"The online behavior of our customers is dramatically reducing our sales"-MS employee

[Brand X]

The thing is, while there are a ton of idiots playing online games, there are also a ton of legitimately cool people playing online games. Just because there is a population of outspoken assholes in online gaming doesn't mean that those people are the majority. Because at least with my experience, they aren't, they are just the ones that can ruin the experience for you.

I played Halo for at least a few hours over the past 2 weekends, and I can't think of a single instance where I ran into a "rasist/little kid/screaming telling you to shut up/shit talking" type person. Which is pretty insane for Halo, considering we know how many times that happened to people in Halo 2. Hell, even playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2 last weekend with TNL'ers there was really only 1 person out of a ton of randoms that joined our games that stuck out in my mind as assholes. The rest of the people who joined the games were either quiet, or actually enjoyable to play with.

Though, I'm all for the Shadowrun system being put into more widespread use for the instances that you do run into those people. That sounds like a great idea that could actually improve the quality of the people you play with as opposed to simply muting people.

[Rem]

Unless I'm playing with the TNL crew I don't even plug the headset in.

[Spent]

I could maybe believe this if he was talking about PC, but if someone spends the money on a Xbox Live Gold/Diamond account I highly doubt they are just going to stop playing because they were called "noob". I can believe it on a platform that's free online, but one you pay for - only an idiot would throw $60 down the shitter.

[Rem]

The ideal would be players would converse about the game, tactics, positions etc. But I would say I've done that in maybe 20% of the games I've played online...even with TNL.

[Joust Williams]

I only play with non-randoms. Well, that isn't totally true, but the thing about Vegas was that we couldn't get great games with only TNLers, and I think that dampened the fun a bit. With Gears it's 8 players max and it feels goof that way (but I'd like to see 6 in the sequel--sometimes we have people left out). At this stage I am convinced that MS doesn't get it or doesn't care. Not just with this issue, but everything as a whole. The problem is that there's no better alternative, whether it be that it doesn't exist or just not enough people utilize it.

[Brand X]

I think the issue with RSV2 isn't so much that playing with non-TNL'ers sucks, it's that there is no matchmaking. So you start a game with TNL'ers on opposite teams, and then as the game fills up it's a pain to get people to switch to other teams while keeping them in the game at the same time.

I thought the matchmaking system in CoD4 was pretty fucking solid and was really the best and most enjoyable matchmaking system I have played with. You could stay in against teams for as long as you wanted, or until they all quit. Your friends could join in the middle of the game provided there was room. And it was easy to join up with your friends.

[ElCapichan]

I thought the matchmaking system in CoD4 was pretty fucking solid and was really the best and most enjoyable matchmaking system I have played with. You could stay in against teams for as long as you wanted, or until they all quit. Your friends could join in the middle of the game provided there was room. And it was easy to join up with your friends.

The system was great only when it worked. Way too many nights I would join a TNL group only to be sitting in a lobby way too long to wait for it to get enough players. Back to Gears it was.

For Gears 2 though, I would like 5-6 vs 5-6 and maybe slightly larger maps for this.

[Changeling]

Unless I'm playing with the TNL crew I don't even plug the headset in.

So true. If you're not playing with your friends online, it really isn't worth wasting your time.

[mannerbot]

COD4 matchmaking sucks imo (at least compared to H3). But Brand has a point, it is pretty cool to be able to play against the same group until people choose to leave.

I don't play mp games alone at all anymore. All the fun I get in games now is messing around with friends, basically. Plus, it's just too frustrating with most randoms, though when I did it in Gears I made quite a few friends that were cool and had game. But IMO if you don't use your mic you better either a) understand the game well enough to know where you need to be and where the enemies are without your teammates calling it out; b) hide in a fucking corner, don't go negative 20 and lose the game for us; or c) be on the other team.

[Port]

So true. It's why I don't try a new MMO or multiplayer game without some of the gang I play WoW with.