Xbox Live gamertags and screen names

[coldmeat]

Is there any reason why Microsoft doesn't adopt the system that Steam uses for screen names? With Steam you have your Steam ID that is tied to your account, but you can freely change your screen name that other players see in-game. The only reason I can see would be to avoid confusion from people constantly changing their names, but that's not really a problem on Steam (though I don't use it as much as XBL)

I imagine finding a new gamertag these days is next to impossible, unless you add numbers or random letters at the end, or just choose something completely random. I have a gamertag that I'm happy with, but it has a couple of numbers being used as letters because the actual tag I wanted was taken (but not used since 2007 ).

It just seems to me like the Steam system works better.

I assume that they will be using the same Xbox Live for the next xbox right?

 

[RedRooster]

Is there any reason why Microsoft doesn't adopt the system that Steam uses for screen names? With Steam you have your Steam ID that is tied to your account, but you can freely change your screen name that other players see in-game. The only reason I can see would be to avoid confusion from people constantly changing their names, but that's not really a problem on Steam (though I don't use it as much as XBL)

I imagine finding a new gamertag these days is next to impossible, unless you add numbers or random letters at the end, or just choose something completely random. I have a gamertag that I'm happy with, but it has a couple of numbers being used as letters because the actual tag I wanted was taken (but not used since 2007 ).

It just seems to me like the Steam system works better.

I assume that they will be using the same Xbox Live for the next xbox right?

I gotta think that's the only reason MS has. That, and the fact that they can charge 800 points to change it and people are paying that!
If my profile doesn't carry over to the next XBox though, I'm done with them. That would be awful if it didn't.

In the last couple years I've considered just paying the 800 points to change mine, just to mix it up. So if it were easily and freely changeable, there'd be people that would do it everyday I'd imagine.

 

[American Gunner]

Yeah, just like Xbox live, they will not let stuff be free when they are making money off something stupid like changing your name.

 

[benzylic]

Ive been thinking about paying the $10 and changing my gamertag, I made it when I was like 13 or so on the original xbox and I'm kinda tired of it.