The Dawn Of A New Era In Xbox Live

[3Suns]

Major Nelson just broke the news (http://majornelson.com/archive/2010/02/05/xbox-live-being-discontinued-for-original-xbox-consoles-and-games.aspx) that as of April 15, 2010, Xbox original games will no longer be supported on Xbox Live. Amongst other things, this means there will be no more Halo 2 Live play, which in turn means, Microsoft will no longer be shackled (http://gamerscoreblog.com/press/archive/2010/02/05/gh789.aspx) with the various limits that that game has imposed. From Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Whitten:

...as we look down the road, we’ll continue to evolve the service with features and experiences that harness the full power of Xbox 360. To reach our aspiration, we need to make changes to the service that are incompatible with our original Xbox v1 games.

Now that the sky is the limit, what features do you want?

[modeps]

You know what I find most interesting about this announcement? How fast they're moving. Unless they plan on doing something to the service other than getting rid of legacy support, there's no reason to do the three month thing. Maybe I'm just hopeful that we'll see some cool stuff come April / May.

The obvious improvements have to do with the friends list. We all know of the 100 Friend limit restriction, but perhaps that is just one thing they'll improve. I'd hope we would see almost unlimited friends lists as well as ways to sort and control groups of friends.

For example, I have several people on my list that I don't play with often but like to have them around, lets put those into my "Real Life" group. Then I've got EvAvers that I don't play with often, lets put those into my "EvAv" group. And then of course there's people that I played with once or twice and they wanted to be my friend... those go into an "Other" category, and I wouldn't be notified if they came online.

Maybe this will also allow for some sort of Clan group as well. It could be a "shared" friends list that an administrator (clan leader) would manage and it would flow between everyone on the list. We could use that here instead of our rarely used EvAv Crew gamertag. Everyone could just join the 'clan' and see all the gamertags of the site.

[LilAbner]

Bitching and moaning in 3...2...1...

[thefold]

Personally I'd like to see cross-platform party chat. It's annoying when I'm getting my DoWII on and can't chat with my XBL friends.

I reckon though the first thing they'll do though is raise the afore mentioned 100 friends cap.

[Tintivilo]

They should add the ability to label people, i have so many people on my list that i dont recall who they are because they dont put any identifying information on their live profile, the more you have the easier it is to forget!

[wastedyears]

Make Avatars optional. I hated them when they rolled out the NXE and I hate them now.

[ldi222]

Bitching and moaning in 3...2...1...

Final nail in the coffin of the original Xbox which lets all remember was brutally murdered by MS after 4 years. Show me the new features but Im skeptical this is nothing more than bs public relations because they want to get rid of the "clutter" (as they see it).

Sony's online service looks more and more attractive every day.

[modeps]

Final nail in the coffin of the original Xbox which lets all remember was brutally murdered by MS after 4 years. Show me the new features but Im skeptical this is nothing more than bs public relations because they want to get rid of the "clutter" (as they see it).

Sony's online service looks more and more attractive every day.

I'd like you to expand upon the bolded statement. Not that I disagree, but I just don't understand how you arrived at that conclusion.

[modeps]

They should add the ability to label people, i have so many people on my list that i dont recall who they are because they dont put any identifying information on their live profile, the more you have the easier it is to forget!

That's a good one as well. It's a standard feature in just about every IM application out there.

[ldi222]

Basically because its free, that's probably the biggest reason. The other would be that Sony didnt kill off the PS2 so maybe they will have more consideration down the road for large communities that are still enjoying older games online, but then that's just speculation.

[Chimpbot]

Make Avatars optional. I hated them when they rolled out the NXE and I hate them now.

That would be taking a few steps backward, especially with increased avatar support in games. The avatars are, ultimately a good thing. It gives users a more prominent online identity, which is always good. Lets face it; those who hate the avatars are in a very distinct minority. I wasn't all that fond of them initially, but the little bugger grew on me.


My "dream feature" would be the ability to pouch smartass kids in the mouth...through the internet.

Taste my 34 megabytes of pure, streamed fist-rage!

[Mysterio]

It's...about...damn...time! Being limited to 100 friends is a PITA. And I agree with the need for filing friends and/or being able to make notes about them. I've felt the need for the latter for a long time.

[pwnophobia]

I try and keep my list pruned to 40ish because when I had 100 I was constantly barraged with invites.

[OMNIPRO]

I wonder how many people are still playing original Xbox games and how many are still playing online.
A few months ago I was trying to play Crimson Skies on my Xbox 360 and there was bummed nobody was playing.
If it takes abandoning online support for originals so the the experience for current 360 service to improve\evolve then I support it.
On a side note if anyone know of a Crimson Skies like game for the 360 let me know.

[Evil Avatar]

What is lame is that the tech guys at Microsoft aren't smart enough to have Xbox Live work with either the Xbox 1 or the Xbox 360. We never should have been shackled with any limits from the Xbox 1 in the first place. Are you telling me MS isn't smart enough to have Xbox Live check to see which hardware you logged in with?

[Pnikosis]

I still have lots of Xbox 1 games in my game queue... Now I'll have to play them in less than two months :P

[Pnikosis]

I still have lots of Xbox 1 games in my game queue... Now I'll have to play them in less than two months :P

Wait, I just realized, only the xbox live service for the first xbox games is going to be discontinued. Not the BC, right?

[Phokal]

What is lame is that the tech guys at Microsoft aren't smart enough to have Xbox Live work with either the Xbox 1 or the Xbox 360. We never should have been shackled with any limits from the Xbox 1 in the first place. Are you telling me MS isn't smart enough to have Xbox Live check to see which hardware you logged in with?

