Posted: 14th Mar, 2003 By: MarkJ
UK ISP
BTOpenworld has today announced the official launch of Microsoft's X-Box Live online gaming service:
BT OPENWORLD AND XBOX LAUNCH MULTI-PLAYER, FAST-ACTION GAMING
Xbox Live, Microsoft's high-octane online gaming service, is available in high street stores from today. BT Openworld has partnered with Xbox as an official Xbox compatible ADSL broadband provider in the UK.
A test drive of Xbox Live has been running in the UK since November 2002. Thousands of consumer gamers have already had a taste of the accelerated gameplay and multi-player capabilities. A survey of Test Drive gamers by Microsoft reveals that 96 per cent would recommend Xbox Live to a friend, and 73 per cent have played Xbox Live more than 20 times since setting up their account.
The Xbox Live Starter kits will be available from stores across the UK, including HMV, Toys 'R' Us and Comet for £39.99. Information about compatible BT Openworld broadband packages will be included in the box, so customers can select the one most appropriate to their needs.
Gamers using Xbox Live will be able to speak to opponents and teams around the world using the Xbox Communicator headset. Gameplay will be further enhanced by superior audio-visual effects and rapid download.
Duncan Ingram, managing director for BT Openworld, said: "Broadband gaming opens up worlds of opportunities for players. Xbox Live offers an intense gaming experience and it's a great brand to work with. BT Openworld is dedicated to the improvement of online content and investing in services like Xbox Live. Gaming is just one area that can reap huge benefits from broadband internet."
This announcement follows on from BT Openworld's recent announcement that it has made it more cost-effective for people to go online with broadband, with free activation and special offers for ADSL modems and microfilters. Full details of the current offers are available at http://www.btopenworld.com/broadband
For information about Xbox Live and BT Openworld, please visit http://www.btopenworld.com/xboxlive