Microsoft bets on Xbox Live launch
By SUSAN RUSH
From CED Broadband Direct, August 13, 2002
Look out Sony Corp. and Nintendo, here we come, Microsoft
Corp. says. To mark the one-year anniversary of the launch of
Xbox, the software giant is aiming to take broadband-enabled gaming
console online.
On Nov. 15, Microsoft will begin selling a starter kit for its
online gaming service, dubbed Xbox Live, for $49.95. The kit includes
a one-year subscription to the broadband-only service, the Xbox
Communicator headset and a minigame. Although the online gaming
service will only be available to users with a high-speed Internet
connection, the kit does not include broadband access.
Microsoft has been trying to make up some lost ground on its
closest competitors, Sony Corp. and Nintendo, after entering into
the gaming arena late. Microsoft has sold nearly 4 million Xbox
gaming consoles, and the company is hoping the online gaming feature
will boost sales.
Sony plans to launch an online gaming service later this month
for PlayStation 2 owners. Unlike Xbox line, the service will be
available to gamers with a dial-up or high-speed Internet connection.
In July, Microsoft named Level 3 Communications Inc. as a major
provider of network services for Xbox Live, in North America and
Europe. The agreement calls for Level 3 to provide Center Colocation,
CrossRoads Internet access and Packet MPLS private network services.
Microsoft said it chose Level 3's network infrastructure because
of its scalability, performance and flexibility.
Microsoft expects to support seven exclusive games at launch
-- Unreal Championship; NFL 2K3; MechAssault; Whacked!, NBA 2K3,
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and NFL Fever 2003. The company plans
to expand its offering to more than a dozen games by the end of
the year and at least 50 by the end of 2003.
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