More evidence Live Anywhere reaching Zune?
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 3rd 2006 at 1:55PM }
Digging through the source code of Zune.net a curious mole stumbled upon an intriguing line of code that referenced the production domain: "gamercard.zune.net."Perhaps it's just lazy (copy/paste) coding, as a Generation Zune commenter points out -- Xbox.com's source has the same line of code, with "xbox" instead of "zune" -- but why wouldn't Zune feature Gamercard compatibility? That Zune will be part of the Live Anywhere network has been rumored before, and there's no good reason to believe it won't.
We already know (see 2old2play) that MS Passport-associated Gamertag's will become your Zunetag. In fact, Microsoft has already reserved said Gamertags so that if you ever decide to go Zune, you're proper handle will be waiting. We're not convinced that Live Anywhere is a critical selling point for Zune, but tossing the feature in for Xbox Livies is a no-brainer.
[Via Gamertag Radio]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nigeria @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:03PM
Is anyone planning on buying that thing?
BlindsideDork @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:04PM
ooo, so M$ can make up more microtransactions for games to be playful on the Zune or exclusive features for the Zune games that cost money.
SWEET!
I got my iPod, it works great, 0 problems. If I had a 360 I would consider it but after reading about the Zune Marketplace (ala iTunes)...either they did a poor job explaining it or I don't want to touch it. iTunes is good and gets the jobs with thumbs up.
BlindsideDork @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:07PM
Watch out for phoney reviews made by M$ people!
crono141 @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:51PM
I want neither Ipod nor Zune.
I'll take one of them creative thingy's or something that can use an SD card. I don't like my max storage being set in stone the day I bring it home.
Wait, I'll just get flash/pass me for DS and load it up with MP3s.
Dirtyboy @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:24PM
Quite happy with my Zen Vision:M (30 gig).
I don't see the point of having your Gamertag on the Zune, unless you just have to show it off. Zune doesn't seem to me that it has enough new features to live up to the hype.
Ironhide Delta @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:25PM
Hmmm... Being tracked by Wifi around town is kinda spooky. I can just see my status on Xbox Live:
"Listening to music in downtown Vancouver at Granville and Robson"
Moogle @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:31PM
I'm still convinced that Zune exists mostly as a scapegoat for people to point at when shareholders ask why this division is a huge sulferous crater in the profit margins. "But we were developing this new device, that's why we lost another billion!"
It technological premise is "iPods are big, and wifi's big, let's throw them at each other and see if it sticks!". Most of the money invested was probably in coming up with ways to justify the technology chosen, and coding a UI that hacks them together as tightly as possible. The biggest indicator that this device will fail, to me anyway, is that the use to the customer was the last consideration, not the first.
Incidently, as much as I love the Wii, I'm suspicious that while they *did* consider the customers use first, the Nintendo board jumped to the conclusion that the wiimote was the answer without quite as much rigorous investigation as was merited. We'll see if the consumers latch on to it for the long term.
crono141 @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:21PM
Moogle, you make it sound like the wii-mote was the only option given them. In the Iwata Asks segments, I can't remember which one, he talks about the tech demos the programmers had to come up with on the fly, and how they were making demos for several different styles of controllers all at the same time.
george @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:06PM
I am sure plenty of people are going to want to get one of these. Mp3 players arent fashion accesories and it doesnt have to look better than ipod. The case itself is nearly scratch resistant and fingerprint resistant and the only downside to the device that i have heard from relivant people is the storage isnt large enough. The toshiba gigabeats interface was the best by far and it is using a newer version of that. Not to mention the 3 inch beautiful screen that crushes apple. I think the zune is a good start for ms just not as good as people hoped. Expectations where too high but compared to an ipod and other devices it is just as good in most ways and better in others.
lothar @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:13PM
I'm planning on getting this unit. My iRiver's display is slowly dieing and I have a replacement plan through BB, I'll basically be getting this for $60 (the price diff).
