Dylan Greene dot com

Microsoft now has one million XBOX Live members. I think XBOX Live is one of the least understood and most under-marketed features of the XBOX, partly because it's kinda hard to explain what it is... Here's my try:

The XBOX includes an ethernet connection. This can be used hook your XBOX to the Internet, but you still need some way to find other gamers to play against. That's where XBOX Live comes in.

• Play XBOX games online against people from all over the world, or just your friends.
• Use the included headset to talk while you play. It's telephone quality, up to 16 people at once, and while there are sometimes annoying kids who won't shut up, it's incredibly helpful to be able to talk to your teammates during the game to formulate strategies and nice to be able to ask where people are from. You can mute people that won't shut up, and you don't need to press anything to talk. There's a mute button on device that plugs into the controller, and most games have the option to have players voices come out of your TV's speakers so everybody can hear what's going on.
• Everybody has a unique Gamertag ID. Mine is Dylan. Yeah, my Gamertag is boring, lame, and lacks all creativity. I created it during the XBOX Live Beta, and once you create your tag, you can't change it. People call me "Die-Lan," which almost makes it cool because then it doesn't sound like my real name. After a few days of playing you'll start to recognize some of the regulars. I always laugh when SluttMonkey or FistingBritney joins a server I'm on.
  
• You can add people you know (or meet online) as "Friends." Like your IM software, you can see when your friends are online, what games they are playing, and can send them invites to join your game, even if they are playing something else. You can also tie your Gamertag to your MSN Passport so that MSN Messenger shows all that info too. Personally, I don't play XBOX much, but if I get an invite from a good friend and I have some free time I'll try to join their game.
• Since it's no fun having your ass kicked every time you play, many XBOX Live games rank the players, and you can make sure you're only playing against people at your level. Here's my online ranking for Rainbow Six 3, which I'm not too great at, but had a lot of fun playing when I rented it.
• The final cool feature of XBOX Live is something PC gamers take for granted - downloadable content. Since the XBOX has a massive hard drive, many XBOX Live games have downloable levels, characters, game modes, and more, often for free, but sometimes for $4.99. When you sign on, the XBOX will automatically download patches kind of like a Windows Update. It's nice to know that the game makers have the ability to release patches and it's guaranteed that every player will have that patch.

XBOX Live currently cost $69.99 for the first year's membership. That includes an XBOX game (either MechAssult or Crimson Skies, or maybe both) and the headset for talking. A lot of XBOX Live games include free 3-month trials, but you definitely want the headset.

More links:

• XBOX.com/Live
• I love XBOX Live (kinda cheesy)
• About XBOX Live
• XBOX Live Start Kits
• XBOX Wireless Adapter - Use your neighbor's open WiFi network for your XBOX Live connection, with their permission of course, or just use your own. B, G, and WEP are supported as you'd expect.