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Xbox President dismisses Sony's online efforts

Xbox president: Microsoft's Robbie Bach has dismissed Sony's PlayStation Network, saying he doesn't believe the console rival offers an online gaming service comparable to Xbox Live.

The company is currently celebrating five years of Xbox Live, with over 8 million users signed up to the service. "It's fair to say that Xbox Live is clearly head and shoulders above anything anyone else has tried to do. We don't have competition," said Bach, speaking to the LA Times.

"Sony has done some things online, but nothing that can be called a service. We have a big advantage and we're going to keep pressing that advantage," Bach added.

Robbie Bach, the 45-year-old president of the division that runs Microsoft's games and music business, talks with the Los Angeles Times before the five-year anniversary of Xbox Live.

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latimes.com

[via gamesindustry.biz]

Rowland - contributor
Published: 761 days 22 hours ago | Interview | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Industry News

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1 HarryEtTubMan | 762 days ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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the worst - 761 days 22 hours ago

1.1 - microsoft need 2 fix the lag

b4 talking about sony online

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Daytona - 761 days 15 hours ago

1.2 - There is no lag on Xbox live lil boy.

But you wouldn't know that b/c your just a sony pswannabe 3 fan.

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Kokoro - 762 days ago

2 - some of the advantage they have

is the five year lead and amazing download service. It's really the best out there, but they still need to make it available everywhere first

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jromao - 761 days 22 hours ago

2.1 - Did he ...

...forgot to talk about the $$$ they charge gamers to connect ??

...or he AVOID to talk about how MS only wants to cash ?

...his speach only shows they ARE worried about PS3 growth, why didn't he just refer he have also the PS3 at home ?

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2.2 leon76 | 761 days 21 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Daytona - 761 days 15 hours ago

2.3 - Xbox live is free for the silver membership and only $49.95 a year for the gold membership.

That's only $4.16 a month. That's dirt cheap for this incredible servive little boy.

There's nothing like it and there's nothing like the new WorldWide servive they've planned for late 2008. Home will look like a cheap hooker compared to this.

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Bubble Buddy - 761 days 15 hours ago

2.4 -

umm silver, isn't really online? o_0, and yeah 50 bucks a year is another game >.0 and think about it, paying for it at least for 5 years. can you do the math, or is it too difficult for you? plus, if u have a school or job, the time will be limited cept for like weekends, holidays . etc.

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PimpHandHappy - 762 days ago

3 - MS has a music service?

i didnt know that. I know they have the zune but thats not really a service is it?

anyway

Sony offers a certain brand of online service, FREE! They also have this thing called dedicated servers and these servers allow for online games that hold 32players unlike anything on XBL.

If you want to show off some achievments XBL is great

if you want to play massive lag free online battles PSN is the place to be and you dont even have to pay for the service.

If Home works like they want XBL will look like messenger and PSN will then look like the WORLD WIDE WEB in 3D!

MS does have the better online service but then again its been in the works for 5 years

ADD ON: Hey bladeguy can i ask u something (i wont be back for a few days so i wont see ur reply). In 5 years what improvments has XBL made? What is better now then 5 years ago on launch? I dont mean things u can download. What i mean is in terms of making ur online gaming better what have they improved in the last 5 years and the 500MILLION they make a year on it. What has all that money got you?

if u have had live for 5 years u have spent 250bucks and then add the few games they have that are worth buying from the market place

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3.1 Bladestar | 761 days 23 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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SeanScythe - 761 days 23 hours ago

4 -

I think this is why sony delayed Home. They want it to have everything it needs to out do XBL, I'm willing to bet that games will have in-game menus for messages but since you load games from home it will be more interactive. Also you will have the same setting in the XMB after home is added. Sony isn't playing around they know we want all that stuff but they want to give it to us in one big serving.

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Sayai jin - 761 days 19 hours ago

4.1 -

Not really. Home is going to good, but it will not be anything like XBL. Basically it's a online sim. I think they delayed it, simply becuase it is not fully functional.

