'Tis The Season For Online Gaming...Or Is It?

From OXCGN:

"Exactly a year ago I wrote about the problems with online gaming over Xbox Live and I want to revisit that topic to ask if anything has changed in that time. With suggestions that Microsoft is set to try and end a lot of the abuse on Live, probably this coming year, it is a good time to ask the online gamers out there what they think.

We have a poll for you to voice your opinion after my article's 'reprise', and feel free to comment in the comment box. Is Live any better than it was a year ago with regards to abuse? Have you learned to avoid the abuse over Live, for example by playing only with those on your friends-list? Is Live fine the way it is and those who don't like it are too thin-skinned? Do you think real-time censoring software applied to Live will help? Is there somewhere else that Live needs to improve?"

[Godem]

has online gaming changed much? Yeah its gotten worse, now every game has matchmaking which SUCKS!

[Immortal Kaim]

agreed, Xbox Live users outside the US are seen as second rate users, matchmaking is a flawed system without the option to look for 'Local matches'.

[Acj2323]

yeah i totally agree matchmaking really ticks me off, thats why people who used to love gears of war and got gears 2 they now go back to gears one because they DONT WANT matchmaking.

now COD 5 has some good features of finding games with local searches only THAT'S WHAT WE NEED!

[RKRigney]

I love Xbox Live!

[gaminoz]

I don't think the racist, sexist, whatever abuse will be less or stop until the Microsoft real-time censor is implemented.

But will it work or will normal words be bleeped out? Like on Xbox.com if we write a game is on sale at the retail store D*** Smith, it bleeps out the D*** part.

So does this site it seems...

[Godem]

yeah, as good as it would be to mute all the 10 - 12 year olds.. I do enjoy sometimes the swearing guys. Ie, you sneak up behind them, and you hear a 'ohh F*&%' as you shootem down with the shotgun.

[darkmurder]

I don't think online gaming has gotten worse, they've just forgotten about the other countries besides the US and optimized it for them, thereforth making it crap for us outside the US.

[LokMessier]

It seems like every other country that is not U.S. related always [or rather most of the time] it is usually neglected. See if they would stop forgetting about other countries, sales would soar, but alas I guess at least one should just be happy that they are at least getting online seeing as the online aspect won't change much :/

[gaminoz]

The problem is our markets aren't as big or as profitable. And our markets (at least here in OZ) have crappier internet infrastructure.

[Immortal Kaim]

I realise our market is tiny, the thing is, I don't care about getting servers here, I know that won't happen. All I ask is that the SDK's all incorporate a 'local search' option (like COD WaW), I don't see how that is hard.

Honestly, I don't think I will be renewing my Gold Membership once it runs out, thats how bad Live is outside America.

[XboxOZ360]

Yes, quiet true, our market here in Australia is exceptionally small in relation the many other countries. We may have a "huge" geographical claim on the globe as a whole, but our population is small - 22-23 million. And of that, a small % are actual gamers, making the market for sale exceptionally small by any standards.

It's fine to say we have the highest gamers per-capita, but when that equate to less than 1% of the global market, in has no real effect on what publishers choose to do or how manafacturers move their products outside their own native regions, such as the US etc.

We have recently seen a few major electrical companies move out of Australia, and there are 2 more planned to leave completely in 2009 (info from major retailer) withdrawing their products from the local market. And these are two MAJOR suppliers.

Even HP are in the process f moving offshore here in Australia, as their entire HP range in Australia/NZ only accounts for 1.5 - 2.0% i=of HP's global market. WHich has huge knock-on affects within the local market.

So you can see why many majors don't venture into countries where there is a small market share. It simply doesn't pay, even IF every person bought their product twice over, the % of the market share is still really small.

[Simmo44]

Yep agreed Kaim. The option of having local search in games would make Xbox Live a better experience for all. I don't know If I'll renew my gold account either, seeing as my most anticipated game of the year (Gears 2) is unplayable most of the time.

[Mr PS3]

Well the Picture Next to the Headline says it All !! Not on Xbox Live it Aint !!
Xbox Live Sucks

[gaminoz]

Well whatever he said didn't get anywhere...But by the name I'd say he's saying how wonderful PSN is compared to Live. The PS3 online isn't free of these problems either.

[Godem]

I don't play online that often, but I do occasionally enjoy organizing a few matches with a few mates, its always fun. But all the issues do let it down.

[M_Prime]

i can't wait to get my 360 and JUMP online.. and i played enough PC shooters with voice chat that it doesn't bother me.. what bother's me is if people don't have MIC and can't tell me whats up (where enemy is) or worse, when my MIC dies and i have no way cept typing.. and typing is not good at all in shooters..

i played on live at my brother's and it was AWSOME

[XboxOZ360]

I also hate XboxLIVE I'm afraid, as we seem to have breed a 'certain' type of gamer now we have the annonimity of online gaming or social networking.

I make sure I stay with those friends that I know, and if/when ppl send me a friends request, I let them know I'm NOT a huge LIVE user, and they are more than welcome to be on my friends list, but they probably won't catch me in any lobbies etc . .Which has many drop off the list, but helps keep those that simply want to honestly be there.

The amount of abuse of not only the system, but of others on suchh things as LIVE, which include PSN and the Wii network, seems to be growing rather than shrinking, so you can not blame MS etc for wanting to curb such things.

The biggest thing is, and the oddest is that gamers will complain bitterly when MS/Sony etc decide to do something, yet those ppl that signed up for the service agreed to the term of use and codes of conduct upon registering,which include MS/Sony etc having the right to disable accounts if the user breaks those TOU and COC . . .

[XboxOZ360]

Yes it is gaminoz . .because it's SOny, nothing bad can happen - don't you know that by now . . sheesss . . get with the time . . Sny = fun at all times and Sony = rules over all things (sarc btw ppl)

[Godem]

they should just make it like finding a multiplayer game in Counter Strike or any Valve game.. toooo easy