What features does Xbox Live lack?

[Squilliam]

Considering where we are at this point in the development of Xbox Live, where does it go from here? I can really only think of one extra feature which would be nice to have on Xbox Live.

*Save games to the cloud and let my username access them everywhere* Seems like the best new feature that I can actually think of which is relating to gaming.

Also*A game rental service?* That seems about the only obvious major feature to add to Xbox Live. Im unfortunately completely satisfied which leaves me stumped as to where to go from here.

So does anyone else have any input as to features you'd like to see on Xbox Live or features you think Microsoft is adding to Xbox Live. Since they've gone to twice yearly updates now they have to have something of note to add to each addition.

 

[BadTB25]

In addition to what you already have listed, I'd really like it to be able to stream all vids and trailers instead of downloading them to my very limited HDD.

Also having to sign in to Live to watch avi movies is retarded as well--I recently was in Arizona without access to Live and could not view movies saved to an external HDD. While they're at it, add support for more formats (.mkv, .mov, etc)

Modify the music player app to be more Zune-like or better. The current one sucks balls for adding playlists or even browsing music.

Great topic btw, I'm sure they're working on things that we haven't even thought of. Someone will probably mention an Internet browser function, but I don't think we will see one (if ever) until the launch of Natal.

 

[Squilliam]

In addition to what you already have listed, I'd really like it to be able to stream all vids and trailers instead of downloading them to my very limited HDD.

I noticed something of this recently. When I saw the Splinter Cell: Conviction coop trailer on Live it streamed it instantly to me. Also the movies in Waypoint seemed to be more stream than download. I think they are already moving towards this anyway.

Furthermore I just remembered something. Xbox Live real time voice bleeping service. http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55440

"Gamers may soon be a little shielded from voice chat stupidity on Xbox Live, as Microsoft has been granted a patent for real-time censoring in voice communications.

Microsoft applied for a patent on an "automatic censoring filter" in 2004, according to Ars Technica. In the technology, speech-recognition software scans what's being said in real-time and distorts the audio stream if it becomes probable that obscene language is about to be used. "

I guess we'll see that in the next two updates (before Natal hits) as Microsoft im sure is keen to spread the Live message to a wider audience and much of it would not be so keen to hear or let their kids hear expletives. It could be something to let them distinguish themselves from other services which are less controlled.

 

[BadTB25]

The cursing doesn't bother me much. When it does or if the voice is annoying (high pitched kids), I just mute them. Besides, I mostly play with the B3D crowd.

I'm finally back to a broadband connection and would be curious to see how being half a world away now will effect playing with them on-line. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the games that they are tearing up at the moment.

Live is already a polished product--Of course I would love improvements in performance in everything.

Maybe voice activated browsing of music, vids and pics--MS already has the technology (Sync)-the question is whether it will fit into the NXE footprint.

 

[AzBat]

The recent PS3 survey has some interesting ideas. Cloud service for game content & saves would be nice. But I think a game rental service is probably one of the nicer ideas I've seen so far. I also had another idea that would be cool: "Instant On" gaming for On Demand, Arcade & Indie titles. Not the same as OnLive though. I want to be able to press "Play" and have the game start automatically, but keep downloading the game in the background. Download enough to be able to play the first level, or continue where you left off. I don't want to have to wait for a game to download before I'm able to go into it.

BTW, the custom video recording & sharing service would be neat. Also, evolve the Primetime service & bring back spectator TV.

Tommy McClain

 

[eastmen]

Well I'm thinking for a next gen xbox

1) Cloud games like steam. I want to be able to buy a game online and have it saved to the hardrive and then be able to acess it on whatever 360 i want providing i take the time to re download it. They can prevent people from sharing accounts by only having the account logged in once and needing internet acess for this feature

2) higher quality sound chat . The sound chat sucks right now . I'd like for better qualty sound. I'm hoping it come next gen

3) Live anywhere . They have a few mobile devices now like zune and windows mobile. I want to be able to acess xbox live and my gamer tag. There is no reason why I can't on my windows mobile phone pick 8 players from xbox live and send a voice message letting them know i'm at the mall but in an hour we are getting a game going. Or if i'm on my zune i can't check messages from friends .

I don't know everyone in rl on xbox live and I don't sit in front of my screen waiting for people to come online.

 

[zed]

2 absolutely huge things it lacks are

1/ email
2/ web browsing

 

[Toaddio]

Home?

(Ducks and runs for cover)

 

[eastmen]

2 absolutely huge things it lacks are

1/ email
2/ web browsing

those are two things you may get some disagreement with

 

[BadTB25]

Home?

(Ducks and runs for cover)

Do not want.

 

[NavNucST3]

Live Family Memberships
My wife cannot play as herself in 1 vs 100 because she is only a Silver member so she needs to logon to the generic account.

