XBox Live Beta Testing

Attreu

Just got email there sayin i've been accepted.

"Thanks for completing the Xbox Livetm beta survey. You have been selected to participate in the Xbox Live beta program!

Please sign and return the attached beta agreement to one of the addresses listed by June 18 if you’re interested in participating. After you return the agreement, we’ll send you your beta starter kit and instructions.

Thank-you, and we look forward to working with you in the beta program!

Xbox Live beta team

Copyright 2003 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
"

Anyone else here get this?

Apologies if there is another thread with same topic.


Attreu

El_MUERkO

lucky git, a friend of mine from england wont shut up about mech assault and moto gp

Mountjoy Mugger

Just curious. Did you mail them at betareq@microsoft.com or give them a call? I wouldn't mind testing it myself.

Attreu

saw post on this forum wit a link to a site where you could sign up, closing date was may 31st.

Attreu

heres the post :

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=97051&highlight=xbox+live

Tusky

you do know that you get free stuff ! i.e headset and stuff lucky biatch

Attreu

yes m8,

that saves me €50.:cool:

Also had to sign a contract stating that i would abide by the service and give feedback at regular intervals.

Attreu

jesus_thats_gre

Boooyyyaaaaaaa, just got accepted too!!

uzami

....me too.....hehehehehehehe........

Clover

me too .

jesus_thats_gre

Anyone know what equipment ya get with this or any games with it?

Also, when the beta test ends, it seems that you will no longer have access to the service, in that you will have to buy and Live pack along with a subscription. Am I wrong?

uzami

I can only presume that it will be either starter pack v1. or v2. (v2 comes with tetris worlds instead of Whacked!). You will get a headset communicator, and a subscription code.

After the beta test phase, you will probably have to purchase a 12 month subscription.

jesus_thats_gre

I was hoping they would give some fre OEM games or something, testing with with Tetrs world and Moto GP does not seem overly comprehensive. It seems we are only there to test the BB connection to their servers.

CombatCow

Yeah iv just been accepted too,looking forward to it.:D

CombatCow

uzami

of course they may just charge you the €60 up front, and let you use the service for 3 months for free.

Don't be shocked.

uzami

Just actually read the NDA...

(“Microsoft”) may elect, at Microsoft’s sole discretion, to provide Recipient access to your country’s pre-release version of the Xbox Live service (the “Xbox Live Beta”) along with the applicable Xbox Live Starter Kit for your country (the “Starter Kit”) and one or more Xbox games (“Game”).

...the interesting bit is of course ..Starter Kit for your country AND one or more...

Very interesting, I note that in the US they got NFL Fever as the beta test game (but they had to pay $60 for the subscription 15 months in total, hence my previous mail).

Here's hoping for Midnight Club 2!!!!

uzami

Just also thought. If the beta testers get managed to be signed up before the end of June, this offer might be very interesting............

http://www.ilovelive.com/freegame/default.asp?ID=uk&D1=7

As a current Xbox Live user ...(*COUGH* the beta test account will be used by my Housemate *COUGH*)..... if you want to mail/PM me the email address you will be using to sign up to the beta test and your postal address, I will recommend you, and you might just get a free game.

Offer only valid for people from UK etc. etc.....as we all know from the internet....City: Dublin, Postcode: D12, Country: UK....is a perfectly valid, internationally recognised postal address :rolleyes: , though should you have an address that the game could be sent to in the UK, use that one.

nialler

Howyiz lads, been accepted also for the Live Testing but here's the comments from their legal dept buried in the NDA acceptance form.

I think it?s fine to say this is an NDA, but we?ll never enforce the confidentiality

Well it?s not really a pre-release version of the service at this point. We?re giving them a retail kit and a billing address for a country other than their own so they can sign up. Does that count as pre-release?

We?ll give them a temporary account: headset, starter disc, and documentation. No individual games beyond the packins.

With a list of exceptions: your account is temporary. At the end of the beta it will be turned off and your credit card won?t be charged. You will only be charged if you make any premium content purchases or subscription purchases.

To participate, you need a credit card. You must use your cc#, and our fake address. When you?re account is term?d at the end of the program, your gamertag will no longer be available. You?ll also lose stats associated with it. if you sign up "for real" with a consumer starter kit when live launches in your country, you?ll have to pick a new gamertag.

