Cross-platform Games

Enjoying cross-platform games between Windows Vista PC and Xbox 360 is just so easy


The community you’ve come to know as Xbox Live is expanding, and your exploits as an Xbox 360 gamer are about to get richer too. With the advent of Windows Vista for PC true cross-platform gaming has become a reality. Long awaited games that include FASA Studios’ futuristic fps Shadowrun will spearhead the list of great titles that connect Xbox 360 gamers with friends using Windows Vista PC. This will all be possible via the world’s first and best unified entertainment network, very soon to become known simply as “Liveâà¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚ÂÂ�.

Whether you’re a hardened gamer or a casual player, the advent of true cross-platform gaming via Xbox 360 and Windows Vista PC is a revelation. With great games such as Shadowrun and the family favourite card game UNO, Microsoft is further pioneering the future of digital interactive entertainment.

Playing compatible cross-platform games via Xbox 360 and Windows Vista PC is simple and easy, plus all the benefits of Xbox Live are shared between them. The arrival of Windows Vista means you’ll only ever need one “Liveâà¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚ÂÂ� identity to benefit from everything the network has to offer. Achievements will be common to both Windows Vista PC and Xbox 360 games, as will Leaderboards and the ability to communicate across both platforms using voice chat, text and picture messaging.

Exciting news for gamers playing Halo 2 for Windows Vista PC is that Achievements are available to unlock for the first time in Halo on any gaming platform. And because the game also supports Live, Windows gamers can share their accomplishments with a community of over five million people.

The “Liveâà¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚ÂÂ� network is rapidly expanding to include more digital devices, so you and your friends will never be far from sharing the very best in games and entertainment.

Source: http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/news-featu...ssplatform.htm

Bring it on!

[Nikesh]

Wickeddddd!!

Only one real problem with this and thats the gfx cheats people will use while gaming on the pc. Thats gonna be a real pain in the behind for us 360 players.

[Uncle Peter]

Microsoft are currently firming up their certification process for third party developers so we'll see plenty of cross platform titles coming out from the end of the year

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Slyder

Only one real problem with this and thats the gfx cheats people will use while gaming on the pc. Thats gonna be a real pain in the behind for us 360 players.

That and the fact you use a gamepad thingy rather than a mouse/keyboard

Originally Posted by Ramrod

That and the fact you use a gamepad thingy rather than a mouse/keyboard

Ahh! But didn't Mr Bill say recently that the Xbox360 was in fact a PC - does that mean we might get xbox360 games that will fully support the keyboard/mouse combo and also the gamepad aswell? If MS want this to work they are going to have to let gamers choose which control option they want me thinks!

I wouldnt need any cheats to take on most of you 360 guys in a FPS

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

I wouldnt need any cheats to take on most of you 360 guys in a FPS

We shall see...

Yeah man I do wait with baited breath and nice quick mouse hand

Moore(!) news with the imminent release of Vista

Peter Moore issues Vista open letter
"January 30, 2007 will be the most significant day in gaming for the next several years," says Moore
"Mark your calendars: January 30th 2007 will be the most significant day in gaming for the next several years", an enthusiastic Peter Moore from Microsoft has said in a open letter focussing on Windows Vista.

Explaining that Vista has been built "from the ground up with gaming as a core scenario", he says that Microsoft is "driving Windows Vista as a true gaming platform" adding, "One of the most remarkable features of Windows Vista is how central gaming is to the entire experience." We think we get the message.

In the letter, Moore also talks about how Vista is making gaming on "the world's most popular gaming platform" easier, safer and more fun for all, and unsurprisingly 'bigs up' DirectX 10 - which debuts with the new operating system - the introduction of "the Xbox Live experience" to Windows and the likes of Vista Games Explorer.
"...Windows Vista makes it easier for everyone to find and play games. No more searching for icons and files scattered around your computer - Vista Games Explorer takes all your games and puts them in one place, every time you install, complete with access to community and online components for your favorite games," Moore explains.

