Xbox Live Service

Microsoft's Xbox was launched in 2001, and swiftly became one of the world's premier gaming consoles, as have its successors, the Xbox 360 in 2005 and the Xbox One in 2013. From the start, the idea was to link console units up to an online entertainment store, where users could purchase new games and enhance the ones that they already owned. Hence, Xbox Live was born.

The major attraction of the service was the ability to play the latest console games over a broadband connection – something that no console had offered until Xbox Live came along.

Since its release in 2002, Xbox Live has been the place to go for all forms of digital products relating to the Xbox series. It was updated in 2005 and again in 2013 when new Xbox systems were introduced, and in 2007 it was also extended to Windows computers, making it potentially available for billions of people around the world. In the future, it will also be extended to smartphones and handheld Xbox devices.

Free or Gold Version of Xbox Live

Xbox Live comes in two major forms. As its name suggests, Xbox Live Free is free of charge and is available for all Xbox and Windows users. Xbox Live Gold is a paid-for subscription service that provides a wider range of online gaming options.

Features in the Xbox Live Free Package

• Live Free provides a limited range of services that are enough to set up online play and social networking, but with restricted potential.
• Players are able to set up their own avatars and they also have access to the Xbox web browser (Microsoft Edge on the Xbox One and Internet Explorer on the 360).
• Players can save their games to the Microsoft Cloud so that they can pick them up later. They can also accumulate Microsoft Points to spend in the Xbox Live Store.
• The basic package also supports various Microsoft-approved apps, including the search engine Bing, Skype and the Microsoft Movies and TV service. It provides streaming access to other international providers, such as the BBC, 4 on Demand, Amazon Instant Video and Netflix.

Features Included with Xbox Live Gold

• The range of features in the Live Gold bundle is considerably wider.
• If they purchase the premium package, gamers can take advantage of five minutes of free recording, allowing them to show replays on sports game and FPS shooters.
• Hundreds of free games are made available by the games with gold feature.
• Crucially, owners of the premium package are able to take part in online multiplayer gaming. They can supplement their gaming experience with audio communication and they can broadcast their gaming via the Twitch service. They can also share their footage via YouTube.
• Several apps are only available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, including NFL on Xbox, Telus Optik TV and Halo Waypoint.

Xbox Live Gold Trailer

How Does the Xbox Live System Work?

Xbox Live is organised around a system of points or rewards that gamers can buy or earn through their play, and then use them to purchase products at the Xbox Store. When they set up their Xbox Live account, every user chooses a GamerTag, which identifies them to all other users on the network. They can then start earning GamerScore points. These can be earned through achievements on particular games and are stored in every user's Xbox Live account.

When playing online, each user can select which GamerZone they prefer to occupy. This allows them to avoid hardcore gamers and to enjoy a more relaxed gaming experience in the Recreation or Family zones. The Pro and Underground sectors are available for experienced gamers – the experience of online Xbox gaming can be tailored to all skill levels and ages.

Additionally, Microsoft has introduced the TrueSkill system. This software matches up individual Xbox Live users with approximately the same skill level, allowing for more evenly matched gameplay. Instead of climbing up large ranking tables, players can now be effectively ranked in as few as 20 matches on titles like Warhammer 40,000.

The more players use the Xbox Live system, the more rewards they earn. When they complete missions on Splinter Cell, complete online surveys suggested by Microsoft or spend money in the Live Store, they accumulate reward points in their local currency.

These reward points cannot be cashed out into actual money, but they can be used to buy products like streaming movies, games, apps and TV shows. Xbox Live Users are not left on their own to explore the network. To assist new users, Microsoft decided to recruit a pool of Xbox Live Ambassadors – store members who have shown that they can help other users. These ambassadors are available in many languages and can offer technical assistance as well as support in using the store.

What is Available on the Xbox Live Store?

Both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One have a wide selection of games, and you can download titles and expansions for them on the Xbox Live store. The Xbox One games with Gold service provides access to a constant stream of new titles, such as shoot-'em-ups like ZHeros and RPGs like Styx: Master of Shadows. But the main products available on Xbox Gold relate to bigger titles that are purchased separately in hard copy. You can log onto the Xbox Live store to buy a season pass to Tomb Raider, access new battlegrounds on Halo 5 or add character features on GTA 5. There are also multiplayer expansions for popular titles like Star Wars: Battlefront and new missions for Call of Duty.

How to Use Xbox Live Codes

When you purchase Xbox products from high street retailers or via HotUKDeals merchants, they will usually come with a prepaid code, which has to be entered onto the Xbox Live system, informing the service to download the product that has been purchased.

The great thing about prepaid codes is that they can be given as gifts, allowing younger Xbox users to redeem them without the use of a credit card. You can find them in the cards provided by your retailer. Look for a 25-character code above the barcode. All that you need to do is head to your Microsoft account on any web browser and choose the "redeem code" tab. Or, on the Xbox One console's home screen, head to the store and select the games tab. Under every game, you should find a "use a code" button. After clicking that, you can use the Microsoft Kinect controller on your Xbox to scan QR codes, or enter the 25 code manually. Xbox Live Gold codes are not locked by region, so you don't need to worry about sending them as gifts abroad or using them in other countries.

The Pros and Cons of Using Xbox Live

1. The greatest advantage of Xbox Live is the amount of entertainment content that it provides access to. But it has more to offer besides content. Since its opening, the Xbox Live service has built up an online community of millions of active users, who can provide support and participate in multi-player gaming on all of the available titles.
2. The matchmaking function is also a great way of bringing members of the community together. In theory, Xbox Live makes it much easier to avoid frustrating match-ups against superior or inferior gamers, enhancing the whole gaming experience.
3. The Xbox Live service also provides a regular stream of free games and other content, which can add up to £400 to £500 worth of products every year. The online store is also the only way to secure big discounts on many titles for Xbox consoles.
4. The multi-player system is quick and easy to use. The lack of significant lag makes gaming more enjoyable and helps to avoid cheating on some titles. There are also useful gaming features like in-game chat, party sessions and friends lists.

1. On the downside, the Xbox Live service provides far fewer free games than Sony's PlayStation Plus (PSN), and Xbox doesn't provide exclusive television content as Sony does.
2. XBox Live also experiences periodic problems with status, which you can track via sites like IsDownRightNow. Often, this is due to problems with ISPs, and hackers have also targeted both Sony's store and XBox Live. Some customers find that the information provided by Microsoft when the service goes down is insufficient, but this is not a problem limited to Microsoft.

In truth, the most important question when choosing a service is whether you want to spend money on a subscription to an online gaming service, or whether online play is not that important for you.

How to Find Great Deals on Xbox Live Subscriptions and Credits

The UK's major electronics retailers introduce regular discounts on Xbox Live products and you can find all of them listed as they arrive at the HotUKDeals Xbox Live pages. You can purchase 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscriptions from merchants like Electronic First, Tesco and GAME, while customers will also find a huge array of discounts on individual Xbox titles.

So if you have just bought an Xbox One or you are still trying to get the most out of your Xbox 360, get online and explore the world of multiplayer gaming and digital streaming by choosing a deal from the constantly-updated list at HotUKDeals.