Friday, May 26, 2006
Kotaku: Xbox Live Update Brings Major Enhancements
Posted by Jeremy Charette in "NEWS" @ 07:30 PM
"I just got off the phone with some Microsoft peeps. They walked me through what features the Live update will include and said it will hit around next Friday. Among other things, the update includes major music and DVD playback tweaks, adding the ability to conduct downloads in the background and boot to the console's dashboard. "This is our first major system update since we launched," said Aaron Greenberg, group marketing manager for Xbox Live. "We've been collecting user feedback since we launched and we put together a very long multi-page list of new features included in this update...You might have noticed that "Television, Music, Sports and More" category. Yeah, it caught my eye too. Here's what it means: Unfortunately, it doesn't mean full length prime time shows. Instead they are focusing on short form shows. Like maybe previews of next week's show or the Gears of War special. Music videos will also be here. "We are continuing to develop exclusive content," Greenberg said, when I pressed him on the issue of the chance that prime time tv or other episodic content might be sold through Live. "Anything is possible, we have the platform for it and the partners in place.""
Microsoft has beat the hackers and modders at their own game, by giving consumers what they want. They're listening to customers and supporting their needs with twice yearly dashboard updates. The primary reason people modded the original Xbox is because they wanted more functionality, like the ability to play back music and movie files. Now Microsoft is not only giving consumers that capability, but also backing it up with fresh content like interviews, spotlight pieces, and previews. Combine an Xbox 360 with a Media Center PC, and you've got an entertainment powerhouse, with the ability to play and record live TV, stream music, watch videos, and play DVDs. Soon we'll be able to add HD DVD playback to that list. Now for the next question: how does DirecTV fit into the equation? Only time will tell. Hit the jump for all the details, the list of improvements and additions is way too long to post here.
Microsoft has beat the hackers and modders at their own game, by giving consumers what they want. They're listening to customers and supporting their needs with twice yearly dashboard updates. The primary reason people modded the original Xbox is because they wanted more functionality, like the ability to play back music and movie files. Now Microsoft is not only giving consumers that capability, but also backing it up with fresh content like interviews, spotlight pieces, and previews. Combine an Xbox 360 with a Media Center PC, and you've got an entertainment powerhouse, with the ability to play and record live TV, stream music, watch videos, and play DVDs. Soon we'll be able to add HD DVD playback to that list. Now for the next question: how does DirecTV fit into the equation? Only time will tell. Hit the jump for all the details, the list of improvements and additions is way too long to post here.
