The Xbox Live FAQ

The Xbox Live FAQ
Read this, and you'll know everything we know about Xbox Live.

June 05, 2002 - Below we present our accumulation of information on Xbox Live, the online gaming service for the Xbox videogame console. From the very beginning, Microsoft designed the Xbox to lead the way in the online console gaming revolution the company believes is right around the corner. The lofty idea behind Xbox Live is to take the guaranteed fun of multiplayer gaming and reproduce it on a global scale over a high speed internet connection. A successful and comprehensive online program is intended to be Microsoft's contribution, via Xbox, to the videogame console market in the same way Sony and Nintendo made 3D gaming the standard a few years ago.
In the words of Xbox General Manager J Allard, this new "worldwide sofa" can only work if it's easily accessible, totally secure and completely reliable. Microsoft, drawing on its considerable experience and resources as a software giant, is investing tremendous amounts of money to create a centralized service and physical network that will serve the needs of consumers, videogame publishers and developers, broadband service providers and retailers.

This FAQ will be updated regularly up to and through the launch of the service in the Fall of 2002. All information included here is presented as true and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publish and is subject to change as details of Xbox Live become more clear.



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What is Xbox Live?

It's Microsoft's online service that will enable Xbox owners to play games online through a broadband connection that was unveiled at E3 2002. Gamers will need to have existing broadband service to access Xbox Live with the idea that the most powerful gaming console shouldn't be constrained by the limits of dial up connections.

Online gaming is intended to be the defining characteristic of the Xbox console itself and Xbox Live is the complementary piece of the puzzle to unlock the system's potential.

When will Xbox Live be available?

Originally scheduled for the Summer of 2002, Xbox Live is now expected to launch in Fall of 2002. A more precise date is hard to come by, but conventional wisdom points to a September release since NFL Fever 2003, one of the first Xbox Live compatible games, is scheduled to release in time for the kickoff of the NFL's 2002 season.

How much will Xbox Live cost?

For $49.99 gamers will receive the Xbox Live Starter Kit. The Starter Kit includes 12 months of Xbox Live service (NOT broadband service), a Voice Communicator Headset and a starter disc. This disc will allow users to register for the service through their Xboxes and will come with at least one demo/minigame (Acclaim's Re-Volt is the early favorite) that users will be able to play online. This disc will also contain the software that will unlock all of the, to this point, dormant online gaming capabilities of the Xbox.

Pricing plans beyond the $49.99 for 12 months hasn't been revealed yet by Microsoft. The company is comfortable with a 9.95/month value for the service, but this hasn't been translated into any long term pricing.





What is the disc in the Starter Kit going to give me?

In essence the starter disc is going to unlock all of the online gaming potential of your Xbox. In a strange way, connecting consoles to actually play games online is actually one of the easier things to do, as evidenced by the Sega Dreamcast. It's the handful of features that have sprung up around connecting gamers that make Xbox Live unique.

Single User Identity - The user ID you create for your Xbox Live is the ultimate tracking, security and gaming key for the system. It will identify you and to some extent your Xbox to the Xbox Live system and grant you access to any and all games, services and future services that Microsoft might come up with. Basic applications for the user ID will be stat tracking and gaming profiles where you favorite character or car is automatically selected when you load up a game. The gaming profile will also be used to pit similarly skilled players against each other, but more on that later.

This username and ID are permanent but there's still the potential for specific in-game "handles" and nicknames if a company makes a game that supports it. You can sign up for another user ID but that means opening another Xbox Live account to go with it. If you have four Xbox gamers in the house and they each want their own XBL ID then somebody is going to have to spend that $49.99 for each of them.

The data collected from your profile when you register is stored securely in the system and could conceivably be used for everything from downloadable character skins in an RPG to realistic weather conditions in your part of the country in a racing game to anything else developers can come up with. Microsoft will only require a minimal amount of information for billing purposes (name, address, email, etc.), but the potential for game-makers to collect additional information that will be tied to your user ID and find cool applications for that info is only limited by the imagination.

Your password will be a series of button pushes and registers on your Xbox controller and will be forever tied to your user ID. Your Xbox Live account will be tied to the Xbox that you use to first register but your ID can be transferred to your 8MB memory unit for portability to another Xbox. You can have four players playing online on the same Xbox, but at least one of the users will need to have an active Xbox Live account. Unregistered players will be considered guests and won't have access to voice communication.

Buddy Tracking - A type of "Buddy List" will allow players to keep track of friends that they've identified whenever any of them are online. The most practical application, as it is with most instant messaging services, is to send invites to your buddies to join you in whatever game you're playing and vice versa. You will have to swap discs to go from, say Midtown Madness 3 to Unreal Championship. Game developers will determine how the invites across different games are presented. Microsoft has mentioned such wild ideas as TV timeout being called during a football game so that an invite from a buddy might be presented without breaking his/her concentration during a play.

Voice - There will be no keyboard and mouse for Xbox Live, so the Voice Communicator will be the only mean of communicating, chatting and getting your point across while gaming online. This means that every Xbox Live game will be Voice Communicator compatible. It's not clear if Xbox Live is broadband because Microsoft wanted to include voice or if Microsoft is including voice because XBL will be broadband, but using the Voice Communicator is an absolute requirement for all game publishers.





