NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Xbox Live

Xbox Live (trademarked as Xbox LIVE^[1]) is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service 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. Games for Windows - Live makes certain aspects of the system available on Windows Vista PCs, with plans to extend Live to other platforms such as handhelds and mobile phones as part of the Live Anywhere initiative.^[2] For the more general networking concept, see computer network, computer networking, and internetworking. ... Multiplayer is a mode of play for computer and video games in which multiple people can play the same game at the same time. ... 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). ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... Game console redirects here. ... 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for November, 2002. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Games for Windows â€“ Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. ... Windows Vista is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. ... A stylised illustration of a modern personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals. ... LIVE Anywhere is an initiative by Microsoft to bring the LIVE online gaming and entertainment network to a wide variety of platforms and devices, including Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, Zune, and more. ...

History

As Microsoft developed the original Xbox console, online gaming was designated as one of the key pillars for the greater Xbox strategy. Sega had made an attempt to capitalize on the ever-growing online gaming scene when it launched the Dreamcast video game console in 1999, including online support as standard. Nevertheless, due to lack of widespread broadband adoption at the time, the Dreamcast shipped with only a dial-up modem while a later-released broadband adapter was not widely supported or widely available. Downloadable Content was available, though limited in size due to the narrowband connection and the size limitations of a memory card. The online features, while praised as innovative, were largely considered a failure, and the Dreamcast's immediate competitors, the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube did not ship with built-in network adapters. Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... This article is about the video game company. ... The Dreamcast , code-named White Belt, Black Belt, Dural, Dricas, Vortex, Katana, Shark and Guppy during development) is Segas last video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. ... PS2 redirects here. ... The Nintendo GameCube (GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era. ...

Microsoft, however, hoped that the Xbox would succeed where the Dreamcast had failed. The company determined that intense online gaming required the throughput of a broadband connection and the storage space of a hard disk drive, and thus these PC-style features would be vital to the new platform. This would allow not only for significant downloadable content, such as new levels, maps, weapons, challenges and characters, to be downloaded quickly and stored, but also would make it possible to standardize bandwidth-intensive features such as voice communication. Based on this reasoning, the console included a standard ethernet port in order to provide connectivity to common broadband networks, but did not include a modem or any dial-up support, and its online service was designed to support broadband users only. Critics scoffed at the idea, citing poor broadband adoption at the turn of the century.^[3] A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ... Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... Ethernet is a large, diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies that operate at many speeds for local area networks (LANs). ...

When the Xbox launched on November 15, 2001, the as-yet unnamed online service was destined for a Summer 2002 deployment.^[4] 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 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.^[5] 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. is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... EÂ³ logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as EÂ³, was an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... 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 Cary, North Carolina, United States. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

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 Live-related and gave Xbox 360 users access to watch other gamers compete against each other over Xbox Live.^[6] The software development cycle is a theory saying that software is developed in five phases. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ...

The packaging for playable Xbox Live titles on the original Xbox console featured the trademark gold bar underneath the Xbox header. Tom Clancy's 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". This article is about the Splinter Cell video game series. ... Brute Force is an video game released for the Xbox by Microsoft during 2003. ...

Xbox Live hit a milestone in July 2004,^[7] when it achieved 1 million subscribers; and again in March 2007, when it achieved 6 million subscribers.^[8] In August 2007, Xbox Live had over 7.1 million active users.^[9] On November 15, 2007 Microsoft celebrated Xbox Live's 5th anniversary by offering its then over 8 million subscribers the title Carcassonne free of charge and awarding gamers who had subscribed to Live since its inception 500 free Microsoft Points.^[10] Due to intermittent service interruptions during late December 2007 and early January 2008, Microsoft promised to offer a free Xbox Live Arcade game to all Xbox Live users as compensation, concluding that, Marc Whitten has released an open letter to all Xbox Live members.^[11] Increased demand from Xbox 360 purchasers (the largest number of new user sign-ups in the history of Xbox Live) was given as the reason for the downtime.^[12] On January 18, 2008, Microsoft announced Undertow would be offered free for the week starting January 23 through January 27 as compensation.^[13] is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... (For the board game on which the game is based, see Carcassonne (board game). ... Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace and Zune online stores. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Undertow is an original video game developed by Chair Entertainment for the Xbox 360s Xbox Live Arcade service. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Xbox Live has since passed the 10 million member mark (counting both Gold and Silver accounts). This occurred 6 months earlier than Microsoft originally anticipated.^[14]

