- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
First - the starter kits are just a convienient way to get practically everything you need to get on Xbox Live. A subscription card, a headset, and one XBL enabled game.
If you have a 2 month trial you can still use XBL to almost its full potential, you can play games with others. You can talk if you provide your own headset.
Arguably the most important part of the the official Xbox headset is the controller adaptor. Even if you want to use a cellphone headset, or the Halo 2 headset, you still need one of these.
As for the second question; the headset is not required but pretty much anyone will highly recommend it, it is used for talking!
Without a headset you can hear conversations through the TV speakers, however you cannot contribute your own two cents. In games where teamwork and communication is essential, it's a real problem if you cannot respond to teammate inquiries and comments. I've actually seen people kicked out of games for not having a headset (you can see if someone has one by their sound icon besided their name in the players list).