Official X-Box Discussion Thread

If you sign up when the service first starts, then XBOX Live is $50 for the year. Besides that, its $10 a month.

Some people will always complain about the price, but if you think about the price, its relatively cheap compared to many other entertainment services you pay for.

Also, I love the XBOX. Its great. I didn't like Halo that much at first, but then about 1/3rd way through the game, I started to LOVE IT. Definitly great, and I'm not really a big fan of FPS either.

 

So Xbox live will be a total of $170 a year. I love HALO! Nobody has ever defeated me in multiplayer, because I always use the sniper rifel in Blood Gulch.

 

Actually if I read Pancrase's post right, it will be $50 for the first year and then $10 a month after that. IE: Year 1 = $50, Year 2+ = $120.

Where did you get the pricing information Pancrase? I haven't been able to find anything about it up to this point.

Sniper rifle in Blood Gulch is one of the cheapest tactics around. When we play, we usually play with sniper rifles turned off so that the fighting is more close-up.

 

You gotta do what you gotta do. I also like using snipers in Battle Creek even though it's smaller level I still never lose. I almost never miss with the sniper rifel I practice with it aganst moving targets all the time. I am a excellent marksman. I also like using tanks, without plasma gernades I am like an unstoppable rebel force.

 

Hell yeah, a Halo debate!!

I don't have any real problems with someone taking a post with a sniper rifle, and picking people off left and right. What I DO take issue with is the melee attack. How come I can empty half a clip from the assault rifle into another player, and they still walk up to me, hit me in the head with the butt of their shotgun, and I fall down? Seems rather inconsistent to me. We have a rule in my group of Halo players, that being there are no melee attacks allowed. We all agreed that it was a rather unfair and unbalanced tactic, which causes an unrealistic amount of damage. Some of our finest games have been CTF in the Sidewinder level. It's big, and makes for some very lengthy gaming sessions.

 

At launch, U.S. consumers can purchase a starter kit for $49.95. For the estimated retail price of a single game, the consumer receives a year's subscription to Xbox? Live, an Xbox Communicator that plugs into the Xbox controller and facilitates all voice communication with other players, and "ReVolt," a fun online racing game from Acclaim Entertainment Inc. Pricing and specific offers in regions outside the United States will be announced locally at a later date.

From http://www.xbox.com/e3-02/xboxlivebriefinge3.htm

 

Thank you, Boutros-Boutros! I was searching IGN and Videogames.com for the news, like a fool, when I should have just gone to the official site. I knew that the $170 that was being quoted was wrong, no doubt. I just wanted to get some "official" info and post it before I said something totally incorrect myself.

 

Thanks for posting the link. I'm almost positive that I read that story, just forgot about the pricing info. Any idea on the monthly? I didn't see any mention of it there, but I would have to say that $10 is probably a pretty good guess. I'm really looking forward to playing Unreal Championship. Looks like a VERY sweet game.

The main reason that we usually do no sniping is to encourage the close-up. Sniping isn't that hard, but it's the close-up stuff that usually takes the most skill.

Tanks are cool, but they get real boring after a while. I love driving the warthog around, that's a blast!

 

I love the warthog. But the reason you can't unload an assult rifel clip and kill someone is because it is probably the most inaccurate weapon in the game. It's only good vs. vechiels and up close. So what games will be able to be played online with Xbox live?

 

Very true, the assault rifle is inaccurate. But so is the shotgun when at long range. The point I was trying to make was that the melee attack is a punk manuever, one that could've been useful in fair combat, had the damage it causes been properly balanced. Here's the listing of games from the Xbox.com site (Which is a part of the MEMBERS ONLY portion of the website, so posting the link will only take you to a sign-in page):

Jump-starting the online title announcements, Allard said Xbox? Live will support five Xbox? Live-exclusive games this year: "Unreal Championship" (Infogrames); and "MechAssault?," "Whacked!?," "NFL Fever 2003" and "Midtown Madness® 3" (Microsoft Game Studios). To date, 60 game companies have committed to create games for Xbox? Live, and at least 50 Xbox? Live-enabled games are planned to release by the end of next year. Some upcoming Xbox? Live titles include "Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder? 2" from Activision, Inc.; "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon?," "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six? RavenShield?" and "XIII" from Ubi Soft; and "SEGA Sports? NFL 2K3," "SEGA Sports? NBA 2K3" and "Phantasy Star? Online" from SEGA® of America, Inc. As the grand finale to the Xbox? Live unveiling, Allard announced a lineup of games in the works for the future of the service, including "Star Wars® Galaxies?" (LucasArts Entertainment Company), "Counterstrike" (Valve Software for Microsoft Game Studios), and future versions of Xbox original blockbusters like "Halo?," "RalliSport Challenge," "Amped?" and "Project Gotham Racing?."

