Xbox Live is a multiplayer gaming and content delivery system created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It was first made available to the Xbox video game console in November 2002. An updated version of the service became available for the Xbox 360 console at that system's launch. Live Anywhere makes certain aspects of the system available on other platforms such as PCs (using Windows Vista), handhelds and mobile phones. Image File history File linksMetadata XboxLiveLogo. ... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), (founded 1975), headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, is the worlds largest software company (with over 50,000 employees in various countries, as of May 2004). ... Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... video game consoles A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer. ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged... The Live Anywhere logo, as seen at E3 2006 Live Anywhere is a schedule feature for the video game console Xbox service, Xbox Live. ... Apple Macintoshes like the iMac Core Duo are personal computers. ... Windows Vista is the latest release of Microsoft Windows, a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops. ...

History

As Microsoft developed the original Xbox console, online gaming was designated as one of the key pillars for the greater Xbox strategy. Opting to create a unique console experience, it was decided that a hard disk drive and an ethernet port were vital to the platform, allowing for a more PC-style experience. The former would allow for downloadable content, such as new levels, maps, and characters, while the latter allowed adaptability to standard ethernet equipment. The ethernet port also served as an end to a means, since Microsoft decided that their online gaming service for the Xbox console would require a broadband connection, stating that dial-up connections would not allow them to standardize features (such as voice communication) and were inappropriate for intense online gaming. Critics scoffed at the idea, citing poor broadband adoption at the turn of the century.^[1] Sega made a similar attempt to capitalize on the ever-growing online gaming scene when it launched the Dreamcast video game console in 1998. The console shipped with a dial-up modem while a later-released broadband adapter was not widely supported or widely available. Microsoft is one of few companies engaging itself in the console wars Where they are up against sony, nintendo, and of course sharps new console which may cause a threat. ... Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... Ethernet is a large and diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs). ... Ethernet is a large and diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs). ... A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ... Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... Sega Dreamcast The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named Katana during development) was Segas last video game console. ...

When the Xbox launched on November 15, 2001, the as-yet unnamed online service was destined for a Summer 2002 deployment.^[2] Xbox Live was finally given a name at E3 2002 when the service was unveiled in its entirety. Sound dampened booths and broadband connected Xbox consoles - featuring an early version of Unreal Championship - demonstrated the service on the show floor. The Epic title was one of the flagship titles for the service, which was now slated for a debut on November 15, 2002, marking the anniversary of the Xbox launch. Microsoft announced that 50 Xbox Live titles would be available by the end of 2003.^[3] The service was revolutionary in many aspects. Utilizing the required broadband bandwidth, Xbox Live featured a unified gaming "Friends List", as well as a single identity across all titles (regardless of the publisher), and standardized voice chat and communication; a feature that was still in its infancy, even on the PC. November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... E³ logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E³, was an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Epic Games, also known as Epic and formerly as Epic MegaGames, is a computer game development company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Leading up to the launch, Microsoft enlisted several waves of beta testers to improve the service and receive feature feedback. When the service debuted, it lacked much of the functionality that later titles included, but Xbox Live grew and evolved on the Xbox and many aspects of the service were included with the Xbox 360 console out of the box, rather than through a later update. Microsoft's 5000th patent was a Live-related patent which gives Xbox 360 users access to watch other gamers compete against each other over Xbox Live.^[4] The software development cycle is a theory saying that software is developed in five phases. ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged...

The packaging for playable Xbox Live titles on the original Xbox console featured the trademark gold bar underneath the Xbox header. Splinter Cell and Brute Force sported a Live "bubble" design, as they only featured downloadable content. This was changed later, wherein all Xbox Live titles included the universal gold Live bar. By the time of the Xbox 360, all titles were required to provide at least a limited form of Xbox Live "awareness". An image from the original Splinter Cell Splinter Cell is a series of video games endorsed by American author Tom Clancy. ... Brute Force is an video game released for the Xbox by Microsoft during 2003. ...

Xbox Live hit a milestone in July 2004, when it achieved 1 million subscribers.[1] With the release of Halo 2 later that year, the subscription base doubled within the following 12 months.[2] // Halo 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter developed by Bungie Studios. ...

Features

Out of the box, the Xbox 360 supports voice chat through a headset, bundled with the Xbox 360 premium package, with the Xbox Live starter kit, or available separately. The headset is not bundled with the Australian or Mexican premium packages, instead being included with the Xbox Live 12 Month Subscription retail kit. The service includes a friends list of other users, as well as a mail-like system of either text or voice messages in which the user can take a picture with the Xbox Vision Camera and add it to the message to send to an online or offline user. Headphones (also known as earphones, earbuds, stereophones, headsets, or by the slang term cans) are a pair of transducers that receive an electrical signal from a media player or receiver and use speakers placed in close proximity to the ears (hence the name earphone) to convert the signal into audible... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged...

