XLink Kai

XLink Kai is a free online gaming network for game consoles. Supports Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. XLink Kai is a tunneling software that allows you to play console games with a LAN mode via the Internet. XLink has currently (September 2011) about 1.9 million registered users.

Operation

XLink allows every game XBOX system link or LAN mode support to play online ( like Hamachi ). The XLink engine simulates the game console, they were in a LAN and transmits the network packets of the console to the players in the current lobby. The game console has this while playing with a PC running XLink Kai engine running, be connected via a network cable.

By means of a surface can be controlled via the PC, the XLink Engine and the respective game arenas or lobbies are open. There is also the option to install the Kai engine on some routers, and on the Xbox, there are some programs, such as the Xbox Media Center, with which the engine can be controlled directly from the console. It is thus possible to use XLink Kai without a running PC.

History

XLink has its origins in the homebrew scene of the Xbox. The network was created in 2003 as a private project, the programmer TheDaddy and TeXLink. With XLink to let Xbox games that have a system link play, play online. By 2003, the name was still XLink X-Link Messenger. From the beginning, XLink came in the Xbox scene with considerable interest and was the mark of 100,000 registered users exceed in 2004. In direct competition XLink was from the beginning to the network XBConnect, which has the same function and was similarly popular. Indirectly competed XLink with Xbox Live, the official online service of Xbox. Over time, the development team grew from XLink and it added more and more features. Finally, more consoles were supported, so it is now possible to play using XLink also with Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable online.

Partial popularity lost XLink a from 2006, after the Xbox 360 was released. In the Xbox 360 has a 30 millisecond Pinglimit was built, which made it virtually impossible to play Xbox 360 titles on XLink. This Pinglimit was eventually bypassed by hackers in 2010. At the same time, the network lists but to date large inflow from the PSP user community.

Features

Each user of XLink has its own XTAG, so an individual profile. In profile or personal information about an avatar can be set. In addition, each XTAG also has its own list of friends. Users can send each other private messages, also there is the possibility to take part in public chat. Each supported by XLink game features within the software has its own lobby. Within these lobbies users can in turn create private arenas, or participate in public games. In addition, each registered with XLink user also has access to the official ellen XLink community forum. Similar to Xbox Live, there are also at XLink so-called "gamer " cards.