The Communicator includes an adapter that plugs into the top slot, and only the top slot, of the Xbox controller and comes with volume control and a mute button. The headset features one headphone/microphone unit on one ear and a headband to hold it in place. It can be worn on either ear and the audio quality is comparable to what you might hear over a digital mobile phone.

The Voice Communicator will allow for voice masking so gamers can't protect their privacy. Your spoken words can be masked by the vocal tones of robots, evil super villains, little girls, munchkins and all kinds of real and fictional characters will all be reproduced over Xbox Live. Those are just some of the predetermined voices we've heard, but many games will allow you to create custom voices using sliders to adjust different tones. You don't have to use the voice masking but if being something you're not isn't a major part of being online then we don't know what is.

Matchmaking - The truth is some people may not have friends online, so finding folks to play against will a priority for Xbox Live player and it's all done within the game. This is part of the "keep simple" mantra of the entire system. Once you're signed up for the service the intention is that you're no more than four or five button pushes away from gaming. The Quick Match matchmaking feature should be that fifth push. This will, quite simply, put you right into the first available game that meets certain ping criteria (again more on that later) after you've selected your character, vehicle, etc.

The Opti Match mode is the one that'll put your user ID to greatest use. Xbox Live will take a look at your ID info and, depending on the game, will show you sessions made up of players of similar skill levels. Not only that but sorting games to find the lowest ping will be a thing of the past. Xbox Live handles all of this on your behalf when it comes to matchmaking so that all the options presented to you automatically have the optimal latency. Players using the Opti Match feature will likely be matched against other Xbox Live players in the same region to keep games moving briskly.

To play against players of higher or lower skill levels or to battle people regardless of where they may be making friends and using your Buddy List will be the answer.

Content Downloads - Microsoft may have just missed doing it in the 20th century but it's through Xbox Live that we'll finally have downloadable, interactive content through a set-top box. That's what those 50,000 blocks of hard drive space will be used for, even though Microsoft has announced no specific plans for the first downloadable pieces of content. Roster updates for sports games, fresh outfits and brand new sponsored racetracks, skateparks or even stadiums are all bright ideas that we could see soon thanks to Xbox Live. The key here is that Microsoft will host the downloadable content at no charge to the game publishers. This means that companies like EA or Ubi Soft, freed from the burden of bandwidth costs might compelled to offer new content for cheap and/or free. Episodic content and uploadable content from Xbox users are also possibilities where the logistics simply have to be worked out.

What games will be available on Xbox Live?



Microsoft has unveiled a preliminary list of games that will launch Xbox Live. It's very likely that this list will change but all of these titles were featured prominently at E3 2002:


Unreal Championship
Midtown Madness 3
NFL Fever 2003
Phantasy Star Online 1 & 2
Whacked!
MechAssault
Microsoft is promising 12 titles in the first 12 weeks of Xbox Live's existence, a number that includes the games mentioned above. This also suggests a not-later-than September 30 launch date for the service if those 12 weeks are in fact the last weeks of 2002.





Beyond the schedule of launch games there many many more Xbox Live compatible games in the works from both third parties and Microsoft Game Studios. Here are some of the higher profile titles:


ToeJam & Earl 3: All Funked Up
Ghost Recon
Shayde: Monsters vs. Humans
NFL 2K3
Rayman Arena
Armada 2
NCAA College Basketball 2K3
Rainbow Six: Ravens Shield
Tetris Worlds
Timesplitters 2
Lamborghini
MX Superfly
XIII
NBA 2K3
Counter-Strike
Star Wars Galaxies
Amped Xbox Live
Halo Xbox Live
Rallisport Challenge Xbox Live
Project Gotham Racing Xbox Live
Whether Halo and Project Gotham Racing will receive traditional sequels that will be XBL compatible or if the versions currently available will be receiving online upgrades isn't clear at this point.

All Xbox Live games will be prominently branded as such so as to set them apart with the Xbox's current library of non-online games. The "LIVE" will be bright orange and should work well with the bright Xbox green we're all familiar with.

How long will Microsoft be supporting Xbox Live?

The short answer to that is: until it dominates like Windows. Microsoft has set modest goals for the service early on but the company fully expects Xbox Live to catch fire in the very near future. Allard has used the phrase "tens of thousands" to describe the number of subscribers Xbox Live needs in 2002 to be considered a successful launch. By definition this means anywhere from 20,000 all the way up to 90,000 paid subscribers to the service. The phrase "hundreds of thousands" was used to describe the number of subscribers expected in 2003. Again anywhere from 200,000 to 900,000 Xbox Live users would make Microsoft happy. However, it's the 10 million Xbox Live subscribers by the end of 2007 the company expects that should raise a few eyebrows. This timeframe invariably would put us into the next generation of videogame consoles (from one manufacturer or another), and would mean growing the current Xbox's intalled user base considerably.

When will we learn more details on Xbox Live?

