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Microsoft has never issued a fully satisfying answer about why Xbox Live, almost four years after the launch of Xbox 360, cannot support more than 100 friends. The company has blamed it on technical obstacles related to the original Xbox Live architecture. It's simpler than that. The real reason you can't have more than 100 friends on Xbox Live is because of Bungie. Specifically, Halo 2.
The continued community support behind Halo 2 is the only reason Microsoft hasn't ditched the lingering ancient Xbox Live architecture, a high-level Microsoft source confirmed to me late last week.
The original Xbox Live was not designed to support more than 100 friends. That's no problem for the Xbox 360 incarnation. Allowing players to add more than 100 friends on Xbox 360 is not a real technical challenge for Microsoft, but it requires ending support for the still-popular shooter. It's not as simple as issuing a patch for Halo 2, or else Microsoft would have released one ages ago.
Looking at Major Nelson's weekly Xbox Live activity lists, the Halo 2 connection should have been obvious a long time ago. Halo 2 is always the most played original Xbox title, suggesting a healthy community still enjoying Master Chief's second adventure online, despite the existence of Halo 3 on Xbox 360. What's keeping them playing? It doesn't matter, it only matters that they are.
My source said Microsoft still does not know when it will disable support for the original Xbox Live, thus ending Halo 2's reign on the charts. It could happen after the release of Halo 3: ODST, since that would give Halo players two new Halo games to move over to on the new Xbox Live. If you want Microsoft to move in that direction, however, it requires your voiced opinion.
Microsoft will be reading this and comments elsewhere. If there's real vocal support for finally moving on from Halo 2, it could very well happen in the near future, I'm told.
But at least we know the hold up. It's a technical issue, but it's really not. It's about a community doing nothing more than enjoying their favorite game, while the rest of the world is prevented a seemingly simple interface feature. When to call it quits is a challenging issue for online games, but really, it's almost out of Microsoft's hands. Gamers have to make the decision.
I've contacted Microsoft for official comment. I'll update you if I hear anything.
What do you want Microsoft to do?
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Comments
Displaying 81–100 of 149
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tonymarc90
Honestly, some already said the perfect solution. Cancel the Halo 2 thing whatever and just make Halo 2 a games on Demand thing. who cares if have to pay $10 worth of microsoft points. If all the people who are really still love playing halo 2 online, then i think those hardcore fans would pay another $10 to kepp playing it. and if not, well 2 bad cuz those 10,000 kids are holding back the other few 100,000 kids wanting?needing more friend space.
Quinochi
There are a couple reasons I'd rather play Halo: 2 over 3. One being that it's just overall better than Halo: 3. Another is on Halo: 3 you have to buy all these new Maps and crap just to play anything fun on there. And I'm not made of money and can just waste money every time a new Map Pack comes out. I got bills and better things to do with my money. And the matchmaking just blows in Halo: 3.
Halo: 2 No Scopes Halo: 3 in its Bitch Ass Chin.
Flynfsh
but you still have to pay for it. lol
ZaneZavin
I have the solution.
Clan Support
- The regular friends list stays capped at 100
- A clan function is integrated into XBL in which clans can be created.
- Clans would be created a managed by a leader. He could also give others admin status if he saw fit.
- Clans could make their own emblems that members would have the option of using as their gamerpic
- The Gamercard for players would have a space for clan names.
- Allow player to decide if they want popup notifications from clan also
The beauty of this is that it something the hardcore gamers have wanted for a long time and the more casual community can simply use it as an extended friends list.
HardcoreGamer01
Why not add Halo2 to the xbox origanls list on xbox live. That way all the fans of halo2 can still play the game and also move on to the 360.
also it would be cool if they could get live for halo:CE. i mean the windows version has it, y not the downloadable version on 360? i just think that could be cool idea. no matter what they do, i just hope they fix it soon.
AaronPhelps1992
I think they should keep the old XBL support up and running its not really a big deal to have 100 friends if you have that many on Xbox Live you have too many friends delete the other 85 you dont play with and there you have it problem solved you have more room for friends and people can still enjoy some classic HALO 2 XBL fun.
ITimeToShineI
Honestly, do you really play with all your one hundred friends? Halo 2 is too beast to just drop. I play halo three just about everyday and yet I still go back to Halo two from time to time just cause I like the style of gameplay. The br is better I think. I just like playing Halo 2. So seriously, you get a bunch of people who actually play with all one hundred people on their friends list and then we can talk about dropping the game. Otherwise stop trying to be cool and fill up your friends list with people who just watch netflix and those who you never play with or even talk to.
