Microsoft’s confusing naming schemes continue with ‘Live’ the latest victim of corporate over-think.

Xbox Live has for 20 years been synonymous with the Xbox console and brand, an easy to say and understand moniker that launched Microsoft’s first console into online gaming with classics like the original Halo.

Fast-forward to 2021 and in keeping with the companies ever more confusing naming decisions, such as the daft own-goal that was calling their next-gen systems Xbox Series X/S, an obvious clash with the Xbox One X, Xbox Live is the latest to receive an awkward makeover from the suits in Redmond.

Xbox Network is the new name, which refers, in the words of a spokesperson who spoke to The Verge, “to the underlying Xbox online service, which was updated in the Microsoft Services Agreement…The update from ‘Xbox Live’ to ‘Xbox network’ is intended to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships”.

The company was moved to clarify any confusion this morning when articles reading ‘Xbox Live is no more!” started popping up online, leading to panicked nerds worrying that Microsoft had suddenly thrown in the towel with their online service. This of course was not the case, as PR reps made clear in follow-up statements.

As to why Microsoft thought any of this was really necessary is anyone’s guess. If the reason for ditching ‘Live’ was to avoid confusion with ‘Xbox Live Gold’, why not ditch the latter? Benefits from Gold membership have become intertwined with the excellent Xbox Game Pass, so ditching Live Gold and bringing all benefits under the Game Pass banner would have made a lot more sense to us.

Instead, we’re left with a pointlessly confusing name change that makes Xbox’s online services sound less exciting and a lot more run-of-the-mill.

If Microsoft wants to be the ‘cool’ gaming brand, this latest move is a step backwards. Still, what do we expect from a bunch of board room suits obsessed with their focus groups…