Have you ever been in the situation where you're left wondering whether your Internet connection is messing with the quality of your VoIP calls or your online video game experience? You can sit there and test your bandwidth all you want, but the fact is that the speed of your Internet connection might not be the culprit.
I'm sure that most of you have heard about Microsoft's Xbox LIVE video game service that lets players compete against each other over an Internet connection. Similarly Microsoft also has a Games for Windows LIVE service that will let you play against other people on your PC, and starting today the service is being offered to consumers for free.
I really believe that the Xbox 360 is such a strong gaming system because of the community that is built around the Xbox LIVE service. It gives you the opportunity to play games online with or against millions of other people. But understandably people have found ways to circumvent the system to collect an unreasonable number of achievements.
What timing. The Halo 3 beta was just launched out to a pool of overly-excited fans, with a chunk of them undoubtedly using a modded Xbox. Unfortunately for them, Microsoft is cracking the whip and denying consoles with modded firmware access to Live. This means that they aren’t able to play the most anticipated game of the year with others online.
Back at CES in January, Microsoft’s Peter Moore announced that Zune games would be coming. In fact, they would be coming within 18 months. Thus far, Zune sales haven’t exactly been anything to write home about, but those that have made the purchase give the impression that they are satisfied.
Going along with our recent poll, here's another question for you. How many of you that own an Xbox 360, also own or owned at one point the original Xbox? According to Chris Satchell of Microsoft, he's saying that so far, 10.4 million Xbox 360 units have been sold. But, even more interesting is that he says over half of those have come from people that never owned the original Xbox.