Microsoft’s E&D president Robbie Bach claims that Xbox Live sets the 360 apart from its rivals.^[15] “Xbox Live is a big differentiator for us,” said Bach to investor.com, “That drives a significant amount of energy around what’s on with Xbox.” Bach cites the exclusive downloadable content for GTA 4 as a reason why Microsoft’s online service is superior to its rivals.^[16]

Xbox Live features (specific to the Xbox 360)

Xbox Live Silver or Gold

Xbox Live Marketplace

The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market that allows users to download free and premium content. The service offers content for retail games, movies, game trailers, game demos, Xbox Live Arcade games, gamer tag images, original Xbox games, and Xbox 360 Dashboard themes. Premium content is purchased using Microsoft Points, which can be obtained directly on the console via a credit card transaction from the dashboard, or as a pre-paid card containing a specific value of Microsoft Points from retail stores. Xbox Live Marketplace Logo The Xbox Live Marketplace (XBLM) is a virtual market designed for Microsofts Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content. ... Image File history File links Xblmlogo. ... Image File history File links Xblmlogo. ... Electronic trading is a mode of trading that uses information technology to bring together a buyer and a seller through electronic media to create a virtual market place. ... Movie trailers are film advertisements for films that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema, on whose screen they are shown; they are commonly known as previews of coming attractions. ... Demo disc released with a magazine. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... In computing, skins and themes are custom graphical appearances (GUIs) that can be applied to certain software and websites in order to suit the different tastes of different users. ... Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace and Zune online stores. ... Look up credit card in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Xbox Live Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade allows users to purchase and download games to their Xbox 360 consoles. These games are smaller in size than those available on a regular Xbox 360 disc, and include re-releases and interpretations of older arcade and console games, online versions of popular board and card games, and original games often produced by independent video-game developers.^[17] Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... A board game is a game played with counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a board (a premarked surface, usually specific to that game). ... For the game on The Price Is Right, see Card Game (pricing game). ...

Gamertag

A Gamertag is the universal name for a player's username on Microsoft's Xbox Live. A Gamertag must be unique and can be up to 15 characters in length. Using a Gamertag, any player can be located and messaged from within Live. There are also 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 (for a price of 800 Microsoft Points), although a given console has a total of four slots for such accounts. User in a computing context refers to one who uses a computer system. ...

A player's Gamertag account status can be checked using a variety of online tools, this is useful especially when looking for a new gamertag, or confirming a Gamertag exists.

Gamertags can be used in a variety of places, including the original Xbox, the Xbox 360, Games for Windows - Live, Zune, and XNA Creators Club. The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Games for Windows â€“ Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. ... This article is about the digital media brand. ... Microsoft XNA (XNAs Not Acronymed[1]) is a set of tools, complete with a managed runtime environment, provided by Microsoft that facilitates computer game design, development and management. ...

Gamertags also contain avatar images (or "gamer pictures"), often associated with certain games or game characters. Individual gamerpics cost between 15 and 20 Microsoft Points, but they are usually bundled into packs; packs of four or five gamerpics usually cost 80 Microsoft Points, while packs of ten typically cost 150.

Gamerscore

The Gamerscore(G) 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. Initially, retail Xbox 360 games offered up to 1,000G spread over a variable number of Achievements, while each Xbox Live Arcade title contained 12 achievements totaling 200G. These possible totals per game have been raised to 1250G and 250G, respectively; see below. Achievements became a potent system seller for the console.^[18] 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. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5...

GameSpot published an article on how to achieve 6,000 easy Achievement points^[19] due to the lax requirements that some early Xbox 360 titles had for Achievements, notably EA Sports and 2K Sports titles, that would require almost no effort from the gamer to get the maximum 1,000G. The following year's sports titles (2K Sports' 2K7 and EA Sports' 07 titles) featured far more challenging Achievements. GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... current EA Sports logo EA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on sports. ... 2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. ...

