Introduction

Microsoft introduced XBox Live on November 15th to the delight of many XBox owners out there awaiting internet connectivity. Up until then, many users were using ad hoc methods of playing other opponents over the internet. With the introduction of XBox Live, we can finally see what it’s like to duel others over the net while sitting in front of the TV set. Sure many of us have already experienced internet multiplayer gaming via PCs but there’s something different when internet connectivity is brought to the home console. In this short article, we’ll take a look at the XBox Live Starter Kit and quickly overview the system as it stands thus far. I personally took some time writing this short article because I was out of the country for nearly 2 weeks and didn't obtain an XBox Live Starter Kit until the first week in December.

What is XBox Live?

Before we begin discussing the starter kit, it’s important to go over what exactly the XBox Live service is. XBox Live is an online gaming service provided by Microsoft for the XBox Console. In order to enjoy XBox Live, you will need to have an XBox console AND a high speed internet connection (basically a broadband connection). Sorry but dial up users need not apply. Once your service is up and running, you’ll need to obtain XBox Live enabled games. Older XBox games are not XBox Live enabled and thus are not playable over the service. Yes that means Halo is not available for the Live service which is a major bummer.

XBox Live Starter Kit

For $49.99, you can get yourself the starter kit which comes with a CD and a headset/microphone for your XBox. When you install the CD, a software installation routine will run updating your XBox dashboard to support XBox Live. It will also ask you a series of questions to identify yourself as well as enter your subscription information. NOTE – A credit card number is asked during this setup process but you will not be double billed. The $49.99 that you paid for this kit will cover the first year of subscription costs.

You’ll also be asked to select a handle/nickname for yourself. This will identify you to all other users out on XBox Live. Pick a good name because this name will be the one that will be used to represent you in all of your XBox Live enabled games.

Note that during this entire process, you will need to make sure that your XBox is connected to the internet via your broadband connection. You can either connect directly with your DSL or Cable Modem or you can connect it to a router, switch or a hub. The XBox is capable of obtaining an IP address via a DHCP server so network configuration is nearly seamless.

Within the starter kit, you will find something called the XBox Communicator. The Communicator is essentially a headset and microphone which will allow you to listen to other XBox Live players as well as interact with them via voice. That’s right – you can chat with your friends and taught your enemies (or your friends) using the Communicator headset.

XBox Communicator

The XBox Communicator headset plugs directly into one controller for your XBox via a plug in module. The module fits into the TOP expansion slot of your XBox Controller. The headset itself goes around the back of the head as opposed to be being placed on top of your head. At first this was a bit awkward but I quickly got used to the design and actually liked it after a few hours. Using the Communicator is extremely easy. You can choose to mute your microphone by pressing a button on the connecting module. You can also use the volume control dial to select what sound level is appropriate for you. It’s unfortunate that you can not use more than one headset per console but it’s also understandable as you want to limit the amount of bandwidth is consumed by voices.

When the headset is connected to a controller, all voices are routed to your headset. No one will hear the voices from other players over the TV or A/V speakers. If you remove the headset from the controller, the voices of the other players get routed back to the TV speakers. I actually wish that other people could hear the conversations while the headset is being used. Some of the taunts are just so funny that everyone should be listening to it.

Not happy with your voice? You can also use something called Voice Masking which basically hides what your real voice sounds like. In order to use Voice Masking, you will have to check to see if your XBox Live enabled software title supports it.

XBox Live Experience

I’ve been using the XBox Live service for nearly a month now and I must say that it’s been a pretty pleasurable experience. Though there definitely has been some ups and downs along the way, I’d have to say that the overall experience has been a positive one. There are a number of XBox Live enabled games out on the market already but I only had time to sample a few thus far. These include Mech Assault, Ghost Recon and NBA 2K3.

Ghost Recon has been the game of choice for my household thus far because it’s the closet thing to simulating a real combat experience though online firefights sometimes degenerate into a sequence from Counter Strike. Playing Ghost Recon has truly been a worthwhile experience both on XBox Live and off of the network. The internet connectivity adds a whole new dimension to this game because now I can snipe others while sitting on my couch. After sniping someone, I can then taught them heavily using my Communicator headset (of course I’ll promptly then get killed myself).

There has been times where the gaming service has lagged but overall the network latency hasn’t been too much of a problem for me. The biggest problem is taking a game and finding other players out there who play it. Even with the XBox Live Starter Kit selling briskly, it can still be rather hard to find a good game going in the middle of the night. It’s the chicken and the egg problem of course – without users online, no one will spend time to use XBox Live but that will of course starve the service. The $49.99 starting price is a good introductory price but it’s also important to note that not everyone has broadband as of yet. Broadband has had fairly good penetration over the last few years but it’s still nowhere nearly as prevalent as dialup.
So the XBox Live experience continues. I still remember the first time my friends and I sat down and played NBA 2K3 on the service. Here we were – cocky since we thought we knew how to play NBA2K3 and figuring we would be able to trounce others online and what happens? We get our butts kicked!! The final score was 81 – 42 and boy it was worse than humbling; it was humiliating.

The service still has it’s issues of course – sometimes you can not find your friends on the service despite the fact that you KNOW they are online. Ahh the growing pains of a whole new service. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be to see how Microsoft fares in handling a 24/7 server operation such as Live. Only time will tell.

Summary

Overall the XBox Live experience that started with the XBox Starter Kit has been an enjoyable one thus far. Of course I came into this knowing that there would probably be issues along the way and in fact there were. However console gaming will never be the same for me. I realize now that there is no chance that I will ever buy a game for the XBox that is not Live enabled in some way. Of course Halo is the exception to this rule but overall, having XBox Live has added a whole new dimension to console gaming. If you have a broadband connection and an XBox AND feel willing to shell out nearly $50 bucks, then check out the starter kit. Perhaps I’ll see you online getting blasted by you. (Can you hear the taunts that I’m shoving back at your face?)

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to post in our forums.

Here are various links on the XBox site that might be of use for you.

The Microsoft XBox Live Starter Kit

Where to buy the XBox Live Starter Kit

A Newcomer's Guide to XBox Live

XBox Live Feature Set

How to use Voice