Xbox Live maintenance slated for June 16, could be down all day

Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:46PM EDT

See Comments (26)

Does someone at Microsoft HQ really, really hate me? There I was, all planning to celebrate my 40th birthday next Tuesday (please, no presents) with some fast and furious "Halo 3" deathmatches, and now I hear that Xbox Live—the online gaming and media service for the Xbox 360—will be down for the count that day (and potentially all day) for, like, "maintenance." What gives?

OK, I'm kidding—although not about the fact that it's my birthday next week (it is), or that I'll be 40 (I will be), or that someone at Microsoft may hate me (hey, you never know). However, I am only joshing by suggesting that Xbox Live maintenance, even of the "all day" variety, is necessarily a bad thing.

Indeed, Microsoft appears to have learned its lesson after the infamous Xbox Live meltdown of Christmas 2007. Since then, Live (which boasts upwards of 17 million members) has barely skipped a beat, even after the big "New Xbox Experience" overhaul last November. (The same can't be said about Xbox 360 hardware, unfortunately.)

On his blog, Xbox Live's Major Nelson (a.k.a. Larry Hryb, director of programming for Live) writes that the scheduled downtime—slated to begin at 12:01 a.m. PST on the 16th and lasting for "up to 24 hours"—is for "maintenance only," intended primarily to "prepare for some of the recently announced features" on tap for the fall.

Those features, announced during E3 last week in Los Angeles, include goodies such as Facebook and Twitter access, an enhanced Netflix player that will let you browse for new movies, and streaming 1080p videos over Live's upcoming, Zune Marketplace-powered video store.

If the price for all those new features is a day of Live maintenance, well … I guess I'll live. (And besides, at least the maintenance is scheduled for a workday and not over the weekend.)

In any case, consider yourself warned: No Xbox Live next Tuesday. Hey, single-player mode isn't so bad, right?

Related:
Xbox Live Service Maintenance [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Comments on Xbox Live maintenance slated for June 16, could be down all day

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  • 6 Posted by mblaha2003 on Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    #4 I live right next door do not come out of your home on June 16th.

  • 9 Posted by maclingman on Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:56AM EDT Report Abuse

    @3 are you serious, maybe the outside will you do some good.

  • 10 Posted by mblaha2003 on Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:06AM EDT Report Abuse

    Outside is overrated I can go any where in the world I want with my pc.

  • 11 Posted by d_gunde on Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Why would they pick a Tuesday? That's when most games are released. This is going to pretty much ruin launch day multiplayer for Ghostbusters. I'm also not looking forward to having to wait to activate my preorder bonuses.

  • 12 Posted by mikeybbadd3 on Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    im getting tired of xbox b/s, they can't seem to do much right these days, messed up ring of death jacked up dash board up grade was crap, I really hate to say it but I'm almost done with them, sad I've been there from the begining

  • 13 Posted by philipcronshaw on Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    Who cares about the update Xbox is the best online system in the world and all they are trying to do is make it better single player games aren't that bad and u don't need to be that geeky about it jus chill 1 day is nothing. Red Faction well good game can't wait till November.

  • 14 Posted by larmo33 on Sat Jun 13, 2009 7:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hey folks, Let number 3 have his fun. I'll bet he has an awesome throwing arm. Besides which. Maybe his neighbors deserve to be stoned. Anyway, relax. The Dude was only joking! Right mblaha2003?

  • 15 Posted by jn7827 on Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:19AM EDT Report Abuse

    Does anyone else care about this. All ten people will probably go buy new games. Big Freaking Deal.

  • 16 Posted by robert_manganaro_jr on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:33AM EDT Report Abuse

    i am sure they do it on tuesday bc that has the LEAST AMOUNT OF PLAYERS ONLINE AT THAT TIME! Numbers thats it...soooo Basically, MAJORITY RULES. If Tuesday is your ONLY DAY TO PLAY then FU bc majority rules. Its alot like life...Laws, lifestyles, clothing, fads all small then when it catches on and everyone does it then it becomes the "norm" ....majority rules

  • 17 Posted by facymant on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    ahhhh i why wasnt i notified about this update lol. haha i spent almost an hour trying to configure my MTU settings to xbox live and now i find out theres an update today...ugh FML.

  • 19 Posted by alex.ncal on Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    LOL i tried to fix up my MTU settings for about 5 mins then i remembered. EPIC FAIL!

  • 20 Posted by btreyes on Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's funny how much you miss something when you don't have it. I'm surprised how everything is down though: Live, Zune & the XBOX website. That's a mighty big update they're doing.

  • 21 Posted by bonafidejr on Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had today off. Why xbox, why? I wish I would get some notice so I could just go out fishing all day instead of being bored. I guess I will get drunk. Adios all....

  • 22 Posted by fender4ever0912 on Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    #5 i put my xbox on its side all the time, the only thing is i keep it in the open with 360 degrees of air flow, and it is also 1 foot from the A/C vent so it stays at a descent temperature. ive played for hours on end and its still fine.

  • 23 Posted by ytrom21 on Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    necessary but completly boring and wasted summer day it rained all day couldve used the box today ive had two break i brought one htat was broken out the other day and it workd iw as stoked so two great xboxs with only single player. Just goes to remind me how much xbox would suck if it didnt have live

  • 24 Posted by devil666q on Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    RF Guerrilla wont make a difference, but if you leave your xbox on for a long time, it will heat up the cheap motherboard chinese soldering machines they use and you wont get the ring of death,- muhahaha,

  • 25 Posted by ballplaya4406 on Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:46AM EDT Report Abuse

    okay its 12:44 AM and xbox is still not up and running. I want to play NBA live 09 and get my game on andd its not happening...thanks to the reliance of the 24 hours nonsense that it told me...its not that long...ITS EVEN LONGER...what is going on...all i want to do i play some opponents in nba live after your maintenance... isnt that cool that i ask for just that???

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