The thing about Kinect is that they had to keep cost down, but then the 360 doesn't really have a good room for it on the processing front, it works great on a decent PC, but I've always said that the current XBOX is not good enough for the current Kinect. These are the things they need to fix for the next one, 1.) make sure there is little delay as possible for the next iteration. 2.) able to pick up more people(at least 4+) and know who they all are on the screen(more processing power and better software) 3.) Make it with different lenses so it works in smaller rooms and is able to pick up motion at a closer proximity.

Otherwise it's just an even worse piece of shit than the Wiimote+/PS Move technology.

The whole ads thing, people might call me crazy for this, but I'm actually an IGN Prime member.(that's how I get into a lot of betas lol, so leave me alone :P ) Now, they literally give you an option to disable ads in your Prime options, I'm a paying member, therefore I have the choice of either displaying the ad or go without, I of course disabled it. Lets look at the XBL side, where is my option to do so if I'm a Gold member? I can understand them showing ads all the time to people who are not paying, but where is the option to turn it off if I don't want to see it as a paying member? That's something to think about isn't it? >=)

I love how people would post and state nothing, it's a pain in the ass because? It does less based on your experience of? cheating is associated to Steam and not the game itself made by other companies due to(there is totally no hacking and cheating on other platforms?)? It has good deals every week btw.

I love baseless replies. Such high intelligence lol....

PS: I just noticed you are from Germany, in that case, I don't know as much, Steam is basically God status in North America but it might differ in your case :)

Lets think, perhaps it's because it's the only business model that makes sense.  Everyone seems to forget that the PC model doesn't work on consoles as you're reliant upon the software company providing dedicated servers and also others taking up hosting duties.  This is not going to work on consoles so Microsoft have to bear the brunt of the infrastructure cost for Live.  Now you can handle this in several ways, you can get the money up front for online by adding to the console price, you can overcharge on content you provide with your online service or you can run it at a massive cost to the company.  You can bet right now Sony wished they had started charging at the start of the gen.

The difference between Microsoft and Sony is that one company entered this generation with a sound business model and as largely had a successful strategy, while the other had a appalling business model that has bled the company dry of profits.  PSN has also spent most of the gen as a inferior service to Live too might I add.  Plus the small fact that due to better infrastructure and I'm sure more proactive maintenence of their servers, Microsoft have never had long term outages like Sony have had on more than one occasion.  Perhaps because Microsoft invest the money they've taken in fees into better management of their network.

At the end of the day if you hate it so much I have to question how you can judge the value in the service, it's clear you've not used it for a long time.  You're in for a massive shock next gen when Sony start charging...

I don't feel like arguing, so here are just some points:

• Cheaters, there are more cheaters on Steam than on XBL. If you get caught you are banned from the service. If you get caught on steam you are banned from one server of one game.

            Not true, it's up to the publishers to ban people from servers on both PC and Live.

• Messenger integration - no explanation needed.

            Steam also has a messenger integrated, and you can even use Windows Live Messenger.  Or use Windows Live for games and talk to your Xbox peeps while playing on Steam.

• Voice Chat integration, works perfectly fine on XBL. You need to download another software like TS on steam and there is no integration at all. Some players are using different software like vent.

            There's voice chat integrated into Steam

• Customer Service, this is basically unknown on steam. MS customer service works fine.

           Unknown?  Vavle's customer service is fine.

• App integration, XBL offers so much more Apps now and they are all very well integrated. Steam can't do anything like that.

          The hell do you need apps on a computer for?  Alt-tab to get back to Windows and do everything on a computer that you can't do with apps.

• Achievements are way better on XBL than on Steam.

          Achievments are identical

• Avatars

         Yup

• Community feeling, XBL is way more community friendly than Steam

         You can't quantify that, it's like me saying XBL's community sucks because of all the tweens who can't speak english.

• Security, XBL is more secure than Steam.

         Bahahahahahahahaha (Not true at all.  Laughing was used for exaggrated puproses)

That were just some points that matter to me. I really like Steam Deals though. That is where steam > XBL IMO. I hope some Black Friday deals make their way to Germany as well.

Sony and Nintendo still makes third parties pay for servers (as they should). Microsoft couldn't win over the PC crowd because you can force people to pay for an online all in one hub option when the PC is pretty much just that to begin with and doesn't generalize itself to one option. This is why Xbox Live will never be open format and they will continue to have words with Gabe Newell who used to question Sony and now after working with Sony has seen Microsoft needs to open up Xbox Live a little bit.

I'm sure Gabe does want Xbox Live to not take away his companies monopoly he's building.  Nothing Gabe Newell does is anything other than lining  his companies coffers.

I don't feel like arguing, so here are just some points:

• Cheaters, there are more cheaters on Steam than on XBL. If you get caught you are banned from the service. If you get caught on steam you are banned from one server of one game.~ Steam is based on the community rather than the games and Microsoft seems to be strict on cheating anyway 
• Messenger integration - no explanation needed.~ Ever heard of skype?
• Voice Chat integration, works perfectly fine on XBL. You need to download another software like TS on steam and there is no integration at all. Some players are using different software like vent.~ Skype again
• Customer Service, this is basically unknown on steam. MS customer service works fine.~ That's because valve is only offering a service, while microsoft offer hardware and service. The PC hardware has little to do with steam.
• App integration, XBL offers so much more Apps now and they are all very well integrated. Steam can't do anything like that.~ If you didn't know steam is starting to sell PC software now, it doesn't need apps, that's what the internet browser is for
• Achievements are way better on XBL than on Steam.~ Steam doesn't take achievements very seriously like playstation or xbox does
• Avatars~ I'll let you have that one, Xbox does have some good avatars out there (not worth paying xbox live for though)
• Community feeling, XBL is way more community friendly than Steam~ the community on steam depends on what you play really, while on Xbox, the community is more about you and your friends really
• Security, XBL is more secure than Steam.~ I agree, xbox live has decent security

That were just some points that matter to me. I really like Steam Deals though. That is where steam > XBL IMO. I hope some Black Friday deals make their way to Germany as well.