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[nenjin]

http://xbox360.gamespy.com/articles/116/1167072p1.html

I post this here since, to me, Skype is a fundamental part of MP gaming now.

And why does MS want skype so badly? Why, to use their network to support the 360, which already has voice chat but it sucks donkey balls. But why now? Well with Kinnect on the market, perhaps the VOIP protocol can't handle all the shit 360 players now have to send to each other. So they're co-opting someone else's network to handle the data load.

Why am I irritated by this development? Call quality. Without a doubt, Skype has the best call quality of any VoIP. It's better and crisper than vent (although it lacks the options), Steam voice chat sounds like you're talking over tin cans connected by strings, and 360 Voicechat, while not terrible, still didn't compete with Skype. Skype is already broadly used by millions for non-gaming purposes....and they're about to have to saddle up with an entire gaming network worth of bandwidth requirements. Yippie.

So while there's no guarantee this move will change the quality of skype's network, I have the sinking suspicion that more dropped calls, shittier transfer rates and more obnoxious marketing is just over the horizon. And let's not forget that MS will probably want to start billing multiple tiers of service, just like they do with the 360.

And let's just pause one more time to appreciate the dollar value....$8.5 billion. I guess it's time to get familiar with Ventrillo again.

[Dutchling]

I don't use skype myself but MC probably wants to get their billions back someway... Guess Skype won't be free for long 

[lemon10]

Errr.... This kinda belongs in general discussion.

[Soulwynd]

The call quality comes from their streaming vbr codec. If they keep the codec, the quality wont change.

They probably want to merge it with MSN/WLM and windows in general, it has nothing to do with the XBOX. Remember that skype has banks of phone lines all over the world and skype holds around 25% of the international caller market. Ie, one of every four calls made one country to another is made through skype.

I doubt M$ will charge for the internet voip as the calls are actually direct calls and don't eat a single bit of the skype's bandwidth beyond negotiating the call between the two client.

[runiq]

Finally time to read up on SIP.

[nenjin]

I doubt M$ will charge for the internet voip as the calls are actually direct calls and don't eat a single bit of the skype's bandwidth beyond negotiating the call between the two client.

Since when has something not costing MS money stopped them from billing us for it anyways? Also, video over IP doesn't require any additional bandwidth? I find that a little hard to believe, sort of like I find it hard to believe they're offering Skype to Kinnect users just so they can have voice chat. I believe they'll find more bandwidth intensive uses for the Skype network as it applies to gaming.

I know my post is alarmist, I intended it to be that way.

[Dwarf]

You don't send anything over Skype, you send it directly to the recipient. Skype only does the hook-up, so to speak.

[dogstile]

Bit of a false title isn't it? I clicked on this thinking "hah, he's overreacting" and whadaya know, overreacting.

Hell, I don't even think they'll charge us. We have too many other options and its not like we're being charged for WLM.

[SeaBee]

Wow, lots of emotionally charged overreaction in here. You guys feelin' okay?

Skype was ready to sell. Google and Facebook both wanted it, Microsoft wanted it a bit more.

Thread title is needlessly sensationalist and inflammatory, built on baseless speculation and the hope that everyone still hates Microsoft. If you aren't already a professional journalist, you should think about becoming one! The networks love this stuff. Well done! 

[Capntastic]

Some people just want to go through life living on unfounded assumptions, apparently.  It's only really a problem when they try to pass it off as anything approaching 'fact'.

[nenjin]

Hook, line and sinker. Maybe I should have gone into "professional" journalism after all.

I knew FB and Google were both wanting Skype. They've been in the market for the last two years or so I think.

Hell, I don't even think they'll charge us. We have too many other options and its not like we're being charged for WLM.

Remember that skype has banks of phone lines all over the world and skype holds around 25% of the international caller market. Ie, one of every four calls made one country to another is made through skype.

If you were one of the wealthiest companies in the world, that just got a 25% share of all international calls, what would you do with that? Sit on Skype's name recognition and market penetration and leave it at that? MS was the same company that forced billed me into an XboxLive Silver Membership and argued with me for 10 minutes once I tried to cancel. Google....I'd worry about them collecting my skype data for no earthly reason. With MS, I worry about suddenly paying for stuff that I've enjoyed in the past without a subscription or noticable tiers of performance.

Some people just want to go through life living on unfounded assumptions, apparently.  It's only really a problem when they try to pass it off as anything approaching 'fact'.

And some people go toward making these statements like a dwarf to booze.

[Viken]

Better MS than Sony, these days.  Atleast MS keeps all records and whatnot sealed and their security up and going.  With all the failing of Sony right now (and the millions of dollars a day they're loosing), its nearly the perfect time for MS to clinch into a new market.

Still, 8 billion dollars is both high, and rather fair for a company that owes millions in debts at the moment.  Skype is extremely popular, but it doesn't make up for the shortfall of cash they don't have.  And sense while MS is buying the company outright, instead of by market share, Ebay and the other companys that own share in Skype get to keep it, so there is a bit of a counterballance against MS, atleast for now.

[nenjin]

Is it out of line to suggest that the reason Skype hasn't made a lot of money, but has been hugely successful, is because of their business model? This is how it seems things go: great software with a relaxed model becomes hugely successful, is bought by larger companies, and is brought in line with most of the standard services we're used to seeing. That's why I've always stuck with skype over anything, it was the best combination of quality and freedom of use, for my needs anyway.

[Jay]

Better MS than Sony, these days.  Atleast MS keeps all records and whatnot sealed and their security up and going.  With all the failing of Sony right now (and the millions of dollars a day they're loosing), its nearly the perfect time for MS to clinch into a new market.

So, the fact that Sony is under attack by "professional" hackers and MS is not makes them the worse of the two companies?
That's about as fair as calling Windows worse than OSX because it gets viruses.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

OSX doesn't get as many viruses because it's the lesser market-share of the two.  People don't bother. There is certainly nothing in their operating system that makes it harder or anything.

[Duke 2.0]

 I think I prefer this theory I stumbled upon today on the subject.

The prevailing theory is that Microsoft paid $Aztecempire in order to cock-block Google and Facebook, both of which were circling around Skype like horny bees.

 Just the thought of Microsoft doing this because fuck Google makes the world a better place.