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While E3 was the place where American Xbox owners got to know the fate of their console online, Europeans have been kept in the dark for quite some time. Other than the occasional rumour, we didn't know if we'd see the Xbox Live service in 2002, 2003 or even 2004! Fortunately, Microsoft's big European show, X02, has got off to a flying start, revealing the plans for Xbox Live in Europe, and they're looking pretty good!
Firstly, you can now live safe in the knowledge that (if you've got a broadband connection) you can sign up to Xbox Live and be playing games online later this year. If you're one of the lucky 3,000 people chosen for the consumer beta test, you could even be getting online as early as the 30th October. If not, the date to mark in your diary is the 30th November, when you'll be able to send off for an Xbox Live 'Test Drive' pack, which will include everything you need to set up your Xbox for online gaming. Finally, there's the retail phase, which is when anyone will be able to pick up a final Xbox starter pack from their local games shop and get online, and this will begin on the Xbox's launch anniversary, 14th March 2003.
So, everyone who wants to get online will be able to with the Test Drive kit, which will include the Communicator headset for talking to others online and a 12-month subscription to the service. However, during this stage the network is still under testing, and will only be fully launched on the 14th March 2003, when the Xbox Live Starter Pack is released. This pack will cost £39.99 and include the Xbox Communicator, a 12-month subscription to Xbox Live, and two specially-adapted games, MotoGP and Whacked!, which will be playable online.
We don't know yet how much the Test Drive kit costs, and whether you'll be able to upgrade to the full starter pack, or have to buy it at full price to get those two games. However, the advantages of holding an open, public testing phase are clear - everyone can be playing games like Unreal Tournament online before Christmas!
Marc Hull
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