Online gaming has been a reality for PC gamers for quite some time, but game console users have been left to their isolated existences -- until now. Xbox Live offers a promising new era to gamers and game developers alike.
With the North American release of Xbox Live, Xbox owners with high-speed DSL or cable modem Internet connections will be able to engage in competitive play against real people instead of their computer consoles. You can search for random competitors based on skill level, geographical proximity to you and standard conventions like 'optimatch' and 'quickmatch.'
Even more fun than competing against strangers is the ability to hook up with friends. Options allow you to see when friends are online and what they're playing, invite them to join your game, or create friends-only games.
What's more, the Xbox Communicator, a hands-free headset that plugs into the top of your controller, offers voice options for all games, including voice masking, voice commands, and the absolutely essential capabilities of muting and blocking annoying players. All in all, Microsoft got it right on this one, based on my work with a beta release. It's a great concept and seems to deliver what it promises.
There are three different connection options for Xbox Live: directly connecting your Xbox to your DSL or cable modem, connecting through your PC using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), or, what we consider the ideal option, connecting through a router. Setup takes less than an hour and will be fairly simple for the tech-savvy individual.
Xbox will initially support seven Xbox Live-enabled games including Unreal Championship, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, NFL 2K3, NBA 2K3, Whacked, MechAssault and NFL Fever 2003. Ten additional games will be released by the end of the holiday season.
