XBOX Live – The Best Online Service in Gaming
The gaming landscape has drastically changed in the last few years with the introduction of online gaming in the console realm. Online gaming was previously just reserved for the PC with games like Starcraft and Diablo breaking the mold. Now, that has all changed with all three major consoles having their own flavor of an online gaming offering. With the competition being so tough, companies are ramping up the features to stand apart in the online gaming landscape. Here are a few reasons Microsoft is leading the pack over Sony and Nintendo with XBOX Live.
#1 – The Most Subscribers
XBOX Live is dominating the competition in terms of number of users. As of this writing, XBOX Live has reached over 25 million users. The most important aspect to keep in mind is that these users are paying users unlike PlayStation Network and the Wii which are free services. So while the PlayStation Network may have more subscribers because it is free, a large percentage do not take advantage of the online experience. If you are paying for the service, you are much more likely to use it. This leads to larger multi-player lobbies for each game.
#2 – Community Events
XBOX Live gives you the opportunity to compete with other users in free games that are offered over the network for prizes. Popular TV game show, 1 vs. 100, is now an XBOX Live exclusive game where you compete with other users for free games and other prizes. XBOX Live also offers the popular movie rental service Netflix. With any Netflix account you can now stream movies directly through your XBOX 360 to your TV without having to wait a couple days for the DVD to be delivered. Have a friend that wants to watch a movie with you but on separate TV across the country? They can tap into the live stream of the movie as well.