Well, congratulations Playstation 3 owners, MAG has finally been out for a bit and admittedly, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The prospect of games totaling 256 players is intriguing, but should we as 360 owners catch a case of the Green-Eyed Monster and feel some kind of envy? The short answer is no, at least for now. First and foremost, the Xbox 360 community isn’t currently hurting for an amalgamation of multiplayer games. While it already goes without saying that the 360 has a dominatingly large library of games, it seems the desire may not quite be there yet for massive multiplayer titles. Also, anyone who has played online will be well aware of the quality of teammates met randomly. Unfortunately, this immediately rules out a significant amount of the objective based combat that MAG revolves around. In the meantime, what’s already being played on Xbox Live has a dominating presence and those games being played don’t necessarily cater to the style that MAG is offering. The currently obtainable multiplayer titles that are most popular on Xbox Live, oddly enough are those that have significantly smaller player counts. Furthermore, these modes don’t necessarily pit player against player so much as players versus the environment. 
Gears of War 2, upon release, offered something that many players had been clamoring for on Xbox LIVE for a very long time, a cooperative experience that grouped players together against a steadily more difficult computer controlled enemy. While cooperative play had been done previously, with 4-player coop being present in Halo 3, Gears 2 offered this in the form of a singular multiplayer mode. Not only could you play on a plethora of maps, but you could enjoy the mode with up to four other players for a total of five. A seemingly odd number, but five players against wave after wave of Locust eventually made sense to just about everyone. Conversely, Halo 3: ODST expounded on this game type with their own Firefight mode which allowed up to four players to stand their ground against innumerable waves of Covenant. As with Horde mode, this cooperative play still nurtured the competitive edge of players while removing the invariable notion of hard feelings that went with player versus player modes. Finally, Left 4 Dead and its sequel have proved that even 4 players working in concert against computer-controlled opponents have a quality that can’t be overlooked.
Regardless of how many times gamers have slaughtered their way through wave after wave of infected, they still keep coming back for more. However, what makes this so intriguing is that the entire campaign is built around this concept and despite the ability to play through it alone with computer controlled allies; it is still a far more enriching experience when four humans face off against whatever the game stands to throw at them next. While you cannot initially jump into 128 on 128 player matches of MAG, there is some promise here despite several pitfalls. When logging into matchmaking on Halo 3, Modern Warfare 2 or Gears of War 2, there is always one player or group of players I’m certain we’re all familiar with. The douchebag(s). These are the players that scream, sing, and otherwise make us clamor for the mute button faster than we ever though possible. As shocking as it may sound, there are people who actually enjoy ruining a gameplay experience for everyone else (Crazy, I know). This has given rise to the Greater Internet F*ckwad Theory that I am so quick to reference (more info at this link). Not so much because it’s funny, but because it’s very much true.
http://www.planetxbox360.com/article_9602/Why_Xbox_360_Gamers_Dont_Want_MAG
