Synyster Graves

February’s Xbox Live Update Set Up Us The Bomb

by on Feb.20, 2012, under Somebody Set Up Us The Bomb

I’d imagine that most of you have manage to download the update for Xbox Live last week and the compulsory update takes about 15 minutes to complete depeding on your internet connection. And just before I get accosted by the techies out there, I have the Xbox connected via a LAN, not on wireless next to a microwave oven and underneath and electrical pylon. I do know what I’m talking about! I’m not a huge fan of wireless anyways, give me hardwired technology any day!

Personally I feel that this caused way more issues that it has allegedly solved. So often we get these updates of which we have no choice but to accept it just to carry on playing online, but it takes an eon to complete and the only noticeable changes are negative, rather than the intention of improving the system.

In a statement from Xbox Live’s Major Nelson last week he stated that:

This update will increase performance and is part of our continued effort to provide the best possible Xbox LIVE experience. In this update, we are providing a fix to a color issue that some were experiencing, and it will be immediately notable in the dashboard. The fix is also being applied by partners to their apps on Xbox LIVE, which we expect to roll out over the coming months

Well from downloading this update on tuesday the only things I have noticed are connectivity issues, which we never had before, including inability to actually maintain an Xbox Live Party, and if you do, hear your friends. Fundamentally, isn’t this about the Xbox Live experience Major Nelson is talking about? For me this is totally gash. The voice fades in and out and while it is tempting to assume that it is a router/internet issue, this was all working absolutely fine prior to this update.

If somehow an “improved” experience is one of undiluted frustration and repeated power cycling of networking equipment, then I feel suitably misled. When it takes turning the router off and on several times just to hear you friends isn’t enough, but having to turn off your laptop/desktop to ensure you have 100% bandwidth just to say hello is a bit much. Maybe I’m blaming it on the update and it’s the link in my area which is spontaneously going wrong. Well troubleshooting eliminates issues and since I’m having problems connecting to my friends in Birmingham, Leeds and Spain (!) I doubt the issue lies with my end solely, unless every single internet exchange happened to have a funny five minutes on Saturday afternoon.

Personally this update has totally screwed up the Xbox Live experience when it was working fine previously. While it’s far too easy for me mention an old adage involving fixing something when it’s not broken, I’m just left questioning what improvement to my Xbox Live subscription has occurred and if it has, could it stop shafting my online interactions with my friends.

“Dear Microsoft, please fix your crap..” Unlike the gamers on Playstation world, we have to pay for Xbox Live, is it fair enough that Microsoft have it so we can actually play/enjoy Xbox Live instead of take our hard earned cash and replace it with connectivity issues?

Anyone else had this problem?

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1 Comment for this entry

  • Whyte Rabit

    Yep, not only the voice not working in ‘Party’ mode (maybe they’re going for the silent disco idea of ‘party’), but the voice randomly came in and out as other people joined and left the party, which is a little odd.

    My Xbox point blank refused to download the update initially, meaning I had to go to my computer to find it on the XBox website, copy it to a usb stick and install it off that. Then, after that arseache, it refused to connect to the XBox Live service at all for the first 45 minutes. After a few beatings, it decided it would let me on… but only for 5 minute intervals, disconnecting me from the internet, claiming I have no connection, however when I went to diagnose the issue it would tell me there is no issue and reconnects me, gargh!

    If you think I’m going to be forking out for a next gen console, you can stick it where the sun don’t shine Microsoft, the Xbox is just problem after problem, and I’ve seriously had enough.

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