I would like something similar to Netflix sub-accounts for child accounts and "family" accounts. I would also like my MS Points to be usable by all "family" accounts or the ability to gift without having to resort to amazon.com online codes OR some integration with amazon whereby I can link my gamertag to my amazon account then use that to gift to other gamertags.

 

[obonicus]

It is sorta surprising that the Wii has gifting and the other two don't.

 

[Billy Idol]

2) higher quality sound chat . The sound chat sucks right now . I'd like for better qualty sound. I'm hoping it come next gen

What?!? If you compare this to the quality most PS3 games offer, it is brilliant and one of the best things about Xbox Live, at least in my experience (note: I usually play in full parties and 8 people chating without having experienced any problems)!
Of course I would not cry if they further increase the quality!

Spoiler

The only thing they can improve if you ask me: make it free of charge ...my account just expired and I am thinking the first time about waiting with gold until GeOW3 arrives!

As someone mentioned in this thread, a real feature missing is web browsing. It sounds silly but usually I have very long play sessions and I like to make short breaks, where I brows for instance through this forum or check my Emails...this is very comfortable and a reason why I try to (if the devs don't mess it up tech wise) buy PS3 versions of multiplat games ...

 

[AzBat]

Live Family Memberships
My wife cannot play as herself in 1 vs 100 because she is only a Silver member so she needs to logon to the generic account.

I would like something similar to Netflix sub-accounts for child accounts and "family" accounts. I would also like my MS Points to be usable by all "family" accounts or the ability to gift without having to resort to amazon.com online codes OR some integration with amazon whereby I can link my gamertag to my amazon account then use that to gift to other gamertags.

Love your ideas! Me definitely want. I'm the only one with a Gold account in my family. Wife would love to play 1vs100 or use Facebook or Last.fm if she could share my Gold.

Go create a Connect issue for this. LOL

Tommy McClain

 

[AzBat]

I could see maybe adding an email app or providing a way to preview browser screengrabs of URLs in Facebook or Twiiter, but a fully integrated browser? No way.

Tommy McClain

 

[rekator]

Live Family Memberships
My wife cannot play as herself in 1 vs 100 because she is only a Silver member so she needs to logon to the generic account.

I would like something similar to Netflix sub-accounts for child accounts and "family" accounts. I would also like my MS Points to be usable by all "family" accounts or the ability to gift without having to resort to amazon.com online codes OR some integration with amazon whereby I can link my gamertag to my amazon account then use that to gift to other gamertags.

Yeah! It's something I speaked long time ago a Familly Pack (we're playing onlive both so two accounts thanks). And also when we play both (with two gamertags and two xboxlive accounts) if one want to stop playing automatically the both are stopped so you need to reinvite friends, and if one are exclude from a party, the both are exclude… And in friends chat when you need to quit the both have to quit by itself… so not a uniform system.
Others thing a T9, or others intuitive text writing, boring of SMS language.
Don't want a web browser or email stuff on the console, may be they can created some web limited applications running in virtualize space for security (so in the next box).

 

[eastmen]

What?!? If you compare this to the quality most PS3 games offer, it is brilliant and one of the best things about Xbox Live, at least in my experience (note: I usually play in full parties and 8 people chating without having experienced any problems)!
Of course I would not cry if they further increase the quality!

Spoiler

The only thing they can improve if you ask me: make it free of charge ...my account just expired and I am thinking the first time about waiting with gold until GeOW3 arrives!

As someone mentioned in this thread, a real feature missing is web browsing. It sounds silly but usually I have very long play sessions and I like to make short breaks, where I brows for instance through this forum or check my Emails...this is very comfortable and a reason why I try to (if the devs don't mess it up tech wise) buy PS3 versions of multiplat games ...

I wasn't comparing it to sony. Sound quality still sucks . Would like enhanced sound quality.

As for web browsing. Its a console ... i do not want web browsing its a waste of time that can be better spent on something else

Others thing a T9, or others intuitive text writing, boring of SMS language.
Don't want a web browser or email stuff on the console, may be they can created some web limited applications running in virtualize space for security (so in the next box).

just get the keypad its full qwerty and is really easy to use.

 

[Scott_Arm]

I like some of the ideas in here:
family plans
gifting
save to cloud

Things I'd like:
Friend grouping (show offline to one group, online to another group)
Chat with people on Windows Live

Things I don't want:
Anything resembling Home

 

[Silenti]

Home?

(Ducks and runs for cover)

Get a rope.

(Cookies for whomever gets the reference.)

More seriously, the web browser. That I can sort of tab back forth from while playing the game. Make it easier when I have to go find help (such as some of the scavenger hunt missions in Borderlands). This would basically require Natal or a KB though.

 

[joker454]

Achievements on Steam do something neat, they show what percentage of people have earned each achievement. Live should copy that feature. I like Steam Cloud also, where it automatically copies your save games to their servers, so anywhere you play you will have your most current save game. I just tried that with Torchlight on PC and it works great, I played on two PC's and my saves transparently transferred over. That would be a cool addition to Live as well.