Expect healthy doses of information and announcements to come around August of 2002 as Microsoft looks to get the publicity ball rolling in time for the Fall launch of the service.

Obviously there are still some questions to be answered in regards to Xbox Live. Discounts, bundles and other incentives haven't been announced nor have any strategic partnerships with broadband service providers. A powerhouse company like Microsoft has a nearly limitless roster of partners that can be leveraged in several ways to get Xbox Live into homes. We'll be keeping you updated on xbox.ign.com and in this ever-growing, ever evolving Xbox Live FAQ.

Your killin' me over here, thanks for the post ...wiping drool off self:eek:

That sucks big time. It ought to be per box, not per person. That means that if my wife and I wanted to play in the same online game, we'd each have to pay the $49.99. That's going to HURT!! And think about the families with kids....

ouch.

I'm the only one in my house who plays video games so this will be great.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Batman2372
That sucks big time. It ought to be per box, not per person. That means that if my wife and I wanted to play in the same online game, we'd each have to pay the $49.99. That's going to HURT!! And think about the families with kids....

ouch.

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Did you not read what was written? Four people can still play on one xbox with one account. 50 dollars is also for a year subscription. After that it will drop to 10 a month or so per account.

Lol...hey Batman, next time read the whole thing if you wanna find the correct info.


Untill next time...:mad:

Wow Wow Wow, i am confused here. This is making no sence. Like, how will they know if someone is using your account? And what if your friend came over? Could they still play online?

Yep, it is better to read it first. Scratch that last post.

its funny how this got posted after i posted all this info..
do u not read the front page?!

lol

peace

I POSTED THIS FIRST!!< BEFORE YESTERDAY!!

YOU POSTED AFTER ME< HUST LOOK AT THE TIME!!!

You should pay attention more!

YOU: 06-06-2002 06:21 PM
ME: 06-06-2002 06:00 PM

oh well..
u mustve been writing yours when i started mine..
plus..i didnt even see yours at all..
so wateva

peace

Quote:

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If you have four Xbox gamers in the house and they each want their own XBL ID then somebody is going to have to spend that $49.99 for each of them.

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I take that to mean if my wife and I want to play AT THE SAME TIME, we'll need different ID's, hence, the $50 per person.

I read the article, yall need to chill out a little and not bite people's heads off so hastily. If I misinterpreted this statement, so be it. That doesn't mean you have to be nasty about it.

Quote:

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You can have four players playing online on the same Xbox, but at least one of the users will need to have an active Xbox Live account. Unregistered players will be considered guests and won't have access to voice communication.

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So, you and your wife can both play online, only ONE of you will be able to use the Xbox Communicator.

Only YOU will need one Xbox Live account, to allow 4 players to play online. 1 member, 3 guests. So, it's only $49.99 per player IF you want to give your wife the ability to use the Xbox Communicator. If you're still having trouble understanding let us know.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Batman2372


I take that to mean if my wife and I want to play AT THE SAME TIME, we'll need different ID's, hence, the $50 per person.

I read the article, yall need to chill out a little and not bite people's heads off so hastily. If I misinterpreted this statement, so be it. That doesn't mean you have to be nasty about it.

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Hmm..i see what you mean Batman, the statement was kinda difficult to get the first time around if you look at it the wrong way..but if you and your wife wish to play XBL at the same time, all you need to do is hand her your second controller. Now if you both wanted to play XBL at the same time on seperate XBOXes then you both would have to pay for 2 different accounts. I would highly doubt that one would vie for that.


Untill next time...:mad:

Quote:

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Originally posted by an0nym0u5


So, you and your wife can both play online, only ONE of you will be able to use the Xbox Communicator.

Only YOU will need one Xbox Live account, to allow 4 players to play online. 1 member, 3 guests. So, it's only $49.99 per player IF you want to give your wife the ability to use the Xbox Communicator. If you're still having trouble understanding let us know.

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See, that's what I'm saying. Why wouldn't my wife want to be using the communicator as well? Sure, without the communicator she could talk to me when we were both online, but she couldn't communicate with anyone else. I wouldn't mind buying another communicator for her. I just bothers me that for us both to have to pay $50 for the year so that we can both be online and using our own communicator over the same box. Surely they'll come out with some deal for family use.

Maybe I'm still confused.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Batman2372


See, that's what I'm saying. Why wouldn't my wife want to be using the communicator as well? Sure, without the communicator she could talk to me when we were both online, but she couldn't communicate with anyone else. I wouldn't mind buying another communicator for her. I just bothers me that for us both to have to pay $50 for the year so that we can both be online and using our own communicator over the same box. Surely they'll come out with some deal for family use.

Maybe I'm still confused.

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Nah, ur not confused, if you end up spending an additional $50 for your wife, you've just helped Microsoft earn money:-P. So, basically IMO, it's just an extra way to earn more money for Microsoft.

Quote:

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Originally posted by an0nym0u5


Nah, ur not confused, if you end up spending an additional $50 for your wife, you've just helped Microsoft earn money:-P. So, basically IMO, it's just an extra way to earn more money for Microsoft.

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hmm...
oh well..
im only buying 1 communicator..
hehe

peace