Interesting quote from “The Xbox Reloaded” (Wired): “Xbox 360 will introduce gamers to a world where they can create and maintain a persistent, evolving online persona regardless of which game they’re playing. A user profile, maintained at a Microsoft data center, will follow you around and track your progress from game to game. That way, if you’re a Halo 3 ace, you won’t get thrown into a multiplayer Splinter Cell session with a bunch of newbies. The Xbox Live network will also tie into real-world payment systems – à la PayPal – so players can buy, make, and sell virtual weapons, car parts, and clothes via micropayments.”
So it sounds like Microsoft is building a PayPal competitor, with Xbox 360 as a trojan horse to get it into living rooms.