Xbox Live, a few details please

[E.T.]

re: Projected Xbox purchase, what costs are involved w/"Live" service?

[1]Software?
[2]Hardware?
[3]Monthly service fee?

*Has Live ever been bundled w/Xbox console?

Gratitude-E.T.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

<div class=\"smallfont\">re: Projected Xbox purchase, what costs are involved w/"Live" service?

[1]Software?
[2]Hardware?
[3]Monthly service fee?

*Has Live ever been bundled w/Xbox console?

Gratitude-E.T.</div>

Umm...

ok...

1. Software...I am unaware of the current software bundle but I think beginning on OCT15 you'll be able to get Tetris WOrlds, the headset, and 12 months of Xbox LIVE for 50$. I bought mine for 50$ around December of last year and it came with 2 demo games(whacked!, and Moto GP demo) and a year of LIVE service for 50$. Though I'm not positive...

2. Hardware...if you're using a PC with broadband, you'll need a router to use both at the same time, otherwise you'll have to unplug your modem(assuming you're using cable) and plug it back in each time you want to use either your PC or XB LIVE.


3. There is no monthly service fee for Xbox LIVE games excluding only Phantasy Star Online which is 10$ a month I believe all others are included in the yearly billing

I believe LIVE is now offered as a free

[Glockstar]

<div class=\"smallfont\">re: Projected Xbox purchase, what costs are involved w/"Live" service?

[1]Software?
[2]Hardware?
[3]Monthly service fee?

*Has Live ever been bundled w/Xbox console?
</div>

Hmmm, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "software" and "hardware", here. I'm going to assume that you just mean "games" and "necessary peripherals", though:

To fully enjoy XBL you are going to need the XBox Communicator. Today these are being sold bundled with the full version of Mechassault for $60 (give or take $10). A pretty fine deal (either way) if you ask me. And I'm not really a big fan of that game. (Though I do recognize that the game is/was held in high regard by hundreds of thousands of other XB owners, as well as by the pro's.) With that, you also get a one year subscription to XBL.

If you were to buy a new XBox right now though, you'd get to try XBL for 2 months, for FREE! But that is without a Communicator. (Though you might be able to borrow a friends. (?)) You can buy the communicator seperately now ($30) too. Also know that all current model XBoxes come "XBL ready" - you do not need any software/boot up disk (like so many of here did). You just need a credit card. (A Visa/MC check card works too.) :)

In addition to buying the aforementioned Communicator/Mechassault bundle, you can also buy a One-Year Subscription Card for $50. But here again, you'll need to supply your own headset.

XBL renewal rates are now: $50 for one year, or $6 per month.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/about/subscription-offers.htm

You should check out the official website for more info.

http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live/default.htm

Especially the forum pages. There are prolly hundreds of questions just like the ones you've got, posted (and adequately answered) there every week.

With regards to the games, MS says that there will be almost 50 XBL enabled games out by Christmas of this year. Just know that not all them are playable online. Most are, but some (like KOTOR, Splinter Cell, Brute Force, and Godzilla: DAMM - just too name a few), only feature downloadable content. Like just about every other vg, XBL enabled games go down in price too. I don't if you'll ever see them start out at less than $50, but eventually they all end up at $20 or $30. Almost all of the early XBL enabled games can be for found for $30 or less (Unreal Championship, for example, is now at $20). Outlaw Volleyball, an XBL game that just came this past July, has already been knocked down to $30.

I am not bragging, exaggerating, kidding, or anything, when I say that gaming on XBox Live will change the way you game, or at least look at videogames (and their values), forever!

One last thing... very important...
if you're getting serious about getting Live, then it's also time for you to get serious about your "gamertag"! Microsoft has got it so that you can not change your XBL name - ever! (There's a reason for this - and once you hear why, you'll understand.) So think long and hard... and make a list of no less than 10 names. You would never think that somebody would have come up, let alone registered, a particular name yet - but trust me they have! I crap you negative!

I hope that we've answered your questions okay.
But feel free to ask some more. I will be more than happy to help; and I believe that Tappy and Darwin would be glad to as well. I know that they love their XBL just as much as I do - but also, you can also rest assured that they, like I am, are pretty straight shooters when it comes to this kind of stuff.

[E.T.]

Thanks Tappy Tibbons, Glockstar.
Thats what I needed. I posted "Q's" here as oppossed to serfing other forums; users here seem well informed/engaged w/Xbox.
Good advice on tags. ;)

[Darwin]

<div class=\"smallfont\">re: Projected Xbox purchase, what costs are involved w/"Live" service?

[1]Software?
[2]Hardware?
[3]Monthly service fee?

*Has Live ever been bundled w/Xbox console?

Gratitude-E.T.</div>

Consider buying an Xbox Live starter kit. Even if your Xbox already comes Live enabled, you should still buy the kit. Check it out here:

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/235215.asp

This is why you should get the kit: The $50 kit includes a year's worth of Xbox Live. You get a subscription code in the kit which, once actiavated, will have your first 12 months prepaid. Right there the kit has already payed for itself. But, with the kit you also get the game demos and the communicator (a.k.a. headset). The communicator is absolutely necessary if you want the full experience.

Once your first 12 months runs out, your credit card will then be auto-billed for continued service. There are no games, except Phantasy Star Online, that have additional charges.

