Microsoft is Bashing Bugs on Windows Live
Joystiq was first to notice yesterday, today we bring you the real details. Gamers that were spotted on Live as playing the game Bug Bash were not incognito Microsoft software developers, but actual beta gamers testing cross-platform functionality of Windows Live versus Xbox Live.
Gaming has come a long way since the 1980s!
Xboxic reader and Windows Live betatester David sent us a bunch of details and screenshots of the game. The game is obviously only meant for testing the service, since there’s less than nothing interesting about it:
Bug Bash is basically a PC version of the old video arcade games that had an alligator or a mole pop out and you whack it. That’s essentially all that’s going on. The bug pops out of the hole, and then you have to whack it. You can use your Xbox 360 Controller for this or you can use the letters on your keyboard.
Now that’s an interface XBLA gamers all will recognize
As you can see on the screenshots, it’s indeed ‘less than impressive’ to say the least. That’s rather the opposite of what he thinks of the service though:
The Live Service on PC is incredible. Pretty much every function that you can do on Xbox Live, you can do through the Live Service. This includes voice chat, listening to voice messages sent from 360 or a PC using the Live Service, recording & sending voice messages from your PC to other PC & Xbox 360 users, and even sending game invites to a PC user or a Xbox 360 user. The only thing I noticed that you cannot do, at least as of yet, is any kind of video chat or sending pictures. This service is showing a lot of promise and while the game Bug Bash didn’t get my rocks off, the Live service & the promise it shows do. The only other complaint about the service is the fact that the Live Service isn’t built into your computer. It’s not a separate program on your computer, it’s actually running through the game itself, possibly to make sure that you don’t play more than one game at a time.
Sign into the Live service you must
It would seem the Live for Windows service has evolved much farther already than we would have expected. Also, our own guess is that the Live engine is currently integrated into Bug Bash for testing purposes, but that it will move to a standalone service running on Vista as it matures and the inherent bugs get bashed.
Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures in this post clearly demonstrating the cross platform integration that will allow us Xbox 360 gamers to communicate and game directly with Vista gamers in the near future. Thanks David for the extensive info!
Voice chatting is fully operational
The GUI is so familiar we would even recommend MS to make some new designs
Hmmm… still sounds like a bit of a gimmick to me, particularly if the computer can’t be permanently connected to Windows Live, and you can only be on the service by launching a game.
The game is obviously rubbish - I’ve knocked together more impressive things using XNA, but that’s not the point. And the menu is clearly “borrowed” straight from Uno
At the end of the day, I don’t own a Vista machine, nor do I want to, so it’s probably not gonna impact on me for a few years yet.
It is a gimmick, but i’m in it right now.
How’s it a gimmick? This is a massive task MS taking on here, this is no Wiimote.
Gimmick? That makes you sound insane. Cross platform gaming is not a gimmick.
psst… David… 300 is a great movie, but if you’re going to download it illegally then don’t leave it sitting in the bottom-left of your desktop when you’re screenshotting
Lol I hadn’t even noticed
Could be the trailer
LMAO! It probably is the trailer though.
I seen it yesterday, and for conversations sake, lets just say I seen it in the pictures.
Good movie.
I might just go ‘for conversations sake’ see it at the movies too then…
Yep…Got my invite yesterday…So far I am impressed.
i’d pay 10 or 20 MS points to play Bug Bash
… you need to get out more.
I’m a fan of Vista and Live for Windows, BUT if it isn’t a stand-alone program then it is pretty pointless. Hopefully they’ll have one when it officially launches.
it wont be just in the game, this is only a beta, the L!VE is only in the game as its a beta, it will run fully on Vista when its released.
This game is also available for Beta users on the 360 and it sucks…
One bored guy has over 700 wins from today alone though.
how do you play on the 360 if you are in the Beta?
Because the beta is for both the 360 and the PC to test cross platform functionability. I’m in the xbox 360 beta right now.
I’m playing bug bash too
The app looks very similar to the 360’s interface, and it appears the actual dash/functions are using some live runtime dll’s which then loads within the application/game.
One thing I did notice is that when you are logged into the PC/live you cannot be logged in with the same account on Xbox 360, it kicks you off live and vice-versa.
played Bug Bash on Vista last night…amazing. So nice to see the Live interface in my office. Need to get the windows adapter for my controllers now. The PC is perfect for all my arcade games…but still be on Xbox Live
“Need to get the windows adapter for my controllers now.”
If you have em, just plug in your 360 controllers into the usb port. Vista will atuo detect them… I doubted it when my sont said “just plug it in Dad”, but the kid was right… again.
Bug bash as a games… royally sucks. But the platform itself shows huge possibilities. The thing I hated though was the time it takes to sign in with your live account. Seemed way slower than logging on through my 360.
Hope they give us another game to test… I was bored within 15 mins.
The LIVE! interface is awesome… just like on my 360… but as everyone else who is in the beta has already stated, the game is weak…hardly worth playing. I’ve found myself spending more time in the LIVE! area sending messages and checking my friends scores out.
I would really like it, IF, the LIVE! area goes into it’s own program… running in the background… that would be something to have… I wouldn’t mind if it only ran when you have a game running; but it would be better if it ran “stand-alone.”
I definately love the UI with Live for Vista….I agree with everyone about the fact I play areound with the live more than the game. Its awesome since right now I am on vacation and I can private chat thanks to hotel wifi and this beta
Reader David is in a lot of trouble then, isn’t he. Not only is he not supposed to talk about Bug Bash but he CERTAINLY isn’t allowed to show pictures of it. I am a bug bash tester as well. I hope he gets kicked outa the beta for violating our NDA.
i got an invite for the vista beta but i dont have vista…