MattJMcD via the Internet » community

Community and Stubborness: Original Xbox loses Live

Matt — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:46:03 +0000

Well, it’s official. As of April 15th, Microsoft will be discontinuing the online Xbox Live service for the original Xbox.

My first response: Really? People still play games on the first Xbox?

In a message on the official Xbox blog, Marc Whitten wrote:

There’s no greater example of the power of the Xbox LIVE community than the “Halo” franchise. “Halo 2” has had an amazing run on LIVE, with a dedicated community more than five years after launch and well into the next generation of consoles. It has fundamentally changed the way we play video games. And while it’s difficult to see that run come to an end, the “Halo” franchise continues to act as the benchmark for multiplayer gaming in this generation, with “Halo 3,” “Halo 3: ODST” and soon “Halo: Reach” on Xbox 360.

Now normally I wouldn’t have an issue of people clinging to an old game on and old system, but in this case, the limitations of the original Xbox are actually holding the Xbox360 back in terms of what it’s capable of doing online. Interesting to see that there really was a big active community still playing games that are over 5-6 years old.

Thanks for the good times original Xbox, but stop being an anchor. It’s time to move on.

What Community Looks Like

Matt — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:31:54 +0000

Maybe They Aren’t Talking About You

Matt — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:09:38 +0000

It’s a common in social media to hear: “People are talking! About you! Better listen!”, but I’m wondering if that’s always the case.

The entire “People Are Talking” idea certainly makes sense for bigger brands. Sure people are talking about Coca-Cola, and Nike, and Ford, but what about Every Man Jack? What about Optimum Nutrition? They’re both (very good) national brands, but there isn’t a lot of online chatter around either.

What about your brand? How many people are talking about you?

My point is this: Unless you’re a small Mom & Pop operation (and sometimes even then), people are probably talking about you. However, unless you’re a bigger brand, odds are they aren’t saying that much.

In the case that you’re not Microsoft, you probably don’t need a team dedicated to “listening” on the internet, you probably don’t need Radian6 (but if you’re big enough, they’re awesome). Empowering your employees to take pride in their brand and respond online should be enough.

And hey, if you’re not happy with the quiet? Just take some advice from Paul Isakson.

If Someone Asks You About The Power Of Communinty

Matt — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:07:36 +0000

Show them this.

David Armano over at Logic + Emotion put out a call to help a family in need and set a goal of 5k. A request for people to reach into their pockets in these tough times and help out a family of strangers. And guess what?

They hit it in a little under 2 hours.

Go here to help out.