In November 2006, a gamer named "stripclubdj" reached the 100,000-point Gamerscore mark.^[20] However, he made frequent use of gamesaves and other methods that unlocked achievements that he did not earn - his Gamerscore was reset to 0 on March 25, 2008 (See below). The 100,000-point mark was not reached legitimately until March 2007.^[21] The same gamer hit 200,000 gamerscore in March 2008, and currently stands as the #1 legit gamerscore, at 205,665. (As of March 23, 2008) As of October 31, 2007, David Dreger (aka Knuckles Dawson, a former editor at Joystiq sister site Xbox 360 Fanboy) holds the record for consecutive days earning at least one Achievement point over the course of 681 straight days (one year, 316 days), which lasted from November 22, 2005 to October 4, 2007.^[22]^[23] Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Joystiq is a video gaming website founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

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.^[24] All games must have 1,000 Gamerscore points in the base game - the title can ship with fewer than 1,000 points, but anything added later must be free. Game developers also now have the option of adding up to 250 points via downloadable content (for a total of 1,250 points) - 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 points). is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5...

On May 26, 2007, Halo 2 was the first Games for Windows game to feature Achievements, which counted towards a player's Xbox Live Gamerscore. is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Halo 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. ... Games for Windows is a marketing campaign by Microsoft that dates back at least to 2005, and has been revised in 2006, seemingly aimed at officially categorizing computer games that will work (possibly exclusively) with their Microsoft Windows products. ...

On March 25, 2008, Microsoft cracked down on "Gamerscore cheaters" (those who used "external tools" to artificially inflate their Gamerscore), and reduced their Gamerscores to zero without the option to recover the scores that had been "earned", and branded the player by denoting on their Gamertag that they were a "Cheater".^[25] is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Gamercard

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

A player's Gamercard can be viewed via the Xbox 360 Dashboard, or online through Xbox.com. Several third party sites, such as MyGamerCard.net, allow users to post a rendered version of their Gamercard as a small Flash applet or JPEG image on any website or Internet forum. It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Adobe Flash, or simply Flash, refers to both the Adobe Flash Player, and to the Adobe Flash Professional multimedia authoring program. ... JPG redirects here. ... A typical Internet forum discussion, with common elements such as quotes and spoiler brackets A page from a forum showcasing emoticons and Internet slang An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. ...

There are four Gamer Zones; Recreation is for casual gamers, Family is for family-friendly gamers (without profanity, etc.), Pro is for competitive gamers who enjoy a challenge, and Underground is for no-holds-barred gaming where anything goes (as long as it does not violate the Xbox Live Terms of Use).

TrueSkill

TrueSkill on the Xbox 360 is a skill-based ranking system that is used across the majority of Xbox 360 titles. 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". Depending on the title, this calculated skill level may or may not be displayed to users.

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.

Windows Live Messenger

Windows Live Messenger allows users of Xbox Live, Microsoft Windows-based PCs and Windows Mobile devices to connect and directly message each other. It is possible to chat with up to six people at one time, while playing games, listening to music, or watching movies. This complements the existing voice and video chat of Xbox Live. Users will see at a glance if their existing contacts on Windows Live Messenger have Gamertags. As of the December 4, 2007 dashboard update, Windows Live Messenger on Xbox Live is now available to child accounts if the user is 13 years of age or older. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixelsFull resolution (1024 Ã— 683 pixel, file size: 204 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source: GamerScore Blog (http://gamerscoreblog. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixelsFull resolution (1024 Ã— 683 pixel, file size: 204 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source: GamerScore Blog (http://gamerscoreblog. ... For the old versions of this software called MSN Messenger, see MSN Messenger. ... Windows redirects here. ... 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, Portable Media Centers, and on-board computers for certain automobiles. ... For the old versions of this software called MSN Messenger, see MSN Messenger. ... Xbox Live is a subscription-based online gaming service for Microsofts Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. ... For the old versions of this software called MSN Messenger, see MSN Messenger. ...

On September 4, 2007, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit, a small QWERTY keypad that will connect directly into the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging. Users can connect the keypad into any Xbox 360 controller (Wireless or Wired), and have the ability to write a message back, and get right back into any game or movie the user is playing. is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Xbox 360 game console, developed by Microsoft, features a number of first-party components and accessories. ... For the song by Linkin Park, see QWERTY (song). ...

