Xbox Live Revamp

By Digital Trends Staff July 15, 2008

At E3, Microsoft has announced a revamp for its Xbox Live service, with a strong emphasis on the idea of creating communities, and making the games console the heart of a home’s entertainment system.

In many ways they’re chasing the incredibly successful Nintendo Wii, which has diven the casual games market and drawn in millions who would never normally consider gaming – and it shows.

Xbox Live will have avatars to represent gamers – shades of Wii. It will also boast a new social karaoke game, Lips, that would appear to be inspired by Playstation’s Singstar.

But Shane Kim, head of strategy and business development for Xbox, insisted Microsoft was putting its own twist on the ideas, according to the BBC:

"We’re not claiming to invent music games, or avatars. But we’re innovating by bringing something new to these games, and taking them to the next level.”

Additionally, Xbox Live Prime Time will begin offering quiz shows developed by British company Endemol.

Editors' Recommendations

Digital Trends Staff

Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…

Gaming

Best gaming headset deals: PS5, Xbox and PC

The Razer Nari Ultimate gaming headset with a gaming PC.

If you want to go online and do a serious bit of gaming, especially in a multiplayer game, then grabbing yourself one of the best gaming headsets out there is probably the way to go. Of course, going for a high-end gaming headset can be expensive, but there are some great options in the mid and budget-range that you could grab instead. That will help you save a little extra while still getting a relatively good experience, which is why we've gone out and found our favorite gaming headset deals to save you a bit of trouble. Also, while you're here, you may want to check out these great video game deals to stock up on some games.
Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 50 wired gaming headset — $25, was $36

The Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 50 wired gaming headset is one of the most affordable options in the market right now, but it has most of what you would need from a gaming headset. It’s equipped with high-quality 40mm speakers and an adjustable high-sensitivity microphone that will make your voice loud and clear when you talk. You can also remove the microphone when you’re not using it, and there are in-line controls in the Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 50’s cable for volume and muting the microphone.

Gaming

Best video game deals: PlayStation 5, Xbox S and X, Nintendo Switch

If you've recently bought yourself a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or Nintendo Switch, then you might want to fill out your library with a bunch of great games. While there is a huge catalog to pick from, we've gone out and found our favorite game deals, with many of the games below showing up on our list of best PS5 games, best Xbox Series X games, or best Nintendo Switch games. So, whether you just got one of these consoles, or exhausted your already existing library, be sure to check out all the deals below.

Best PS5 game deals
Deathloop -- $26, was $60

Gaming

Best Xbox Game Pass deals: Upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate for cheap

Much like the PS Plus, Xbox also has an online subscription service that is required for you to play any sort of game online. So, whether you have an Xbox Series X or Series S, you're going to need to subscribe to it, although luckily, it's pretty cheap, and it does offer a ton of excellent perks when you grab it. There are three levels for you to pick from, including Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you access to a huge library of games on both the Xbox and the PC, so it's a great option if you also have a gaming PC you like to game on.
Xbox Game Pass Core -- $8, was $13 per month

Game Pass Core is the cheapest tier of Game Pass, but it still lets you access important features, including online multiplayer. Game Pass Core was launched with access to 36 games off the bat, and you can get exclusive discounts on certain downloadable games. If you're on Xbox and need access online, this is the way to go.
1-month subscription -- $8, was $13