The Early bird.
Chris Early, studio manager for Microsoft Casual Games Group, would like to see some good ideas coming from competitors' online services... so that Microsoft can copy them.
When asked whether competing online gaming services were following the same “road-map” as Microsoft, Early said:
When asked if Sony or Nintendo has exposed any gaps in Xbox Live, he said:
That last comment might ring a bell to eagle-eyed observers. Earlier in the month Microsoft's group product manager for Xbox and Xbox Live, Aaron Greenberg, said of Sony, “...the fact that they are investing online validates what we believe is really important to the space and to grow gaming… they're saying that it does matter”. SPOnG thinks its lovely, the way Microsoft keeps seeing Sony giving it props.
It will be interesting to see whether similar comments about Valve start emerging from the upper echelons of Microsoft when Steam V2.0 hits the world of online gaming.
Source: Gamasutra
When asked whether competing online gaming services were following the same “road-map” as Microsoft, Early said:
"I don’t think we’re on the same road-map, no. I think every service will be slightly different, and that’s the beauty of competition. Over time I hope they do discover things that are great that we can appropriate as well."
When asked if Sony or Nintendo has exposed any gaps in Xbox Live, he said:
"Well, I know that we do our best to keep track of what’s going on, though I think we’re operating on a slightly different road-map – we know where we’re heading with the Live service, and we have a vision for what we’re delivering to customers and so far we’re staying pretty true to that. I think in some areas, we’re actually seeing reinforcement from some of what’s happening on the other services."
That last comment might ring a bell to eagle-eyed observers. Earlier in the month Microsoft's group product manager for Xbox and Xbox Live, Aaron Greenberg, said of Sony, “...the fact that they are investing online validates what we believe is really important to the space and to grow gaming… they're saying that it does matter”. SPOnG thinks its lovely, the way Microsoft keeps seeing Sony giving it props.
It will be interesting to see whether similar comments about Valve start emerging from the upper echelons of Microsoft when Steam V2.0 hits the world of online gaming.
Source: Gamasutra
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Comments
Bentley 27 Jun 2007 11:00
1/2
It often amazes me that gamers conveniently forget that the PS2 had a network adaptor before XBox even existed. Sure, it took a while coming, and was pretty naff when it did arrive (apart from SOCOM 1 & 2) but Sony hardly copied MS on this front. If anything, PS2 online was always just a warm up for PS3 online, and most of the gamers playing SOCOM 2 online at the time were well aware of this. PS3 online was always in the pipeline, and isn't something just copied from XBox! How ridiculous.
Joji 27 Jun 2007 11:17
2/2
I don't see your point. DC, SNES, MD and NES were all online at one point too. If you put something online and don't follow it up properly (both Sony with PS2 and moreso Nintendo with GC here) what's the point in doing it?
Sure they all learn from trying, but both didn't have the experience in these areas to do them justice. I wonder how many people purchased PS2 hard drives but didn't experience the online games properly, or got a broadband GC adapter that gathered dust.
The idea I'd like to see on Live is one to encourage fairplay online. This means points will be given for losing gracefully and not quiting out, and points deducted if you do quit out without giving notice to other players, or in the middle of a game. Being able to report them isn't enough.
There you go MS, use that idea.
Sure they all learn from trying, but both didn't have the experience in these areas to do them justice. I wonder how many people purchased PS2 hard drives but didn't experience the online games properly, or got a broadband GC adapter that gathered dust.
The idea I'd like to see on Live is one to encourage fairplay online. This means points will be given for losing gracefully and not quiting out, and points deducted if you do quit out without giving notice to other players, or in the middle of a game. Being able to report them isn't enough.
There you go MS, use that idea.