On the Xbox 360, whenever the user's console is powered on and is signed in to Xbox Live, the user's friends list and ability to send messages become available. On the original Xbox, this is only available in Xbox Live or Live Aware games. The system also reports what activity is currently being performed, so that one can see what a friend is doing on his or her console. This is typically the game being played, although the system supports more detailed information (the player's progress through the game, for example).

Online multiplayer features operating on Xbox Live do not expire and are always accessible by Xbox Live subscribers. Exceptions are online games that use Xbox Live merely as a portal to connect to external servers that are not part of Xbox Live, such as games published by Electronic Arts (which operate on EA servers instead of Xbox Live) and other games, such as MMORPGs, that require their own dedicated servers. Many EA games have had their online functions terminated by EA in order to force people to buy the latest version of a franchise title to access multiplayer online features. EA redirects here. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2007, based on active subscriptions. ...

Availability

Countries in which the Xbox Live service is/will be available

██ Currently available	██ Expected Q1 2007	██ Not available

Xbox Live is currently available in 34 countries and territories:

In addition, Brazil, Hungary and Poland are scheduled to be brought online during the first quarter of 2007.

On the Xbox 360

With the launch of the Xbox 360, Xbox Live went through a major change. The most notable change is the establishment of two subscription types, called Silver and Gold. Xbox Live Silver is free to all Xbox 360 owners. While it does not allow access to online play, it still has access to other Xbox Live features such as the friends list, messages, and the Xbox Live Marketplace. Xbox Live Gold, which requires a monthly or yearly subscription fee, allows users to access all available features on Xbox Live. This fee can be paid automatically through a recurring credit card charge, or can be paid using a code supplied from a card purchased at a retail store. Neither versions if the subscriptions require the use of the 360's hard drive, but must have a memory card for downloads. The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged...

Xbox Live features:

• Gamer tags for user identification
• Avatars, or gamer pictures, for association with gamer tags
• Mottos for display on gamer profiles
• Gamer zones which represent gaming style and influence player matchmaking (Recreation, Pro, Family, Underground)
• Ability to change one's gamer tag for 800 Microsoft Points
• Game achievements are listed with gamer tags and can be compared with friends' achievements
• Reputation rating which is voted on by other players who decide to either prefer or avoid another player
• Gamerscores which are a total of a player's achievement points
• Friends list, which is a list of a player's chosen friends
• Recent player list, which lists the last 50 players one user has played with
• Xbox Live Marketplace content
• Multiplayer online gameplay
• Enhanced matchmaking using cumulative gamerscore, reputation, location/language profile, skill level, and gamerzone.

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft s Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live subscribers to download purchased or promotional content. ...

Marketplace

Main article: Xbox Live Marketplace

A system of Microsoft Points based transactions and prepaid subscription cards are available for the 360, cutting down the number of separate credit card transactions Microsoft handles and allowing users without credit cards access to the service. The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft s Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live subscribers to download purchased or promotional content. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Additionally users have viewable profiles, listing in-game "achievements" which can be accessed through the 360 itself or via the internet. Xbox Live, when used on an Xbox 360, also supports video chat and messaging when using the Xbox Vision Camera, which provides webcam functions as well as gesture-based gaming similar to the EyeToy. Any reports of misuse of the service for criminal or sexual purposes results in a permanent ban of the account. A Creative webcam A web camera (or webcam, real camera) is a real-time camera (usually, though not always, a video camera) whose images can be accessed using the World Wide Web, instant messaging, or a PC video calling application. ... The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2 & PlayStation Portable. ...

Gamertag

Gamertag is the universal name for a player's username on Microsoft's Xbox Live. Using a Gamertag, any player can be located and messaged from within Live. There are several websites which allow users of Gamertags to upload photos and information about themselves. Gamertags can be changed using a premium service on the Xbox 360 console; there are four available slots in which to create and delete them. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

A player's Gamertag account status can be checked using a variety of online tools, this is useful especially when trying to organise games on 3rd party websites where you cannot always be sure if a person has a genuine Gamertag or not.

Gamerscore

The Gamerscore is a measure that corresponds to the number of "Achievement" points accumulated by an Xbox Live user. These Achievement points are awarded for the completion of game-specific challenges, such as beating a level or amassing a specified number of wins against other players in Xbox Live matches. The majority of mass-market Xbox 360 games offer up to 1000 points spread over a variable number of Achievements and each Xbox Live Arcade contains 12 achievements that total 200 points. Achievements surprisingly became a very potent system seller for the console [3]. There was even a minor outcry when GameSpot published an article on how to achieve 6,000 easy Achievement points due to the lax nature that some 360 titles had on Achievements, notably EA Sports and 2K Sports titles, that would require almost no effort from the gamer to get the maximum 1,000 Achievement points. It must be noted that the following year's sports titles (2K Sports' 2K7 and EA Sports' 07 titles) featured far more challenging Achievements. In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, episode, round, world, map, wave, board, phase, or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ... GameSpot is a computer and video gaming website that was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. ... EA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on sports. ... Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. ...

Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) coined the term for individuals who played games explicitly for the purpose of unlocking achievements to add to their score: Gamerscore Whore[4]. In late November, StripClubDj reached the 100,000 Gamerscore mark. Whilst many people criticized him for the time he used game playing to rapidly increase his Gamerscore, it showed how some people practically revolve their lives around collecting Gamerscore, just for the sheer fun in continually seeing the "Achievement Unlocked" message on their screen. Larry Hryb at X06 Canada Major Nelson redirects here. ...

As of February 21, 2007, StripClubDj has the highest Gamerscore with 115,673. David Dreger (aka Knuckles Dawson) owns the record for consecutive days earning at least 1 Achievement point with 436 straight days. February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

On February 1, 2007 Microsoft announced on their Gamerscore Blog some new policies that developers must follow related to Gamerscore and Achievements in future releases. ^[5] All games must have 1,000 Gamerscore in the base game - the title could ship with less then 1,000 Gamerscore but anything added later must be free. Game developers also now have the option of adding an additional 250 points via downloadable content (for a total of 1,250 Gamerscore) - this content can be either free or paid. Xbox Live Arcade titles may add up to 50 points via downloadable content (for a total of 250 Gamerscore). February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. ...

During the final development of Crackdown, developers pleaded with Microsoft to raise the number of achievements per game. As a result, the maximum number of achievements a game can have has been raised from 50 to 80 ^[6]. Look up Crackdown in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Gamercard

Gamercard is an information panel used to summarize a user's profile on Microsoft's Xbox Live. The pieces of information on a Gamercard include:

• Gamertag
• Gamerscore
• Reputation
• Gamer Zone

A player's gamer card can be viewed via the Xbox 360 Dashboard, or online through Xbox.com. Several third party sites, such as Mygamercard.net and Xboxusersgroup.com, allow users to post a rendered version of their Gamercard as a small Flash applet or JPEG image on any website or webforum. The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged... // == Macromedia Flash == ==]] Using Macromedia Flash 8 (bundled in Studio 8) in Windows XP. Maintainer: Adobe Systems (formerly Macromedia) Latest release: 8 / September 30th, 2005 OS: Windows (no native Windows XP Professional x64 Edition support), Mac OS X, Linux (i386 only, via wine [1]) Use: Multimedia Content Creator License: Proprietary Website... In computing, JPEG (pronounced JAY-peg; IPA: ) is a commonly used standard method of compression for photographic images. ... Gaia Online, the largest English language forum-based community as of April 2005 — powered by a modified version of phpBB. An Internet forum is a facility on the World Wide Web for holding discussions, or the web application software used to provide the facility. ...

Xbox Live Diamond Card

A real-world "perks card" known as the Xbox Live Diamond Card is available to American Xbox Live subscribers. The card is printed with the gamertag of the owner, and will grant discounts and other benefits at various retailers to the owner of the card. Retailers listed by Microsoft include Ticketmaster, Cambridge Soundworks, McDonald's, Carl's Jr., etnies, Quiznos Sub, Sam Goody, Timberland, Hollywood Video, Gamestop, TiVo, DogFunk, Velocity Micro, Circuit City, and Papa John's. [5] The card is free, but only available in the U.S., and only for 12-month subscribers. Ticketmaster is the worlds largest seller of event tickets. ... Cambridge SoundWorks is an Andover, Massachusetts based consumer audio manufacturer and retailer. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ... A typical Carls Jr. ... etnies is an American footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California owned by Sole Technology, Inc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sam Goody is a large music and entertainment retailer in the United States and formerly in the United Kingdom. ... Timberland has several meanings: Timberland a village in Lincolnshire. ... Movie Gallery, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the second largest movie and game rental company in the United States, behind Blockbuster Video. ... GameStop Corporation (NYSE: GME), headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, USA, is the worlds largest video game and entertainment software retailer. ... TiVo (pronounced tee-voh, IPA: ) is a popular brand of digital video recorder (DVR) in the United States. ... Velocity Micro is a privately-held computer manufacturer located in Richmond, VA (USA). ... Circuit City (NYSE: CC) is a Fortune 200 consumer electronics retailer with over $11 billion USD in sales. ... Papa Johns Pizza is the third largest carryout and delivery pizza restaurant in the United States behind Pizza Hut and Dominos Pizza; it is based in Louisville, Kentucky. ...

