Microsoft explains the Xbox Live and the Voice and Xbox Communicator

A Newcomer's Guide to Xbox Live

This Fall, that mysterious little port on the back of your Xbox console will become the key to the fast and furious world of online gaming—a groundbreaking step for consoles. But we know that you don't care if it's groundbreaking and that you don't want to hear about the technology behind it. (We're going to tell you later anyway. But it might make your brain hurt.) Right now, all you want is what you have to do to get it, when it's going to happen, and how it's going to change the gaming world forever.

What is Xbox Live?

Xbox Live is an online gaming service that lets you play multiplayer Xbox games on the Internet via broadband. (something like cable or DSL – dial-up isn't fast enough.) That's gaming service. Gaming. Got that? We're not here to get you shopping auction sites, checking news headlines, or emailing your dear old granny. What you can do is play great games with people everywhere. It's like having a couch of friends ready to get their game on. You can chat with them while you play, no matter where they live. You can download new levels and items to keep everything fresh. It's all about the games.

How do I get it?

You gotta have high speed, or broadband, Internet service. That's number one. If you don't have it, get it. (You don't want to be the last on the block with dial-up – that's just embarrassing.) You're also going to have to connect your cable or DSL modem to your Xbox. So you'll need an Ethernet cable for sure, and maybe some other hardware depending on how fancy you want to get with your home networking. Finally, you'll need a subscription (the introductory package is a steal!) to Xbox Live, and an Xbox game that is online-enabled.

How long do I have to wait for it?

The service will officially launch this fall, but there is a chance that you can get in on the Beta program. You can try out the service and games in their pre-release form, plus tell all your friends that you were one of the first people in the world to play on Xbox Live! (It's sort of like being an Army Ranger, or a Navy SEAL. Except you don't have to shave your head and get shot at.) There are two ways to get involved in the Beta program: Sign up on Xbox.com (your account is up-to-date, right?) You should realize that signing up doesn't mean you're guaranteed to be in the program. Not everyone will be selected, but you gotta be in it to get it!

Xbox Live: Voice and the Xbox Communicator

One of the first decisions we made when building Xbox Live was to make voice an integral part of our technology. We wanted our online multiplayer gaming service to be a revolutionary, fun, and social atmosphere. And it's hard to be social without talking to other people. We didn't stop at letting you chat with other people, though. Xbox Live games will feature the Xbox Communicator in some mind-blowing ways, and it's about time we got to talk about them.

Voice Chat

It may seem like adding a headset to the Xbox console would be an easy thing to do. While it's not really difficult, we wanted to make sure we did it right. The first thing to nail was comfort. A gamer should be comfortable playing into all hours of the night, so we made the Xbox Communicator flexible, lightweight, and well-balanced. It slips around the back of your head; you can adjust the earpiece to be on the left or right side. The second goal was to get great sound quality. Noise cancellation is built-in and reduces background noise so you can deliver taunts crisply and cleanly (speech lessons sold separately). There's also a directional microphone, so people hear more of you and less of the loud talkers beside you. If you like singing victory songs, this'll be your favorite karaoke. We wanted everyone to be able to join the party line; that's why the Xbox Communicator is included with the great introductory package. After we made it possible for everyone to chat with you, we worked on giving you the power to take it away. Why? Well, we've played a bunch of online games and know that people always find new ways to be annoying. If that happens to you on Xbox Live, you can selectively mute the offensive players. Soon enough, they'll be getting the silent treatment that they deserve.

Voice Masking and Effects

The scenario goes like this: you've battled through hordes of creatures in a hostile world to reach the level's final "boss" dragon. It rears back with anger and opens its huge jaw…only to let out a wimpy squeak, "I'll kick your butt!" You've suddenly been teleported out of your fantasy world and back to elementary school. The kid may have killed you, but only because you were on the floor laughing your +2 armor off. Xbox Live has the answer. (A point of amusement in our team meetings is hypothesizing what a dragon's voice would sound like…we think they have a British accent.) We've given games the ability to change your voice on the fly. There's no need to be embarrassed about your voice or worried about your privacy. Another interesting aspect of changing a player's voice is the addition of environmental effects. Your character's voice could sound distorted when underwater or have slurred speech when intoxicated (we do not in any way promote or condone virtual underage drinking). We're giving game developers what they've always wanted – innovative tools which help them achieve the next level of greatness. Daniel Vogel, a developer on Unreal Championship, volunteered this after using our voice tools: "Voice masking is the coolest thing since sliced bread!" So, okay, not an original statement, but you get the point. There's no doubt that Xbox Communicator will add to the immersive gaming experience that can only be had with Xbox Live. But it's just the first important step we took in building our service.