Even before you try to signup, to get Live up and running you'll want the following information at your fingertips:

1) Your credit card number
2) Your account activation code (which comes with the starter kit, or you can obtain one on the www.xbox.com website)
3) You IP setting numbers. IP address, DNS servers, etc. Please keep in mind you will not likely need to enter these in manually as your Xbox Live software will auto-detect these settings in most cases. But there are a few gamers who will have to manually enter this information in.
4) Your gamertag choices and several backup choices. (Remember, there are over 300,000 Live gamers, so come ready with backup names or variations of them.)

For gamertag names, there are some tricks you can do to get the name you want. Let's say you really wanted the name stickyfingers as your gamertag, but some other brillant gamer has already taken that name. You could try a variation like OoSTICKYFINGERSoO or XxSTICKYFINGERSxX or stickyfingerz or stickyfingers01.

Gamertags will appear as the case sensitive word that you signup for, however you cannot simply pick a different case sensitive gamertag of a tag that is already created. In other words, noone else on Live can use my name "Methadone Man", even if they tried to register as "METHADONE MAN" with all caps. Likewise, it is not necessary to have the correct capital letters when entering in a gamertag from your dashboard to add to your friend's list. When I added TheMaskedGamer (another VGR poster) to my friend's list, I typed in "phaze velocity" and found him, even though his actualy gamertag is "PHAZE VELOCITY" in all caps. But keep in mind that most of my friends on my friend's list came about by adding them when I played in a room with them ... and in that case you don't need to manually type in their gamertag, just select them from the list of players and put in a friend's request.

If you do get Live, feel free to add me to your list, I am "Methadone Man".

[Glockstar]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Thanks Tappy Tibbons, Glockstar.
Thats what I needed. I posted "Q's" here as oppossed to serfing other forums; users here seem well informed/engaged w/Xbox.
Good advice on tags. ;)</div>

Oh... one more thing!
And this is also very important, but often overlooked or left out. As it is also the ugliest part of XBL:

You will (most likely) need a router and a couple of extra (and prolly long) ethernet cables! Routers add another $75-$125 to the initial cost of getting XBL. :( Sorry. (Unless you have your XBox stationed next to your PC and you don't mind plugging and plugging your net connections.)

In addition to the costly router itself, the idea of stringing up ethernet cables throughout the house is a real put off to a lot of people. Though the cables aren't not really a burden to the pocketbook, the "wiring" can be a chore. The alternative to the cables is a wireless LAN adapter, which is snap to "install", but is expensive. These can cost anywhere form $100 to $160. Microsoft themselves are about to put one out (for $130); and I've read that they will be offering a $40 mail-in rebate to those who buy both the Wireless Adapter and the XBL Starter Kit. [This is the way that I would go, if I were starting up now... but that's easy for me to say, as it's not my money that we're talking about here is it?]

[Darwin]

I do the cheap thing ... I unplug my ethernet cable from my computer, unplug and replug in the modem to reset it, and then plug the ethernet into my Xbox. I don't bother with routers and not. Also, I think my method helps reduce lag.

[E.T.]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>

Consider buying an Xbox Live starter kit. Even if your Xbox already comes Live enabled, you should still buy the kit.
Your gamertag choices and several backup choices. (Remember, there are over 300,000 Live gamers, so come ready with backup names or variations of them.

If you do get Live, feel free to add me to your list, I am "Methadone Man".</div>


Very good, that answers a few details I had yet to ask
[I wondered about providing ISP info on start up]

300,000 Live gamers? Thats a sizeable community!

I'll keep this thread for future reference [Im a ways off from purchase :( ].

Grattitude to all, E.T.

[E.T.]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>

Oh... one more thing!
And this is also very important, but often overlooked or left out. As it is also the ugliest part of XBL:

You will (most likely) need a router and a couple of extra (and prolly long) ethernet cables! Routers add another $75-$125 to the initial cost of getting XBL. :( Sorry. (Unless you have your XBox stationed next to your PC and you don't mind plugging and plugging your net connections.)

In addition to the costly router itself, the idea of stringing up ethernet cables throughout the house is a real put off to a lot of people. Though the cables aren't not really a burden to the pocketbook, the "wiring" can be a chore. The alternative to the cables is a wireless LAN adapter, which is snap to "install", but is expensive. These can cost anywhere form $100 to $160. Microsoft themselves are about to put one out (for $130); and I've read that they will be offering a $40 mail-in rebate to those who buy both the Wireless Adapter and the XBL Starter Kit. [This is the way that I would go, if I were starting up now... but that's easy for me to say, as it's not my money that we're talking about here is it?]</div>

Details like these are MOST useful! ;)

Future logistics of Xbox will be in proximity to PC.

[mass]

<div class=\"smallfont\">re: Projected Xbox purchase, what costs are involved w/&quot;Live&quot; service?

[1]Software?
[2]Hardware?
[3]Monthly service fee?

*Has Live ever been bundled w/Xbox console?

Gratitude-E.T.</div>

Your best bet to try out live is the new Live bundle. Don't know about US price. Canadian price is $249 for a system, controller, tetris worlds, SW:Clone Wars and a two-month subscription to live. You won't get the voice communicator which is a big negative for me. However, for the price and the chance to try out live, this is the least expensive route I know of. A router isn't necessary, but I wouldn't be without one.