back to article MS 'disappointed' with Xbox Live connectivity woes

Microsoft is to offer gamers a free game download to compensate them for all the connectivity problems many of them experience accessing its Xbox Live service during the past few weeks. The software giant blamed the problems on the sheer number of Xbox gamers trying to get online at the same time, including what the company …

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  1. TeeCee Gold badge
    Coat

    MS disappointed....

    ....with one of their own products? Now they begin to understand. A bit slow on the uptake, but they got there in the end.

  2. Dave Burns
    Gates Horns

    Disappointed?

    I think im a little more disappointed seeing as the first major time I have off from work and I cant play Call of Duty 4.. already phoned in to them and complained about this and the 100mp offer for 300 in HD and im having my marketplace points refunded to me and they are sending me several games for free :)

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    OH RLY?

    Well bearing in mind the hassle spent trying to play COD4 over, and get this Microsoft, not just the xmas period. Fantastic game virtually ruined by the experience online.

    And then they try the 'the only reason there are problems is the sheer number of users, thats how greate we are!' tactic. Well im sorry, Xbox live may have been up but COD4 was unplayable online for virtually everyone who managed to get into a lobby. Funny, isn't it, that I haven't heard ONE WORD of praise for Xbox live from any users, but plenty of criticism.

    Maybe the uptake is because if you want to play an Xbox online you havent much choice have you?

    (Yes I know about the alternatives but its a wee bit of hassle)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If we can log in to download it....

    It has been a difficult time trying to use XBL over the festive period but hoping it gets resolved shortly.

    Early evening seems fine (UK based) but as soon as the US users come online the whole things freezes and becomes almost unusable. I have been unable to download content or play online games during the problems they have had.

  5. Ross

    Games galore

    Loving the logic. All the network traffic caused by the game patches having to be downloaded lagged the service out, so MS say "sorry, have a free game".

    Very nice of them, however, you have to *download* the game. I wonder how much of their catalogue they'll give away to say sorry for the lack of network availability before they realise their mistake...

  6. Gary Littlemore
    Thumb Up

    PSN @ Xmas

    I had no problems with my PSN and we even got a number of free xmas gifts from sony.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    Errmmm... isn't this the company...

    ... that claims its products are fit-for-purpose for the corporate environment, and can be relied upon?

    The one that claims on its Web site that their platforms will "...provide a scalable and reliable platform with advanced security technology for even the most demanding applications"??

    I THINK NOT!!

  8. Andy S

    considering

    that the latest update introduced a system for delivering info to teh customers as news bulletins. It would have been appreciated if one had been sent saying there were connectivity issues. I am unlucky enough to have been hit by virgin media's problems at the same time and assumed my inability to connect was related to that. I would have realised my cable issues were fixed a lot sooner than i did, if i'd know the live service wasn't working properly and actually tested it using a pc

  9. Red Bren
    Coat

    @Gary Littlemore

    I also had a trouble-free festive period on PSN.

    Going out on a limb here, but would the fact that XBOX Live is a paid subscription service have anything to do with it? Does the console have to dial home to check that Microsoft has your money before letting you play online? Is this causing the bottle-neck?

    I know that the PS3 uses DNAS, but this is aimed at checking for modded consoles and pirated games. Would I be right in assuming that games manufacturers can run their own DNAS services?

    This isn't meant as a fanboy dig, just entering into the spirit of enquiry. But I'm getting my flame-proof coat anyway...

  10. Nick

    No problemo

    I had no issues at all, bar some slightly long sign in times (10 seconds or so)

    Playstation Online is worse than that all the time its awful. More MS bashing from the media I guess

  11. Matt Sprigg
    Paris Hilton

    Blame the Movie Geeks

    The cost of downloading the HD version of 300 was reduced to 100 at 8:20pm on the day of the problems

    looks like a lot of movie geeks downloaded it and killed the world

    p.s. Paris for President - only so she can become a target for international hitmen!

  12. Iain

    I had 1 (one) failure

    Then I retried, and it all worked again. Seemed fine to me.

    Not that I'm turning a free game down, unless it's one I've already paid good money for like with Carcassonne.

  13. Hubertus Haniel

    Worst days

    On the 31st of December it was almost impossible to get into any public online games on Call of Duty - private hosted games where fine but you can not level up in those.

    Last night was also a complete nightmare.

    Considering that this is a subscription service it is only right that one should get a refund. - PSN is not a subscription service and I guess here the rule of "You get what you pay for" has its exception here as I have experienced very little problems on PSN.

  14. Chris

    I blame Nintendo...

    If Nintendo had produced more than a trickle of Wii systems then everything would have been fine. All these new users are kids that got a 360 for Christmas because the Wii was sold out everywhere. I can't wait until their 30 day trials run out and their parents are too cheap to subscribe.

    The gift I really want from Microsoft is a way to filter games based on the age of the player.

  15. Phil

    live still is miles better than psn

    Over the crimbo period live has been awful. But this glitch aside, it still runs rings around PSN.

    Would rather pay £4 per month for a service like xbox live, than pay nothing for a service like PSN

    Before anyone accuses me of fanboyism, I own both the PS3 and 360 and they're both great consoles. But 99% of people that do own both will say Live is much much better.

  16. Ryan Spooner
    Thumb Down

    Reply to "PSN @ Xmas"

    Gary, that's because the 9 or 10 Playstation 3 owners weren't enough to overwhelm the service.

  17. Stuart Jones

    PSN

    Having used to own a 360 and currently having a PS3 - I can safely say the 360 was a hell of a lot more stable than the PSN. If the 360 ever became as quiet as the PS3 I might just buy another one....

  18. Adam T

    awww

    I can't help but wonder how many posters on this play MMOs...:)

    There's a long standing belief with MMO publishers that just because you pay a monthly sub, you aren't entitled to any re-imbersment; it's all in the EULA.

    I'd be impressed by Microsoft's generosity, but I'm more impressed by their business acumen; look after your customers. Shame they don't apply it everywhere mind (xbox returns fiasco?).

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Five days on

    and it's still taking me four or five attempts to send one sodding message across the network.

    C'mon MS, sort your stuff out.

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