Microsoft Hints at Free Live
February 19, 2007
Microsoft has suggested that multiplayer gaming through Live on Windows Vista will be a free service, unlike on Xbox 360, where users need a gold membership subscription to access to multiplayer.
Microsoft’s Shane Kim was asked in an interview whether it’d be free for PC users to play against friends, while certain premium-level stuff would be locked behind Gold, to which he responded, “Theoretically speaking, that’s exactly the kind of thing we’d want to do.” PC gaming’s traditional ‘multiplayer for free’ ethic that exists with the platform is a factor being taken fully into account by Microsoft for Live on Windows.
“In the Xbox world when we created Xbox Live, there was no other option. We’re sort of creating it as we go, we established that model and that framework. As we come into the Windows gaming world, there are alternatives that are out there so we have to be cognizant of that,” said Kim. “We do recognize that, unlike the Xbox 360 environment, there’s existing competition in the PC online space. So we have to take that into account as we think about how we’re going to structure our services, what they’ll pay for and what they won’t.”
It’s also possible that Microsoft’s plan for an integrated Live experience across PC and Xbox 360 could be a good thing for Xbox 360 owners in regard to paid-for content. If multiplayer gaming’s provided free through Windows Live, then the company may just see fit to offer the same to Xbox 360 fans.
Nintendo’s Wii Concole: Focus on Fun
August 15, 2006
Reginald Fils-Aime, president and COO of Nintendo of America, is confident that with the launch of Wii, Nintendo can once again claim the top spot in the billion-dollar video game industry that it helped build 20 years ago.
The focus behind Wii, Fils-Aime told USA Today, is interactive game play for everyone, not just the hard-core gamer. Because of the controller’s interactive capabilities, less button-pushing is required, so practically anyone can play. Similarly, it is the interactive fun, not pretty graphics, that will serve as Wii’s big draw. The controller can be pointed like a pistol, turned like a steering wheel, and swung like a racket, and it is this accessibility that Files-Aime believes will attract players in their 20’s, 30’s 40’s, and 50’s. The Wii also has no hidden fees or costs. The console is Wi-Fi enabled, so just plug in and play.
USA Today reports that the Wii console will be launched some time in November and will cost less than $250.
Check back for more deatils in the coming months.
Xbox’s FIFA ‘07 Gets Interactive
August 4, 2006
For FIFA ‘07, Electronic Arts really gets you in the game with the inception of the game’s Interactive League. Very cool. You simply enter Xbox Live as a fan of your respective team, and the game matches you up with a fan of a rival team. Wins and losses from everyone playing around the world are tallied, and the winningest team (worldwide!) gets 3 points for the Interactive League standings. This is almost better than real soccer; if your team is getting thrashed, don’t cry about it or start a riot. Get online, slidetackle somebody, score some goals, and help your team pick up 3 points. Individual wins for each team are tracked, and the top 100 players for each team are displayed.
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