Xbox Live: Microsoft's bet
Today's Wall Street Journal has delved into the ins and outs of Microsoft's gamble to expand online gaming to every gamer with the Xbox 360. Aiming to entice at least 50% of customers online--a figure previously unheard of with Xbox Live, although Nintendo's wifi venture has approached it--Microsoft have spent an estimated $1 billion on the Live service.
That's a lot of money to spend in order to get customers signed up and spending their own money in return--the question is whether the gamble will pay off. The WSJ have also put together a flashy comparison of the three next-gen offerings from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, for anyone who's been living under a rock for the last year. One of the key online differences is the lack of a planned centralised online service in Sony and Nintendo's lineup, but that's offset by the lack of service fees, so may see more absolute signups. It's going to be a tough battle, and online gaming will be the only clear winner.
