Our attention is on Xbox Live since it's one of the oldest and best online gaming services to connect with other people all over the world. A match made on Xbox Live can be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Many find it hard to believe that you can develop a working and stable relationship over Xbox Live, considering things like security and distance, stability and trust, as well as other issues. Xbox Live is in no way a dating service; it's strictly an online community based on gaming and meeting a potential boyfriend or girlfriend is a completely different story. Let's get into the issues of to expect, and how to overcome these issues.

Hey! I owned you so hard don't you think I deserve your number?!

The first issue that comes to mind is security, the feeling of being safe. There isn't much of a risk factor in making sure if the person is genuinely interested in the other person. Most likely they'll be playing games together and spending a lot of time communicating with one another. When people meet on Xbox Live, it's almost guaranteed that gaming is a commonality between the them. One thing people must be aware of is that identity will always be kept secret over the internet. This problem is inevitable until the two actually meet in person, so caution is always advised.

Live allows players to connect with people around the world, which already indicates a pretty good chance that there'll be some distance between the two. Some people have taken the chance to travel and meet each other in person. Some have ended up with the traveler getting abandoned in a city they've never been to and some have ended up getting married shortly after because it worked out so well. Most of the time disaster happens because they choose to rush things and meet up before getting to know each other better. It takes time to develop a good, working relationship, so enjoy the games and have quality communication with each other.

After security and distance comes stability and trust. How well can a relationship go, when it's starting on an unstable foundation such as Xbox Live? Exactly how well do you know the person you want to start a relationship with? The reason why matchmaking through the internet has a low probability of working out is because of the fact that those two people have no physical contact whatsoever. For all you know, the new girlfriend who sounds perfect for you could have four more boyfriends on Live and a real boyfriend that she lives with.

Xbox Live will only take you so far in a relationship. Sure, you can communicate with each other while playing your favorite game, though depending on how people act, you might want to be ready to meet up with each other sooner or later. This depends on if you want a serious relationship or not. Personally, what I would do is get to know the person well enough to actually meet up (considering if the distance is ridiculously far, like if she's in Switzerland or whatever) and find out if they're the right match for me. It's always advised to be careful and don't fall too quickly into a vain relationship.

What a creep.. This is totally not a way to win a womans heart...

In the end, it's hard to know what to expect when looking for a match on Xbox Live. If you want a successful one, then take your time, play games with them, and communicate. Though in all honesty, Xbox Live won't get you as far as you think. It will probably evolve into emails, messenger clients, and then phone calls. Getting to know one another is the most important thing for a relationship. If it seems right, then take the chance. Though don't be reckless, because the internet can be a dangerous place. Like stated above, you never know what happens if you do decide to meet. For all you know, it could be a serial killer waiting for his next victim. Here's a list of what to do and what not to do:

What to do

1. Get to know the person. I cannot stress enough how important communication is. It's a lot trickier then people think when it comes to meeting somebody on Halo 3 that lives in a a different state. Take your time.
2. Trust your instincts. This one is probably the most logical. If you feel that you know each other enough with a reasonable amount of thought, then go for it. This one is definitely TRICKY, because love can fool all. Make sure you think it through before you act.
3. Be yourself. Do not lie by saying you're a pro basketball player when you're not. If everything goes right, and he or she finally wants to meet you, the person can end up getting completely disappointed because you said you were something you weren't, then you'll just end up lying more and getting yourself screwed. In the movies they may show those scenarios where the person thinks it's cute and likes you even more, but I have one thing to say: Welcome to real life.

What not to do

1. Don't seem too desperate. Remember, people go on Xbox Live to game seriously and/or have fun. They don't want a surge of questions coming through their headphones from a bunch of 10-year-old boys.
2. Don't be hasty. Do NOT RUSH THINGS! One of the biggest reasons why online dating doesn't work out is because they decide to rush things and get themselves into more than what they bargained for. You wouldn't want to end up with the girl (or guy, for our female readers of course) you owned in DoA4 18 times in a row angry at you because they found out you're dyslexic. Even if you guys are in the same state, you wouldn't want to waste a good eight hour drive trying to explain that you're left handed when you could've done it on the internet.
3. Do not underestimate who you want to date. Meeting on Xbox Live and gaming could be a strange thing, but if you look at your potential boyfriend and girlfriend as dog food when playing with them, then good luck asking them for their phone numbers. This one is actually different than if you were doing it at home, with him or her right next to you rubbing it in their face. This is because they probably somewhat know you as a person, or more like, they can tell how you act. This is a lot harder over something such as Xbox Live, so don't ruin it by showing you're nothing, but a Destructobot 9000.