XboxNowOnline

Infobox Website
name = XboxNowOnline (XBO)



owner = H-ZONE Media

author = Hamza Dar; Editor in Chief

type = Xbox 360 Gaming Blog
commercial= No
slogan= "The Number One Source for Xbox 360 News Coverage"
"Power Up with XBO"
launch date = March 1, 2007
current status = Active
url = [http://www.xboxnowonline.com/ www.xboxnowonline.com]

XboxNowOnline [abbreviated as XBO] is an Xbox and Xbox 360 News website. Featuring a blog-like format with an appealing interface, XBO strives to serve the gaming community. The site also does Xbox 360 Game reviews [first and foremost, unbiased] , commentary, and offers a bundle of services to site users. The site is updated constantly on a daily basis, and is run by volunteers. [cite web | url=http://www.hzonenow.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/xboxnowonline-press-release.pdf | format=PDF | title=H-ZONE MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF XBOXNOWONLINE.COM | publisher=H-Zone Media | accessdate=2008-08-23 | date=2007-02-27] XBO Radio is the official podcast of the website, and is a weekly service. As time goes by, XBO has hopes of continually expanding its services to users.Recently the website also implemented XBO Weekly Happenings, which gives users a sneak peek as to what to expect in the upcoming week, so far it has seen positive response. XboxNowOnline is a part of 2008 H-ZONE Media and was founded by Hamza Dar who currently serves as the Editor in Chief at the site. As of August 2008, the site staffs five members and has written nearly 2000 articles.

Site Operations

News ReportingXBO is an Xbox 360 news website. XboxNowOnline offers daily updates. The website reports on everything from everyday press announcements, to everyday rumors. Users get informative posts in due time. Along with constant news updates, the site also offers commentary and things like XBO Rants, in which the author discusses a specific issue. RegistrationXboxNowOnline offers free registration with the site giving users added benefit. These include unrestricted access to site forums, members' downloads, personal profiles, albums, personal blog and soon site design selection. That will offer usuers an option to select from a variety of site themes, which shall be enabled upon log on. Profiles allow users to embed videos, tell others a bit about themselves [ie. what games they play, what consoles they own, wish list etc.] and are fully customizable.

XBO Social In August 2008, the site launched XBO Social [http://www.xboxnowonline.com/page.php?3] . This was a way to reach out to the gaming community with a social networking platform embedded into the site, along with the monthly community newsletter (XBO Social Outlook). The Social Networking platform allows users interact with each other such as adding one another as friends and commenting profiles. XBO Social is available only to site members.

ForumsIn June of 2008, XboxNowOnline made forum use available to all site members. The XBO Forums are a place where users can gather round and talk about whatever is on their minds.The forums are based on the e107 (software) which is also used as the main platform for the site.

XBO RadioAs of summer 2007, XboxNowOnline launched a what was supposed to be a weekly podcast. XBO Radio as it is called, is currently on hiatus and is set to return in coming weeks. The show was taken on break for improvements. During the podcast, the staff talk about various news articles, and issues facing the gaming community. The show was done via Talkshoe in the past, but is scheduled to be done on Skype when it returns. Even though the show is set to be done via the new software, episodes will be uploaded on Talkshoe so users can subscribe and download them.

Staff [http://www.xboxnowonline.com/page.php?19]
Current Staff at XboxNowOnline:
Hamza Dar; Editor in Chief
Dean Tripp; Associate Editor
Hassan Sheikh; XBO Freelance Editor
Steve Saunier; XBO Staff Writer
Proudnole; XBLA Reviewer

XboxNowOnline Reviews

XBO offers unbiased reviews to readers. Recently as of August 2008, XboxNowOnline has started doing video reviews in order to reach a wider audience range and provide users with more media. The website has also confirmed that they have added new services within the text reviews such as an exclusive "Buy or Not" rating, and a universal format in which all reviews are planned on to being written. The website rates games on a scale of one through ten, with ten being the highest. The finalized review format [http://xboxnowonline.com/news.php?extend.1704.6] explains that the site is going to include a numerical rating and a chart displaying the games' pros and cons. This was intended to clarify the final observations.

XBO TV

On August 20, 2008 XBO Launched a new service which features videos from XBO Staff. The first [http://xboxnowonline.com/news.php?extend.1703.6 video was their review] for an Xbox LIVE Arcade title, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 [http://xboxnowonline.com/news.php?extend.1703.6] . Videos from XboxNowOnline go under the title of XBO TV. The site hopes to accomplish more with this service including a LIVE feed from gaming event coverage, which they hope to start doing in 2009.

Game of the Year Awards

At the end of every year, as most gaming websites do, XBO presents a game the GOTY award.
Past winners:
2007: Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC) [http://xboxnowonline.com/news.php?item.1135.1]

References