More than a million gamers are expected to be playing online on the Xbox by the middle of the year, says Microsoft.
Microsoft is set to hit its target of a million Xbox Live subscribers by June, Xbox"s chief said in a keynote address to a games conference in Las Vegas. "We are finding a new way for people to have social experiences," said Robbie Bach, "we are blazing a trail." Microsoft is pumping millions into its gaming service, to tempt gamers into buying an Xbox over rival consoles. "As the hardware gets faster the big difference is going to be in the software," Mr Bach told delegates at the Digital Games Summit in Las Vegas. "Software and services are going to play an incredible role in future generations as they have in this generation."
Festive joy
The software giant is competing with the undisputed market leader, Sony PlayStation 2, for the hearts and wallets of gamers. It is trying to take the lead in online gaming by offering a subscription-based service in comparison to Sony which is taking a more hands-off approach. Microsoft says it has an advantage over Sony as Xbox Live uses a central broadband server for its subscribers. Mr Bach talked up the prospects for the service in 2004, saying the company had had a successful holiday season.