Articles - How Xbox Live assimilates PC gamers

[HEXUS]

The Xbox 360 has a long list of key features, but none more so than Xbox Live. Here's a first hand account of how Microsoft's online service converted a hardened PC gamer.

Read more.

[jonny4288]

well.... i must say i agree with pretty much that whole article.

so much so i sold my pc 8-9 months ago, and just use a laptop now for my computing needs.

my 360 has died though soon as i switch it on it artifacts and crashes. no 3 red lights either. so cant send it back via warranty.

jon

[chuckskull]

Got to admit, a lot of this sounds disturbingly familiar since buying a 360 a couple of months back.

The convenience always seems to win out for me and my mates. No IP's to type in while constantly alt-tabbing because you forgot a digit and BF2142 forgot all your fave servers again. No worrying that so and so can play X game because his PC belongs in the natural history museum. No screwing around trying to get everyone on teamspeak/vent or trying to find the push to talk button you keep cursing at yourself to remap to a more memorable key in the heat of a firefight.

I still love PC gaming, don't get me wrong, but a lot of the time I just want to stab my friends in the face with as little mucking about as possible. Live does this well. It still has a lot of catching up to do in a lot of areas(proper server browsers, mods and so on), but it has that "It just works" quality which goes a very long way.

[shaithis]

"Horses for courses" has always been my motto on this subject.

While racing games and beat-em-ups are great on the 360, both online and offline, I find FPSes to be dire. I hate the controls, I hate having to sit in front of my TV to play them, I hate having to compromise on graphics.

I prefer using the best tool for each individual job Although for people on a budget or wanting to keep clutter to a minimum, I guess the 360 will be seen as a 1-stop solution.

[s_kinton]

Although not a 360 owner, your story sounds exactly like my experience since buying a PS3. I haven't played a single game on my PC since!

The ease at which I can join games, team up with friends, autopatch games etc just totally sold it to me - messing about with patches, finding a good server just makes gaming on a PC a hassle. Not to mention the elentless upgrades and mapping keys.

Sure, PSN is up to the likes of XBL - its slowly moving in the right direction and as it stands was easily capable of ousting the PC.

i sold my pc 8-9 months ago, and just use a laptop now for my computing needs.

This is what I am seriously considering doing now. Just cant justify my quad core, 4Gb, 8800GT machine at the moment. I'm sure my Mrs wouldn't be adverse to seeing it go either

[tigerboyce]

The article sums up my feelings exactly since buying a Xbox 360 just before GTA IV came out.

Initially my plan was to buy the console, complete GTA IV, have some fun with it after completing it and especially with a 1 months free trial for Lice that came with GTA i have been totally hooked ever since.

The console came with GoW and Mass effect, both games which I played after GTA, enjoyed immensely and went on to enjoy Forza 2, Skate, and CoD4. Live is a really great tool and is implemented within the console perfectly.

I have not played a game since on my PC minus a a very rare game of CS:S with friends from uni and some other games at a LAN party i went to with a few friends.

[finnrogers]

Yeah I've just got myself the 360 elite and I'm pretty chuffed with it. I bought it with GTA IV and Battlefield Bad Company - thinking I would sell BFBC, to concentrate on GTA IV (the reason I bought it originally) - turns out I'm addicted to Battlefield Bad Company and haven't even played GTA IV for more than 15 minutes!

I don't know if it's the ROFL inducing hilarity of laser designating someone's tank and watching them trying to scarper before you sneakily drop the bomb on their head instead of the tank or if it's the pant-soiling lmao-ness of shooting down a copter with a sniper rifle and watching the passengers panicking and shooting all over the place before bailing out and earning their "darwin's parachute" achievement...

Maybe it's just the good old bone crunching comedy value of running people over in a <insert vehicle name here>. Hearing your teammates in stiches over the mic just adds to it... genius.

One thing you didn't mention though was achievements. What a fantastic system to make the obsessive compulsive in us come out and make that old game last a bit (sometimes alot) longer. Has anyone else had a mental image of the "achievement unlocked" logo when doing something new/hard in real life? :-p

[Lee H]

Don't mention gamer points...

We dug my mates gamecube out the other night and played Mario Super Striker and won all the trophies on it and somehow deep inside we all felt a little empty as there was no "acheivement unlocked" messages and notifications.

