Microsoft Xbox Live Traffic Quadruples Following Halo-2 Launch

Microsoft Xbox Live traffic on service provider networks quadrupled following the November 9th launch of Halo-II -- which set entertainment industry records by selling 2.4-million units in the U.S. and Canada on the first day of availability, driving cash register receipts to the $125-million mark. A new study by broadband traffic measurement specialist Sandvine Incorporated shows that these traffic levels are continuing, raising QoS concerns for service providers eager to keep gamers.



Halo II, which requires low network latency, makes use of the multiplayer split-screen System-Link feature and Xbox Live. Sandvine said that "the explosion in X-Box Live traffic attributed to Halo II should be seen as a clarion call." In order to avoid network disruptions or "jitters" that degrade the pace and flow of virtual competition, network managers must be capable of identifying game traffic and setting quality of service (QoS) policies that protect it from interference.



Sandvine's trend analysis, "Gaming and QoS on broadband networks," can be downloaded from the company's website. http://www.sandvine.com/solutions/download_center.asp