 

I will probably only play galaxies with Xbox live. So when Galaxies comes out it won't be playable for Xbox right away? How long will I have to wait until I can play Galxaies with Xbox live, because that's the only game I will play online?

 

I believe what is meant by the "future" comment is that the Xbox Live! network will be up at the end of this year, and will launch with the games mentioned as being online in the beginning. Since Galaxies will release after the Xbox Live network, it will be considered a future title. I have not heard what the official release date for the Xbox and PS2 versions of Galaxies is. Anyone know?

 

Well I don't know about PS2 but I think Xbox will be the same a PC because they are both Microsoft.

 

I suppose rather than ask others to do the work for me, I should have got off my lazy butt and searched:

Star Wars Galaxies Info

According to the LucasArts website, there is no release date available yet for Xbox or PS2.

 

I'd have to agree with you Jirin_Raman about the melee attack being too overpowered. Halo is still a great game, though. I really hope that Bungie does something with it to make it playable over X-Box Live.

I haven't decided yet if I'll try to get Galaxies or not. I haven't done a pay-to-play game yet and am not sure if I want to. I'm more looking forward to Knights of the Old Republic right now.

Anyone else sign up for the X-Box Live beta test?

 

"Anyone else sign up for the X-Box Live beta test?"

Just did.

 

Anyone else sign up for the X-Box Live beta test?

I have, Tobey-Wan. However, I don't expect to be selected.

 

I know what you mean. I always sign up and never get selected. Maybe I'll get lucky this time. *crosses fingers*

Anyone try out one of the new "S" controllers yet? I saw them when I was at the local Wal-Mart and I really liked the configuration of the buttons. It always seemed hard to get to the white and black buttons when I was playing Madden or NBA Live, so having them closer to the others seems like a good idea.

 

I have seen the S-Controller, but have yet to play test one. I wouldn't mind trying one out, but I would want to be able to buy it, and, if I did not like it, return it. I'm not sure if EB/Funco/Gamestop extends their return policy to accessories as well.

 

The Xbox controller is perfect for my hands as it is, but my wife might appreciate it. The white, black button placement is the only thing that worries me as well.

 

The Xbox controller is perfect for my hands as it is

I agree, tenorjedi. I don't know what it is that has brought so much disgust toward the Xbox controller. It is practically a larger Dreamcast controller, save the 2nd analog stick on the right of the controller, and the white & black buttons. If I had to complain about the controller, it would be to put down the not-so-friendly placing of those 2 buttons. However, I have gotten used to them for the games that I play.

 

Sorry, I wrote the prices too confusingly.

This is how the pricing works:

Whent hey first start the XBOX Live, you will have a chance to sign up at a DISCOUNTED RATE!! This discounted rate is for $50 for 12 months of service.

Everybody else who does not take up this plan will be charged $10 a month.

Therefore, if you sign up quickly, its $50 a year and if not, it will be $120 a year.

Also, I got all my info at www.ign.com

They had an article (don't have to be a member to read it) about 2 or 3 weeks back that answered tons of questions about XBOX Live. It went over everything, and made it VERY CLEAR to the read exactly what XBOX Live is all about.

All and all, it sounds VERY simple and VERY cool.

 

When I first saw the Xbox controller, I wasn't too impressed. But after playing with it was real comfortable, aside from the black and white button locations. I also got some Mad Cat controllers (2-pack at Sam's Club) and those were good at first. Now that I'm used to my Xbox controller though, I don't care for playing with them.

I don't really understand the complaint about the Xbox controller being too big. I've played the Gamecube and that controller just seems too small. Almost feels like a little toy controller I'd give my son to play with.

 

I am 20, and don't have big hands for a fully grown person.

However, even then, the XBOX control feels better in my hands.

The GC control is good if your hands are very small, but besides that, they are extremely bad.

I have found that most of the peolpe who complain about the XBOX control are people who have PS2's. They get so use to that one control, that anything remotely different seems to weird in their hands.

The problem is that they don't give the control a chance and because of that are quick to bash it.

 

Only two things scare me and one is nuclear war.

What's the other?

Huh?

What's the other thing that scares you?

CARNIES. Nomads you know. Small hands. Smell like cabbage.....