We need the right to contact them for any reason having to do with the beta. Basically, they can?t opt out of any beta surveys, mails, questions, etc.

Also responsible for any premium content purchases or subs as above

There will be beta forums that are private

OK for contact, but also need the email address they used to create their profile at xbox.com

Nialler

ceejay

Got the kit yesterday - it's the V1 kit, i.e. Whacked, not Tetris.

Now I just need eircom to get their finger out so that Esat BT can give me my broadband

Ciarán.

Stormfox1020

Do any of you know when the Xbox live will be offically released in Ireland or can u jus buy a kit now and use a UK postal code?? If i did that do any of you know wut Broadband Provider Xbox are looking for or does it matter??

nialler

Storm,

It doesn't ask for a Broadband provider, just get the kit and use the UK postcode, but fill in all yer Credit Card details correctly, they'll use it when they bill ya at the end of the first year, though they'll notify you first. Though one thing I've been thinking about will be the pricing aspect of it, we could end up paying a bit more if sterling is strong, anyway it's a year away, I'll worry about it then.

On a mail I got last night they said that XBL was coming to ireland but it'll be november or so before it's "officially" launched.


nialler

Clover

they say that it will be released towards the end of the year,

a few of the lads on boards have live set up with a uk post code, the broadband provider does not matter just once you have a broadband connection.

nialler beat me too it:D

Stormfox1020

Alrite kool thanks lads. The Billing will be no problem cuz all my family lives in wales anyway and my parents have UK creditcards with sterling accounts so the billing and postal will be no problem. The Only problem i got is getting Broadband i gota wait till september ah well. Out of all the consoles do u think Xbox will have the Best online support? and hows the headset? i have roger wilco on the PC and that was ok but not enough people had it so theres no one to talk 2. Ps. Is Brute Force Playable online? or is it just Downloadable Content?? Thnx

nialler

Well the ps2 is a free service so I would imagine that they will not invest much in support.

Xbox live I haven't had to use their support, everything worked first time and still works, I've been told if you break the mic and earphone they will replace it for free.

With regard to voice comms, you find yourself a tad shy at first but once you get into the swing of things it's hard to shut-up, when you get killed you end up telling your other team members directions and locations of the enemy (this is Return to Castle Wolfenstein btw).

Brute Force will only have downloadable content, not pure live play.


Nialler

Stormfox1020

Oh trust me i wont be shy online, after all i am half american, but dont worry im not one of those gay lil kiddies being A total Stereo type saying Radical and all those gay american words. I got Wolfenstein For PC it was ok but ill get it for Xbox for live and the Co-op Single pLayer missions. man Brute Force woulda been kick ass online, i guess the next thing like that will be Conflict Desert Storm 2 (Plz Lord let that game be online). On wolf and Unreal servers wuts the maximum capasity a server is allowed to hold 32? ive herd its 18 but im not to sure. Everyone says Live lags bad. is it just a bad server? and u need to pick a good server or do all servers lag when they full?

nialler

Maximum on wolfy is 16 and unfortunately Europe doesn't have it's own servers so it's more 8, though some with v.good connections can get 16.

Still 8 is enuf in wolfy you hardly have time to think before your body explodes into multiple pieces.


nialler

Stormfox1020

Hell yea its better than a Crammped Player Multiplayer match. Even Tho i still have fond memories of Perfect Dark and Goldeneye on 4 player. lol nialler i jus got one more question for ya say if u got live rite, can 2 people use just the one xbox to both play online, so u got two people around can u go online with the otehr person or is Live Just one person per Xbox, or can it be like 2 people per Xbox?

nialler

Yup storm,

the second player goes in with your gamertag and guest in brackets after it so it would be stormfox (guest).



Nialler

Stormfox1020

Ah sweet thanx man. Hopefully ill see u on there sumday. U should get Gamespy Tunnel 2 so u can play halo and other games that require a system link. I was playing a 16 player halo match which was fun but minus the head set. and brute force will be kool on the tunnel also.

nialler

I woulda been there long ago, but unfortunately I'm all mac at home, but there's a proggy called aquaduct that allows you to play system link games.


