Xbox Live Server Protocol Opens Sports To Sega, EA? 17
Thanks to IGN Sports for its interview with Visual Concepts boss Greg Thomas regarding Sega and EA's entries in the Xbox sports game market. Thomas, whose Sega-owned company produces the ESPN Sports series, reveals of the Xbox versions: "Last year we had to be in [Microsoft's] closed network. This year, they're introducing something called LSP (Live Server Protocol) that enables us to run our own servers." Following Microsoft's cancellation of its 2004 XSN Sports line-up for Xbox, he muses on Electronic Arts' possible, long-delayed adoption of Xbox Live for sports titles, noting that LSP "...allows you to use your own servers. So if that was EA's problem, then they can definitely be on Xbox Live this year. But if they had a different problem, a billing issue or a revenue concern, then that hasn't changed." He ends by predicting of EA: "we're clearly expecting them to be on Xbox Live by the end of the year."
I really hope so. (Score:2, Interesting)
EA may be a big behemoth, but, they have real talent in spots, and, I hate to see that talent confined to one system, or, one online service for that for one system.
Re:I really hope so. (Score:3, Informative)
CJC
Re:I really hope so. (Score:2)
I hope that MS looks at their sports lineup title by title, not as a whole. There are a few good games there, and selling out the whole thing would be disappointing.
God MS are smart - even if it takes them a while (Score:4, Interesting)
Add to that Xna, where MS turns the 40% of the game market they control ( 30% PC 10% Xbox ) and you wonder how long before they bury Sony.
Scary really.
Re:God MS are smart - even if it takes them a whil (Score:2)
And, MS are notorious for their first version of something being poor and the second being much more impressive. XBox 2 is going to be out before the PS3, will be much easier to program and will pack an amazing punch.
He's probably wrong. (Score:5, Interesting)
EA have made no announcement regarding LSP.
Visual Concepts have signed a potentially lucrative deal with MS to continue supporting Xbox Live. So Greg Thomas is hardly going to say 'no, the Live revenue model is still completely unworkable for EA and all the other major publishers, but on the other hand we're getting our asses kicked by EA on the PS2 and we're really, really desperate.'
The changes made by LSP don't address the fundamental problems with how Xbox Live is organised and run.
Re:He's probably wrong. (Score:1)
Open Live Servers (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Open Live Servers (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Open Live Servers (Score:1)
In theory, all it would take is some clever DNS spoofing on the PC side (a la' the GameCube PSO Exploit), a modified
um... exclusive contracts out the window? (Score:1)
EA and PS2 have an exclusive deal for online play.
Re:um... exclusive contracts out the window? (Score:1)
No, I don't believe that they do. Can you find any links that show that they have an exclusive contract? My google search didn't come up with anything.
If anything, they may have a marketing agreement where Sony kicks in advertising dollars and EA says "Only online on PS2". But I don't think EA has any obligation to stay off of Xbox Live if they wish to change their minds.
Re:um... exclusive contracts out the window? (Score:2, Informative)
I think the biggest roadblock is a major revenue/royalty beef between EA and Microsoft. Microsoft expects to receive compensation from EA for allowing the use of their servers and XBox Live network i