Xbox Live! Development

[oldengineer]

Xbox Live! Development, 'Non-technical' Historical Feature

Well love it or hate it you have to admit that Live! has and is a success.

...Where others have tried and failed MS have pulled it off so that the average gamer in the street can set himself up and be online without too much fuss, and know that he has a backbone system thats not likely to 'disappear' over night.

I thought I would put a few thing's together to help anyone that's half interested in Development.

Basically there was three phases to the implementation in each 'region'.


Phase one

This was basically the 'closed door' stage of development, where by both hardware and software were tested by Dev House's deving for Live!

1: First off MS converted a small number of green Debug Kit's. The 'conversion' consisted of flashing the onboard ROM with a unique BIOS that is as near to being Retail signed as is feasible, BUT still differing to ensure security.

...In other words TESTTESTTEST....XBE's don't run on 'em and nor do Retail signed games!

...Also there's no XDK dash, the dash used is basically Retail Live! dash intended to work just like a Live! dash should.

...And lastly two stickers are used to cover the words 'Debug Kit' on the front of the green case!!!! One sticker being 'Beta' and the other being 'MS equipment'


http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...ugkitdocs.html


...As you can see from the pic above it came with a letter explaining what was in the kit etc.

...The scary thing is that only a VERY small number were ever produced. So far I've only been able to trace 2off NTSC consoles, 2 off PAL (U.K) console's and 1off NTSC-J console. Not all of them still have the games, which are crucial.

2: A small number of Live! enabled games needed to be developed, thus...

The pic below shows the Beta Live! PAL line up:

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...livegames.html

Lamborghini
Ghost Recon
Mech Assult (yes they really did spell it wrong on the disc!)
Whacked!
Unreal Championship
Re-Volt

...The 3 discs at the top of the pic are NTSC Beta Live! games:

NBA 2003
Fever Pitch
Capcom Vs SNK

Phase two:

The 'open door' public Beta program starts. This involved people signing up to get enrolled onto the program.

...All that eligible candidates had to have was an un-modded retail Xbox and a broadband connection.

For their troubles the 'first wave' testers got:

1: Beta Starter Disc 1.0, with dash update files and Live! enabled demo's

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...tastarter.html

2: 'Orange' memory unit

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb.../orangemu.html

3: Head set communicator
4: Set up instructions
5: beta version of NFL Fever 2003

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...e/nflbeta.html

6: ...Updated Beta Starter Disc as the program progressed.

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...beta1disc.html

...As the system started to prove okay a move was made to phase 3.


Phase Three:

In the U.K for example from the 30/11/02 to 14/03/03 (official retail launch) the Live! program went to a 'Consumer Test Drive' phase.

This phase Beta tester's didn't get the orange memory card, just the latest Beta starter disc, communicator and setup guide.


The Public Launch

Well each region had their own dates, if I remember correctly they were:

U.S = 15/11/02
Japan = 16/01/03
And of course the U.K = 14/03/03

...15 million online hours had racked up on the European Beta test program since November!

To reward some of the early Beta testers MS sent them this:

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb.../livecase.html

...A rather natty looking case that can hold several games and a headset.

...Oh yeh they also sent a reminder that the old Beta disc's would no longer function:

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...areminder.html

The launch party

...Oh and how could I forget how's this for a trophy? (possibly the last in existence)

...This was made, along with other's, and used for promotional work at the official launch parties held in the U.K. (All the other's were destroyed)

...Weighs a hefty 2.5Kg's and nicely engraved

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...e/trophy2.html

http://oldengineer.com/gallery/v/mxb...ve/trophy.html

[Parris]

I was really interested in this thread as I actually own a PAL Beta Live kit, which boosts your number on the PAL side to a whopping 2 units that are now known of!

I also purchased what was described as a "Beta" Live Headset, which I believe to be one of only 200 made for the first people to sign up to the Live service in December 2002. It is the PAL edition and comes completely boxed with start up disc, documentation and luckily for me an invoice from MS dated 4th December 2002.

I was hoping you might be able to verify whether this was indeed a BETA classified item as certainly it is very early in the life of the Live service in Europe?

[Parris]

I have uploaded an image of the kit to my photobucket album:

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ive%20console/

The back of the disc is definately dated 2002, but no BETA is printed on any of the kit (anywhere). Instead it says "Starter Kit Disc"

From your details above, something this early in Europe should have had Beta somewhere on it.

[oldengineer]

I have uploaded an image of the kit to my photobucket album:

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ive%20console/

The back of the disc is definately dated 2002, but no BETA is printed on any of the kit (anywhere). Instead it says "Starter Kit Disc"

From your details above, something this early in Europe should have had Beta somewhere on it.

It doesn't have 'Beta' on it 'cos it's final retail, nice to see in the original box though, thanks for sharing

[oldengineer]

I was really interested in this thread as I actually own a PAL Beta Live kit, which boosts your number on the PAL side to a whopping 2 units that are now known of!

I also purchased what was described as a "Beta" Live Headset, which I believe to be one of only 200 made for the first people to sign up to the Live service in December 2002. It is the PAL edition and comes completely boxed with start up disc, documentation and luckily for me an invoice from MS dated 4th December 2002.

I was hoping you might be able to verify whether this was indeed a BETA classified item as certainly it is very early in the life of the Live service in Europe?

Thanks for the info, post amended to show 2 PAL consoles, yay

[Parris]

It doesn't have 'Beta' on it 'cos it's final retail, nice to see in the original box though, thanks for sharing

Oh bugger! It seems hellishly early for it to be a full retail kit though as the official invoice from Microsoft is dated prior to Live! being available in Europe to the general public.

The seller claimed that this item was one of only 200 packs made and given that UK/Europe didn't get Live! until 14/03/03, some months after the kit I purchased was actually bought I considered it genuine.

Did Microsoft release final retail kits this early? Why did he need to obtain it directly from Microsoft? I scan the invoice in, but it is dated 4 12 2002.

Any ideas why it's a retail edition or has this guy simply swapped invoices

[oldengineer]

Oh bugger! It seems hellishly early for it to be a full retail kit though as the official invoice from Microsoft is dated prior to Live! being available in Europe to the general public.

The seller claimed that this item was one of only 200 packs made and given that UK/Europe didn't get Live! until 14/03/03, some months after the kit I purchased was actually bought I considered it genuine.

Did Microsoft release final retail kits this early? Why did he need to obtain it directly from Microsoft? I scan the invoice in, but it is dated 4 12 2002.

Any ideas why it's a retail edition or has this guy simply swapped invoices

Hey chill out, its all good

...You have to remember that the Retail launch was staggered to each region, we of course being several months behind the U.S.

...So what you end up with is an perfectly original and genuine early Retail pack that shared its origins with the U.S.

Enjoy, 'cos I can well believe that only 200 were made like that.

[Parris]

Okay, so not beta (boo!) but it's a relatively scare item. Not that I mind in particular, but the seller got a good price for it. I was beginning to wonder whether I had been sold a standard piece of kit with a fake invoice.

Will take BETA off my photobucket description, but still it's Live! and it's a cool set.

;-)