Dec06
Retro Online Anyone?
I've been diving into some of my retro backlog recently, but something has been missing from them - online play. I briefly had my Gamecube online with Phantasy Star Online using private fan made servers, but my laser in the unit crapped out once again so it is once again relegated to the Disabled List.
A few months back I had learned that this company Insignia was working to bring back the functionality of online play to the original Xbox. Their plan is to bring EVERY original Xbox Live game back online - a bold ambition. So I signed up and they began a closed Beta last month. I was accepted and then attempted to get it up and running on my OG Xbox. To install the software it does require you to use the game exploit system to do a temporary soft-mod on the console in order to change the network settings, allowing your console to connect to the Insignia Live servers instead looking for the Xbox Live ones. My first few attempts at setup were unsuccessful - using the Splinter Cell game I had kept locking up when trying to install the setup software and I evidently had the wrong version of Mechassault to use the save exploit trick. So I ventured out the following day and picked up a copy of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 - using that disc the installation went off without a hitch. As I said, it is only a temporary soft mod to use the installer, afterwards the dashboard and functionality was the same as stock - only now I could connect to the Insignia Live servers. You can also go ahead and perform a soft mod on the system if you like, I just preferred to keep my main Xbox console stock - once I do a little repair on my spare units I will try a full soft mod on them.
As of this date they have 38 games supported, and are adding more every week. I thus far have only tried Phantasy Star Online with it and it works flawlessly, connecting to one of two private, fan run servers...which are also cross-platform with the Gamecube and Dreamcast! I have not attempted to see how (or if) the voice chat is working, probably check that out later this week. They have some pretty big titles already working like Star Wars Battlefront (I & II), Ghost Recon, XIII, COD Finest Hour, Mechassault (1 & 2), and Crimson Skies just to name a few. I've been enjoying this trip down nostalgia quite a bit and sharing that experience on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook Live - another content boost for my Dark Legacy Game Network.
I has previously toyed with the idea of using some IP tunneling software to accomplish a similar thing, such as Xlink Kai. What this software does is take LAN/System Link supported games and makes them playable online. This had been at the back of my mind for quite a while and I attempted it a couple of years back. It did not go well then, the software I had was too old to run on the systems I was currently using and I wasn't ready to set up an older Mac to run it (nor really enthused about doing it on my PC), so it went on the back burner. But since I had started following some retro gaming people on Twitter, a recent post about Xlink Kai came up and I investigated their site. There I found a newer version of the software and renewed my interest in this. I just installed it this week and checked out the browser to see what games were available - I was surprised at the number of available games and different systems supported, even some PS3 and PS4 games. I've not given it a test in actually running a game and playing yet, probably get on that before the week is out.
Also on Twitter I found this Dreamcast Live site, promoting several games on that console being playable online again. Before I was under the impression the only ones I could get online with were PSO and those that used PC servers like Quake III, but I was surprised there were several available. This morning I dug a little deeper into their site to see how it worked, unfortunately this isn't something I'll have running any time soon due to the cost associated with setup. The DC Broadband adapter method is the easiest but also has the fewest compatible games, and that thing is still pretty expensive. Some will work with the standard dial-up modem, but you need a dial up service. The best way was to setup a Raspberry Pi to use for connecting the console online, and since that also has a significant investment (at least for me right now) I will have to put that off for a later project. But it does get a good portion of the online capable games working, even the 2K sports titles!
So for now I have gotten my OG Xbox online with about 14 games from my current collection on Insignia Live and more once I try out the Xlink Kai connection. If anyone is interested in help getting either of these systems set up on their console, let me know and I will lend you my assistance. The Insignia Live will only work with an OG Xbox, it will not work with a newer unit running the game in Backward Compatibility since they are still looking for the original Xbox Live servers and there is no way to change them yet (or if there is you probably wouldn't want to risk it and get your console banned by Microsoft since they are still viable on Live). The Xlink Kai will probably work though on System Link compatible games with BC, I'll check that as well along with my PS3 (as I think some of the games supported have had their servers closed by SONY (like Uncharted multiplayer).