Xbox Live gets snuffed!

[Jammrock]

Just more proof that M$ is the eVil empire, and doesn't belong in the console arena (from Bloomberg, ripped off Firing Squad):

Eidos, maker of Tomb Raider and Championship Manager soccer games, said it doesn't plan to make games for Xbox Live because Microsoft controls the system and manages subscriptions itself, leaving no incentive for a publisher to collaborate. Sony's approach is to sell just the equipment needed to connect to other's services, such as those run by game makers.

``We're not supporting Xbox Live for the time being because we don't feel comfortable with Microsoft's business model -- they own the consumer,'' said Eidos Chief Executive Mike McGarvey in an interview on March 6. The company is developing games for Sony's PlayStation 2 online system, because ``Sony is more of a partner,'' he said.

Redwood City, California-based Electronics Arts, which makes titles such as ``2002 FIFA World Cup'' and ``NHL 2003'' for the Xbox console, said it's also reluctant to join Microsoft's system. ``We have no plans for online games with Xbox because we couldn't agree on the terms,'' said spokesman Jeff Brown, reiterating a position held since last May.

M$ apparently doesn't understand that in the console arena, it's all about pleasing the game developers. I used to sell consoles and games and I've seen systems that were light-years ahead of anything else fail because they couldn't get enough good software out for them.

I smell the doom of the Xbox .... if M$ doesn't bend to the console industry at least.

Jammrock

[Wombat]

No way. Eidos/EA are just being whiny because they're used to charging their own money for their own shitty online stuff. Slashdot covered this a few days ago, and the comments to the article were interesting.

X-Box developers are GIVEN:
A network already set up.
APIs so complete that traffic, matchmaking, communication, and security are already done for them.

[Gurm]

And yet every XBOX Live game I've seen sucks total and complete donkey dong.

Why is that, I wonder?

- Gurm

[Wombat]

I heard the Mechwarrior game is cool?

A shitty game is a shitty game. I don't see why that's MS's fault.


Holy crap, I just <B>not</B>-blamed MS for something.

[3dfx]

Trust me guys, Xbox live rules the only problem I can say in the foreseeable future is the idea if charging ppl a monthly fee on top of the money they already pay for a cable/ADSL connection to use Xbox live.

Remember it's not just about online gaming, it is also about downloads for games ie patches and extra levels. So you can make all your wishes come true

[Nowhere]

I wish that console games would still be high quality right at the launch. When developers will start to think "hey, we can always release patch" the whole point of console gaming will die

[ZokesPro]

Originally posted by Nowhere
I wish that console games would still be high quality right at the launch. When developers will start to think "hey, we can always release patch" the whole point of console gaming will die

He makes a good point. Not everyone wants to buy a buggy game only to be able to enjoy it AFTER having updating it.

[Byock]

That is the worst part of PC gaming. Ultima 9 anyone?

[High_Jumbllama]

Originally posted by ZokesPro
He makes a good point. Not everyone wants to buy a buggy game only to be able to enjoy it AFTER having updating it.

Brings back early nightmares of getting my K7M motherboard to work. :shudders:

[3dfx]

I'll take Metroid Prime as an example guys, the game had a lot of bugs in the American ver. and by the PAL ver. these were fixed plus loads of new features were added. Now if something like Xbox live was available to the Gamecube them American users could reap these benifits without buying a PAL ver. of the game.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by 3dfx
I'll take Metroid Prime as an example guys, the game had a lot of bugs in the American ver. and by the PAL ver. these were fixed plus loads of new features were added. Now if something like Xbox live was available to the Gamecube them American users could reap these benifits without buying a PAL ver. of the game.

Buy? Yeah, as if I'd buy it. Either I'd get it from Nintendo for free, or bring them to small-claims.

There's no reason for console games to be buggy. They've had their testing and development platform forever.

[Nowhere]

Ahhh...yes, that reminds me that I have to usually wait much longer for console games, but they are much "better" (extra stuff, polished).
But what you're said 3dfx (ntsc games sooner) is no excuze for releasing buggy game. New levels, bonuses - ok, but I want good game from the begining...

[Gurm]

Trust ME when I say XBox Live is crap.

Unreal for XBOX? Pathetic. 8 players maximum on the same maps that hold 32+ players in UT2K3.

And the network lag is so bad that it makes me laugh.

The chat function? You can only hear one other guy, and he's mumbling. Everyone is talking, but nobody hears anybody else.

It's horrible. The entire design of the Live! network is crap.

- Gurm