I started out as a beta tester. I was concerned about the connection quality, since I live in Alaska. We have lower than recommended broadband upload speeds (128K), plus I share the connection through a router/switch. Anyway, all of my online games (NBA 2K3, NFL 2K3, Mech Assult, Moto GP, and NFL Fever 2003) play great online. People are amazed they are playing someone from Alaska. Human opponents add a truly new dimenson to the games. The unpredictably and challenge that a human opponent offers is great, plus the ability of talking to them is even better. I've learned all types of great gaming tips this way. The XBox Live system allows you to keep your team rosters up to date, download extra levels, characters, and equipment depending upon the game. The startup is very easy and I have never had to use any tech support to start playing games online. I'm concerned that the people who give the poor reviews are diehard PS2 lovers. XBox Live is really what sets apart the XBox from the PS2 and the Gamecube. Sure the other systems have online capability, but at added cost and without a standardized connection process and security. I hope this helps and my apologizies for the long review.
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I would like to address the issues that Parents might have heard concerning this product.XBOX live allows game players to use their XBOX to play with other games all around the world. We have spent countless hours enjoying our system, and I would like to put to rest any fear you may have concerning this product.
In order to set up the system, you must enter a credit card. This card number may be used to purchase additional levels to a game, or better cars and equipment. However, there is a parental control option which will prevent children from purchasing anything without your permission.
Since the headset allows kids to speak with their game playing buddies, it also allows them to mask their voice, so they don't sound the same. Example: a younger child can mask his voice to sound like a grown man or a cartoon character.
So far, most of the people I have encountered have been cordial and great fun. However, if I encounter a player that rubs me the wrong way for some reason, I just mute him, and can no longer hear anything he/she says.
Any players that I enjoy playing with, I just add to my friends list. The more I play, the more friends I find, and the games become more enjoyable. Now when I play a game, I can choose from people I already know that I enjoy.
One of my favorite parts is being able to enjoy the game as a guest of my son, while he is playing. It allows up some great together time.
As a conscientious parent, please let me say that I have found the XBOX to be an enjoyable extension to the XBOX gaming machine.
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So far it looks like Microsoft has done a very good job with XBox Live. The starter kit gets you a disc that updates your XBox with Live capability and includes a couple of demo games. Frankly, the demo games aren't very exciting. I recommend picking up a new game (such as Unreal Championship or Mech Assault) when you purchase the starter kit. The kit also includes a headset for talking with other players (more on this later). Finally, your [money] gets you all this and a one year subscription to the service. After this, there is a monthly fee. Conveniently (ok, very annoyingly), when you go through the setup process, you enter your credt card information and accept an agreement that will auto-bill your credit card once the initial year passes. I would have preferred to have the option to automatically terminate the service, but why give the consumer what they might want? :)Once you get setup, fire up your favorite XBox Live enabled game and enjoy a relatively lag-free online gaming experience. I've primarily played Unreal Championship and have had no major lag issues and always had a great time playing. Talking to other players really adds a new dimension to gaming. People aren't too chatty just yet, but I've had generally good experiences talking to other gamers online. Interestingly, even though you can opt to mask your voice, most people don't.
One final note. The XBox Live site doesn't advise using a wireless network (technically, they aren't supported). I've been using a wireless network exclusively and have had no problems, even while running Unreal servers hosting 5 or 6 players.
So, if you want to take your XBox gaming to the next level, sign up for broadband service, grab the starter kit and enjoy!
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Well I owned my Xbox for a couple of months before I bought Live and it has increased my enjoyment of the system a lot. While Xbox has great graphics and is very fast, the choice of games can be a bit lacking. The real advantage of Xbox has proven to be the Live service.The setup is easy and the price is right ...with the disc and headset. I have experienced very few problems with the service. There is the occasional lag, but that is to be expected with online gaming.
If there is a warning to be given, it has to do with interacting with others online. Anyone who has ever played online computer games or even used a chat room knows that the anonymity of the internet allows people to act however they wish. And certain people tend to act like jerks. The majority of the people you'll deal with will be polite and friendly, but then there's others. Those who'll drop out of a game as soon as they start to lose and some will harass other players just for fun.
This doesn't come close to ruining the service, but it's something to be kept in mind.
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After reading some of the reviews of Xbox Live (like the guy who thinks the Xbox has a modem it's an ethernet adapter and the guy who is mad because he can't connect at HIS college, even though all he has to do is spoof a registered computer's MAC address) I felt it necessary to chime in.Xbox live works nearly perfectly. I have MechAssault, Splinter Cell, and various other Live games, and it's of incredible value. MechAssault is VERY fun online, although don't use the headset if you're easily offended. There are a lot of stupid kids on Live!, so their language reflects their maturity.
At any rate, I have a connection (shared T1) that maxes out at around 120k/s. This is typically slower than most cable and DSL connections, but I've experienced no lag whatsoever.
The voice communications is really great, and is probably the aspect of Live! that makes it stand out among the competition. That, and the fact that all Live! games are hosted on Microsoft's servers, and will therefore be uniform in their speed and security. (Unlike PS2 or Gamecube, which will be painful to play because of lag, or, even worse, cheaters.)
If you have an Xbox... GET XBOX LIVE. 50 bucks for a year is pretty darn cheap, especially since you get the headset with your starter kit.
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