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jackfatal - 761 days 17 hours ago

4.2 - lets say it not complete yet

not "not fully functional"

home will own when it arrives!!
sony please dont screw this!!

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titntin - 761 days 22 hours ago

5 -

Geez the guy speaks twaddle, but I expect at a 5 year celebration you'd expect him to bash any competition. Xbox live is a great service and I'm happy to hear him extoll its virtues. But to claim that PSN is not even a service ought to be beneath him.
Its hurts to approve such nonsense, but I will anyway...

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Razzy - 761 days 22 hours ago

6 -

Wow that's crazy. I thought Bach/M$ would be praising the PSN. What's the world coming to?

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Vip3r - 761 days 22 hours ago

7 -

Its bad enough when fanboys bash their rivals console but when a high up employee does it, it just lowers the respect and credability of that company.

Live might be better than PSN but bashing it just seems unprofessional.

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Meus Renaissance - 761 days 22 hours ago

8 -

Xbox Live is better than PSN in regards to the content and services it offers, not because of the quality directly. I've so far had a better gaming experience on the PSN because it supports a wide array of dedicated servers than I had with Live. But it is annoying to have no cross game invite or cross game communication with your friends; but this will change and once it does, PSN can finally be compared to Live because it will get better over time.

Live has done everything you can possibly do, except a feature without a music download service. They have all the gaming aspects covered, so now they're adding the media facets to their services. PSN will eventually reach that point also, but what then after? They'll both reach the pinnacle of online service for this generation.

But I'll give Live the edge here simply because of the community features which the PS3 lacks.

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9 hotshot1237 | 761 days 22 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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tfur - 761 days 22 hours ago

10 - ghandi

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win."

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CRIMS0N_W0LF - 761 days 22 hours ago

11 - XBOX Live sucks for me

Because its not aviable in my country.

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12 goodganja44 | 761 days 22 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Mwaan - 761 days 21 hours ago

12.1 - Have you even experienced LIVE?

Reading about it's features is one thing, but actually experiencing it is another. If you take someone who plays on LIVE, and then stick them on the PSN, they'll laugh hysterically. In about 3 years, when PSN catches up with LIVE, you'll know what I'm talking about.

W A I T B E Y O N D

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ikkokucrisis - 761 days 15 hours ago

12.2 -

Uh, I've played PC for years. Both 360 & PS3 services online are painful to endure to say the least. At least I don't have to pay for one of them.

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Maddens Raiders - 761 days 22 hours ago

13 - @tfur -

WOW - intelligence and succinct observation are never out of style my man. Well, well said.

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Jason 360 - 761 days 14 hours ago

13.1 - What is your avitar?

I know it but I can't think of a name.

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nobizlikesnowbiz - 761 days 22 hours ago

14 - "We don't have competition,"

Ouchies

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OOG FunK - 761 days 22 hours ago

15 -

meh you actually think that Sony has only been working on their online for 1 year...um no lol

Ever since live has come out they have been thinking of ways to top it....just that they are slower to react thats all...

Hell just be happy microsoft took the iniative to make an online service and put online console gaming on the map...cuz if they didnt youd still be playing by yourself.... or on a dreamcast with dial up

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Skerj - 761 days 22 hours ago

15.1 -

Dreamcast had a broadband adapter too.

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OOG FunK - 761 days 22 hours ago

15.2 -

yur right my bad fergot about that... lol dial up was the shizit back then lol

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16 BubblesDAVERAGE | 761 days 22 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Skerj - 761 days 22 hours ago

17 -

This is funny yet there are talks about MS trying to do their own version of Home. ..

My gold subscription expired a week ago and I'm not upgrading it again for the foreseeable future. Didn't think playing online for free would mean that much but hell, I got a ton of stuff to play and I don't have to pay now. Also I've yet to hear a kid on the PSN, nor have I heard all of the other crap that's spewed over voicechat in games a la Live.

