Codename Tsunami
A tidal wave of new online content? A whirlwind change to the feature set of Xbox Live? Just what is Microsoft's recently reference "Tsunami" venture? All the above appears to be the case for the project with the elemental code name. And in it's wake, it presents a slew of fascinating possibilities that could add up to new game options and fresh content, all through your Live connection.
What we know for sure in that the suite of features will include all-new team communication, MSN Messenger intergration, and a doohickey called title-managed online storage. All of the announced new features are promising, but focus your attention on that doohickey part. What it means is that information from a user can be stored on an Xbox Live server and delivered to anyone else who is playing that game. Does this mean you share save files on Xbox Live? Probably, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The real potential here is for user-created content like maps, emblems, rosters, weapons, skins, and just about anything else that can be "patched" into you main game client.
Remember Half-Life
Now think back to the PC phenomenon known as Half-Life. It dominated gamer-talk from the moment it was released some six years ago, but did you know that some variation of Half-Life is STILL the most played game on the Internet (outside of Bejeweled, but that doesn't count)? The game released with a world-builder and Valve encouraged (and actively supported) the gaming community to create its own content. Gamers crafted mods like Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, and Science and Industry that extended the shelf and mindshare life of Half-Life to the present day. Hmmm... now which game is most similar to Half-Life...
More Content for the Games You Own
While nobody at Microsoft (or anywhere else for that matter) has confirmed or even hinted at any sort of online plans for Halo 2, we have a feeling that Live's new functions will be... uhh... featured extensively when the game releases this fall. As pure speculation, does this mean a user could create a Halo 2 mod where you play as the Covenant? Or maybe an existing game could be tweaked to add a new squad-based multiplayer game where you and teammates play as soldiers. At the very least, imagine outfitting your own clan in bold team colors, or creating your own disturbing multiplayer maps to share with other Xbox Live users.
And what makes it even more enticing is that Xbox Live will store all of this stuff for you so you don't have to download 85 different versions to be able to play online... it'll happen automatically.
Don't Count On It, But Do Pray For It
All that has been officially released are some of the broad new features in Xbox Live. However, with this new technology it seems possible (if not likely) that the landscape on Xbox Live will be changing in some very cool new ways, and you could have a hand in shaping them.
For Pictures and ScreenShots of the New MSN Messenger with MSN Alerts, please go check out the ScreenShots & Pictures Page!
Features Currently Available
Voice Messaging with Friend Requests: Available now.
Features Coming Soon
MSN Messenger Integration: Coming in late May.
In-Game Voice Messaging: Available when games that support it hit shelves.
Teams: Available when games that support it hit shelves.
Competitions: Available when games that support it hit shelves.
Title-Managed Online Storage: When games that support it hit shelves.