TrueSkill

TrueSkill on the Xbox 360 is a skill-based ranking system that is used across all games. It involves the user playing ranked games against other players, with the results used to update the skill level estimates of those involved. For each game, a user has two hidden statistics: an estimated skill level, and an uncertainty factor. As a player continues to play further matches of the same title, the system revises the estimated skill level and decreases the uncertainty factor. As the uncertainty in the estimate decreases, the estimated level moves up or down by a smaller amount with each successive match. The eventual goal is to exactly determine the level of the player, i.e. his or her "true skill level".

When matchmaking, the system attempts to match individuals based on their estimated skill level. If two individuals are competing head-to-head and have the same estimated skill level with low estimate uncertainty, they should each have roughly a 50% chance of winning a match. In this way, the system attempts to make every match as competitive as possible.

In order to prevent abuse of the system, the majority of ranked games have relatively limited options for matchmaking. By design, players cannot easily play with their friends in ranked games. Instead, the system supports unranked Player Matches, which allow individuals of any skill level to be paired (often including "guests" on an account). Such matches do not contribute to the TrueSkill rating.

Xbox Live Vision

Main article: Xbox Live Vision

Xbox Live Vision camera

The Xbox Live Vision camera was announced at E3 2006,[6] and was released September 19, 2006 in North America, and October 6, 2006 in Europe and Asia (not including Japan). Release dates for Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have not been confirmed.[7] The first "Camera Enabled" game, a video game incarnation of the classic card game UNO, was released in the Xbox Live Marketplace on May 9, 2006. [8] The Xbox 360 version of World Series of Poker and Rainbow Six: Vegas tout a "Digimask" technology that will map a player's facial expressions onto his or her in-game avatar.[9] The Xbox Live Vision is a camera designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1365, 135 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Xbox Live Xbox Live Vision Xbox 360 components and accessories Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1365, 135 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Xbox Live Xbox Live Vision Xbox 360 components and accessories Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... E³ logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E³, was an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a cultural phenomenon. ... A deck of English Uno cards from 1995. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged... The WSOP logo The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious set of poker tournaments in the world. ...

Any purchase of the camera comes bundled with at least 1 free month of Xbox Live Gold Membership, and at least 2 live arcade games (UNO with TotemBall being a free download on Xbox Live Marketplace). Based on the release of TotemBall, this product appears to be in competition with the PlayStation EyeToy product line. Totemball is a Xbox Live Arcade musical action game developed by Freeverse Software/Strange Flavour and published by Microsoft. ... The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2 & PlayStation Portable. ...

Xbox 360 Wireless Headset

Main article: Xbox 360 Wireless Headset

The wireless headset uses the console's built-in 2.4 GHz wireless receiver to communicate with the Xbox 360. This allows players to use the headset without an active controller from up to a range of around 30 ft. It runs on a rechargeable battery and has a charger included. The headset is currently available in North America and is priced at $59.99 USD. The Xbox 360 Wireless Headset is a wireless headset designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live manufactured by Microsoft. ...

Live for Windows

Main article: Live for Windows

Live for Windows will enable a variety of non-Xbox platforms such as a Windows Vista PC, Windows Mobile phones, and Java-enabled phones to connect to Xbox Live, albeit with lesser functionality. A gamer will be able to keep a Gamertag, purchase and play Xbox Live Arcade games, and connect to other Xbox Live users to play Arcade games and conduct text, audio and video chat. The service will be open to any 3rd-party developers, but must be able to provide key functionalities such as game ratings, achievement points, and the ability to properly connect to Xbox Live. New Windows Vista users will get to use the service free of charge - unlike Xbox users. [10] The Live for Windows logo, as seen at CES 2007 Live for Windows (previously known as Live Anywhere) is a schedule feature for the Xbox video game console service, Xbox Live. ... Windows Vista is the latest release of Microsoft Windows, a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops. ... Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. ... The Java platform is the name for a computing environment, or platform, from Sun Microsystems which can run applications developed using the Java programming language and set of development tools. ... Cellular redirects here. ... Gamertag is the universal name for a players username on Microsofts Xbox Live. ...

References

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Xbox Live Marketplace
• Xbox Live Arcade
• Xbox Community Developer Program
• Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
• PlayStation Network

The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft s Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live subscribers to download purchased or promotional content. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. ... The Xbox Community Developer Program (XCDP) is a program that allows experienced web developers to create a community with Xbox Live integration. ... Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is an online service run by Nintendo to facilitate free Internet play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. ... Icons of the various PSN features PlayStation Network is Sonys free online service provided for use with their PlayStation3 video game console. ...

External links

• Official Xbox Live website
• Major Nelson's Blog, by Larry Hryb, Xbox Live Director of Programming
• Gamerscoreblog, The Inside Scoop from Microsoft Xbox and Games Employees
• Xbox Users Group, The best Xbox Live Add-on seen by Xbox.com