How to enjoy the social experience that Xbox 360 creates?

by Hep

The thing I've been enjoying about the 360 is that it's a system that works around my schedule, all the features makes it feel like a social thing, but on my terms. A lot of people have been saying on the boards that they don't need online play, that they just have their friends come over, or are somewhat satisfied with the single player experience. That's cool; I used to be that way too. Now all my friends are married, have kids, play sports or are working overtime and even shift work. Being able to slap a headset on and play a few rounds of a shooter at 2 a.m. is a gamers dream. We can play together whenever we want to, without worrying about anything else. If we have to drop out of a game, who cares? Its makes it easier then trying to get your friends to leave your place on those late Saturday nights.

You may also think about the times you would have your friends over and the both of you would compete to get the best score. This highlights another great feature of the Xbox 360, this is Live Arcade. I may not have the time to play my friends at the same time, but I know I can play my friends in Geometry Wars by beating there scores and then sending them a competitive message to let them know of my achievement. This allows me to play them, while they are offline.

This is the kind of social interaction, bragging rights, and competition that used to happen over late nights of gaming at my place. Now that I have a little bit more responsibility and my friend's don't have so much time to game being able to keep that kind of spirit going at our own pace when we want it is great. The 360 is the most social platform I've ever played on, and when you get a good friend's list going you'll wonder how you ever played without the constant feedback and competition from others. Mind you when my friends are online it’s an even better experience.

So how do I get the best social experience out of Xbox Live and how do I make the best friends. Well it’s all pretty simple; I’ll explain some tips to enjoying yourself on Xbox Live with the company of others.

Choose your GamerZone that best suits you.

Xbox Live uses a matchmaking system to make sure similar gamers are playing with each other, using the quick match options in games will find people of similar skill and gamerzone. Choosing a gamerzone that suits you will generally find people who share the same mood as you. Picking Pro will find you playing against hard core competition and you may enjoy talking about the best strategies and tactics to take out the other team, recreation is more for me, laid back and casual gaming at its best.

Join the online community.

Xbox Live expands on to the internet and there are hundreds of Xbox community sites out there. Find local community sites in your region and get involved. Regular sensible posting on their forums will build character and similar people will soon be keen to play with you. Being social doesn’t just have to be in games, be a part of the growing online community. Arrange games by posting messages and organise a game time, the best experiences I have found on Xbox Live was after becoming active in the community. Most sites now also have leader boards, get your gamertag in the boards and let people know what you’re playing.

Try the online communities on Xbox.com, or the Friends of Xbox.com to get yourself started.

Join a group or create one.

Many people would refer to this as Clans, but clans don’t have to be all about the competitive gaming experience, it’s also a great way to play with friends and meet new ones. Some Aussie Clans such as The Zoo, Mojo and The Lobby are all great friendly social clans that are in it for the fun rather then for the victories. If you’re after great competitive gaming as well as the social experience join some of the pro clans out there. What ever suits your taste buds. To find clans post around on the message boards and let people know you’re looking to join one. This is probably the fastest way to make friends.

Maintain your Reputation and become a Preferred Player

Xbox Live allows us to provide feedback on gamers and we should use it where possible. As a gamer you should look after your reputation. When in games try to make sure you have a headset and it’s turned on. Make sure you talk and always try and kick off some type of conversation at least once per game. Being muted and not having an Xbox Live headset will get you booted from games, or do nothing for your reputation. I have seen so many people tackle the Xbox Live experience and complain about being kicked out of games for not having a headset. They aren’t being a bully to you; most people would just rather have people in their games that are going to chat with them.

When you start gaming and people start enjoying the experience you bring to the rooms they will surely add you as a preferred player. This is also used for match making and if you have given someone you met a preferred player status you are even more likely to find them when you do a quick match search for games. Again making sure the social experience of Xbox Live is enjoyable.

Be involved in Community Events.

If you don’t mind a little competition then get involved in any tournaments or Xbox Calendar nights. Yet again joining in weekly game nights is a great way to make friends who enjoy playing the same games as you.

I hope this little article helps, there are plenty more things that I could explain about what you need to do to make sure you enjoy the Xbox Live experience but this is a great start. Just remember the most important thing and the number one rule to, don’t flame, just game!