We all laughed about it at the time, but now thinking about it, it IS a good system and rewards all those that play for far too long, a bit like WoW and their tier 1,2,3,4 kit

[chuckskull]

Having someone spawn into the gunner seat in a chopper during a vertical dive bombing run on a tank and screaming without realising their on mic, classic

Some people get a bit to absorbed

[meatloaf01]

I must laugh. It seems that shutting off the functions of logic and reasoning are necessary to enjoy a console, I mean, this article is complete and utter nonsense.

With a loaded friends list, the console pops up a little notification to let you know when friends are online. Press the guide button and you can send them messages or invite them to play games. Sounds trivial, and PCs were able to do likewise for quite some time. Nonetheless, consoles had never been this easy or user friendly and I was more than pleasantly surprised.

So basically, you admit that the PC is able to do all of this already (xfire etc), yet you applaud the console for catching up with online functions years, decades after the PC had this. Silly.

You can kill someone without the text "HAXOR!" and a long list of swear-words appearing on your screen

Can't say I experience that often. Perhaps you should try some games that don't have 'Counter-Strike' in the title.

You suddenly forget to worry about other gamers using wallhacks or aimbots. I'm sure it still happens, but it's an issue far less widespread than on the PC

Oh, wait, so that aiming assistance they bundle in nearly all console FPS games is not an aimbot? The gamepad is so useless they all have aiming assistance that usually can't be turned off. Just more proof that the console is for DDR, fighting games and FIFA. Not shooters.

I could go on and on. All this, whilst sat on a couch as opposed to hunched over a desk.

Wait, what, did something suddenly happen that prevented you from moving your PC to the living room? Did someone glue it to the floor? Did someone suddenly prevent your PC from being connected to the TV, from running 1080p games (unlike consoles that scale up 720p or lower games), from using wireless peripherals, heck, even from using the Xbox 360 controller? You can do all that. You've been able to do all that for years. How can you just ignore that, and treat couch gaming as if it's something only the console can do, and that PCs simply have to be in the corner, on a desk? That's just completely bonkers.

It isn't just about the gaming, either. Having spent years downloading demos and patches, whilst trying to avoid signing up to file-sharing websites, it became clear that the whole experience was made easier via Xbox Live. Hundreds of game demos are just a few clicks away, and game patches are applied automatically.

Heard of Steam? Yeah, that online service on the PC that has more active accounts than Xbox Live and PSN.. Combined. It does all that, has done it for a while now.

On the PC, I'd use an instant messenger, TeamSpeak, All Seeing Eye and a few other bits and bobs to create the entire experience. With Xbox Live, all that functionality and more is just ready and waiting.

Steam again. And, of course, given the open platform you have the choice to use any applications you like. Unlike certain closed down platforms where all you can do is what the platform owner lets you do.

Gamers who still believe that online multiplayer belongs to the PC should, at the very least, consider trying Xbox Live. As a former PC gamer, I never thought I'd see the day where a joypad would replace my keyboard and mouse. However, having joined Xbox Live in 2005, I've never looked back.

That's great, you're a gimp. I'm not going to go ahead and pay for an online service I already get for free on the PC, while also being tortured by a useless gamepad, low resolutions and jittery framerates provided by overpriced 2004 era tech.

I'm sorry, this kind of complete CRAP just couldn't go unchallenged. Your article is as full of holes as MS' business model.

[danroyle]

i love xbox live initially i hated it and after my 1 month free expired i didn't renew but recently picked up a 13 month card and then got 3 months given to me so wouldn't live without it.

while it's not perfect and i don't really get on with fps on it i still play Gow

i always swore i would never pay for live as i pay broadband phone etc but in oct next year when my gold expires i will be renewing

[Blademrk]

I must laugh. It seems that shutting off the functions of logic and reasoning are necessary to enjoy a console, I mean, this article is complete and utter nonsense.

I'm guessing you haven't tried it then?

Oh, wait, so that aiming assistance they bundle in nearly all console FPS games is not an aimbot? The gamepad is so useless they all have aiming assistance that usually can't be turned off. Just more proof that the console is for DDR, fighting games and FIFA. Not shooters.

The point Parm was making was that everyone is on the same level.

