Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming service, is coming to SA, seven years after its initial launch.
However, local gamers may not want to make use of the opportunity.
Yvette van Rooyen, product and marketing manager of Xbox 360 at Microsoft SA, says SA will get Xbox Live by the December holidays.
Microsoft says the service will be rolled out to nine new regions. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Russia and SA will receive the gaming experience that integrates community features.
“Xbox Live is about building communities and connecting people to each other and to great content. This expansion is another step toward our vision for Live - to deliver the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, wherever you are in the world,” says Marc Whitten, general manager, Xbox Live.
Losing the point
“Since the launch of Xbox 360 in SA, our avid supporters have been eagerly awaiting the Live service as it really enhances the Xbox experience to a whole new level. There has been a lot of disappointment among the gaming community that it hasn't been available in SA earlier, but we promised it would get here some day and now we are fulfilling our promise. Xbox Live completes the Xbox picture for gamers,” notes Van Rooyen.
She says there is expectation for a large take-up of Xbox Live, especially from the current install base, who are familiar with the service.
broadband are still fairly high.”
He adds that this will change rapidly and the uptake will grow apace. “Gaming is one of the fastest areas in electronics in SA and, online gaming, and interaction, will follow this trend even faster. With Telkom hopefully announcing faster ADSL speeds this year and the emergence of 4G wireless access in the next 18 months, the online gaming and entertainment space will be revolutionised.”
There are other issues that may hamper the uptake of Xbox Live in SA, according to Xbox Live ambassador for SA Werner Joubert. “The migration of accounts is the issue now. We are waiting for confirmation now on whether users can call in and transfer their profile over to a local one and keep their points.”
Do Gaming editor Stephen Whitford explains that Live users, who are currently registered under UK accounts, get points added to their profiles. “The main question now is if these points will be carried over if users swop to a local account. Users won't want to if they're going to lose out on accrued points.”
Local users who are currently registered under UK profiles will be afforded the opportunity to transfer to a South African profile, but there has been no confirmation as to whether they'll be able to keep their points, says a Microsoft spokesperson.
Legal gaming
Ambrose says there is no special significance for the arrival of Xbox Live in SA now after seven years.
“I believe it is part of the global push by Microsoft to grow and diversify their offerings with a belated focus on the consumer. Other companies have been spearheading the 'consumerisation' of IT for a while and in some way Microsoft are playing catch up, partly due to their deep roots in the enterprise space.”
However, he adds that the time is right for Xbox Live, since SA finally has moderately priced uncapped Internet. “The increase in undersea cables and the continual roll out of local infrastructure, accompanied by the rapid growth of broadband, make the offering far more compelling, and will justify the investment in the back-end of the system, by Microsoft.”
The difference that local Live will make to South African users, according to Whitford, is that users can apply for legal accounts now and can purchase points from local providers.
Joubert explains that previously local users had to purchase Microsoft points via vouchers that are only available in the UK. With Xbox Live coming to SA, gamers can now use their credit cards to purchase points and get them locally, he says.
He adds that other changes for local users will be that some content which was locked for them will now be unlocked and they will be able to download full versions of games. “We will now also have support for Xbox Live locally, so we can just call in for support.”
More from Xbox
Microsoft also premiered its Kinect (formerly known as “Project Natal”) for Xbox 360 worldwide. This gaming feature eliminates controllers from the experience.
Microsoft explains that to use Kinect, the gamer must simply step in front of the sensor. It recognises the user, responds to their gestures, listens to their voice and works with every Xbox 360.
“At Microsoft, we believe fun is a universal magnet, uniting us and connecting us all together,” says Don Mattrick, senior VP for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “We believe interactive entertainment is the greatest form of all entertainment, and it should be open and approachable to as many people as possible.”
Kinect is not available in SA yet and there is no release date set. Microsoft says it will be released in North America on 4 November and to the rest of the world at a later stage.
Console upgrade
Microsoft also released a new Xbox 360 console with a 250GB hard drive.
“The newly designed console is whisper-quiet, so the silent tension of a game or movie is never broken,” says Van Rooyen. “The new Xbox 360 system also comes with everything you need to get started, including an Xbox 360 wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, HDMI input, USB flash drive storage capabilities and more, and a one-year limited warranty on the console.”
Van Rooyen says the new console is already available in North America but no date has yet been set for SA.
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Microsoft Kinect coming soon
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