Bach's Xbox Live vision

By Ellie Gibson Published 30 September, 2005

Half of 360 owners will love it.

Microsoft executive Robbie Bach has predicted that half of those who buy an Xbox 360 will sign up for Xbox Live, despite the lack of interest in the online service amongst current Xbox owners.

Speaking to Famitsu magazine, Bach admitted that the number of current-generation console owners who have subscribed to Live stands at just 2 million - around 10 per cent of the installed user base.

But he's confident that offering the free "Silver" version of Xbox Live to 360 will ensure that around 50 per cent of purchasers will take their console online. That doesn't mean they'll be playing online, though - consumers will have to pay for a "Gold" subscription for that privilege.

When asked about the potential for massively-multiplayer online gaming on 360, Bach said that it would have been unrealistic to try and get an MMO up and running immediately after a console launch. However, he did promise that a "new MMO" will be available on Xbox 360 within the next three years.

In the meantime, role-playing fans may be pleased to hear that a massive beta test is planned for the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI. According to Bach, it's on such a grand scale that anyone who owns an Xbox 360 will have the option to take part - providing they purchased the console that comes with a hard drive rather than the "Core" system, since a drive is required to run FFXI.

Bach went on to say he was pleased with the software line-ups for the 360, adding that the European launch list will be announced in the "very near future." He said that the company has a "clear vision" regarding which path to take in the crucial 18 months following the console's launch, and confirmed that there are many third-party titles in development which have yet to be revealed.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 6 years ago

    >despite the lack of interest in the online service amongst current Xbox owners

    Err??? 10% is pretty amazing.

  • Teeth #2 6 years ago

    when they want 50%, I'd say 10% is unsatisfactory :)

  • tengu #3 6 years ago

    90% 'SFW' factor among owners is even more amazing :)

  • neosalad #4 6 years ago

    i'd still say the amount of xbox owners that have live also is pretty good, show me any other online console with such a high percentage of it's users using them online!

    neosalad

  • #5 6 years ago

    2 million customers at £40 a pop - some in their 2nd or 3rd year of L!VE.

    oh yes eurogamer, such a lack of interest.

  • Blerk #6 6 years ago

    Online schmonline.

  • Feanor #7 6 years ago

    Nice way to miss the point, slide_away. 10% vs. 50%.

  • geepersd #8 6 years ago

    well it doesn't say they expect 50% to be Gold subscribers, merely that they'll hook the 360 up to broadband. considering 10% currently pay to do this it seems reasonable (if not particularly dramatic) that that'll happen

  • Bezzy #9 6 years ago

    Live arcade is something I am looking forward to, and something that has been kept pretty quiet.

  • Realtime #10 6 years ago

    I think it will happen with the Silver XBL giving people a look into the online experience. With friends asking there friends to join by signing up for Gold XBL so they can play games together, it may just happen.

  • penhalion #11 6 years ago

    " Live arcade is something I am looking forward to, and something that has been kept pretty quiet."

    Did you ever play the original games on live arcade? They were kind of complete and utter mixed (or should that be sparcely sprinkled) with one or two actually fun games. I can honestly say that unless the content changes dramatically for Live Arcade, then MS are wise not to be shouting about it!

  • Xerx3s #12 6 years ago

    50% should be reasonable, considering the silver user policy id say. But i dont think that the gold member will rise anywhere above 4 000 000 or so. Still, lets say 4 mil. ppl will get gold. Thats 4000000 * 50 (?) euro's a year. + aditional income from premium content. Bet that sony will copy the formula. And ninty of course, but they are gonna give it a fancy twist ^_^.

  • onyxbox #13 6 years ago

    >despite the lack of interest in the online service amongst current Xbox owners

    I've been an XBox Live member for about 2 years now and I've lost interest because they didn't do anything with the service. It's more or less the same now as it was then and the only difference now is that it's flooded with tards and most of the games have really crappy online modes tagged onto them.

    How many times and how many versions of Deathmatch and Capture the flag can we cope with ! They should have had a launch MMORPG for 360 or the very least some dedicated game servers so we don't have to put up with so much Lag !

    /rant over :-/

  • HarryB #14 6 years ago

    true, it hasnt done much after it launched, but it is a good system... they just need to spark the interest again or subs will not be re-payed

    like me, ive stopped for now cus im bored of it

  • banjo21 #15 6 years ago

    I think 10% is good.
    Perhaps 50% of the homes a Xbox goes into are broadband users (I doubt its that many tbh) and perhaps 50% of that 50% i.e. 25% have access to broadband where the Xbox is placed (spare room upstairs/away from PC or braodband connection) then you are actually saying that 10% from a possible 25% are using it.
    Its almost at 50% of the max already!!

    tbh MS should have made 360 wireless full-stop - for their cost (say £20) to put the adapter built in they'd get £40 back on day 1 because little Jon could sign up to XBL effortlessly.

  • brombeer #16 6 years ago

    Didn't they say one billion customers at the E3? "Talk the way the wind blows", should be Microsoft's credo.

  • Machiavel #17 6 years ago

    "within the next three years."

    Hmm, Microsoft will be onto the Xtrabox 720000000woot by then...

  • ali-uk #18 6 years ago

    Pff, why's everyone getting a boner over wireless? Wired works just as good.

  • Xerx3s #19 6 years ago

    "XBOX Live won an emmy a few days ago, Though you come on Eurogamer and find no mention of it, Just an article putting a negative spin on LIVE and a write up about PSone's Emmy.

    Considering Xbox didnt exist 5 years ago 2 million subscribers to LIVE is an outstanding achievment!" Im not going as far as other ppl, but this certanly does raise questions indeed. Also, EG does review crap games, but fails to review FC instincts.

  • Skullfire #20 6 years ago

    brombeer wrote "Didn't they say one billion customers at the E3?"

    I hate it when that statement is taken out of context. They were talking about 1 billion customers for the industry, not just 360!

  • Retroid #21 6 years ago

    If they push demo downloads & the like over 'Silver' Live, then I can see their aim being far closer to being achieved. I honestly can't see 50% of the 360 userbase signing up for online gaming alone.

  • Kengro #22 6 years ago

    I'll be having gold from day one, i have had live since it first came out. And i have never regreted that choice, not once