XBOX-HQ.COM - Xbox Live Releases Tsunami

After Wednesday, April 21st, XBOX Live customers will be greeted by a plethora of new features. These new features will allow gamers to be able to send Voice Messages to their friends and game invites to other gamers. To quote MS they are really trying to start "personalizing" the gamers online experience. Voice Messages are one of the new features on gamer wish lists everywhere.

Game developers are currently being provided with many new features that will allow gamers to:

Have competitions: Gamers will be able to organize competitions even while in-game!

Online Content-Swapping: By using title-managed online storage, gamers can create and share emblems, mottos, and other custom content. Just imagine creating and updating maps, rosters, and other savable data.

Create Teams: Creating and organizing teams will soon be easier than ever. You will even have the ability to notify of upcoming matches and communicate strategies.

Leveling the Playingfield: New technologies boast the ability to reduce the number of players that cheat. In game diconnects will also be possible.

Microsoft also introduced a three month subscription XBOX Live Starter Kit. The kit not only included three months of online play, but a communicator headset and demos of Mechassault and MotoGP. The kit will be available for only $39.95! That should open up the floodgates for a lot more online gamers! A 12 month online kit will also be available for $69.95 and include the communicator and the full version of Crimson Skies High Road to Revenge.

XBOX Live is also spreading to more areas. With the additions of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Mexico, and New Zealand scheduled for next week the numbers of Live customers are sure to soar. The Xbox Live community has 750,000 subscribers and will be in 24 countries by the end of April.