Microsoft developed and runs the Xbox network, formerly known as Xbox Live, which is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service. On November 15, 2002, it was originally made available on the Xbox system. At the debut of the Xbox 360 system in November 2005, an upgraded version of the service was made available, and an improved version was introduced in 2013 with the Xbox One. Xbox Series X and Series S both use the same version. Accounts can save games and other stuff using this service, which is the account for Xbox consoles.
Games for Windows – Live, a service that makes the majority of the system available on Windows computers, was added to the system in 2007. As part of the Live Anywhere strategy, Microsoft has made plans to expand Life to more platforms like handhelds and mobile phones. New Windows Phones that have been available since late 2010 provide complete Xbox Live capability thanks to Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows Phone. On April 15, 2010, the original Xbox’s service was discontinued. As a result, only LAN tunneling software like XLink Kai allows users to play original Xbox games online.
On Friday at 1:46 p.m. PT / 9:46 p.m. BST, Microsoft’s support staff announced that it was aware that some customers were unable to “buy games, launch games, or initiate Cloud Gaming sessions.”Microsoft seemed to resolve the purchasing issues within a few hours, but it took over 12 hours before all impacted users were once again able to start their cloud gaming sessions or play their purchased titles.
Xbox Support confirmed that certain users are still unable to access media streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ as of the time this article was published. The outage once more draws attention to the possible drawbacks of online DRM and how these systems occasionally prevent users from accessing products they have paid for.
ModernVintageGamer, a YouTuber and Night Dive Studios developer, criticized the outage and called online DRM “disease.”Microsoft needs to get off its high horse and truly eliminate DRM, the journalist Ben Turpin continued. This definitely breaches consumer rights. What if a significant hack renders Xbox Live unavailable for a week? No one would then be able to play their own video games. Although I greatly appreciate Microsoft, DRM is terrible.
The outage once more brings to light the problem of preservation in the video game industry and the difficulties game designers would confront in the event that vital systems like Xbox Live ever cease to exist. Before more games are lost to the passage of time, the journalist Brittany Vincent stated in a VGC column, the games industry needs to step up its efforts to preserve video games.
