Xbox Dad:
Xbox LIVE and Your Kids
Published November 6, 2007
Thinking back, I find it surprising that the original Xbox® didn't even ship with Xbox LIVE® (it launched the following year), considering how much I use the service now. Nearly every time I fire it up, I'm going to play online, play a game with downloaded content or play an Xbox LIVE Arcade title. With Xbox LIVE turning five years old this month, it seems like a good time to discuss this amazing service and how my son and I use it together.
Connor made a list of the top five ways in which we use Xbox LIVE, counting down to the most popular activity for us. I'm pretty sure the order would be different for some of my readers, but let's start here:
5. Video/Text Chatting
Sending text messages between users' inboxes never really caught on for Connor, but things became a lot more interesting when we picked up the Xbox LIVE Vision camera. Now, family and friends can chat with us from across the country and they get to see all of us jumping around the room (I don't jump as much as the kids do). Sending photos has made the standard messaging feature interesting as well. Why try to type a message when you can make a silly face in the camera and just send that?
It's a great way to connect to others.
4. Multiplayer Gaming
Playing online is probably the first thing everyone thinks of when you talk about the service. Connor certainly enjoys the occasional online game, especially if it's Marble Blast Ultra, UNO® or Mad Tracks. We don't bother with the headset though, unless we've arranged a game with friends, as I don't really need him chatting with a bunch of strangers! Remember the console's family settings let you control a variety of settings around online play, including who they can chat or message with, or even if they can play online at all.
Add Beautiful Katamari™ and LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga to the list of great online games for kids. Playing co-op LEGO Star Wars online with one of Connor's cousins or friends has been a dream of mine since the first game came out, and this new version delivers that feature and a whole lot more.
3. The Video Marketplace
A fairly recent edition to Xbox LIVE is the ability to download movies and TV shows from your Xbox 360 dashboard. It takes a bit of time to download a movie or a TV episode, especially if you pick the HD version, but the ability to start the show playing before it finishes downloading means you're really only waiting for a fraction of the download time. Around our house, we use this on the weekend to download Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes. There are a ton of great shows available, both new and old, and being able to download them directly to your living room is a real plus.
2. Downloadable Content
My son and I both love getting new toys, even when they are only in a videogame. A highlight for Connor is when he unlocks a new character, vehicle or level. But he got really excited when we discovered that we could add all the characters from LEGO® Star Wars® into the sequel by downloading them from Xbox LIVE. Now that's cool.
For some games, even though they are Xbox LIVE enabled for multiplayer play, the downloadable content is the only online feature that we use. Connor and I love to go one-on-one in robot battles in River City with the original Xbox MechAssault®, and with new 'Mechs available for download, the game seems almost new again. Of course, the catalog of downloadable content (DLC) for games is HUGE, and these packages can really add to the life of the game.
Accessory packs for Viva Piñata change the gaming experience. Lots of games have downloadable content.
1. Xbox LIVE Arcade Games
The biggest benefit of Xbox LIVE for my family, and the one we use most often, is the ability to download complete games and demos right from within the Xbox 360 Dashboard. At any moment, we can fire up the console and try out a new game with a simple download, then buy it if we like it. Between Marble Blast Ultra, UNO, Cloning Clyde, and Feeding Frenzy™, Connor spends most of his gaming time on Xbox LIVE Arcade titles. With all the Arcade games, and all the demos, you have more games than you can probably find time to play.
Here's to More Years of Xbox LIVE
There is no real doubt about it for me and Connor. Xbox LIVE makes the gaming experience better on so many levels. Happy Fifth Birthday, Xbox LIVE!
Article by Duncan Festive Turkey Mackenzie
