Re:Newell calls on Microsoft to open up Xbox Live
by scott_s on Thursday August 25, 2011 @03:53PM
(#2926162)
I had similar thoughts. I figure Sony opened up PSN because they have less leverage. Microsoft is in a position where they can dictate terms, Sony is not.
Re:Newell calls on Microsoft to open up Xbox Live
by Raphael on Thursday August 25, 2011 @05:06PM
(#2926440)
Why can't they be synchronized? Create an Xbox Live achievement for each Steamworks achievement and award both upon the player completing the achievement.
Re:Newell calls on Microsoft to open up Xbox Live
by mckoss on Thursday August 25, 2011 @05:19PM
(#2926482)
So Microsoft is being anti-competitive here. The question is, are they using monopoly power (illegal) to do so?
Re:Newell calls on Microsoft to open up Xbox Live
by potatolicious on Thursday August 25, 2011 @05:24PM
(#2926511)
I'm not really terribly concerned - MS's dominance over the gaming field is not nearly entrenched or large enough for them to muscle like this.
Remember, there is one direct equivalent platform for developers and publishers: PS3.
There is another that targets the same demographic, but smaller: PC.
There's also the wide open field of gaming in general, which is being dominated by Sony, Nintendo, casual game producers like PopCap, and increasingly social game makers.
MSFT has done extremely well with the Xbox, particularly Xbox Live, but they're far from the dominant player in this industry, much less a monopolist.
Steamworks is a direct competitor to Xbox Live -- achievements, friends list, chatting with friends, update delivery, etc. By allowing Steamworks on Xbox, it dilutes their own service and would confuse some customers ("Why do I have two friends lists?", "Why do I have two profiles?")
That being said, I really do want Xbox live to open up more. I think it's ridiculous that most Xbox games can't talk openly to the internet -- this prevents me from making an Xbox port of my game.