News Xbox Live will integrate with Windows

[WilHarris]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/11..._live_windows/

[Nature]

What will Microsoft do with all the money>?

My computer is running on Windows pro, but I'd never have a god foresaken X-crotch in my home... I like Japanese hardware personally, the playstation has as much credit with me as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Microsoft has no class, they use they're overwhelming funds to buy the top names in the gaming industry, state of the art hardware, and marketing. But are very unorigonal when it comes to they're gaming ideas. They also over charge compared to the efficient PS, which is the the Microsoft trademark in my opinion. Rape of the land, and for what? What are they doing besides becoming an EA? Making everything mainstream and having all the creative and unique ideas changed into something for the masses. The same user interface, and programs is another way the man keeps us down.

If you look at the PS controller it says: small and efficient but powerful (much like their cars)

If you look at the X-box controller it says: Bulky and fit for man hands but more like a toy (Much like our cars)....

I guess thats the difference between the penis's too...

Okay I'm done... Microsoft please unleash your typhoiduss on us all...

[BlueDemon]

I like the idea of integrating the Live matchmaking ability with Windows/PC games. Perhaps this would provide a way for cross-platform gaming, the Xbox360 is essentially very similar to a regular PC. That would be so cool. It could unify and hugely expand the gaming communities.

What I still emphatically dislike is the fact that your single MS-Passport identity will be linked to virtually every activity you perform, allowing MS to map your entire life: your interests, the games you play, the sites you visit, the software you run, the things you buy on the Marketplace, the friends you keep. This flip side to the Passport functionality really puts me off. Am I being paranoid? Is MS silmply doing its best to be your benign friend? I have my doubts...

[Hamish]

hmm so are they going to let you play online against xbox players? (on cross-platform games obviously)
didnt they try that with halo on the xbox and pc before? iirc they stopped it after a while as the xbox people were getting obliterated by the pc players

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by Nature

If you look at the PS controller it says: small and efficient but powerful (much like their cars)

If you look at the X-box controller it says: Bulky and fit for man hands but more like a toy (Much like our cars).....

Are you a western guy living in china or chinese with a fantastic grasp of english?

I know im the only person in the world that thinks this but the PS controllers are PAINFUL. I cant stand them, id much prefer my (small not the large!) xbox controller anyday. Having said that, the gamecube controller is around the size of the PS and that's even better than the lot of them!

I find it incredible that people keep saying "the PS3 with its uber power will pwn everything.. blah fanboi blah" but they are still playing a PS2 which is arguably the least powerful of the current generation and they're still saying that's good. Power wont be everything, it's all about gaming, hence why ill be buying a revolution.

It's only because you're used to demonising MS as the "american captialism evil who wants to own your soul" that people go on about pissing on it. True, the passport functionality is a probable market gathering technology but if you dont input any details about yourself and just run under a tag-name then they cant track you-you. It will be seriously useful to only have your ONE Id that works EVERYWHERE. Like having one phone number, one credit card, one IP address that's just YOU. Admittidly i wont ever be using Xbox live so i wont be benefitting from this.

[BlueDemon]

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

It's only because you're used to demonising MS as the "american captialism evil who wants to own your soul" that people go on about pissing on it.

Well, no. In this matter I don't give a toss whether it's an American or a European or whatever company. I absolutely like Microsoft for all the good stuff it produces. In my experience I am happy with Windows XP-SP2, I think the Office suite is excellent (pun intended), Visio is just great (although MS bought that piece of software as I recall). Apart from that, they have some quality hardware, such as mice, joysticks, keyboards, and of course the Xboxes.

The gripe I have with Passport is that it threatens to dissolve the Internet's anonimity I value so much. I don't even CARE what "they" do with the demographic information that gets collected, I simply don't want to be tagged. So OK, they "only" map your entire lifestyle, your real name remains private. That is until that one single occasion when you HAVE to provide your name and/or address, for example when you RMA your Xbox. And even if you don't actively provide your personal data, it's entirely possible that it gets "harvested" from the emails you send and receive, or from Messenger chat sessions. In that single instance all of the mapping & tracking gets linked to YOU.

