kit that costs 50 dollars and comes with a headset, a pack in game, and 12 months of online gaming with the xbox.

3.) Simplicity.  Supposedly, the xbox will be so simple to connect and get going that all you'll have to do is connect a cable into the back of the machine and you are good to go.  Not only that, but everyone will have their own sheep tag, so finding a user should be easy.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I'll throw in some things that have me laughing at Xbox live.  I hope they give you as much as they've given me.

1.)  While Broadband only is the best for gamers that plan on playing their system online, it cuts out a significant number of people that can't even get BB.  In America it holds true in a lot of places, but what I'm really talking about is places like Europe that forecasteres have predicted won't even have 20% using BB by the year 2005.  
     The ps2, and gamecube reach the world in that it allows anyone with a telephone to play online, AND use BB.  I can't even imagine living in a country that won't have BB in your area for another 4 years, and seeing a plethora of online xbox games that I wouldn't even be able to use.  
     While the idea of "No lag" games is great, its extremely unrealistic.  How many more people will jump onto the gc/ps2 bandwagon when they find out they won't be able to use the xbox's key feature in their area for another 5 years?  While lag sucks, its far, far better then nothing at all.
2.) Cost.  While the whole idea of paying only 49.95 is great because you get a years play, along with a game and headset, you sell your soul past that.  Just like getting 400 dollars off your next computer at Circuit city for signing up for MSN, you'll sign yourself into a 2-3 year contract of 10 bucks a month.  And thats for service alone.  
    Let's say you decide you can't afford broadband, or find you don't want it anymore.  While you can get rid of BB, you CAN'T get rid of Xbox live.  You'll be paying that 10 bucks a month till your time is up.  In short, Microsoft will have you by the short hairs.
    3.)  Want to surf the internet?  Tough!  The Head set I've been talking about is the only way you can interact over the internet.  So now we've bought our starter kit, got our cable/dsl service going, but wait, I can't even use it to surf the internet?
    Thats right, Microsoft doesn't want you to be able to use a KB or Mouse on their machine.  Why?        The answer is crystal clear.  How many people are going to go out and buy a new computer or OS when they can do all of their internet stuff on one machine that they CAN'T upgrade an OS on?  We all know that there's a watered down Win2k kernel inside the xbox, so it is possible to surf the internet.
    So where does that leave us?  Now, not only will we need to sign our life away, but we'll need to either pay for a second ip and install for our computers, or we'll have to invest in a router or hub (with cable we'd have to buy another IP for that hub).
    Now, I'm a big gamer, but I also like to surf the internet, check my mail and chat occasionally.  Microsoft has said a hefty No-No to that.
    Think seeing people whine about getting fragged or have 10 year olds chew you out with text was bad?  Now imagine hearing them over the internet.  I can just imagine getting chewed out by a parent for using bad language, or playing their son in a gruesome game.
    How many of you enjoy using your kb and mouse for gaming?  The xbox is basically a computer which adopts many pc gamers.  Because of Xbox Live, you won't be using a mouse or kb on the machine.
4.) No EA support.  Electrocic Arts (the largest 3rd party gaming software company) has refused to allow their online games for xbox live.  With Xbox Live they run their own servers, so all money that comes in goes to Microsoft.  How many companys are going to want to make updates for bug fixes, or addons when Microsoft is the one making the money in the end?  Ea won't be publishing Madden for Xbox live, they've chosen to stick with PS2 and gamecube where they'll be able to make money off their games, on their servers, after sales.

--

There are more, but its getting late for me and I have work in a few hours.  I'll see what kind of responses I get and add more as I remember them.  Microsoft seems to think they are invincible, but Xbox live, beyond the hype, will cost more in the end then the others, in my opinion.

Opinions?

[Crunchy(Cracked)Butter]

I wouldn't buy one anyway, its interesting what you said tho.
In england we have "just" got our 1 millionth bb user and uptake is still slow.  Ms has even mentioned this being a major factor for the country not doing well with e-commerce and whatever.  I doubt only ppl in capital cities will be able to play it and not very many either.

[TLS]

well you have some good pros and cons however the GameCube is in no way going to have a chance to compete with the xbox and ps2. Lack of games and seems Nintendo is not pushing the online play since gc is targeted to kids mostly. The xbox is going to have great online play(the games are killer)no matter the cost or other distractions like you can't surf while your on(btw can't you hook a router up and do that?)

