Microsoft to bring Facebook and Twitter to Xbox

Tue Jun 2 2009, 11:11 AM UTC+01:00

Microsoft will allow users to access Facebook and Twitter from within their Xbox 360 consoles in an effort to promote the device as a hub for all home entertainment. The new connectivity is expected to go live in autumn, but in-game compatibility could take longer as developers will need to include new code in their releases.

Deal Details

The Facebook interface will work via Facebook Connect and allow users to link their Xbox Live gaming identities with their Facebook accounts. Users will also be able to post updates and photos to their Facebook news feed from within the console’s dashboard. The system could allow users to find new gaming partners among their Facebook friends, and offers the possibility of introducing Facebook’s ‘real-name’ culture to the Xbox Live community.

The Twitter compatibility will work in a similar way, thanks to Twitter’s open API, which allows developers to build apps that access the Twitter site from different devices. Xbox users will be able to update their Twitter feeds, and send and receive direct messages, from within the console.

Microsoft is also connecting the Xbox 360 with music discovery service last.fm. Subscribers to Xbox Live Gold, the USD50-a-year service that lets users play Xbox games online, will be able to listen to tracks from the web radio site, which has more than 30m users.

The strategy is part of Microsoft’s plan to put the Xbox at the centre of home entertainment by combining games, movies and web access. It also comes less than a week after Microsoft said it would integrate its multimedia Zune store into Xbox Live later this year. Microsoft will hope that the advances will help establish the Xbox 360 as the dominant entertainment device for many homes, against other web-connected consoles, such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3.

This would give Microsoft a huge amount of power to influence what content viewers consume and on what terms. This could mean pushing its own content or that of its partners. Many analysts believe Apple is gunning for a similar market with its Apple TV project, although this is focused on TV and films rather than games.

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