PokeNTag
Seriously this made me laugh. People need over 100 friends? why so they can measure there epeens and brag who has more friends. Everyone who has 100% im guessing over 90% of them dont even play let alone talk to 3/4 of them. I see no reason to kill a community that help launch xbox to what it is today, because some teenies feel they need more than 100 friends that they wont talk to. Im sure Microsoft will take down the Halo 2 community in due time for better reasons than because people want more than 100 friends.
Hallowethe
Seriously, leave it be. Let the Halo 2 fans enjoy their game. And who even has more than 100 friends that are actually um...friends? I only add people I know I'll talk to or play with. There is no reason for the random friend request thing. I hate that. I say leave it be. 100 friends should be enough. I don't think it's a big deal to change that.
gravy666
Eh, guess I should start playing Halo 2 a lot again. As much as I want to get rid of the 100 Friends limit, Halo 2 is the game that got my into first-person shooters, in part thanks to Xbox Live.
swamii24
people can say let halo2 go but if MS dumped support how many people would bitch about that! i dont even play halo online but it seems to me that ms should support a game thats being played
birdykilla
Sorry about that long post I just think it's a really stupid excuse to use the limit of 100 friends as an excuse to cut off original xbox live support!
birdykilla
Why can't they just supports all the games dammit! It's not like it's that big of a deal, their your customers playing anyways microsoft. I just don't see why we need to cut the original xbox live off. Most people have an xbox 360 and just play halo 2 multiplayer on the xbox 360. We're talking about those people who can't afford an xbox 360 and still want to play halo 2 on the original xbox live. WTF Halo 2 came out only 4 years ago. So what now, we buy your consoles, extra controllers, headsets, memberships, points, games, and all you do is 4 or 5 years down the road cut the service from the previous console not very smart. How much time and money is really being spent to support xbox live? I beat not very much. There's probably after 4 years of the xbox 360 now only a handful of people playing on the original xbox live's service. What are they 2 different services? Xbox 360 live and Xbox original live? WTF why can't you just combine them into one and support your previous console along with the xbox 360 and all future consoles. As time goes on less and less people will play past console games, but you can still support those games even if nobodies even playing them. Does it actually cost you money to support a game that nobody plays? If nobodies playing the old games then Microsoft I wouldn't think would be losing anything at all would they? This is really confusing the hell out of me I can't take it anymore! I guess I'm going to have to start judging and rating games based solely on the experience in the game that I no will be there down the road years to come, which is the single player or co-op campaign split-screen. Cause I'll never know if sometime down the road Microsoft will just quit supporting my game's multiplayer and cut the service just based on how old a game might be, it's still I great game. Sometimes I wish I had a PC. which wait a tick.......I do have a PC omg microsoft owns PC too! omg Alright now is the reall issue about 100 friends limit or is it about cost cutting! or the plethora of other things it might be I'm just to confused now to know. Thanks Microshaft! I still love you though keep that in mind :)
lawnmower16
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iztari
People playing Halo 2 are paying $50 a year to Microsoft, so if they cut support they might lose some clients.
People complaining about 100+ friends are already paying the $50 a year, and won't stop just because they can't add more friends.
So it's obvious for Microsoft that they should keep supporting Halo 2. Though this those seem like a dumb excuse, they should be able to do a work around. Also delete all the people you never play with and you won't need the 100+ friends list.
G4Sterling
To anyone who can't figure out why anyone would want to have 100 friends:
How long have you been on Xbox Live?
drusoicy
Come on Microsoft, seriously. Give me a deprecated list that I can use for freaking Halo 2 if I need to, and give me a larger list for, you know, EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE 360.
Here are at least 4 ways you can fix this broken system:
http://www.gearlive.com/news /article/q309-editorial-its-ti me-to-raise-the-xbox-live-frie nd-limit/
lilbrinkie
Is it possible to release a downloadable version of Halo 2 through the same program that Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed are being released tomorrow? It could require porting Halo 2 from an xbox title to an xbox 360 title, may allow people to transfer their old saved data, and could allow it to fit with whatever new network scheme they would like to introduce. They could also make the download free to people with Halo 2 save data on their 360. It would cost money, but would it be worth it to update their network? I don't know of the specifics of networks or systems or anything like that, but I'm sure it's possible to do something along the lines I'm suggesting.
TH3WR417H
Dropping Halo 2 after ODST is out sounds like a plan.
lilbrinkie
Release an updated version of Halo 2 on xbox live that people could download while still having their old save data. I'm not sure how it would be done, but I'm sure they could look to the new games being released (Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, etc.) on August 11th for an answer. If it's ported as an xbox 360 title instead of an xbox title, would it still have the same problem?
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