"With Windows Vista's native support for Xbox 360 controllers and the ability to go wireless with the Wireless Receiver for Windows, you also have the ability to decide how you want to play your games."

Speaking about the Xbox Live experience coming to Windows in Vista, Moore says, "We're calling it LIVE, and it's as simple as its name. Now, gamers on both Xbox and Windows will have one identity, one friends list, and one consistent set of experiences that will travel with them across both platforms. This year will produce a powerful first wave of LIVE-enabled games, starting with Uno, Shadowrun and Halo 2. And that's just the beginning..."

He drops word too that Microsoft Casual Games is launching eight Windows Vista-optimised titles this year on the MSN Games website - Luxor 2, Bliss Island, Crystal Quest, Spinword, Jewel Quest 2, 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, Darwinia and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved.

Finally, painting a bright future for the PC as a major gaming platform, Moore states, "With a PC gaming renaissance touched off by Games for Windows and Windows Vista, and the release of more Windows Vista-optimized laptops, desktops and accessories, we'll see more powerful, more innovative, and more fun gaming experiences than ever before.

"We'll see revenues from the PC gaming market grow more than ever before, as more people find it easier to get into casual and cutting-edge games alike. It's our mission to meet this growth with a platform that's as simple and safe as it is filled with potential and new gaming experiences."

Peter Moore's letter can be read in its entirety on Gamerscore Blog.

A nice bit of kit for cross-platform gaming :- http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/...07RELEASESMAIL

[Graham M]

Originally Posted by NEONKNIGHT

A nice bit of kit for cross-platform gaming :- http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/...07RELEASESMAIL

Hmm interesting but Vista has built in support for XBox 360 controllers anyway doesnt it?

Originally Posted by Zeph

Hmm interesting but Vista has built in support for XBox 360 controllers anyway doesnt it?

I presume if you 'plug' them in (XP allows this also I think?) whereas this bit of kit lets you use wireless controllers, headsets etc and its Microsoft certified.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=156373

NIMBY?
Vista has also courted controversy among PC gaming enthusiasts due to its symbiotic relationship with the Xbox 360, which allows owners of the two platforms to challenge each other in head-to-head online confrontations via Windows Live Anywhere. In a move that may or may not further exacerbate the console wars, this is the first time such integration has been attempted. "Live Anywhere will connect you to your games, your friends, your entertainment, anytime, anywhere," promises Rich Wickham.

Indeed, Windows Live Anywhere has multiple uses. Not only are you be able to find your friends online via a constantly updated list - making communication easier and more intuitive than ever before - you're also able to access music videos and movie trailers in the same way that you would via an Xbox 360.



PC-BOX 360
The argument about whose gaming machine is superior will soon be at an end thanks to Microsoft's push to integrate Vista and Xbox 360 games. The new operating system will allow you to jump online and play games against 360 owners, and converse using voice communicating and text messaging.

One of the first games to incorporate this feature will be Shadowrun, the FPS based on the much-loved RPG franchise that failed to ignite much enthusiasm at this year's E3. Still, you and up to 15 other PC or Xbox 360 players will be able to battle for supremacy in online swords-and-sorcery battles.

Perhaps the most pertinent question in all of this is whether or not PC users will have an unfair advantage, due to the superior movement control offered by a mouse/keyboard set-up.

"The development team is working constantly to balance the experience of playing with a controller on either Xbox 360 or Windows, versus playing with mouse and keyboard," promises Microsoft's Rich Wickham. "We believe gamers will be very happy with the results, as well as with the opportunity to battle it out with their friends across platforms and mouse/keyboard versus controller." Call us cynics, but we'll believe it when we see it.

[punky]

It will mean that PC users need to pay extra for a Live subscription to play their favourite Microsoft games online, no doubt.

Or maybe they will keep it free for PC-only multiplayer. I doubt it though.