Making a Friends List

Xbox Live® on Xbox® set the standard for online console gaming, making it easier than ever to meet like-minded players, connect with friends, chat over broadband, and duke it out across vast distances—all from the comfort of your couch.

The new and improved friends list.

What’s more, you’ll find an improved Xbox Dashboard, making it nearly effortless to make new friends and keeping in touch with old ones.

Come Here Often?

Once you power up Xbox 360, you’ve a host of options to choose from:

• View your personal Gamercard, reputation, and accomplishments
• Read and listen to messages
• Shop or download free content via the Xbox Live Marketplace
• See which of your friends are online and check out their latest accomplishments
  

Suppose you just finished a monster session of Perfect Dark Zero™ on Xbox Live.You paired up with someone talented who not only played exceptionally well, but was good to hang out with. You decide afterwards that you'd like to game with him again sometime.So what do you do?

Just leave positive feedback, and the matchmaking system will increase the odds that you'll be joining him again soon. If you'd rather not leave it to chance and you're ready to become online friends, simply find that player by his Gamercard and add him to your Friends List. It's as simple as that.

Add your PDZ friends in an instant.

PingPals
Most people like gaming with people they know.– it’s human nature. That’s why Xbox 360 designers, after sifting through volumes of player feedback, have made it easier than ever to connect with your friends.

Suppose that you fire up your Xbox 360 and check your Friends List. You see your mate is online, but he's playing Kameo™: Elements of Power™. In the old days of Xbox Live, you'd send him an invite and hope he responds.

On Xbox 360, just call him up in-game for a quick chat using your Xbox 360 Headset. He gets a prompt during his game that you're online waiting to talk to him. He can then pause his current game to speak with you directly, and you can both agree to meet up for some online warfare, football, or whatever takes your fancy.

Taming the Wild
Curious about someone else's gaming habits? Then simply compare games. Xbox 360 keeps track of all the games you've played, as well as your accomplishments in each one.

Say you're on the fence about the latest Ubisoft game, and you want to know what your Xbox Live friends think. Using the "Compare Games" feature, you see that three people on your Friends List bought the game, and have already clocked loads of time with it.Either ask them directly (because you know they've played it) or check out their in-game accomplishments for an insight to how much they're enjoying it.

These features are built directly into Xbox 360, so every Xbox 360 Live aware game uses them. It's the same seamless experience no matter what you're playing.What are you waiting for?Get out there and meet your friends!

By Franklin Beans