Why I’m Excited about Online Gaming with Xbox One
This morning, we announced a new beta program for Xbox 360 called Enforcement United, that lets Xbox Live members like you get involved to help make Xbox Live a more fun, fair and safer place for everyone to play. Xbox Live is the best online gaming experience and now we’re enabling every member to help us make it even better. We also unveiled Xbox Community Level, a website where Xbox Live members can earn rewards and recognition for participating in the Enforcement United beta and the long-standing Xbox Live Ambassadors program.
It’s a cool way for Xbox Live members to engage with their community, but it’s not the only element we’re bringing to the table. Here are a few core features for Xbox One, developed specifically with the Xbox Live community in mind, that make online gaming better:
1 – Xbox Live Multiplayer on Xbox One
You’ve told us that Xbox Live is the best service for online multiplayer gaming, and we’re continuing that tradition on Xbox One, where we’ve made the multiplayer experience the way we all want it: smart, quick and intuitive. What makes Xbox Live revolutionary on Xbox One? It’s the power. We’re investing in more than 300,000 servers to supercharge Xbox Live. With a wealth of new features and the stable service you need, Xbox Live on Xbox One offers you THE multiplayer experience to game with all of your friends.
2 – Better Matchmaking
Earlier this summer, I talked with Micheal Dunn, Program Manager on Xbox Live Services, about the new Xbox One matchmaking system called Smart Match. The key here is that you no longer have to sit and wait for a game to match you with other players. With Smart Match on Xbox One, I can put in my match request, then switch over and catch up on the posts on Xbox One or watch TV or a movie. When a match is found, Xbox One tells me so I can re-enter the game instantly. Smart Match also matches you with players like yourself, making your multiplayer gaming even more tailored to your game style.
3 – Enhanced Reputation and Enforcement
The Enforcement United program will complement Smart Match’s new reputation system on Xbox One. We’ve updated our proprietary algorithms for monitoring gaming behavior on Xbox Live, expanded scoring elements, engaged our enforcement team and created requirements for games to take reputation into account. The new reputation system is built on a model that accounts for how you behave and whether you positively or negatively affect others. As long as other players or the games you play are not negatively reporting you or your actions, you’ll maintain a positive reputation. Ways to weaken your reputation, for example, would be to join a competitive, veteran area and try to disrupt games, or join a casual play area and be a griefer.
We’ve also worked hard to ensure this new system can’t be manipulated by groups of griefers. Our goal is to create a safe and fun place for gamers without BS from trolls and spammers. Casual gamers might not even notice that this new reputation system is in place, but trust me, serious online gamers will be glad it is.
4 – New Achievements System
Achievements have always added that extra layer of accomplishment, challenge and reward for Xbox Live members, and we’re excited to continue that tradition on Xbox One. We’ve introduced a new kind of Achievement called a Challenge, where players and friends can work to accomplish time-based objectives resulting in winning cool free stuff. Developers can also now continue to grow and expand their achievements over time, so you have more opportunities to build up your score without being limited to the achievements on the disk. Don’t forget, your Gamerscore will also carry over from Xbox 360.
5 – Game DVR, Upload
With Game DVR and Upload Studio, you can create and add epic video clips to share with your Xbox Live friends. With Xbox Live on Xbox One, you now have new ways to record, edit, share and broadcast the best moments from your games. Game DVR lets you record your favorite highlights. You can then use Upload Studio to customize and show off your big victories, including adding your own voiceovers by using Kinect. You’ll have a number of custom skins to choose from to make your clip stand out even more and you’ll have slow motion and other editing tools. It’s your own editing bay for the documentary of your gaming life.
These are just a FEW of the thing that make gaming great on Xbox One. There are lots more to come, so be sure to stay tuned for more exciting details as we march towards the launch of Xbox One.