Xbox Live for Movies, Games and Chatting with Friends

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What is Xbox Live

Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation.

On September 4, 2007, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit, a small QWERTY keypad that connects directly into the Xbox 360 controller, either wired or wireless, to support text and instant messaging. Windows Live Messenger allows users of Xbox Live, PCs (Both on the Windows and Macintosh platforms), and Windows Mobile devices to connect and directly message each other. It is possible to chat with up to six people at one time, while playing games, listening to music, or watching movies. This complements the existing voice and video chat of Xbox Live.

Current Xbox Live Features Include:

• Voice and Video chat.
• Windows Live Messenger integration.
• Halo Waypoint multimedia hub for all Halo-related content.
• Multiplayer game-play for up to four players via system link or Xbox Live.
• Xbox Live Marketplace offers down-loadable content for games, music and movies.
• Last.fm allows users to stream their favorite music and search for related artists.
• Zune application allowing for streaming of video content instantly in 1080p HD with 5.1 surround sound.
• Matchmaking depending on the user's cumulative gamer-score, rep, location, language and gamer zone.
• Netflix video service allowing for unlimited streaming of television shows and movies (Available in US only, Netflix membership required).
• Sky Player offering live and on-demand television content from Sky Movies, Sky News and Sky Sports (Available in UK and Ireland only, Sky subscription required).

Playing Xbox Live Games:

Xbox Live is currently the only online gaming service (on consoles) that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming.

A Gamer-tag is the universal name for a player's username on Microsoft's Xbox Live. A Gamer-tag used online must be unique and can be up to 15 characters in length, including numbers, letters, and spaces. Gamer-tags can be changed using a premium service on the Xbox 360 console (for a price of 800 Microsoft Points), the system supports 8 Xbox Live-enabled profiles per memory unit and 32 profiles on the hard drive.

Watching Xbox Live Movies:

One feature of Xbox Live is the ability to watch standard quality and 720p streaming movies and TV shows from Netflix, through the Xbox 360. This feature is exclusive to Xbox Live Gold members in the USA with Netflix Unlimited. Recently added, users are able to watch Netflix titles with their friends in a party with up to 8 players. Xbox Live members have the ability to view over 12,000 movies and episodes. Users can browse for titles based on their interests and Netflix ratings with the Xbox interface. Users no longer need to visit the website to choose the content to watch. When a player parties up with a group, they also have the ability to join games together, chat together or view a slide-show of photos.

Future Xbox Live Plans:

Microsoft has announced plans to extend Live to other platforms such as hand-helds and mobile phones as part of the Live Anywhere initiative. With Microsoft's new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, full Xbox Live functionality will be integrated into new Windows Phones launching in late 2010.

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010, Microsoft announced a partnership with ESPN that will give Xbox Live Gold Subscribers the ability to watch sporting events on-demand for no cost. The release date of this program has not been announced yet. Microsoft also have a partnership with Sky and Sky Sports, but a Sky subscription is needed for Xbox Live users to watch programs on this.

ESPN channel will allow for live and on-demand streaming of up to 3,500 sporting events (Available in US only).

Foxtel by Xbox Live will offer 30 pay TV channels, Movies On Demand, and catch up TV(Available in Australia Only).

Hulu Plus service will offer commercially-supported streaming video of television shows and movies from networks such as NBC, Fox and ABC (Available in US only).

Windows Phone 7 integration, in a recent live chat Larry Hryb outlined some key features of xBox Live on Windows Phone 7. These include ability to be signed in simultaneously on the console and phone, send and receive messages between console and phone, unique gamer points only available by purchasing the gaming title on the phone, etc.

Xbox Live Accessibility:

Accessibility is finally becoming an important aspect of all areas of society today. Disabled World will write a future article on the accessibility of Xbox Live to users with disabilities and visual impairments.

Xbox Live website - www.xbox.com

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