Overdog App on Xbox One

One of the main attractions of the Xbox 360 in the last console generation was online play, and just how easy it was to connect with others around the world. Numerous games on the console like Halo, Call of Duty and Gears of War kept players up at night because online gaming was streamlined. A big factor in that ease of use was matchmaking, which matches players up based on their skill/rank, internet connection and more.

Of course, for the Xbox One and the rest of the current generation of consoles, matchmaking in still around, and more people are playing online with each other. Matchmaking's performance varies, depending on the game being played, though when it's working, there's very little discussion about it. For a more notable example of when it wasn't working as intended, simply look back to Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Destiny.

Matchmaking isn't going away, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be other ways to find players to play with. As it stands right now, matchmaking brings strangers together to play for a time; but what if there was a way to find other like-minded players? This is where a new Xbox One app known called Overdog comes in.

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As revealed by Larry Hryb/Major Nelson on Twitter today, Overdog is a new Xbox One app that aims to make playing online less...anonymous. Interestingly enough, it isn't integrated with specific games, and is more like a new social media app that people can use to make new friends.

"Instead of gaming with anonymous people in your favorite games (Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, and Madden to name a few), wouldn't you rather game with people you have something in common with? Stop letting the console tell you who to play with. Game with people who feel like friends."

The process with which to use Overdog is fairly simply: Users go around liking their favorite things - be they music, movies, television shows, etc - and the app suggests other players that have similar interests. Those suggestions come complete with an overall compatibility percentage, and gives matched players the ability to contact each other and decide if/when they'll play together.

It's an app with an interesting function that warrants some looking into, but since the app just came out, there's no telling how accurate or good it really is. Additionally, Overdog is, according to the above video, exclusive to the Xbox One, but the app's website states that it's "coming to other platforms." That could mean mobile devices and PC, with the PlayStation 4 being left out completely, or it's a timed exclusive. Regardless, details on what other hardware Overdog comes to will come at a later time.

Xbox One owners that are seeking a new way to add people to their friends list should check out Overdog, at the very least; it's not like there are a bunch of alternatives to matchmaking.

Does Overdog seem like something you'd beup for utilizing, or are you satisfied with the current way players are recommended and matched up?

Source: Larry Hryb on Twitter, Overdog.com