http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/microsoft-xbox/594355p1.html?fromint=1

We Got Next - Part Two (Xbox)
GameSpy reveals details on the next Xbox console.
By Raymond M. Padilla | March 8, 2005

For several GameSpy editors, Game Developers Conference (GDC) is one of the
best and most enjoyable events held each year. One of the primary reasons
for GameSpy's GDC love is that the editors get to interact with some of the
best talents in the business. Recently, some of GameSpy's friends in the
development community shared a ton of details on Microsoft's next console
system. Keep in mind that all of this information is based off of alpha
development kits and current projections for the final hardware. Everything
is subject to change. In the second part of our Xbox expose, I'll cover the
improvements planned for gamer profiles and Xbox Live and how it will change
the user experience. Since the final name of the next Xbox hasn't been
revealed yet, I'll refer to the system by its codename, Xenon.

Microsoft Supports Profiling

Whether the games are single player or multiplayer, all Xenon titles tie
into a new gamer profile feature. Think of it as a universal profile for
each gamer that uses the system; the gamer profiles are the player's single
identity across all Xenon games. Similar to how a single Windows XP machine
can be set up for multiple users, each Xenon system will house profiles for
every gamer it serves. This feature is fantastic for households with
multiple gamers, since each player's settings can be saved in his or her
profile and selected when the system boots.

The system is very flexible. You're able to choose universal settings while
making exceptions for individual games. You can set your profile to
automatically set inverted controls and yellow uniforms if that's your
preference, but if for some reason you prefer to play Splinter Cell with a
standard look and orange uniforms you can change the setting for just that
title.

The settings are available online and offline. System settings can be
brought up in every Xenon title. The profile is also where you make your
privacy and opt-in selections.

The profile also records achievements and something dubbed "Gamer Cred."
Achievements are game-specific tasks, such as beating a certain boss or
completing a level in a certain amount of time. Achievements can be awarded
online and offline; the baseline is for every game to award at least five
achievements. Gamer Cred is how much you're awarded for each achievement.
The more games you play and the better you do, the more Gamer Cred you'll
earn. Microsoft's is suggesting that developers award at least 1000 Gamer
Cred points per title.

Parents will be pleased to learn that the profile system includes extensive
parental controls and privileges. The system lets parents decide what games
their kids are allowed to play, as well as if their children are allowed to
share their profile and chat with other players. Software controls allow
parents to select multiplayer restrictions.

Last, but not least, is the" Gamer Card." Think of it as an at-a-glance
gamer profile. The Gamer Card allows other online players to quickly see
another's Gamertag, title, Gamer Creds, reputation rating, gamer zone,
country, and title. It's a virtual membership card that helps gamers find
people to play with. If you think you've found a match then you can select
the Gamer Card to view that player's full profile to make sure.

Raymond's Reaction - While impressive hardware specs obviously lead to a
more powerful console, additions like the gamer profile can have a bigger
impact on the user experience. It's great that multiple users can turn on
the livingroom Xenon and have it boot so that all their settings are active.
It's fantastic that gamers no longer have to change settings each time they
buy a new game in their favorite genre. And it's subtly powerful that gamers
can make exceptions to their settings as they see fit. This feature is all
about personalizing the console experience and it should work quite well.

The achievement options are excellent. It's a way for players to be
competitive, earn bragging rights, and attain additional satisfaction for
playing games. Rewarding the player is always a good thing and awarding
Gamer Cred gives players a higher sense of accomplishment that can be shared
with or showed off to the Xenon community.

As extensive as the gamer profile is, it's nice that there's a quick way to
check out other players with the Gamer Card.

Cumin' Atcha Live

As I noted in part one of this feature, all Xenon titles will be Live
enabled. The console itself will have system-enabled Live features
including:

a.. Friends management
a.. Access to recent players
a.. Message center
a.. Game invite management
a.. User notifications
a.. Gamer profile
a.. One-on-one voice chat
a.. Downloads
a.. Feedback
a.. Sign-in

It will be easier than ever for players to communicate with others on Xenon.
Players no longer need to create custom message centers for each game. The
message center manages player-to-player messages, friend invites, game
invites, open P2P messaging, service-to-player messages, and title-to-player
messages. Players can also communicate via voice and video chat.

All online multiplayer games are required to have social and ranked matches.
Social matches rely on affiliate list tracking. Each player can be in
contact with 1500 others, including friends, recent players, and preferred
players.

Downloads will be managed from a central system user interface. They will
appear as offers to the player in a download marketplace. Free and premium
downloads will be supported. Developers will be able to send players to the
marketplace and notify them when new content is available.

As I mentioned when I was discussing the Gamer Card, other players can see
your various profile stats quickly. One of the most pertinent stats to Live
is player reputation. Players will be able to grade, compliment, and
complain about other players. Reviews are tied to a player's own experience
as well. It's unclear how the whole system will be policed. It's a great
feature, but one that can be taken advantage of and seems difficult to
arbitrate. The complaint system is managed by Microsoft customer service.

Raymond's Reaction - Microsoft is taking all the great exciting features of
Xbox Live, adding some enhancements, and tying it all together in a clean
way. Its goal here is to make online console gaming easier in order to
expand the audience. The unified Live experience definitely makes online
gaming more accessible, while still allowing developers to make
game-specific customizations.

I'm quite intrigued by the concept of a download marketplace. As the content
library grows, console download shopping can be another activity gamers can
use Xenon for. If Microsoft adds user reviews for downloadable content then
the download marketplace might turn into a micro-Amazon.com. Seeing a lot of
positive user reviews for a download might get gamers interested in a title
they didn't consider before.

In Conclusion

In many ways, the gamer profile and Live features are more interesting than
the hardware specs. Even before this article, everyone knew that Microsoft
would be releasing a more powerful system. Gamers didn't really know or
never thought about how the company would make playing console games
different. These features show how Microsoft is changing the console
experience by increasing personalization and ease of use. Sony hasn't
discussed much of anything regarding the PlayStation 3, while Nintendo
promises something radically different with its next system. Microsoft seems
to be employing a sound strategy of building on the experience that millions
of consumers enjoy while simultaneously making it easier for more of them to
get in to.