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Knight
gekko is offline
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MS Live Interview
From xengamers.com/sections/news/8163 . Intentionally not linked, I feel it's all better if we don't visit the site.
With Microsoft's Xbox Live online service scheduled to begin testing later this month in America, directors Michael Mott and John Thomson recently spoke with Ascii regarding the company's development plans.
Ascii: Most people haven't been surprised by the Xbox Live service, even after playing some of its launch titles at E3. Do you think that's because it was announced last year and Microsoft plans to launch the service with a lineup of familiar or 'safe' software titles?
Thomson: That's an interesting question. In our view, the software lineup for Xbox Live will grow gradually. At first we're trying to appeal to the hard-core players, and we'll build our audience from there. So initially we've chosen games which we believe will appeal to the hard-core player. While many of the early games for Xbox Live are based on existing concepts, there are some revolutionary new games in the pipeline as well. But I'm very confident in our current lineup. Star Wars Galaxies, for example, which is currently being developed for the North American market will be very exciting. Players can expect future Xbox Live games to offer TV-program style updates. Thereby, normally there are 26 episodes in a television season. Players can expect weekly game 'episodes' or updates in the near future.
gekko's important input: No, it's cause your game library is 90% PC FPS, which are much better on PC. And your PSO sucks. That's why people aren't impressed. Not to mention you hype Fever, which sucks ass. The only game worse is NFL QB Club. Start pimpin NFL 2K3 and Sega GT 2002.
Ascii: One major component of the Xbox Live service will be voice chat. This is relatively new for online games, so why is Microsoft pursuing it so much? If you ask online RPG players in the PC market, many of them believe such features aren't necessary. Your thoughts?
Thomson: There are some wonderful possibilities for voice chat. I believe the number of people who have actually played online games incorporating voice chat is very small. The spoken word is the most natural form of communication. Sega's Yuji Naka has been asked this question before as well. And he has said he believes it will change the future of videogames. I believe voice communication among online players is exciting and will add a new element of cooperation to our games. PC players are naturally going to be more comfortable with a keyboard because they're accustomed to using one. However, voice communication is more natural among console game players. We want to create an online game environment which is like playing with a friend in the same room. I think it's too complicated for players to use a controller and a keyboard to communicate. Nevertheless, we've included the keyboard option for game developers who aren't interested in incorporating voice chat features.
gekko's important input: Keyboard input? Word! Now make sure you support it for Xbox Live registration. I don't want to spend 3 hours using the on screen keyboard. Too complicated to use a keyboard and controller at the same time? You expect people to be hokking Xbox up to a HDTV, and 5.1 channel surround setup and then setup a DHCP network on their router, and using 2 controller is complicated? And Yuji Naka, I love the man, but he says voice chat is the best way to play PSO, and all the PSO fans say keyboard. Funny isn't it, the ones who actually play the game for 600 hours think different than the guy who comes up with the ideas. I wonder why...
Ascii: The Xbox Live service will be independent from ISP selection, so players can connect using a variety of broadband providers. However, that can be especially difficult for players without a PC background. Why did you choose this setup?
Mott: Because of their location, some players don't have a choice in their service provider. So we decided to build a service which would be compatible with virtually all ISPs. In order to build the Xbox Live service beyond the hard-core audience, we plan to establish relationships with some ISPs in the future.
Ascii: Setting up DNS and IP numbers can be difficult even for PC users. How do you plan to overcome the technical burden for players, such as those utilizing router connections?
Thomson: More than 4.5 million people already use broadband connections for the Internet. While ADSL is popular in America, router setups are common in Japan. For players utilizing a router setup, we want to create a plug-and-plug type environment. So players who share a connection with a PC can easily connect to their Xbox as well. There are many different connection possibilities, but generally speaking, we believe the setup process will be much easier than the PlayStation 2.
gekko's important input: You ****ing fool. It's ****ing ethernet dip****. Connecting Xbox to a network and connecting PS2 is the same ****ing thing. Dumbass!
Ascii: What if a game developer wishes to host and maintain their own online game server separate from Microsoft?
Mott: We're discussing that possibility for the future, but under our current service plan, game developers can control their own servers through our hosting services. One important factor to consider is security. We're able to guarantee a secure transfer of data between Xbox Live and players. It may be possible in the future for game developers to establish their own servers with security gateways to protect players and collect fees. Xbox Live players must pass through a central server first and be accepted on our network, which ensures data security.
Thomson: Security is a key component to the Xbox Live service. Establishing and managing separate online servers with that level of security is cost prohibitive for most developers.
gekko's important input: Data security? Since when has MS known **** about security? Don't tell me, you had the Windows development team do it! Trust MS with security... right...
Ascii: Do you think the Japanese market is unique? Generally speaking, most of the American games shown at E3 this year wouldn't appeal to the average Japanese players. For example, I can't believe such a violent game like Grand Theft Auto 3 for the PlayStation 2, which has sold millions of copies, could win Game of the Year. Some genres don't appeal to the Japanese public as well. Look at first-person shooters like Halo on Xbox. It has sold more than a million copies, but hasn't been very popular in Japan.
Thomson: Certainly, I think the Japanese and American markets are unique. Likewise, I believe the European market is completely different than the United States. We've adopted a strategy of dividing the markets accordingly by region. So there's different management teams responsible for each market and working with local publishers. There are games which can be released worldwide, and while I personally like Grand Theft Auto 3 [smiles..], we're pleased to have the support from many talented Japanese software developers such as Sega and Tecmo, working on exciting games like Phantasy Star Online and Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.
Mott: We believe that games must be evaluated based on their target audience and region, and the same is true of multiplayer online games. However, many developers are interested in offering their games to a worldwide audience. We want to offer Xbox Live globally, and we hope to build the service by forming strategic partnerships with region-specific companies.
Thomson: As you mentioned, Halo has been very popular in America. In the European market in countries like Britain and France, soccer games are the most popular. In Germany, F1 racing games have performed well. We realize there are genres which appeal to a broad market, but players also have distinct tastes. We also believe the introduction of Xbox Live will change the way players view certain genres.
gekko's important input: Japanese gamers are smart, they don't fall for your Halo BS. Now deal with it, and give them a real game.
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Since they didn't want to make it look/sound like a PC(which it still is). But I had a few laughs about your comments and M$'$ comments.
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