Pricing and subscriptions

The Silver level service is free, while the Gold level requires a paid subscription. Xbox Live Gold subscriptions can be purchased directly from the Xbox 360, with a credit card and many retailers sell subscriptions, often at a discount. When purchased directly from the Console, the Gold subscription pricing is as follows:

If users associate a credit card with their Xbox Live account, when the current subscription ends, it is renewed automatically. When this occurs, a notification e-mail is sent to the e-mail address registered for the account. In order to cancel this automatic renewal, users are required to phone a customer service number as cancellations cannot be made directly from the console. This procedure has been criticised by some users, particularly with respects to requests made by customer service operators concerning the reasons for cancellation.^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29] For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Hardware accessories

Xbox Live Vision

The Xbox Live Vision camera was announced at E3 2006,^[30] and was released September 19, 2006 in North America, October 6, 2006 in Europe and Asia, and November 2, 2006 in Japan^[31]. The Xbox Live Vision is a webcam 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... EÂ³ logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as EÂ³, was an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The first "Camera Enabled" game, a video game incarnation of the classic card game UNO, was released on May 9, 2006.^[32] The Xbox 360 versions of World Series of Poker and Rainbow Six: Vegas debuted a "Digimask" technology that will map a player's facial expressions onto his or her in-game avatar.^[33] UNO is an Xbox Live Arcade game developed by Carbonated Games and released on May 9, 2006. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The WSOP logo The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious set of poker tournaments in the world. ... Digimask is an avatar technology that allows a user to input a front and (optional) side digital photo of their head which then automatically creates a fully-articulated 3D model of that head. ...

The Vision camera comes bundled with a wired Xbox 360 Headset, one free month of Xbox Live Gold membership, and two Xbox Live Arcade games - UNO and TotemBall (both having free trial downloads on the Xbox Live Marketplace). A second package is available for $79.99 which contains Robotron 2084, 200 Microsoft Points and a 12 Month subscription to Xbox Live Gold in addition to the wired headset, UNO and TotemBall. The Xbox 360 game console, developed by Microsoft, features a number of first-party components and accessories. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... UNO is an Xbox Live Arcade game developed by Carbonated Games and released on May 9, 2006. ... Totemball is a Xbox Live Arcade musical action game developed by Freeverse Software/Strange Flavour and published by Microsoft. ... Xbox Live Marketplace Logo The Xbox Live Marketplace (XBLM) is a virtual market designed for Microsofts Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content. ... Robotron: 2084 (often simply called Robotron) is an arcade game created in 1982 by the company Vid Kidz (Eugene Jarvis and Larry Demar) for Williams Electronics. ... Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace and Zune online stores. ...

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 headsets 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, Europe and Australia priced at $59.99 USD and $79.95 AUD respectively. Also, the Wireless Headset is capable of being reassigned to different remote controllers connected to the 360 Console. The Xbox 360 Wireless Headset is a wireless headset designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live manufactured by Microsoft. ...

Programs and initiatives

Game with Fame

The "Game with Fame" initiative has been Microsoft's way to connect their gamers with celebrities. In this program, players can play online with or against famous groups or individuals for a limited period of time. Some of the recent participants have been Velvet Revolver, Megadeth, Quietdrive, Shia LaBeouf, Jack Black, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Jimmy Thornton. Players often have to send a friend request and/or e-mail to a certain gamertag or address in order to allow them to play a certain game with said celebrity. Further information is available on the Game with Fame homepage. Velvet Revolver (abbreviated to VR) is a Grammy Award-winning hard rock supergroup with three former members of Guns N Roses â€” Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum â€” plus Scott Weiland, the former-lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots, and Dave Kushner of the 80s punk band Wasted Youth. ... Megadeth is an American heavy metal band led by founder, frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine. ... Quietdrive is a pop punk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota formed at Saint Johns University in 2002. ... Shia Saide LaBeouf[1] (pronounced SHY-uh luh-BUFF, IPA: [2]; born June 11, 1986) is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning[3] American actor and comedian. ... For other persons named Jack Black, see Jack Black (disambiguation). ... For the movie, see Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. ...

Xbox Ambassador Program

Xbox Ambassadors are community members selected by Microsoft who have proven themselves to be helpful towards other Xbox Live members and are willing to assist new Xbox Live users integrate themselves into the community. Presently, there are ambassadors in 18 countries representing 30 different languages.^[34] Xbox Ambassadors are held to a higher standard of conduct than other Xbox Live members and are expected to keep a few slots on their Friends Lists open for users looking for help, to be patient and friendly with people who ask for help and to offer advice and guidance, directing users to official Xbox support channels when appropriate. Further information is available on the Xbox Ambassador homepage.