[psyjax]

quote:Originally posted by TLS:
the games are killer

The killer games are ports of PC games!

BAH...

Give me a PS2 anyday.

And Animal Crossing is insanely cool on GameCube, multi-player or not.

[cloudstrife]

quote:Originally posted by TLS:
(btw can't you hook a router up and do that?)

No, what would a router have to do with surfing?  The only way you can surf is if M$ gives you a browser OR if you *INSTALL A MOD-CHIP* and then install xbox-linux.

[mael]

quote:Originally posted by psyjax:

And Animal Crossing is insanely cool on GameCube, multi-player or not.

Egad!  An Animal Crossing fan!!  The game is incredibly addicting, is it not?

TLS: Online gaming has never proved a thing for console gaming.  It failed for the Dreamcast and I have my doubts that it will ever be as big as what everyone thinks it will be.  I might be wrong, and if I am, I'll admit it.  

My thought is that computer online gaming will always be big because not ONLY can you play video games over the internet, but you can do all the other great things the internet offers.  Paying 30-40 dollars a month to play games seems insanely rediculus.  If anyone has it right, I think its sony who offers an os for their system.

Yes, you can buy a router/hub, but that is extra money and knowledge then most game geeks are really going to get into.  You have to remember that most average Joe blow game consumers aren't going to buy cat 5 wires long enough to reach to their pc and to their console, along with a router (although I guess they could get a wireless).  

I doubt anyone out there smart enough to order cable are going to want to just play games with it, and unless you are a hardcore gamer, I can't imagine anyone willing to throw down close to 40-50 dollars a month for a couple of hours of gaming a day.

I will admit that the 50 dollars for a year, along with a headset and a game is pretty enticing, but one also must remember the $360-480 for cable, 70+ for the router, and all the cat 5 wires (not to mention they'll sucker you into selling your soul for a number of years).  One of the biggest arguments against console perphials is that most addons fail.

As for your "Lack of games", I find that a joke.  By christmas this year there will be 100+ games for the gamecube.  With Mario, Metroid, Star fox, RE: 1,2, Eternal Darkness, Animal Crossing (joy!), and a bunch of other established favorites, I'll fight tooth and nail over the xbox having a better hand over the big N.  Franchises are where the sales are.

[TLS]

quote: No, what would a router have to do with surfing?

it shares the data between seperate computers allowing to go online seperately in this case xbox and ps2. shiggy I guess it depends on the person I myself aren't much of a hardcore gamer but I would like to play online for the fun of it. As for the 'Lack of Games' I mean lack of online games, sorry should have cleared that up. Only time will tell if online console gaming will suceed or be a bust like Dreamcast.

[cloudstrife]

Ahh, sorry, my bad!! i thought you meant that the router would enable your XBOX to surf the web.

         

[TLS]

lol no problem, I wish it could do that  

[mael]

quote:Originally posted by TLS:
lol no problem, I wish it could do that    

My favorite use is a boat anchor.

[ravuya]

Animal Crossing is a fiiiine game. It's surprising how addicted I am to it.

[cloudstrife]

argghh! i want animal crossing so bad!! i went to target but it was SOLD OUT!!

[enigma]

X-box will charge you to play on there servers? thats... gay... but on a more sane note, how would you host a ps2 online server? i wonder if you can do that through the computer.. or do you think you can use a ps2 emulator on the computer to play multiplayer games? or will the servers use kind of a mac-address authorization system? i dunno, either way, PS2 beats the shit out of GC and X-Box ANY DAY! Vice City is the best game, ive heard. it sold over 1 mil copies the first day and 1 mil is awsome for a game to sell that many in a games lifetime....

[Fett101]

quote:Originally posted by Got Root?:
or do you think you can use a ps2 emulator on the computer to play multiplayer games?

No PS2 emulators (that I know of) that far developed yet.

 

quote:[qb]either way, PS2 beats the shit out of GC and X-Box ANY DAY![qb]

eh...

[lazygamer]

Animal crossing=Hey cool! We get to play a tiger warrior who goes on covert missions against an enemy civilization, and then must come home and deal with reproduction, home renovation, his family being idiotic, and that elusive panther hooker downtown that keeps luring him! Oh wait, we mean we don't get the military background? Aw damn. WTF?! You mean the hooker, reproduction and family problems are out cuz it's G rated? Nuff said.  

[ November 13, 2002: Message edited by: lazygamer ]