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Community is the keyword to what makes Xbox Live tick
Xbox Live’s Andre Vrignaud talks of the benefits of being a service subscriber
There is little doubt that the world of online gaming has blossomed. Used to be that multiplayer was a bonus and being able to play on the Internet through either hosted or server-based games was not all that common.
In the past year, though, publishers have really focused on the world of online gaming and found, much to their delight, that people are signing up in droves to play against others from across the country or around the world.
Phenomenon? Not quite – it was merely a market waiting for the games to generate the interest. With the advent of high-quality video cards and faster processors, the world of video gaming has never looked better. And online gaming continues to take it to new levels.
With downloadable content to affect weather in football stadiums, reflecting actual conditions, rosters, vehicles, or twists in storylines, gamers are finding more reason and more opportunity to sign up and play.
Xbox Live was in the works from the moment the platform launched. The system came with voice chat built into the connectivity software and a headset. But there was that issue of the subscription fee. What do gamers actually get?
Andre Vrignaud, of Xbox Live Platform Strategy, talked a little bit about Xbox Live, the community and benefits of the service.
Question: Let's clear up any misconception about the Xbox Live service. Yes, there is a monthly subscription fee, but what do people actually get for that? Are there any hidden charges after they pay that fee?
Andre: To be clear, there is either a yearly or a monthly subscription fee. An existing subscriber can chose whether they’d like to pay $49.99 a year for service, or pay $5.99 a month. We just wanted to give people a choice (and a way to get a slight break if they choose to subscribe yearly).
The subscription fee gives you a unique ID on Xbox Live (your Gamertag), the ability to quickly find games and get into them, and access to Live services such as statistics and downloads. Over time we’ve expanded the service with new features that are also included – one example is Game Clips, which is how the ghosts in Project Gotham Racing 2 are supported.
There are no hidden charges. However, it is possible for publishers to charge for premium content or services – you could imagine downloads that a publisher might charge for, or an MMO with a monthly fee. These fees are clearly disclosed to the user, but to date we haven’t had much of this sort of premium content. The primary example we can point to is Phantasy Star Online by Sega, which charges a monthly fee.
Q: What game access do they get? Is it just a handful, or are there a wide array of titles for virtually any gamer?
Andre: An Xbox Live subscriber can play any Xbox Live game that doesn’t have a premium subscription. Today, the only publisher who has a premium subscription is Sega for Phantasy Star Online.
Q: What is the Xbox Live community support like? What sort of numbers are we talking about and are they more concentrated in the area of sports or other types of games?
Andre: The community support is quite broad. While we can’t give specific numbers (since that data is proprietary to the respective publishers), we can say that the breadth of titles being played is quite wide. Genres that are highly popular include first-person shooters and sports titles.
Q: What kind of connection is needed for Xbox Live and what is the preferred connection?
Andre: Xbox Live requires a broadband connection such as cable or DSL. The service works just as well on either.
Q: In your opinion, sum up the main advantages of being an Xbox Live subscriber.
Andre: In a word, community! The ability to log into any Xbox Live game with a single, unique identity allows you to make friends, find them online, and easily play games. Statistics let you compete worldwide with friends from your virtual couch. Downloads allow you to extend the game that you love and find new ways to play with your friends. And as we release more Live Aware titles, you’ll find that you can remain connected to that community even when playing “offline” games – the line between online and offline will continue to blur in the future!
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