Microsoft Japan has officially unveiled the Xbox Video Chat package that will enable Xbox users to communicate over Live! Finally, keen video chatters will be able to perform hilarious and inappropriate visual jokes in front of virtual strangers in between rounds of Top Spin or PGR2.
The kit will be available in Japan first, which seems to be Microsoft’s attempt to prove that it understands this market. However, simply offering a video chat service may be insufficient to significantly encourage Xbox sales straight away.
The Xbox Video chat package will consist of an Xbox Video Camera, Xbox Communicator, Xbox Video Chat disc and a 12 month subscription to Xbox Live! all for 6,800 Yen (just under £35). It will allow up to five people to participate in a video-fuelled frenzy of verbal diarrhoea, enhanced by the usual sound effects and voice masking capabilities.
Sony’s Eyetoy and Nintendo’s mysterious ‘Manebito’ camera have already pioneered the webcam as a gaming-related peripheral, so it will be interesting to see if Microsoft follows suit once its Xbox Video Cameras are made generally available.
There has been no talk of the US or European versions as yet, but Microsoft is sure to launch a similar package shortly after its Japanese efforts have gone Live!
The kit will be available in Japan first, which seems to be Microsoft’s attempt to prove that it understands this market. However, simply offering a video chat service may be insufficient to significantly encourage Xbox sales straight away.
The Xbox Video chat package will consist of an Xbox Video Camera, Xbox Communicator, Xbox Video Chat disc and a 12 month subscription to Xbox Live! all for 6,800 Yen (just under £35). It will allow up to five people to participate in a video-fuelled frenzy of verbal diarrhoea, enhanced by the usual sound effects and voice masking capabilities.
Sony’s Eyetoy and Nintendo’s mysterious ‘Manebito’ camera have already pioneered the webcam as a gaming-related peripheral, so it will be interesting to see if Microsoft follows suit once its Xbox Video Cameras are made generally available.
There has been no talk of the US or European versions as yet, but Microsoft is sure to launch a similar package shortly after its Japanese efforts have gone Live!
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Comments
Joji 17 Jun 2004 11:41
1/3
Good move in my book, it may take more than this to convince the japanese, though I admire their persistence.
Should be interesting to see who has the best games, once all these cams are out on each machine.
Should be interesting to see who has the best games, once all these cams are out on each machine.
mrnull 18 Jun 2004 16:18
2/3
I think this is a terrible idea, and let me tell you why.
The other day I come home after a hard day of work, and grab a beer out of the freezer. To help unwind, I dig out my communicator headset and pop Counter-Strike into my XBox. All's going good, until I connect to a host.
There's 3 8-year-olds, and they're all singing Lincoln Park in unison. I quickly change servers... Now there's 2 8-year-olds, one's rapping and the other is talking more sh** than a Klansman at a Wu-Tang concert.
I hate half of the people I play against on LIVE, and hearing them makes me go mad. I really DO NOT want to see them as well.
The other day I come home after a hard day of work, and grab a beer out of the freezer. To help unwind, I dig out my communicator headset and pop Counter-Strike into my XBox. All's going good, until I connect to a host.
There's 3 8-year-olds, and they're all singing Lincoln Park in unison. I quickly change servers... Now there's 2 8-year-olds, one's rapping and the other is talking more sh** than a Klansman at a Wu-Tang concert.
I hate half of the people I play against on LIVE, and hearing them makes me go mad. I really DO NOT want to see them as well.
fluffstardx 18 Jun 2004 20:25
3/3
I believe the idea is that you can chat to your FRIENDS- not the rimjobs that you have to play against. May i point you towards penny arcade's series about live players? Because i believe they agree with you.
I like the idea of getting friends to buy the xbox, being able to play against them over it, and then afterwards just have a videochat between the lot of us. It's quite a cool idea, you ask me.
I like the idea of getting friends to buy the xbox, being able to play against them over it, and then afterwards just have a videochat between the lot of us. It's quite a cool idea, you ask me.