Microsoft Live Details in!!

[XboxGamers]

http://www.evilavatar.com/EA/News/M38431/

Later today Microsoft will announced Microsoft Live the online gaming service for the Microsoft Xbox. My friendly neighborhood Xbox sources have sent along a rundown of the features of this service:

Broadband only. (Cable or DSL)

Customer is responsible for broadband connection separately.

To be called Microsoft Live.

Pay for play -- monthly fee TBD, though ~$10 seems likely.

Alpha testing (stress testing the system) begins in July w/
10,000 "hardcore" gamers.

Testing expands with the release of NFL Fever 2003. Buyers will be offered the chance to test the MS Live system. Test adds 20,000 more users to the network.

Full retail rollout on late Oct/Nov.
Retail packing will be with the Microsoft Communicator, a headset w/ mic that hooks into controller. $49.99 will include a 12 month subscription to MS Live.

Only one fee per month, not by game.

Need 1 game per machine.

Will have specialized downloads available. (i.e. Football roster updates, etc.)

No "entire game" downloads.

Expect 5-8 1st and 3rd party games at rollout.

50,000 users through holiday 2002.

250,000 through holiday 2003.

[Xtopia]

Cool!

I did not think E3 started till tommorow?

[Xbox Owner]

Originally posted by Xtopia
Cool!

I did not think E3 started till tommorow?

Yeah, that is what I thought. Regarding Xbox Live, I have to get broadband still.

[dave_m123]

Cool info

$49.99 sounds reasonable for the communicator plus 12 months subscription.

Is there info for when it launches in europe?

[Ninja Scroll]

Originally posted by Xtopia
Cool!

I did not think E3 started till tommorow?

Yeah, me too!

Anyways, i think da only thing that will hurt Xbox Live is that it is Broadband exclusive, so the growing proccess for the online feature will be slow.
Dial-up is sooo mainstream it's unbelievable.
The thing is, most of America is jsut not willing to cough up $50.00 a month.
And until that changes I dont see dial up going anywhere.

[dougi3000]

"Retail packing will be with the Microsoft Communicator, a headset w/ mic that hooks into controller. $49.99 will include a 12 month subscription to MS Live. "


WOW what a deal, get the headset and 12 months of Xbox live for $50.


hehe.. buy 2 headsets and activate the second "12month subscription" after your first 12months so you dont have to pay the $10/month subscription costs. :P

[Knight]

You what sucks where I live I can't get Cable or DSL(I'm 2,000 feet to far for adsl) , As soon as I can get a Cable or DSL I will be getting it!!

[sinizuh]

only 50,000 users through christmas 2002? that seems pretty low D:

anyways, sounds good.

only surprising part was it was gonna take them one year to get it out at 100%.... hell, you'd think a computer company could get this faster than some video company from japan (sega)

[DZNUTZ]

damn...i'm all over this like MAX on free beer (or myself for that matter ) i'll definately get i day one ( i'll even see if i can become one of the first testers) and i think the 12month suscription is a great value.

like dougi3000 said..if i could sign up for 2 years and get 2 headsets...i'd do that!!!

[Brevity]

Wow, great news. R U sure all this is right? I just want UC!

[OppiumNitrates]

r they only testing with Feaver 2003 . . . . cauz i wanta be a tester but im not a fan of football games

[Casper]

This is sweet. Thank god I just RoadRunner in my neck of the woods. I'm willing to drop the 50 beans for it, but how will I get offered to be one of the few and the proud to slam the heII out of the servers? I guess I should of registered my box

*runs home to find that stinkin' registration card

[Kraft]

Sounds great, though I will probably drop service after one year since the first year is 50 bucks for the program, headset and 12 months... then the next year it will be 120 dollars for just 12 months sucks.

[DrUnKtAnK]

Careful guys, this is only rumor....I haven't seen an official release of all the online details as of yet...

[MOrgE]

Originally posted by Ninja Scroll


Yeah, me too!

Anyways, i think da only thing that will hurt Xbox Live is that it is Broadband exclusive, so the growing proccess for the online feature will be slow.
Dial-up is sooo mainstream it's unbelievable.
The thing is, most of America is jsut not willing to cough up $50.00 a month.
And until that changes I dont see dial up going anywhere.

actually, i think it would be the dial-up connections that would slow down the servers making the play for the other users kinda slow. If they eliminate the slow connections, the games should run smoothly... the keyword there being "should"

[l Maximus l]

Any news is good news in regards to XBox Live. But, I'm a little unclear about one thing:

It says that if we buy an XBox Communicator for $49.99 we also get 12 months of subscription. But, where does this annual fee or monthly fee come in? Is it after one year or something?

[techie]

I found this earlier, it's a pretty good read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/20/te...ff50e6&ei=5040

[Shorezy]

Awsome! Is it gunna be available in Canada? I sure hope so!

[Kooster]

Originally posted by KraftSLU
Sounds great, though I will probably drop service after one year since the first year is 50 bucks for the program, headset and 12 months... then the next year it will be 120 dollars for just 12 months sucks.

Why not just buy a headset every month?? This article is confusing.