I think the idea is if you have, say 200 friends, which 100 show up when you log in on the Xbox1?

Of course, this is an easy fix: the first 100, or 100 tagged as primary, or whatever. But this creates extra support for a feature only a handful of Halo 2 players would use.

I always like the idea of backwards compatibility (I have the launch 60gig ps3 for $600 and view it as totally worth it). But if I actually gain the ability to have
1) Over 100 people (I don't actually need this, but let's do it already).
2) Ability to put people into Folders
2a) set so certain folders don't pop up notifications when people come online
3) set labels, so I can name people who don't put their name in their profile

If I gain the above, then I'm fine with cutting the Halo 2 support. A dedicated community could always organize to use some of the computer based, system link workarounds (which is what most of the modded xbox1's used; and I imagine the modded being a higher population of what is out there now).

[Capn Crunch]

I have to give you props on the self quote, Pnikosis!

The way they have it worded makes it very hard to for me to be sure. Clearly they're discontinuing support for:

Accessing Live on XBOX V1 hardware.
Accessing Live on a 360 playing a v1 game disc.
Accessing Live on a 360 playing an xbox originals game.

but the question remains, what about the offline mode of a v1 game or an xbox originals game if either are played on the 360. ie, will my copy of GTA San Andreas be unplayable now?

[Capn Crunch]

I have to give you props on the self quote

Me too! Nice job!

[Evil Avatar]

I think the idea is if you have, say 200 friends, which 100 show up when you log in on the Xbox1?

Only the 100 you added from your Xbox 1, of course. You keep the same login and the same account, but it is almost like a profile -- you only see what you saw from that hardware.

This is all common sense stuff and it should have been something they thought of years ago.


Oh, and I agree with a few other people... lets have the option to ditch the Avatar bullshit. I'm not 10, I don't need a Mii. Perhaps if the 'Avatar' designs had been something more geared toward adults I might want to keep them around (Imagine a Gears of War guy that actually looked like a Gears of War guy and not a cartoon). In fact, as long as I have these adult themed Avatar's, perhaps I should have some kind of a living space for my adult avatar that I can design and decorate with furniture and my friends can come and visit. Some kind of a nice HOME for my Avatar? Just without having 6000 assholes standing in the way!!!

[Namielus]

What is lame is that the tech guys at Microsoft aren't smart enough to have Xbox Live work with either the Xbox 1 or the Xbox 360. We never should have been shackled with any limits from the Xbox 1 in the first place. Are you telling me MS isn't smart enough to have Xbox Live check to see which hardware you logged in with?
They don't have to validate any of the XBOX games against service changes anymore. This is likely an expensive process and they less time they have to dedicate to making sure that old games work the faster they can release changes.

[Johan]

Final nail in the coffin of the original Xbox which lets all remember it was brutally murdered by MS after 4 years. Show me the new features but I'm skeptical this is nothing more than bs public relations because they want to get rid of the "clutter" (as they see it).

I agree with this, and I'm a bit saddened to see online features for games like Crimson Skies go away. I still enjoy that game. :(

Make Avatars optional. I hated them when they rolled out the NXE and I hate them now.

I agree. My kids, however, don't. They're all under ten. Avatars, I conclude from my rather large sample size of children, are for immature little kids. :D

[ldi222]

In tribute to Halo2:

Lc_kg_2VkRs

[Testcase]

I have like... five friends....

<-- Loser

[spdiscus]

Friend me. We'll both have six.
Loser.

[shadow763]

I have like... five friends....

<-- Loser

Ha ha...My Live list of friends is definitely small compared to my PS3 list.

Its impressive the original xbox games had a longer lifetime on the 360 then on the original xbox. :p

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

lol consoles

[Johan]

lol consoles

So pithy. So true.

[vivalahazy]

So what they are doing is just cutting off LIVE support for the original xbox? Fair do's

well still be able to play our old xbox games but just not with the LIVE support but there really isnt anyone playing them now apart from Halo 2

[Johan]

...there really isnt anyone playing them now apart from Halo 2

Very true, which reminds me of a quote that applies to the quick death to online play with console software...

lol consoles

There is ONE five year old game still alive online on a console, and that is Halo 2. Drive a stake through it, because now it's dead (ten year old little Timmy doesn't know it yet, however, and will be screaming at Mommy when it goes 'dark'). Most don't survive a full year, even.

How many PC games from five years ago are still going strong, I wonder? :D This isn't the "dawn of a new era," but rather a reminder of the crippled proprietary architecture of console gaming.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

I forgot to add that this is further proof of how stupid those mythical dedicated servers are...

[DarkPhenomenon]

How many PC games from five years ago are still going strong, I wonder?

Counterstrike and almost every Blizzard PC game ever made. I wonder what kind of list I could come up with if I actually put some thought into it...

[Johan]

Counterstrike and almost every Blizzard PC game ever made. I wonder what kind of list I could come up with if I actually put some thought into it...

Exactly my point! The list of long-lived gaming communities on the PC is an epic one. It's one of my greatest disappointments with consoles (which is a bit of a list, as well! ;)).

[DarkPhenomenon]

Exactly my point! The list of long-lived gaming communities on the PC is an epic one. It's one of my greatest disappointments with consoles (which is a bit of a list, as well! ;)).

Oh, right I totally mis-read your post! Well then, I guess I don't really have much else to say then!