Social Networking and More is here for Xbox 360
In a recent press release, Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Whitten confirmed the next wave of social interaction and entertainment is coming to Xbox LIVE on November 17. Starting tomorrow, Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and instant on 1080p HD video from Zune will be available on Xbox 360 consoles, making Xbox LIVE the largest social network connected to the TV, with exclusive features custom-designed for the living room and home entertainment systems.
“We’re delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members,” Whitten said. “Xbox LIVE’s differentiator has always been our community, and we’ve already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview. It’s the community that drives us forward and allows us to pioneer new ways of connecting people through the entertainment they love.”
“From the launch of Xbox LIVE nearly seven years ago, to milestones like Video Marketplace, Netflix and the New Xbox Experience, we’ve continued working toward our vision of connected entertainment for everyone, I’m proud to say that next week marks another great stride in fulfilling that promise, and we’re already imagining what the future has in store,” Whitten said.
Below are a few details on the new updates that will be available to Xbox Live Subscribers:
Facebook– Update your status to share what movie, game or entertainment you’re enjoying, connect with friends and view their Facebook stream, status updates and photos right on your TV, all seamlessly integrated and custom built for Xbox 360. You can even compare your Xbox LIVE and Facebook friends’ lists to see which of your friends are on Xbox LIVE and add them to your console at that time.
Zune – Zune video offers a full experience with instant on HD in 1080p and 5.1 channels surround sound. No waiting for downloads or buffering; it’s instantly streamed to your console with a simple press of a button. You can also share the experience with up to seven friends through voice chat and Avatar integration on the TV screen.
Twitter – Stay in the know by discovering, posting and replying to Tweets right on your Xbox 360 console. You can even view friend profiles, trends and conversations, or search to see who’s tweeting about your favorite game.
Last.fm – Immerse yourself and discover more music and explore unlimited personalized radio stations with Last.fm. Skip, “ban,” or “love” tracks to create your perfect musical mix. You can also enjoy a new feature called “Gamer Stations” with game-related music selected specifically for the gaming community.
On top of those social features, Xbox LIVE will also be debuting “News and More,” a new section of the “Inside Xbox” channel. It’s a regularly updated news stream of content from MSNBC, The New Yorker and Dilbert.
On November 17, turn on your Xbox 360, log onto Xbox LIVE and your system should automatically prompt you to update. Once complete, you will be ready to go and enjoy all these new features.
Not an Xbox LIVE Gold member but really wanna check these new features out? Don’t worry about it. From November 20 (12 pm ET / 9 am PT) through November 23 (12 pm ET / 9 am PT), Xbox LIVE Silver members will have the opportunity to try out and enjoy all the latest Gold features for FREE!! – including Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm! There’s tons more to experience and do with Gold service as well, since, for that weekend, it all will be available to all for free.
While I am not a huge Twitter or Last FM fan I am definitely interested to see how these new features work and I definitely do not mind Microsoft trying to add to the all-around experience of the system. By updating this already awesome console with all of these additional features, Microsoft is making the purchase of an Xbox 360 an easy choice and worth every penny. I will be sure to update my system the first chance I get tomorrow, and I recommend you do the same.
Til next time, keep on gaming!!
“We’re delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members,” Whitten said. “Xbox LIVE’s differentiator has always been our community, and we’ve already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview. It’s the community that drives us forward and allows us to pioneer new ways of connecting people through the entertainment they love.”
“From the launch of Xbox LIVE nearly seven years ago, to milestones like Video Marketplace, Netflix and the New Xbox Experience, we’ve continued working toward our vision of connected entertainment for everyone, I’m proud to say that next week marks another great stride in fulfilling that promise, and we’re already imagining what the future has in store,” Whitten said.
Below are a few details on the new updates that will be available to Xbox Live Subscribers:
Facebook– Update your status to share what movie, game or entertainment you’re enjoying, connect with friends and view their Facebook stream, status updates and photos right on your TV, all seamlessly integrated and custom built for Xbox 360. You can even compare your Xbox LIVE and Facebook friends’ lists to see which of your friends are on Xbox LIVE and add them to your console at that time.
Zune – Zune video offers a full experience with instant on HD in 1080p and 5.1 channels surround sound. No waiting for downloads or buffering; it’s instantly streamed to your console with a simple press of a button. You can also share the experience with up to seven friends through voice chat and Avatar integration on the TV screen.
Twitter – Stay in the know by discovering, posting and replying to Tweets right on your Xbox 360 console. You can even view friend profiles, trends and conversations, or search to see who’s tweeting about your favorite game.
Last.fm – Immerse yourself and discover more music and explore unlimited personalized radio stations with Last.fm. Skip, “ban,” or “love” tracks to create your perfect musical mix. You can also enjoy a new feature called “Gamer Stations” with game-related music selected specifically for the gaming community.
On top of those social features, Xbox LIVE will also be debuting “News and More,” a new section of the “Inside Xbox” channel. It’s a regularly updated news stream of content from MSNBC, The New Yorker and Dilbert.
On November 17, turn on your Xbox 360, log onto Xbox LIVE and your system should automatically prompt you to update. Once complete, you will be ready to go and enjoy all these new features.
Not an Xbox LIVE Gold member but really wanna check these new features out? Don’t worry about it. From November 20 (12 pm ET / 9 am PT) through November 23 (12 pm ET / 9 am PT), Xbox LIVE Silver members will have the opportunity to try out and enjoy all the latest Gold features for FREE!! – including Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm! There’s tons more to experience and do with Gold service as well, since, for that weekend, it all will be available to all for free.
While I am not a huge Twitter or Last FM fan I am definitely interested to see how these new features work and I definitely do not mind Microsoft trying to add to the all-around experience of the system. By updating this already awesome console with all of these additional features, Microsoft is making the purchase of an Xbox 360 an easy choice and worth every penny. I will be sure to update my system the first chance I get tomorrow, and I recommend you do the same.
Til next time, keep on gaming!!
Labels: Facebook, Microsoft, New, Twitter, Xbox
This entry was posted by James Dumas, on Monday, November 16, 2009. You can
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