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Equinoxe_7 - 761 days 22 hours ago

18 -

X Live Win

Sony need to shape up the gameplay instead of eye dropping graphic, and hidden commercials in games, I think Sony can do better.

I just want more free option on my Playstation 3

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TheReaperOfHearts - 761 days 22 hours ago

19 - Use ur own sense

NO duh :p u ppl charge the users duh ull have to give something worthwhile or no one wud pay !! whats up wit u losers give live free then talk !! lol

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20 goodganja44 | 761 days 22 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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OOG FunK - 761 days 22 hours ago

20.1 -

ganja you fanboy dont even go there man....everyone knows there are retarded kids screamn on every console pc included....beauty of a mute button

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Skerj - 761 days 21 hours ago

20.2 -

Man you are so right, the last time I played on Live was during the COD4 beta and I kept hearing "SandN****r!!" shouted over voice chat by some 10 year old kid. ..the even more messed up thing is we weren't even on the Middle Eastern Maps. Much less the kid shouldn't have been playing the game. Then someone else was saying how we were in the USSR and I was like "um. ..". Every night in at least 3 games I'd hear some moron or some kid who shouldn't have been on the game.

PSN. ..none of that. Countless games of Warhawk, Resistance, Tekken, and Poker (only games I have online) I've only run into one asshat in Warhawk who kept trying to kill me for the flag. Aside from that everyone is pretty mature and quite funny to boot.

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20.3 Bladestar | 761 days 21 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

20.4 Bladestar | 761 days 21 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Skerj - 761 days 21 hours ago

20.5 -

Either you're lying or your friend told you wrong because you can block people o_O.

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Noodlecup - 761 days 21 hours ago

21 -

Free online with dedicated servers and no lag >>> $50 a year service with lag & a load of pointless crap nobody cares about (xbox live feedback page I'm looking in your direction)

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Ghoul - 761 days 21 hours ago

22 -

service ???

i remember the days when microsofts Live "service" was free for every one.

chat = free service
demos = free service
multiplayer = free service
friendlist = free service

don't tell me multiplayer needs servers that cost money, yes they do but ms offers laagy crappy peer to peer multiplayer where no single server is involved at all. Speachserver are tons on the inet that are free too, chat programs dont cost a dime, hell even webspace is free.

And btw you dont just pay you also get the advertise in games and the dashboard, something that normally is turned off for those who are willing to pay for this "service"

take steam icq/miranda/skype/trillian and a ventrillo/teamspeak for example.

Microsoft totally brainwashed you all and now youre ready to accept live costs on the pc too wtf is wrong with you guys ????
i hate live its the most worthless monthly fee "service" ever.

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DragunBallZ - 761 days 21 hours ago

22.1 - If all the stuff you mentioned is free and doesn't need servers

then why do you have PS2 & P$3 games like CoD3 & Blacksite that have no voice???

No. no. Better yet; Why can't Sony just setup PSN with the same EXACT features across ALL games, since it's so free??

And don't complain of laggy servers as you can't even explain what lag is. If you knew, you'd know that there IS lag on PSN games just like PC games & XBL. Noob online gamers like yourself don't know how to host or how to look for games with good ping times to AVOID a laggy experience.

BTW I bet you pay your cell phone provider an extra fee just to go online to some watered-down websites. How worthless is that?

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Ghoul - 761 days 20 hours ago

22.2 -

nice rant dragunballz.

1. i didnt mention the ps3 at all
2. its not that im actullay "working" in the games idustry ! so dont call me a noob kiddo
3. i know exactly what a lag is and what causing it, i never said the ps3 has no laags i spoke about the service and the costs ms is forcing you to pay for.
4. i didnt said i pay for mobile online wich i would never do
and im certainly "professional" enough to play on lagfree servers.

stay on topic stay nice and stop insulting kiddo, its the wrong place for immature discussions.

its allways nice seing people replying to something one never said int he first place

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DragunBallZ - 761 days 21 hours ago

23 - FROM DAY 1:

MS has been working hard to create the BEST service out there. They did it. And they CONTINUE to devolpe it further.

