Gates Sees Sony and MS Battling Online
The world's richest man is deservedly proud of Xbox Live, but Sony has yet to show its cards.
In the previous generation, Microsoft worked hard to create the all-encompassing online framework that is Xbox Live, and it's the updated version of Live for Xbox 360 that company president Bill Gates sees as Microsoft's advantage over Sony and the PlayStation 3.
On Xbox 360, Live has been refreshed to bring added involvement to the gaming experience, and not always directly related to playing games yourself. The original Xbox gave Microsoft a chance to learn how to add "a level of richness", according to Gates, who recently spoke with tech site Engadget.
"We learned how to do that, we learned about contests and spectators, and so this is really a second generation of Live for us. It's very based on software expertise, so it will be interesting to see what Sony does in that dimension."
Interesting indeed, for Sony has been quiet on how it will approach online gaming.
There's no denying that services such as the newly revamped Xbox Live and Nintendo's WiFi Connect are spurring gamers online, but so far Sony has yet to offer its vision of where online gaming is going, despite its next-generation PlayStation 3 being just months away now.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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