Live Anywhere

Microsoft's Live Anywhere initiative will enable a variety of non-Xbox platforms such as Windows Vista PCs, 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, and audio chat. The service will be open to any 3rd-party developers, but they must be able to provide key functionalities such as game ratings, achievement points, and the ability to properly connect to Xbox Live. LIVE Anywhere is an initiative by Microsoft to bring the LIVE online gaming and entertainment network to a wide variety of platforms and devices, including Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, Zune, and more. ... The Java platform is the name for a bundle of related programs, or platform, from Sun Microsystems which allow for developing and running programs written in the Java programming language. ... Cellular redirects here. ...

The only non-Xbox platform supported by Live is Windows Vista, with the new Games for Windows - Live service which launched on May 8, 2007. Games for Windows â€“ Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. ...

Xbox Rewards

Xbox Rewards is a program designed to provide both casual and hardcore players incentives to play on Xbox Live by subsidizing the achievement points gamers accumulate with actual rewards. This works by having gamers register for specific challenges which, if successfully completed, yield a challenge-specific reward.^[35] Xbox Rewards is a program to give both casual and hardcore players incentives to play on Xbox Live by subsidizing the Achievement points gamers accumulate with actual rewards. ...

Security

In order to ensure uniform quality of service and discourage software piracy, Microsoft implements a number of different security measures on its Xbox Live service. One of these takes the form of a proactive security check that assures that only unmodified machines may access their service. On May 17, 2007, Microsoft ceased permitting consoles with modified firmware from accessing Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, consoles with firmware of unknown origin, quality or intent were banned permanently from Xbox Live. A Microsoft representative indicated that the action was taken to assure "the integrity of the service and protect our partners and users." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The copyright infringement of software is often called software piracy by those seeking to reduce its incidence. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... A microcontroller, like this PIC18F8720 is controlled by firmware stored inside on FLASH memory In computing, firmware is a computer program that is embedded in a hardware device, for example a microcontroller. ...

Recently, individuals have bypassed these firmware security checks using custom firmware (e.g., the iXtreme firmware) which prevents detection of alterations, effectively "stealthing" the modification. It is possible, however, that this is still detectable, and hence leaves open the possibility of future bans.^[36]

It has been discovered that pretexting has been used to impersonate an Xbox Live user for the purposes of malfeasance. Microsoft has implemented greater security in an effort to decrease the service's susceptibility to social engineering.^[37] This article is about the manipulation of individuals. ... The expressions misfeasance and nonfeasance, and occasionally malfeasance, are used in English law with reference to the discharge of public obligations existing by common law, custom or statute. ...

Getting online

Since the Xbox and Xbox 360 both include a built-in ethernet port, individuals can access Xbox Live by connecting a cable directly to their high-speed Internet device; however, many users have a more elaborate local area network configuration. Such configurations often take advantage of wireless access, or allow multiple machines to share a single Internet connection (via Network address translation). While Universal Plug and Play attempts to address the needs of advanced users, not all devices support this (or support it properly). As such, manual system configuration and trouble-shooting is sometimes required. Also, users can connect to Xbox Live by buying a Wireless Network Adapter starting at $99.99 (US), which a user connects via USB into the back of the Console. Ethernet is a large, diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies that operate at many speeds for local area networks (LANs). ... LAN redirects here. ... In computer networking, Network Address Translation (NAT, also known as Network Masquerading, Native Address Translation or IP Masquerading) is a technique of transceiving network traffic through a router that involves re-writing the source and/or destination IP addresses and usually also the TCP/UDP port numbers of IP packets... Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a set of computer network protocols promulgated by the UPnP Forum. ... USB redirects here. ...

The official Microsoft site offers solutions to common errors such as "IP Failed", or "MTU Failed". Another website that offers a free support service is Xbox Live The Guide, which also covers a number of common issues. Additionally, users can often seek help from each other in online internet forums. Common topics include how to assign a static IP address, as well as how to make of use of router DMZs, port forwarding, or port triggering to deal with Network address translation problems. An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique address that certain electronic devices currently use in order to identify and communicate with each other on a computer network utilizing the Internet Protocol standard (IP)â€”in simpler terms, a computer address. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Port address translation. ... In computer networking, Network Address Translation (NAT, also known as Network Masquerading, Native Address Translation or IP Masquerading) is a technique of transceiving network traffic through a router that involves re-writing the source and/or destination IP addresses and usually also the TCP/UDP port numbers of IP packets...

