Go for Gold

TrueSkill Matchmaking

Life may not be simple, but gaming online should be. Sleek, organized, and intuitive should be the hallmark descriptions for any online service. This is especially true for finding, joining, and creating fun and competitive matches.

Lucky for us, the good folks behind Xbox Live® have been working diligently towards making this a satisfying reality for everyone. They've created a deep but elegantly simple matchmaking service. Whether ranked or unranked, the tools now exist to foster community and match like-minded players around the world with or against each other.

The Dividing Line
Seasoned veterans of the Xbox Live service will note one substantial change immediately. A gaping gulf now exists between ranked and unranked games. Hardcore gamers know what I'm talking about: You can get hoodwinked into a "free" game only to have the switch flipped to ranked before the match launches (a common tactic for the griefer looking to power level their ranking).

The new matchmaking system is intuitive and easy to use, and will no doubt open up the realm of Xbox Live to casual gamers. It ensures you'll always get placed in a game with like-minded people. No more getting thrown into a hardcore frag-fest when all you wanted was a little friendly competition.

If you want to play ranked, you play ranked; if you want to play unranked, you play unranked. Every last game playable on Xbox Live lets you make this choice before using quick match or custom match to find the best game for you. You cannot mix and match between ranked and unranked—ever!

Competition Junkies, Meet TrueSkill
It's not fun to enter a lobby and find you're playing against people several levels higher than you, and it's exactly that problem the new TrueSkill™ matchmaking system solves. For every ranked game you play, Xbox Live uses your TrueSkill rating to find the most competitive match available, so every gamer has a chance to be competitive in every match they play.

There'll be no more power-gamers hopping through custom match to find the weakest opponents. The idea behind the system is simple: It tracks every match you play and how well you play it, which allows the system to match you up against players near your own skill level. It's also a global system, so it's not tied to any one game.

Think of it as your "gamer skill," not your Perfect Dark Zero™ ranking. For those that crave competition, the TrueSkill matchmaking system gives you the gift of knowing that a truly competitive match is just a couple clicks away.

The Player Community
Everyone has the ability to find a competitive match, if that's what they're looking for. For those not in the mood to get their serious game face on, there’s a quick match and custom match option just for you.

While ranked games use the TrueSkill matchmaking system exclusively to ensure quality competition, player matches employ a host of new features designed to maximize fun, foster community, and give you a measure of control for deciding who you play and don't play against. Here are a few highlights to look forward to ...

Friends
Chances are, if someone is on your friends list, you'll want to play with them. Knowing this, the system searches the available games for folks on your friends list, and if they find one, you'll likely be dropped in to buddy up or play against your pal.

Prefer/Avoid

This new gem of a system lets you offer instant feedback on anyone you play, which affects the likelihood of ever playing against them again. If you had a blast playing with someone, bring up their gamertag and set them to "Prefer." This will increase the chance of you playing against them in the future, helping to create some friendly rivalry.

On the other hand, if a player is ruining everyone's experience by quitting out, team-killing, or generally behaving like a jackass, you can set them to "Avoid." This tells the system to do everything in its power to avoid putting you into a match with that player again.

Gamer Profile

Generally speaking, people like to game and hang out with folks they have a little something in common with. Therefore, the system bears in mind each player's gamer profile when searching for games.

If your Gamer Zone is set to family, you're more likely to join up with folks with the same preference. If you're from Australia, you're more likely to get matched up with someone else from down under. If your reputation is low (you've received a lot of negative feedback), you're more likely to get matched up with players of a similar disposition, and vice-versa.

Half the fun is the game you play, the other half is who you play with. Whether it's ranked games with the TrueSkill matchmaking system or the bevy of features for unranked games, the new matchmaking system is making sure the second half of that equation is as fun as possible.

Article by Alex McLain