Terabits and Tsunami: Online Gaming Evolved
Part Two: Pride and Prejudice
Left angle bracket. Three. When combined together and rotated, the symbols combine to form a heart. It would be foolish to pretend that this symbol, "<3", did not have special significance when relating to the greater Bungie community. Although the point could be debated as to whether Brian Morden invented the emoticon, the significance of it is clear. From the stirring memorial tributes made, to the legacy that *Ar-Ilsidur left online, it is evident there is a certain meaning of <3 � a community acceptance and brotherly love.
While in no way should any corporate mottos and legal jargon be confused with Brian's life, most people who have played and enjoyed Halo recognize a different, more significant experience, rather than just
playing the game. Not to exaggerate the role of Halo � it is, indeed, just lines of code that push pixels � nor to overrate Bungie, a company which for all intents and purposes is simply a division of Microsoft. The undeniable facts about Halo, though, are that what might have been a repetitive, eye-candy laden FPS for a stillborn "Dreamcast II" (the Xbox) has not been. Halo has sold more than four million copies and there are
incredible expectations for its sequel.
Costly for You; Logical for Them
There are several groups of people around to not feel the same way about Halo and Bungie, however. An initial crowd includes the people who are fiercely anti-corporate, anti-Microsoft and anti-Xbox. No amount of convincing sales figures or positive word of mouth will convince these zealots. The polar opposite includes the Halo fansite community who generally like the game and the company's products. Extreme believers, "fanboiz", are unwilling to tolerate any criticism in this regard. Most popularized games, music and movies have people who either feel strongly one way or another about them.
What makes Halo 2 being mated to the Xbox interesting, is that Microsoft -- a company with the vision of "embracing and extending" to crush its opponents -- has managed to create an extremely popular service. Charges amount to $79.99 (in Canadian funds) per year for the ability to update games, obtain content, and play games online. This officially supported service has set up
more than 750,000 subscribers across the world and drawn applause from the press and gamers alike.
Three of a marketer's favourite words are "reoccurring revenue stream", which is exactly what Xbox Live offers to Microsoft. There is currently a huge pressure being applied to any online company to become profitable, after the dot-com disaster. The end of the dot-com era caused bandwidth prices to spike and the stock market to slowly embrace reality. When Microsoft signs up a subscriber for more than one year, profit is being made. Requiring a credit card to be linked with the service is not only a method of verification for accounts. In reality, the credit card is one of Microsoft's first aims in being able to bill regular consumers: the ideal solution for a company like Microsoft would be the ability to send a bill to clients every month. The process of "renewing" an Xbox Live account is as simple as doing nothing.
Halo and Bungie tie back into the equation because, when a new game from Bungie launches, suddenly paying the bills seems less onerous and more like joining a community. Bottling this feeling of community just before a subscription renewal will slake the thirst for online gaming. It's another common, almost elementary-level marketing tactic. Influencing the consumer to become or rejoin an elite community, joining their friends and making new companions in the process, sells subscriptions. Those refusing to swallow the drug-like taste of corporate advertising remain convinced that this tactic is worthless; diehard community fans shrug off the advertising in any event. To the Bungie community, Bungie as a company does not consist of marketers, PR and "suits". Bungie consists of people who enjoy games and enjoy making them.
Ever try to terminate an Xbox Live subscription? Call the 1-800-4MY-XBOX number and ask to cancel. A guaranteed sales treatment awaits, even if no Gamertag is actually mentioned. This is unsurprising, as many customer support representatives are graded on their "save rate": the percentage of subscribers that they manage to convince to continue the service. A high save rate translates into bonuses and promotions, whereas representatives with low save rates may get the boot.
Halo 2 Updates: A New Light for XBL
Halo 2 Updates also persuade users to look at Xbox Live in a new light. When Frank O'Connor discusses all the new, totally awesome XBL features, those words should be examined closely. It may be hard for readers to believe the author, formerly of OXM, without any hidden implications: taking his message for what it's worth - that Xbox Live with Halo 2 will be an incredible experience.
In this update, for example, Frank discusses some available Live menu options in-game. The unsaid message is that your Halo 2 experience
might be less great without subscription. Disabled options are just around the corner, for those lacking the moderately expensive combination of broadband+XBL. Usually Halo enthusiasts usually consider an Update "straight talk" from the people at Bungie, compared to the usual sea of PR from "suits". When Xbox Live creeps into a discussion, thinking "$80 leading to renewable bill" might help to balance the messages out.
Benefits Worth the Cost?
Fortunately for Microsoft, Xbox Live as a service offers the best console gaming experience at this point in time. The design in many respects trumps PC gaming. When playing PC games, users often have to resort to third-party tools to join servers that have friends on them. Voice communication, again, is an option handled by third party programs. The fee, in contract, can seem a small price to pay for dealing with less aggravation online.
Whether you're proud to play Live, prejudiced against Microsoft, or indifferent about the whole situation, it's important to remember the fact that everything has a price attached to it. For some users, that price will be hard to pay.
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