Guardian on "Live Anywhere"

As Jez comments on Joystiq, the kind of pervasiveness promised by Microsoft through this service could create revolutionary access and consumption of massively multiplayer online games. I propose that it will also enhance the potential social aspects of offline/single-player products as well. Xbox360's Live is already a kind of meta-game in which members of the community "play" with reputation and trade. They may not be explicit aims of the service, but these factors have proved to be a large part of the fun. We've already seen this emergent meta-playfulness in many online games.

-- Pervasive gaming brought to you from Microsoft

I remain skeptical that, like many of Microsoft's initiatives when they first launch, it will be able to live up to the hype it produces. Microsoft will often try and brand (and rebrand) technology surrounding their core interests with ideas but often not fulfilling the potential (until perhaps much later on).

Still, Sony should be peering over their shoulder here. It's a lot better to have something like Live Anywhere to talk about than nothing at all.



tagged: microsoft, gaming