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XBox Live - Xbox 360 LiveMicrosoft surprised a lot of people when they got into the console gaming business, competing with Sony and Nintendo for the title of video game king in the home family room. Microsoft of course had plenty of software and networking expertise, but not so much on the hardware side. The Xbox became the number 2 home gaming system behind the PS2, and with the launch of the XBox 360 more than a year before the Sony PS3, Microsoft made a real statement about their plans to compete and dominate in the home console systems. But a keystone to their strategy has been leveraging that networking and internet expertise that they have and Sony and Nintendo don't -- and thus was born XBox Live at the end of 2002. What is XBox Live? XBox Live is the networked gaming system that uses the Internet to connect Xbox machines to one another through Microsofts network. In this guide, we will take a look at how XBox Live works, how to connect to XBox Live, how much XBox Live costs, and what you can do once online.
How much does XBox 360 Live cost? Gold XBox Live Card - Free Xbox Live
 -- for $70 you get 12 months of Gold Xbox 360 Live membership, a chat pad for sending text messages to friends and opponents online, a wired headset for chatting, and a free copy of the Xbox 360 game Project Gotham Racing 4. This is a substantial savings over buying the components separately, so if you want chat and texting, get this bundle.
How XBox Live Works - How to Connect to Xbox LiveThough it looks like a game console, the XBox is of course really a computer, and a network-enabled computer at that. Microsoft sells XBox 360 systems at a loss, since it costs more than $300 to manufacture a high-end graphics-intensive machine like the 360. While the machine works fine as a stand-alone home gaming system, it really shines as a networked multi-player gaming system. Anyone who has played network-connected games knows that a lot of the fun comes from playing against other human players, not just against the computer. And when it comes to networking and internet-connectivity, Microsoft knows more than just about everyone else. The XBox 360 comes with built-in high-speed ethernet networking ports, allowing it to connect directly to your highspeed network at home (via an ethernet cable). Most home internet connections have a high-speed modem that connects the incoming DSL or cable line either directly to a home PC or to a home router or gateway, thus allowing multiple computers or devices to access the Internet. If you have a router, connecting to XBox Live is pretty easy - just plug in the included cable to the back of your XBox 360 and plug the other end into an open port on your router. You can also buy a wireless networking option for the XBox 360 for about $80 - this is a WiFI antennae that plugs into your Xbox and then communicates wirelessly with your broadband wireless router once configured properly. If your Xbox is located close to your home networking router, the cable solution works fine, but if your XBox 360 is located across the room or in another room entirely, then the wireless option makes more sense to avoide having to run cables around the house. Once connected, you go to the System settings on the Xbox dashboard and go to Network settings - the Xbox will then run through diagnostics to see if it can connect to the internet properly. Need help connection your XBox to the internet? You can get help connecting your XBox to XBox Live by going to Xbox.com/support. You'll also find Xbox Live FAQs there like, what do the three red flashing lights on the Ring of Light mean? (usually means a pretty serious hardware failure), what to do when the XBox Live screen freezes, how to connect the XBox 360 wireless controller, and turn it off, list of Xbox games playable on the XBox 360, how to connect XBox 360 to an HDTV, and much more.XBox Live Arcade is another popular part of the online service. You can download and try or buy smaller games for your Xbox here. You buy games here with Microsoft Points. What are Microsoft Points and how much are they worth? When you buy points, it is like putting money in a XBox Live bank account. You can buy points through XBox Live with a credit card, or get a card from a retailer that has prepaid points already on it. You can buy all kinds of things with MS Points - maps, skins, games, levels, demos, and more. You get to XBox Arcade by going to Xbox Live first from the dashboard, then selecting the XBox Live ARcade option. If you've already download some games, you'll see them listed there and you can play them, otherwise choose Download Games to try out or buy new games. All the Live Arcade games support HD output, gamerscores, and everything else you expect from and XBox 360 title. Some of the most popular XBox Live Arcade games include:
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- Getting onto XBox Live is pretty easy. From the XBox system, you go to the Xbox Dashboard and select Connect to XBox Live. For the XBox, MS offers a couple of different sign up options. We recommend AGAINST submitting your credit card to Microsoft -- buy a subscription card instead. You can buy subscription cards at most game retailers, and at online sites like Amazon.com (see link above). An XBox Live subscription card works like a prepaid gift card. By using a card, you can buy it direct from the merchant without having to send any credit card information over the Internet via the Xbox. A 12 month XBox Live card costs $50. You can also get a 3 month trial subscription starter kit for $39 which comes with 3 months access and the Xbox communicator headset, which lets you chat live with other players (connects through your XBox controller). For XBox 360, there are also special Xbox Live membership options. Most games come with a 48 hour trial option, allowing you to login and play for 2 days from time of first connection (NOTE: this is 48 hours from the time you connect, NOT 48 hours of play time -- if you connect and then don't use it for 2 days, it's over, so plan it for a weekend or something when you have a few hours to devote to trying it out) . This is a free subscription to XBox Live, just temporary. If you decide to continue, you have to choose between the Silver XBox 360 Live membership and the 
. You can buy Gold Xbox Live cards for 1 month ($7.99), 3 months ($15.99), or 12 months ($38.00) -- the 12 month deal is the best, working out to just over $3 per month.