In a competitive market, Microsoft’s Xbox Live has worked hard to gain the name they’ve wanted for a long time. With products like the Sony PlayStation to compete with, the two companies have battled to the brunt trying to outrank the other with new features. All of this competition has only meant more entertainment for us the consumers, which let’s face it, we don’t mind! When Xbox Live came about, consumers were ecstatic to say the least. With a plethora of games and functions available that had never been available before, people were incredibly pleased.
Xbox Live offers a variety of popular Xbox games that people have fallen in love with. Among those games, Xbox Live also offers demos, trailers and the best part about the entire ordeal; you can play against and with other players worldwide. How it works is simple, you just pick a nickname which is called a “UserTag” or “GamerTag” and connect with other players under their “GamerTag”. Over time, that is how you will be known on Xbox Live and how you will log in and be identified.
Xbox Live unlike the PlayStation Network is a paid subscription service, most often it can be paid in increments varying from one month, three month, or even one year.
Xbox Live Membership
Xbox Live subscription memberships come in two types. The Gold membership is the most commonly purchased membership and has the most features like Marketplace access where you can gain early access to the newest games and demos and even “TrueSkill Matchmaking” where you are matched with players who are compatible with your skill level to play against among other features. The Gold Membership for Xbox Live is roughly fifty dollars compared to the
Xbox Live also offers a silver membership which allows you access for free, but with a significantly less amount of features available. However, this option is good if money is tight but you still want to connect. The biggest downfall with Xbox Live’s Silver membership is that you cannot play games online, but you are given access to various downloads, etc.
All you need to connect to Xbox Live and play the Xbox Live games is a broadband connection and a membership. It is simple and the silver membership is free as long as you have internet service through a broadband provider.
Popular Xbox Live Games
There are many games to choose from when playing on Xbox Live. Xbox Live games can be found on the Xbox Live download spot or some Xbox Live games can be bought at the store and are simply “Xbox Live Enabled.” Among the best and most popular Xbox Live games are Halo 2, StreetFighter, or Dead or Alive Ultimate.
All of these games offer you the opportunity to play multiple opponents online and are fully interactive. If these aren’t for you though don’t panic there are tons of options to choose from so look it up, do some research and find the best Xbox Live games for you.