Wait, what, did something suddenly happen that prevented you from moving your PC to the living room? Did someone glue it to the floor? Did someone suddenly prevent your PC from being connected to the TV, from running 1080p games (unlike consoles that scale up 720p or lower games), from using wireless peripherals, heck, even from using the Xbox 360 controller? You can do all that. You've been able to do all that for years. How can you just ignore that, and treat couch gaming as if it's something only the console can do, and that PCs simply have to be in the corner, on a desk? That's just completely bonkers.

Have you tried using a mouse and keyboard to play games while sat on your sofa? It's not the most comfortable of experiences.

Heard of Steam? Yeah, that online service on the PC that has more active accounts than Xbox Live and PSN.. Combined. It does all that, has done it for a while now.

And I still cannot get voice to work well over it, unless I actually use a third party program and then everyone playing has to use the same software as well as be on the same voice server (which if your not too familiar with the program is not that easy to figure out).

Steam again. And, of course, given the open platform you have the choice to use any applications you like. Unlike certain closed down platforms where all you can do is what the platform owner lets you do.

and Steam is not a closed program? can I play my retail copy of Quake/2/3/4 Doom/2/3 over steam? or even a game which steam doesn't recognise?

That's great, you're a gimp. I'm not going to go ahead and pay for an online service I already get for free on the PC,

I agree XBL should be free, however I also believe you get what you pay for with it.

I'm sorry, this kind of complete CRAP just couldn't go unchallenged. Your article is as full of holes as MS' business model.

I've been playing games since I was 3 (my dad started me at an early age, I'm now 30) and I found Parms' article similar to that of my gaming background (only I had an Atari 520ST not an Amiga).

And I'm sorry, but I find the 360 a much better platform for my games playing these days than the PC. And the Elitist 'PC-is-better-than-everything-else' attitude does get a little tiring

The PC just costs too much for me to keep upgrading to get the top end games looking respectable. My PC won't even touch Crysis, and the last game I got was UT3 which looks worse on my rig than Doom did (on my old 486) so until I actually get around to upgrading that is staying on my games shelf.

[Hicks12]

Now i know its a matter of opinion but i found the 360(well most games consoles) are good for a bit then i get bored, i had my 360 from last year june till a few months after christmas. It was fun for alot of the time then i got bored, i relised a games console is MORE expensive than a pc because the games cost &#163;40 a pop where as pc games are around &#163;15-&#163;20 and with extra live fees and with the extreme prices for hard drives controllers etc i decided to upgrade my pc. Ive never looked back since because my pc is great, plays all my games and i can chat to mates view website, pay for things on ebay and shop online and even watch dvds +back em up or store on the hard drive to make it silent. With the 360 you cant, online is much better than xbox because the amount of people u can have is amazing its almost double the amount ps3/360 can have and its more reliable as its hosted by proper servers not some random persons dial up broadband.

Voice, i hated this on xboxlive as the amount of high pitched little kids is amazing, there was LOADS playing gears of war which is an 18(right?) so why has a 8year old got that game? and all you hear is "die die MotherF*****, Yeh B**** i hope you suck your *********" etc etc, on pc you can chose to use voice chat OR NOT.


Matter of opinion but pc> any games console.

[AdamAnubis]

I just like the fact that on a PC you can do anything without having to move Just get a comfy chair and you're well away. I like being able to swap between talking on msn or w/e to playing tf2 and then coming on here, without any hassle.

And before the 'But PC is expensive with upgrades' like my mates always moans about, is that an Xbox/playstation always release a new console every few years to keep up with new games. So console owners upgrade their gaming machine too .

Sorry if this seems like a 'PC vs Console' post . I have a feeling that is where this thread is going ^^

[Stewart]

Well yeah, the article is correct xbox live > your fat mom, but we all knew that 2 years ago didn't we?

360 is the best console since the SNES, or at least would have been if it worked. And that is quiet a big if.

[jamiecockrill]

i love my xbox 360 and thats after having to send the darn thing back to be repaired 3 times. I'm more of a casual gamer, but used to play the Doom series, F.E.A.R, Far Cry and a bunch of other fps games on the PC and yes, it was easier to use a mouse and keyboard, but I'm used to my gamepad now and for most people as crap as me, it probably doesn't make a difference.

The only thing that never has seemed to port well to any console I've had has always been RTS's. Command and Conquer was brilliant on the PC, but I couldn't imagine a console doing particularly well, except perhaps the Wii? Have there been any Wii Strategy games yet?