On somewhat of a side note: the MS keyboard with fingerprint scanner, is that linked in some way to Messenger/Passport? Now that would REALLY scare the carp out of me...

Call me crazy, but privacy is important to me.

PS: sorry if this discussion gets somewhat side-tracked.

[perplekks45]

1st: Would be nice to play cross-platform fps over the Internet against some nerds aiming with a XBox controller.
2nd: Privacy definitly IS important and I'm kinda scared about being left alone in a war that MS, IBM and some other companies began to fight a long time ago. TCPA will come and it will suck, that's for sure. But as long as IP backtracking for flat rate users is forbidden I do feel a bit safer over here. But for how long will I be able to feel safe? Privacy has never been that low in the internet's history in my opinion.
//edit: Of course TCPA hasn't got that much to do with privacy but it's just a point I wanted to mention as it's the highlight of MS' and IBM's war on piracy and freeware.

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by BlueDemon

Well, no. In this matter I don't give a toss whether it's an American or a European or whatever company. I absolutely like Microsoft for all the good stuff it produces. In my experience I am happy with Windows XP-SP2, I think the Office suite is excellent (pun intended), Visio is just great (although MS bought that piece of software as I recall). Apart from that, they have some quality hardware, such as mice, joysticks, keyboards, and of course the Xboxes.

The gripe I have with Passport is that it threatens to dissolve the Internet's anonimity I value so much. I don't even CARE what "they" do with the demographic information that gets collected, I simply don't want to be tagged. So OK, they "only" map your entire lifestyle, your real name remains private. That is until that one single occasion when you HAVE to provide your name and/or address, for example when you RMA your Xbox. And even if you don't actively provide your personal data, it's entirely possible that it gets "harvested" from the emails you send and receive, or from Messenger chat sessions. In that single instance all of the mapping & tracking gets linked to YOU.

On somewhat of a side note: the MS keyboard with fingerprint scanner, is that linked in some way to Messenger/Passport? Now that would REALLY scare the carp out of me...

Call me crazy, but privacy is important to me.

PS: sorry if this discussion gets somewhat side-tracked.

Now I understand and considering what kinda shenanagins Sony and the like are up to I can totally see someone like MS doing it too and have to absoultely agree on that front.

[BioSniper]

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

I know im the only person in the world that thinks this but the PS controllers are PAINFUL. I cant stand them, id much prefer my (small not the large!) xbox controller anyday. Having said that, the gamecube controller is around the size of the PS and that's even better than the lot of them!

and I thought I was the only one!
I cant stand PS controllers, cant spend more than about an hour before it starts to make my wrists ache.
Personally I think its a nice idea with the integration thing, may see more cross platform gaming and more of bringing the gaming community together.

[valium]

I cannot stand having to pay for xbox live and an internet connection, its like paying for AOL when you have roadrunner. Its just nucking futs.

[Cadillac Ferd]

Originally Posted by BioSniper

and I thought I was the only one!
I cant stand PS controllers, cant spend more than about an hour before it starts to make my wrists ache.
Personally I think its a nice idea with the integration thing, may see more cross platform gaming and more of bringing the gaming community together.

I can't figure out how to hold the damned thing in a manner that doesn't suck! It also gives me the most fantastic blisters.

Also, on each of the new xboxes you get an xbox live "silver" account which can do like everything but play online, yeah it is kinda annoying to pay 50 a year but it really is worth it, xbox live does rock, and this time around you dont need a credit card to buy it which is cool.

Seriously though, the xbox 360 does so much stuff automatically, like talking between the computer and the xbox or anything else you plug in to the usb ports, it really is quite cool. The first time i was able to plug in my mp3 player in the middle of a game of pgr3 then press the guide button and have the music on the mp3 player stream in to the game it was damn cool.

The interface, the console and the control are incredibly slick. You really have to see it in action to appreciate it, just give it a chance and stop with the microsoft hating.

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by Cadillac Ferd

Also, on each of the new xboxes you get an xbox live "silver" account which can do like everything but play online, yeah it is kinda annoying to pay 50 a year but it really is worth it, xbox live does rock, and this time around you dont need a credit card to buy it which is cool.

Id rather waste 50 bucks (no doubt that will become 50 quid) on anything else, rather than suffer online gamers.