10. Signing up doesn't suck.
We were going to try to tell you that signing up is cool and fun, but we know you'd call us on that. So we're just going to point out that signing up is not a huge, nasty, painful process. When you get an Xbox Live subscription, you'll also get a subscription code. You enter this into the Xbox Dashboard, follow simple instructions on the screen, and bada bing, bada boom, you're signed up! How do you get a subscription code? It comes with your Xbox Live Starter Kit, of course.
9. You get a secret identity.
When you sign up you get to pick a "Gamertag" that will be your online identity. You can choose any Gamertag you want as long as it's not vulgar or offensive and no one else has already picked it. Your first instinct will probably be to pick something tough and intimidating like Headbasher or Spleenmuncher, but consider choosing something that will give potential foes a false sense of security like PansyLad or DiaperBaby. Just a thought.
8. Passcodes protect your rep.
So you've got your account all set up and you're plowing your way through the competition as DiaperBaby. The online world fears DiaperBaby. The thought of taking on DiaperBaby makes them need a diaper. Then someone—your roommate, your little brother, your evil twin—goes and signs in as DiaperBaby, says a bunch of lame stuff, and proceeds to get clowned by all and sundry. Your rep is demolished. That's the nightmare. Here's the sweet reality: you can protect your account with a password. Easy.
7. Download new stuff.
How cool would it be to buy new stuff for your games and have it automagically appear in your game? Yeah, we think so too. Download new cars and tracks for racing games, levels, skins, and weapons for shooters, updated rosters for sports games, spells and armor for RPGs—you name it. It's like getting an expansion pack, except that you choose (and pay for) only the content you want.
6. Find your perfect opponent.
DiaperBaby has played (and whupped) all his friends, his little brother, and even the aforementioned not-nice twin. DiaperBaby needs fresh meat. So he turns to Xbox Live Matchmaking. He can do a QuickMatch and grab the first available opponent, or use OptiMatch to find someone with a comparable experience level and other game-specific criteria. DiaperBaby is happy.
5. Build a posse of teammates and opponents.
Once you find the gamers you like to play with, add them to your Friends list. Every time you go Live you'll see whether or not your Friends are online and if they're playing a game or waiting around for someone to play with. It's sort of like a combo between instant messaging and a clubhouse. And if one of your Friends ticks you off, you can always delete him from your list.
4. Send and receive game invites.
So you check out your Friends list to see who's online and you notice that a couple of Friends are hanging out, loitering in the lobby. Send them an instant game invitation. Or, if one of them invites you to play, you can accept or reject the invitation. What's really cool is that if you're in the middle of playing a football game with a couple of Friends, you can still receive an invitation from someone else to go play a racing game. And you can accept the invite, pop in the game disc, and go!
3. Compete for world domination.
We've got the stats. We know the truth—that Spleenmuncher is about as aggressive a player as Mr. Rogers and DiaperBaby is the real threat. Since we're keeping track of all that, you'll be able to see how you rank against every other person playing online. This might suck if you're Spleenmuncher, but will definitely feel awesome if you're kicking butt on three continents.
2. Voice. Kicks. Ass.
Taunt your opponents, verbally high-five your teammates, groan in despair, and exult with a war cry! It's all in real time, and unless you've experienced it before—those who've played games over a LAN when you can hear the trash talk from the next cubicle (oops, did we imply people are playing at work?) know exactly what we mean—you have no idea how unbelievably cool it is. You have to try it. You'll see.
1. Games! Games! Games!
The best reason to go Live is to play games with and against real human beings. The games are all that really matter when you get down to it. What good are Voice, Matchmaking, Friends lists and all the other great Xbox Live features if the games suck? Well, we're in luck because the games are AWESOME. Play NFL Fever 2003 at 3:00 am. Play MechAssault for 15 hours straight. Download content for ToeJam and Earl.