I was going to get the Creative Zen M because of the high reviews and the fact that it supported video. I played around with a Zen for about 20 minutes at a store, its cool but the screen is just a bit too small for videos. On the other hand I really dont want a larger unit like the Archos 504 or Zen W which are aimed primarily at video. The Zune seems to fall in between the Vision M and W which is what I'm looking for.
The wireless seems like it could be cool to share tunes and pics with people that have the unit, mostly I would be sharing my own band's music with everyone. The fact that it can be disabled to save battery power is also cool. Its a very basic wireless setup no browsing no connections to Live, etc.. (so far).
What could be interesting with this unit is when it gets hacked, then we could see some cool features.
blamecanada @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:13PM
I personally think the Zune's launch is looking rather well. After browsing the Zune.net site MS already has their own set of decent looking accessories to go along with the player. Lack of third party support is one of the biggest things going against Creative right now. Even though the Vision M is technically superior to the iPod, people will still think it's second rate. MS has the brand recognition and accessories to back up the product the way that Apple has. Like it or not it's looking as if the Zune could do quite well against the iPod
Jens @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:06PM
i think the zunes wifi is going to go way further than that expecially with this whole live anywhere, i think eventually mabe in a new update that you will be able 2 stream music to your 360 wirelessly, who knows mabe it can work the other way as well, like what the PS3 is doing, alow content from the 360 to the zune like video and stuff, i would definitly buy it if it had those kinds of capabiltys, rite now i think the zune is 2 ugly, lol its only a baby but still id rather have something with a sliker look like da ipod, mabe next yr M$
Lefty @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:21PM
Moogle
they xbox 360 is on the verge of being profitable after 1 year. last quarter with the cost of the zune it was only 96 million in the hole. compared to 1.73 billion for the ps3 thru march 2007.
next ms posted 4 billion in income last quarter. with 10 billion in sales. theres a 30 billion stock buy out and dividends are up above prjections.
yeah shareholders are very happy with ms. i hope you realise that. i am happy i own stock in them even though i own very little and get just a small divedend check.
fanboy is a terrible disease
jharr @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:44PM
Jens
They have already stated that you would be able to wireless stream music from the Zune to an Xbox 360 as long as you have the wireless adaptor.
spoo @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:58PM
I am pondering buying one since it comes in a nice looking brown and WS. Brown > Black > White
Live Anywhere is not a selling point for me but it doesn't hurt.
OTAM @ Nov 3rd 2006 5:03PM
Of course Zune will have Live integrated into it somehow. I mean,that's like the PS3 not having a global friends and messaging system.
*gulp*
Zune-Online.com @ Nov 3rd 2006 5:45PM
Zune has very beatiful interface transition effects, it is scrolling very fast and can play a 30 fps video.
I believe with a more useful Wifi Zune can be unbeatable.
-- http://www.Zune-Online.com Share your Zune experience!
Moogle @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:38PM
Lefty - While I am a Nintendo fanboy, it has nothing to do with my dislike of MS. That's an issue all its own.
But yeah, the numbers kinda kill my argument for the purpose of Zune.
I still think it's uninspired, and I reserve the right to encourage others to vote with their wallets. MS has a long history of pro-actively taking every effort necessary (no matter how underhanded or how much it costs) to stop competition, and then leaving the industry to rot with themselves being the market leader. It's great for protecting their money makers, but not so good for consumer interests. I'd rather like to avoid handing them a market that's sustaining one of the better known innovators (whatever you opinion on Apple is).
Matt Rix @ Nov 4th 2006 2:18PM
Um, Moogle, I hate to tell you that Apple does the same thing you're saying that Microsoft will do. The only thing Apple is innovative in is marketing.
Zune @ Nov 7th 2006 11:47AM
innovation sminnovation boys and girls. Theres nothing new under the sun and all of these are rehash and refurb designs. Apple did not invent music or portable players and Microsoft will most likely never produce a dominant device but they will make inroads into the market and support from Xbox and Live anywhere is important to Zune success. It locks us into the "connected experience" as they call it and if they can produce seamless integration of the three it will surely cause both the game and music industry to recognize a new leader.
fanboy is a sickness akin to partisanship
We should have more choices in a free society and now we do.