Xbox2 + PC gamers = future XboxLive competition!

[Casper]

Folks, this is HUGE - I'll be damned if this isn't one of the best selling points MS could come out with in regards to snagging competition away from Sony.

Xbox 2 is a Windows lovechild

Cross-breeding everywhere


By Wil Harris: Monday 27 September 2004, 11:31

MICROSOFT HAS now confirmed that its Xbox 2 peripherals will be compatible with the PC, and that PC gamers will, come Longhorn, be able to game on Xbox live against Xbox 2 owners.
Currently, the Xbox uses USB controllers with a non-standard jack. Third parties have been making Xbox-to-PC adaptors for a while now.

Eurogamer suggests that the Xbox 2 will be using a standardised joypad design which Dean Lester, top man at Microsoft's Windows Gaming division, has been promoting as a platform standard.

Xbox live gameplay will be enabled by the XNA cross-platform development technology that Microsoft has been busy beaverying away at. It is hoping that by making Xbox 2 and PC development very similar, it can leverage its PC dominance to gain share in the console market.

At the moment, the Xbox 2 is due to premiere some time in 2005 - a full year ahead of Longhorn, and before the Windows Graphics Foundation platform is in full swing on the PC side of things. Traditionally, consoles have lagged behind PC technology. Could the delays to Longhorn from Microsoft mean that the Xbox 2, coupled with XNA and WGF, becomes a technically more advanced platform than the PC for the next year? That would certainly be a coup for the console sector, as well as for ATI, whose graphics power the Xbox 2.

http://theinquirer.org/?article=18704

[LTM360]

:drool: Awesome.....

I think that may have just been my selling point for 'Xenon' over Playstation 3. I know it's early, but that's big to me at least.

[CMX Jedi]

the PC owners are going to own the xbox 2 players. mouse+keyboard > gamepad
unless the xbox 2 will have a mouse and a joystick type thing

[Reclaimer]

This is an awesome idea... until the PC players find a way to hack and mod their way into having advantages over the Xbox 2 players.

[CMX Jedi]

This is an awesome idea... until the PC players find a way to hack and mod their way into having advantages over the Xbox 2 players.

true true

[Variation-XBA]

Would be nice since PS2 does this already with PC for FFXI

[LynxFX]

Saw that earlier and definitely peaked my interest. The question will be, will PC owners pay for Live service when it is something they have been getting free from the beginning of online gaming?

I'm dropping Live after my year runs out. I just don't use it enough to justify the cost.

[P-Rock]

This is so clutch. I don't get to play XBL anymore because my dorm doesn't support it. I can't imagine playing XBL on my widescreen laptop. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.

[Peepers]

I honestly don't think this is a good idea for Xboxers. I want to know I'm on an even playing field. And the biggest reason why this is a bad idea:

If you can't stand cheating on XBL now, wait till the PC users get on!

[Casper]

I believe that they will be using a no-cheat system on the games - but it's gonna be very interesting, to say the least. And if wanted, I'd hope that they would have the common sense to exclude PC gamers (or vice versa) when setting up games.

If they don't make both ends use a common joystick/controller, it's gonna be unfair to Xbox gamers. Mouse & Keyboard > any controller for any console.

[AlphaRaptor]

I have mixed feelings about all this. Im worried that Xbox 2 players might get owned by PC players. At least in some games...it might be the other way around. I dunno, I would keep Xbox Live only Xbox Live and maybe have something like a PC Live.

[Chaotic]

I believe that they will be using a no-cheat system on the games

No such thing There is always a way to cheat While i think this is a great idea I need to see the specfic details on how these two will intergrate with each other and exactly how things will work...

[AlphaRaptor]

I just had an idea, XBox 2 controllers will be PC compatable right?

HOPEFULLY in order for PC players to play on Xbox live an Xbox 2 controller must be used by PC players also. MS would have to find a someway to make this hack proof though.

[Whoopage]

I think I'm one of the few who is not very excited about this.

I got away from PC gaming because I hated all the mods and hacks and everything. Now its all comming to Xbox...

[OC Noob]

I agree with the keyboard/mouse > joystick

A lot of Halo 2/3 fans are going to get owned and start crying hacks when they probably aren't there... yet. There is no beating the pixel acuracy of the mouse.

I also agree it will be very difficult to get rid of hackers. If the system is VERY intrusive I'm sure MS can get rid of 99% of the stuff, but who wants MS scanning all of their files every time they log onto the service.

Other then that, most non-FPS should be a lot of fun playing Xbox 2 vs PC.

[SoundX]

That would be awesome, but doesn't this mean that a majority of online titles will be on the PC too? Like Halo 3 or whatever.

[Brutus]

Hmmm... Does that also mean that developers will like Bethesda & Id will design for the Xenon first, & then port to PC? No. It just means that it's all going to be the same common Middleware I think.

It'll be nice getting the Latest & Greatest on the Next console. (For Example, I'd be able to play Doom 3 right now instead of waiting.

As far as LIVE: Shooters: No
All the rest: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!

[Peepers]

I believe that they will be using a no-cheat system on the games - but it's gonna be very interesting, to say the least. And if wanted, I'd hope that they would have the common sense to exclude PC gamers (or vice versa) when setting up games.

If they don't make both ends use a common joystick/controller, it's gonna be unfair to Xbox gamers. Mouse & Keyboard > any controller for any console.

Then why don't we implement the mystical, magical "no-cheat system" right now? Unless the no-cheat system you're referring to is waiting weeks or months for a patch, only to have it cracked again in a few more weeks or months.

You're definately right about the controllers.

[pvsurfer03]

I like keeping my xbox and pc gaming separated. Not a good idea, IMO.

[Yankeez]

No such thing There is always a way to cheat While i think this is a great idea I need to see the specfic details on how these two will intergrate with each other and exactly how things will work...

Doesnt punk buster work?