Xbox Live itself uses a number of inbound and outbound ports on the Xbox and Xbox 360. Therefore, some ports need to be automatically or manually forwarded to the console if it is behind a restrictive firewall. The system makes common use of ports.^[38]

Availability

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Norway. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Singapore. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

class="preview" id="pv329"> Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2old2play. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

Xbox Live Marketplace Logo The Xbox Live Marketplace (XBLM) is a virtual market designed for Microsofts Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members 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 and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... The Xbox Live Vision is a webcam designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. ... Games for Windows â€“ Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. ... LIVE Anywhere is an initiative by Microsoft to bring the LIVE online gaming and entertainment network to a wide variety of platforms and devices, including Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, Zune, and more. ... The Xbox Community Developer Program (XCDP) is a program that allows experienced web developers to create a community with Xbox Live integration. ...

External links

Namcos Pac-Man is one of the most popular video games ever made. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Games for Windows is a marketing campaign by Microsoft that dates back at least to 2005, and has been revised in 2006, seemingly aimed at officially categorizing computer games that will work (possibly exclusively) with their Microsoft Windows products. ... This is a list of games for the Microsoft Xbox video game console, organized alphabetically by name. ... This is the list of the released or upcoming games for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console, organized alphabetically by name. ... A list of Xbox games that are backward compatible on the Xbox 360 stands at the heart of this article. ... Platinum Hits is a term used to refer to a line of select Xbox games that have sold over 400,000 units on the platform in the nine months after release [1] and have dropped in price from their original MSRP to a new price point of US$19. ... This is a list of released or upcoming PC games under Microsofts Games for Windows label, organized alphabetically by name. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... Xbox Live Marketplace Logo The Xbox Live Marketplace (XBLM) is a virtual market designed for Microsofts Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content. ... Games for Windows â€“ Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. ... LIVE Anywhere is an initiative by Microsoft to bring the LIVE online gaming and entertainment network to a wide variety of platforms and devices, including Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, Zune, and more. ... The Xbox 360 game console, developed by Microsoft, features a number of first-party and third-party accessories. ... The Xbox 360 game console, developed by Microsoft, features a number of first-party components and accessories. ... The Xbox Live Vision is a webcam designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. ... The Xbox 360 Wireless Headset is a wireless headset designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live manufactured by Microsoft. ... The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel was developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 and was introduced at E3 2006. ... Ourcolony is a Search Opera type Alternate Reality Game and a viral marketing campaign for the marketing of a successor to the Microsoft Xbox. ... Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch time of the original Xbox. ... Xbox Exhibition was a game demo compilation series from Microsoft Game Studios to advertise and preview upcoming Xbox games. ... X (sometimes called the X0 events[1]) is an annually held trade show hosted by Microsoft, showcasing its Xbox - and more recently, Games for Windows - portfolio of hardware, software, and services. ... Xbox Rewards is a program to give both casual and hardcore players incentives to play on Xbox Live by subsidizing the Achievement points gamers accumulate with actual rewards. ... The XDK, short for Xbox Development Kit, is a software development kit created by Microsoft used to write software for the Xbox gaming system. ... Microsoft XNA (XNAs Not Acronymed[1]) is a set of tools, complete with a managed runtime environment, provided by Microsoft that facilitates computer game design, development and management. ... Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), branded with current logo and moniker in 2002 (formerly the Microsoft Game Division or Microsoft Games), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. ... The Xbox 360 launch marks the release of the first high-profile seventh generation video game console. ... Three red lights on the Xbox 360 indicator, representing general hardware failure, known by gamers as the infamous red ring of death. The Xbox 360 can be subject to a number of possible technical problems. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... The following is an incomplete list of Microsoft software applications. ... Windows redirects here. ... The following is a list of Microsoft Windows components. ... Microsoft Office is an office suite from Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X operating systems. ... Microsoft Visual Studio is Microsofts flagship software development product for computer programmers. ... Microsoft Expression Studio is a suite of design and media applications from Microsoft aimed at developers and designers. ... Microsoft Dynamics is a line of software for business made by Microsoft. ... Microsoft Money 2006 Premium Microsoft Money is Microsofts personal finance software for computers using the Microsoft Windows operating system. ... Encarta is a digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation. ... Microsoft Student is a software from Microsoft to help students in school work and home work. ... Microsoft Works is an office suite (Home Productivity Suite) available from the Microsoft Corporation. ... Three maps generated by MapPoint North America 2001 (outside the detailed dataset), Encarta 2005 (not very detailed) and Microsoft AutoRoute 2004 (highly detailed). ... Microsoft Virtual PC is a virtualization suite for Microsoft Windows operating systems, and an emulation suite for Mac OS X on PowerPC-based systems. ... Microsoft Servers is a brand that encompasses a line of Microsoft server products. ... Windows Server may refer to: Windows 2000 Server, the release based on Windows 2000 Windows Server 2003, the current release of Windows Server Windows Server Longhorn, the upcoming release of Windows Server Windows Home Server, an upcoming server operating system intended for home use Microsoft Servers, a family of servers... Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) produced by Microsoft. ... Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS, formerly called Internet Information Server) is a set of Internet-based services for servers using Microsoft Windows. ... Microsoft Exchange Server is a messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft. ... Microsoft BizTalk Server is a server product by Microsoft which provides the following functions: Business Process Automation, Business Process Modeling, Business-to-business Communication, Enterprise Application Integration and Message broker[1]. Its a server product targeted mostly at medium to large enterprises, but has been popular among small companies... Microsoft Commerce Server is a Microsoft tool for building e-commerce systems. ... Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA Server) is a stateful packet and application layer inspection firewall, virtual private network and web cache (both forward caching and reverse caching) server which runs on Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003. ... Windows Server System logo Microsoft Servers is a brand that encompasses a line of Microsoft server products. ... Windows Home Server is a home server operating system from Microsoft. ... SharePoint - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 , OCS 2007, is an enterprise real-time communications server, providing instant messaging, presence, audio-video conferencing and web conferencing functionality. ... Terminal Services is a component of Microsoft Windows (both server and client versions) that allows a user to access applications and data stored on a remote computer over a network. ... The following is a list of Microsoft Windows components. ... Typically Active Directory is managed using the graphical Microsoft Management Console. ... Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. ... Microsoft . ... Windows Media is a multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. ... Microsoft PlaysForSure is a certification given by Microsoft to portable devices (portable media players, phones, etc. ... Microsoft Silverlight (code-named Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere or WPF/E) is a proprietary XAML-based runtime for browser-based Rich Internet Applications, providing a subset of the animation, vector graphics, and video playback capabilities of Windows Presentation Foundation. ... 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, Portable Media Centers, and on-board computers for certain automobiles. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Windows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft. ... Microsoft Office Live is an Internet-based software service designed for small businesses with fewer than ten employees launched on February 15, 2006,[1] and is part of Microsofts Windows Live initiative. ... Office Live Workspace is a Microsoft Office Live-branded online storage and collaboration service for Microsoft Office 2007 documents. ... For the news website, see msnbc. ... MSNBC logo MSNBC (Microsoft & National Broadcasting Company) is a 24-hour news channel in the United States. ... ninemsn is a 50/50 joint venture between Microsoft and Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) . It effectively acts as the website for both the Nine Network and MSN, and is one of Australias websites. ... For other uses, see MSN (disambiguation). ... Hotmail is a free webmail e-mail service, which is accessible via a web browser. ... For the old versions of this software called MSN Messenger, see MSN Messenger. ... Windows Live Spaces (also known by its users as MSN Spaces) is Microsofts blogging and Social Networking platform. ... MSN Groups Home MSN Groups is a commercial community site created by Microsoft in 1995. ... Windows Live ID (originally named . ... Microsoft Ignition is a music network operated by Microsoft that spans across Windows PCs, XBOX 360 gaming console and Zune music player. ... CodePlex is an open source project hosting website from Microsoft. ... Microsoft HealthVault is an online service from Microsoft to store and maintain health-related information. ... Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), branded with current logo and moniker in 2002 (formerly the Microsoft Game Division or Microsoft Games), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. ... MSN Games (also known as Zone. ... Microsoft XNA (XNAs Not Acronymed[1]) is a set of tools, complete with a managed runtime environment, provided by Microsoft that facilitates computer game design, development and management. