Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and advertisement delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It was first made available to the Xbox video game console in November 2002. An updated version of the service became available for the Xbox 360 console at that system's launch. Games for Windows - Live makes certain aspects of the system available on Windows Vista PCs, with plans to extend Live to other platforms such as handhelds and mobile phones as part of the Live Anywhere initiative.
The Xbox 360 supports voice chat—based on the open source Speex codec[9]—through a headset, which is bundled with the Xbox 360 premium package, the Xbox 360 Elite package, with the Xbox Live starter kit, or available separately. The headset is not bundled with the Australian or Mexican premium packages, instead being included with the Xbox Live 12 Month Subscription retail kit and the Live Vision Camera which also includes redemption codes for one month of access to a Gold membership subscription to Xbox Live and the Uno Xbox Live Arcade game. The service includes a friends list of other users, as well as a mail-like system of either text or voice messages in which the user can take a picture with the Xbox Vision Camera and add it to the message to send to an online or offline user.
Whenever the user's console is powered on and is signed in to Xbox Live, the user's friends list and ability to send messages is available throughout all games played. On the original Xbox, this is only available in the Dashboard, Xbox Live or Live Aware games. The system also reports what activity is currently being performed, so that one can see what a friend is doing on his or her console. This is typically the game being played, although the system supports more detailed information (the player's progress through the game or whether they are using the console to watch a video, for example).
Online multiplayer features operating on Xbox Live do not expire and are always accessible by Xbox Live subscribers. Exceptions are online games that use Xbox Live merely as a portal to connect to external servers that are not part of Xbox Live, such as games published by Electronic Arts (which operate on EA servers instead of Xbox Live) and other games, such as MMORPGs, that require their own dedicated servers. EA has terminated the online function for its older titles across all platforms, specifically their annual sports games, requiring players to purchase the latest title in a franchise if they want continued access to multiplayer online features.
Xbox Live features (some of which are specific to the Xbox 360):
Gamertags for user identification
Mottos for display on gamer profiles
Game achievements are listed with Gamertags, and can be compared with friends' achievements
Reputation rating which is voted on by other players who decide to either prefer or avoid another player
Gamerscores, which are a total of a player's achievement points
Friends list, which is a list of a player's chosen friends
Recent player list, which lists the last 50 players one user has played with
Xbox Live Marketplace content
Multiplayer online gameplay
Enhanced matchmaking using cumulative gamerscore, reputation, location/language profile, skill level, and gamer zone.
Bio section in which one can list personal interests, URLs, etc.
Parental controls, limiting children's exposure to other users