Nialler

Stormfox1020

I duno if ill get Live yet anyway ill probably get it at xmas wen they fix the lag and Halo2 comes out

monument

Originally posted by Stormfox1020
I duno if ill get Live yet anyway ill probably get it at xmas wen they fix the lag and Halo2 comes out

As far as I know Halo 2 is not coming out at Chirstmas.

Stormfox1020

Good damn it. Well ill probably wait till september anyway cuz Conker Live and Uncut will be out along with sum other good games. Ill probably get Unreal, Wolf, Midnightclub2, Midtownmadess 3, GR: Island thunder, Moto GP 2, Are there any fighting games on line except SNK VS Capcom? I know theres a DOA online but will soul calibur be? Can anyone else recommend any other good Live titles?

hal9000

mechassualt is a blast online with lots of players and as far as i know soul callibur II doesnt support online play

exiot

Halo 2 has been delayed to early 2004 (they say the first quarter), Microsoft said at E3 this year.

jesus_thats_gre

Is anyone else somewhat disappointed by the whole XBOX Live experience?

While it is good fun when I get connected, getting connected to be the problem. An example, just there I hosted a game for a few mins, won, and then an error popped up telling me the game cannot find the Live Server anymore. Not only this, it takes about 20 attempts to get connected in the first place!!

There is another post that deals configuration problems already so I dont need help with that.

jesus_thats_gre

Is anyone else somewhat disappointed by the whole XBOX Live experience?

While it is good fun when I get connected, getting connected to be the problem. An example, just there I hosted a game for a few mins, won, and then an error popped up telling me the game cannot find the Live Server anymore. Not only this, it takes about 20 attempts to get connected in the first place!!

There is another post that deals configuration problems already so I dont need help with that.

jesus_thats_gre

Is anyone else somewhat disappointed by the whole XBOX Live experience?

While it is good fun when I get connected, getting connected to be the problem. An example, just there I hosted a game for a few mins, won, and then an error popped up telling me the game cannot find the Live Server anymore. Not only this, it takes about 20 attempts to get connected in the first place!!

There is another post that deals configuration problems already so I dont need help with that.

uzami

Originally posted by jesus_thats_gre
An example, just there I hosted a game for a few mins, won, and then an error popped up telling me the game cannot find the Live Server anymore. Not only this, it takes about 20 attempts to get connected in the first place!!

was this with rtcw?

that games' network code is a bag of w*nk.

have you had connection problems etc with other games?

jesus_thats_gre

To be honest I have not gone beyond the demo disk yet.... I dont wanna risk it, I reckon I am gonna put my foot into the ****ing thing if I buy a game and it does not work!!

This has been happening now for a month like, works one minute and then just stops!

uzami

are you on netsource as well?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&postid=1003323#post1003323

jesus_thats_gre

To be honet, feyla is sitting beside me here trying to figure it out as well.. I was trying to figure it out but I was near cracking so I got him to try it for a bit....

Yeah we are in netsource. It is just me, or is this Linksys router a pile a ****e?

ceejay

I've been trying out Live on the beta for the past couple of weeks since getting IOL BB installed, and so far I'm pretty impressed. It works fine, I can see no lag on the demo games, and I only occaisonally get dumped off a server, but I think that's because the person hosting the game has turned off/changed game, etc. The voice communicator is fine if you want to hear abusive adolescents , but then I've not played any squad-based games yet, where I could see it being useful.

FYI, I'm using a Zoom X4 ethernet/USB modem/router, with uPnP, and it worked fine without needing any setup by me. (I had an initial problem, that I think was down to me changing the defaut config and making the DHCP leases too short).

Ciarán

Gummy Panda

Ceejay,

Could you help me?? I'm on IOL and my xbox can't find my DNS servers. Do you know what to do??

ceejay

I had this the first time I tried to connect, but I think this was because I had changed the default DHCP settings so that the lease was 1 day instead of 30 days. A few days later I changed it back to 30, then tried the XBox Live, and it worked fine. So, sorry that this doesn't really help you that much.

You could try setting the DNS to be the IP address of the router, or the PC if you're using ICS. Either will probably be using DSN forwarding, so that might work.

Good luck!

Ciarán.