Microsoft has recently released details about how the upcoming Xbox 360 will handle Xbox LIVE player ranking and matchmaking. The system is called 'TrueSkill' and will be implemented into every LIVE-enabled 360 game including all third party titles.
Each player's rank is individually tracked on a scale of 1 - 50 for each game and is based on demonstrated skill & an uncertainty factor. This means the system looks at a player's potential based on their current data--ie. how many games they've played--and calculates a certain estimate of how well the player will preform in the future based upon available information. When more games are played, the uncertainty factor would shrink however this doesn't mean the rank would necessarily change.
While the concept is similar to both ELO & Halo 2's ranking system, it is much less experiential based compared to Halo 2's which places a much larger emphasis on the number of games played in determining level. The TrueSkill system also tracks & ranks players independently in team games (again different than Halo 2's where rank is very reliant on the overall team outcome).
For a general overview of the Trueskill system read the following IGN article:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/662/662347p1.html
For a more in-depth look at TrueSkill, read the Microsoft page that discusses the system:
http://www.research.microsoft.com/mlp/trueskill/
While the concept is similar to both ELO & Halo 2's ranking system, it is much less experiential based compared to Halo 2's which places a much larger emphasis on the number of games played in determining level. The TrueSkill system also tracks & ranks players independently in team games (again different than Halo 2's where rank is very reliant on the overall team outcome).
For a general overview of the Trueskill system read the following IGN article:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/662/662347p1.html
For a more in-depth look at TrueSkill, read the Microsoft page that discusses the system:
http://www.research.microsoft.com/mlp/trueskill/