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... Xbox Live Marketplace Logo The Xbox Live Marketplace (XBLM) is a virtual market designed for Microsofts Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content. ... Games for Windows is a marketing campaign by Microsoft that dates back at least to 2005, and has been revised in 2006, seemingly aimed at officially categorizing computer games that will work (possibly exclusively) with their Microsoft Windows products. ... Games for Windows â€“ Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. ... Tray and Play is a technology developed by Microsoft for Windows Vista operating system and is a part of Games for Windows initiative. ... LIVE Anywhere is an initiative by Microsoft to bring the LIVE online gaming and entertainment network to a wide variety of platforms and devices, including Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, Zune, and more. ... Microsoft Surface (Codename: Milan), is a forthcoming Multi-touch product from Microsoft which is developed as a software and hardware combination technology that allows a user, or multiple users, to manipulate digital content by the use of natural motions, hand gestures, or physical objects. ... This article is about the digital media brand. ... The Zune 4 and Zune 8 are new models of the Zune lineup announced October 2, 2007 and will be released November 2007. ... The Zune 30 is the first Zune music player from Microsoft. ... The Zune 80 is the largest digital media player produced and marketed by Microsoft. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Microsoft Natural Keyboard is a computer keyboard that was introduced by Microsoft in 1994. ... Microsoft IntelliType is the Microsoft brand driver for Microsofts series of computer keyboard. ... Microsoft IntelliPoint is the Microsoft brand driver for Microsofts IntelliMouse series of mice. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Microsoft LifeChat is a brand of headsets created by Microsoft. ... First-generation Microsoft SideWinder gamepad Microsoft SideWinder is the general name given to the family of digital game controllers developed by Microsoft for PCs. ... The Ultra-Mobile PC (abbreviated UMPC), previously known by its codename Project Origami, is a specification for a small form factor tablet PC. It was developed as a joint development exercise by Microsoft, Intel, and Samsung, among others. ... Exterior of Fingerprint Reader The Microsoft Fingerprint Reader is a device sold by Microsoft that augments normal passwords with the fingerprint of a user for convenience. ... The Digital Sound System 80, short DSS80, was a three-piece PC audio system co-developed by Microsoft and Philips. ... This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... An O2 Pocket PC phone A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer (Personal digital assistant) that runs the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. ... Microsoft RoundTable device Screenshot of a Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 remote conference using RoundTable. ... Microsoft Response Point is a PABX software product from Microsoft designed to be used in PABX systems targeting small businesses with less than 50 employees. ... Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) refers to both an individual Microsoft certification and a broader professional certification program. ... The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) is the portion of Microsoft responsible for managing the firms relationship with developers. ... Microsoft Technet is a division of Microsoft that have TechNet subscriptions. ... MSDN Academic Alliance is a Microsoft program which provides MSDN subscriptions for free for students and faculty in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, and related fields. ... Microsoft Campus Agreement or MSCA is a program intended to RAPE students, faculty, and staff of select universities which enter into AN ETERNAL BLOOD TRUCE with Microsoft. ... Microsoft Press is the publishing arm of Microsoft, usually releasing books dealing with various current Microsoft technologies. ... The Microsoft MVP Logo The Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Program is an award and recognition program run by Microsoft. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Microsoft Research (MSR) is a division of Microsoft created in 1991 for researching various computer science topics and issues. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Criticism of Microsoft and Comparison of Windows and Linux (Discuss) There have been a number of studies related to Microsoft. ... A Client Access License (CAL) is a kind of software license, distributed by Microsoft, to allow clients to connect to its server software programs. ... Shared source is Microsoftâ€™s framework for sharing computer program source code with individuals and organizations. ... Microsoft Software Licensing and Protection Services also known as Microsoft SLPS. // Microsoft Software Licensing and Protection Services (SLPS) is a Software Licensing Suite that provides developers with the ability to protect code, license software, create license versions, and track performance of products and profitability. ... Criticism of Microsoft has followed various aspects of its products and business practices. ... Criticism of Windows Vista includes the various concerns regarding the commercially released version of Vista, due to perceived issues with security, performance and presence of product activation. ... Microsofts Windows XP operating system has received considerable amounts of criticism for various problems. ... Chairman of the Board redirects here. ... Steven Anthony Ballmer (born March 24, 1956 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American businessman and has been the chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation since January 2000. ... James Cash, Jr. ... Dina Dublon is a current member of the board of directors at Microsoft. ... For other persons named Bill Gates, see Bill Gates (disambiguation). ... Raymond Gilmartin is a current member of the board of directors at Microsoft and at General Mills. ... Reed Hastings at the Web 2. ... David Marquardt is a current member of the board of directors at Microsoft. ... Charles Noski is a current member of the board of directors at Microsoft. ... Helmut G.W. Panke is a current member of the board of directors at Microsoft. ... Jon Shirley is the former president of Microsoft and currently one of its directors. ...

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