"In addition to a single unique user ID, which allows for ultra secure gaming, playing an Xbox Live game will have another important defining feature. There will be no keyboard and every single Xbox Live game, every title mentioned above, will have voice communication capabilities by definition. The Voice Communicator fits in the top slot on the Xbox controller, and in the top slot only. The sound processing is clear enough to compare favorably to the sound you might hear on mobile phone using a hands free set. Only voices of other players can be heard over the headset, all in-game music and sound effects will still come from whatever speakers you happen to be using.

In Microsoft's efforts to create a "global couch" making new friends, finding the ones you have and interacting with them is a huge focus for Xbox Live. Matchmaking comes in two varieties. Opti-Match helps you find people of your same skill level, playing the same game as you and on a connection that's suitable for steady game play. The concept of gamers balancing ping and pushing the limits of fluidity is supposed to go out the window with Xbox Live. In theory, when gamers are looking for new opponents online, they won't even see, and hence won't have to be bothered with, gamers who have too much lag for a smooth gaming experience. Quick Match is the opposite, it simply brings up the first online gaming server with an available opening as soon as you've finished selecting your character, team or car and if you say "yes" away you go." http://xbox.ign.com/article...

All this talk of MS being better because it's been out longer is BS. Let's switch the subject but maintain that BS PoV; Is P$3 the best gaming console because Sony's been in the business longer than MS?? NPD data doesn't say so. Case closed. Sony has ALWAYS half-stepped on the online aspect and continue to do so.

Sony, a MEGA multimedia company, was the first to say they were going to bring all this media to your living room back in E3 2002. MS has done it. Sony still hasn't after updating it's firmware every 2 weeks for the past year. And there's no hope in sight for anytime soon.

"Sony also mentioned that it still plans to use the PS2 to deliver non-game content online, specifically music and movies, though it stated that, at launch, it will be solely games-driven." http://www.gamespot.com/new...

""Our company studied the U.S. market for three years, and feel confident that it's finally ripe to introduce consumers to online console gaming. We will be the first to do it successfully", according to SCEA president Kaz Hirai. The confident announcement is in keeping with Sony's tone of late; earlier this week, SCEI president Ken Kutaragi told the Wall Street Journal that he is unconcerned by competition from Microsoft, saying that "if they cut the price to half, I don't care"." http://www.theregister.co.u...

When it comes to online service-you get what you pay for. Anyone remember when NetZero was actually free?

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Ghoul - 761 days 20 hours ago

23.1 -

you really should think about working at microsoft you seem to totally love them

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KINGDRAMA - 761 days 21 hours ago

24 -

"Yeah psn has NOTHING ON US........lets make our own version of home though."

360 doesnt need hdmi
360 doesnt need hdd
360 doesnt need wifi
360 doesnt need quality control
360 doesnt need next gen format
360 live doesnt need FREE, lag-free servers and mic-bans for the idiots that micspam

haha....sound familiar?

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THAMMER1 - 761 days 21 hours ago

25 - Sony fans stop it.

Your attempt at damage control make you guys desperate and childish. XBL is better. You people who claim there is so much lag are just liers and haters.

I bet you lie to people so they never get a chance to see the truth about the deffernce in XBOX60 and PS3. You people will so go the way of the dinosaur.

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Grassroots - 761 days 21 hours ago

26 -

I just realized I hate paying for LIVE because it really doesn't offer a lot more in the end that I care about. They both lag so really I feel burned paying for it when I get it for free.

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gunnerforlife - 761 days 21 hours ago

27 -

is this the duqebag thats taken over from dat guy that left for EA

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Vertius - 761 days 21 hours ago

28 -

...He says before Home comes out.

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