Competition for Xbox Live: play Xbox games online for free

Microsoft's Xbox live service has brought multiplayer gaming to the masses (over two million,
to be inexact), far outpacing adoption of the online component of Sony's rival PlayStation offering. That success comes at a price, however, with sometimes rampant antisocial behavior inspiring
public service announcements and
rants. If you're looking for a gaming holiday far from the madding crowds, know that Xbox Live isn't the only way to play online.

Software XBConnect and Xlink Kai
work by tricking your Xbox (and PSP and other gaming systems) into thinking that they're connected to a local area network (LAN), allowing you to connect to anybody anywhere, so long as they're running the same software. It's how PC gamers have connected to each other for years, but the configuration details tend to scare off less technical console gamers.

File sharing portal ZeroPaid is publishing a series of articles on these "Free Global Gaming Networks." The first two in the series can be found
here and
here.

[Via Clickable Culture]