The Facebook/Twitter Xbox update
Thanks to Microsoft, I've been lucky enough to get my hands on the next Xbox Live update, which is coming in November and it's the one that will let gamers access their Facebook and Twitter accounts using their Xbox 360, as well as watch movies using the video marketplace.
After downloading the small update and installing the applications, and having a wee play, the service that appeals to me most is the movie download service, which offers movies for rent in several categories.
Flicking through the service last night, movies on offer, in a variety of categories (sci fi/fantasy; family; top rental; horror; action; documentary), included titles such as V for Vendetta, Beverly Hills Cop 1 and 2, Troy, The Last Samurai, some Harry Potter films, The Iron Giant, Goodfellas, Mad Max, Superman, Interview with the Vampire, Full Metal Jacket, Jimmy Neutron, Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks! and The Fugitive.
There is a brief preview of each movie that starts up a few seconds after clicking a "Preview" tab. You watch the movies as they stream, so you don't have to wait for it to download before you can watch it. I'll download some movies over the next few days and tell you what I think.
You can rent movies for about 360 Microsoft Points (aound $6) for a standard-definition movie or 420 Microsoft Points (around $7) for the high definition version, if it's available. I didn't see an option to buy movies yet but I'm assuming that will come at some stage. Not that I'd probably use this feature, but you can watch a selected movie with up to seven of your Xbox Live Friends, using the Party mode.
While the quality of the service is going to be highly reliant on the speed of your broadband connection and your monthly data limit (I'm glad I upgraded to a new 20Gb plan last month) I can actually see myself using this service more out of convenience. It'll be a lot easier renting a movie off the service than having to trot down to the video store, which is 15 minutes away, then having to remember to take the DVD back on time the next day.
I was a little less taken with the Facebook and Twitter apps, though. (These apps will be available only to Xbox Live Gold subsribers.)
The Facebook app is a pretty basic version of the social networking software and may not appeal to hardcore users. It offers status updates, photo galleries and friends lists and it will also search whether any of your Xbox Live friends have Facebook pages. The Twitter app, too, is rather basic, giving you the option to search for tweets mentioning your user name, a "What you are doing?" area, a search function and a Trending Topics panel. That's about it really.
Personally, I can't see myself using Facebook and Twitter on the Xbox 360 very often - it's much easier to type status updates on a computer and I can type a lot faster with a keyboard than I can using an Xbox 360 controller, but I can see Microsoft's reasoning behind wanting the applications on its console: it's plan has always been for the 360 to be an integral part of home entertainment system and even last year John Schappert, from Microsoft, told me that he saw the 360 becoming the biggest social network device in the living room.
So, can you see yourself using any of these features?
Game Junkie is on Twitter and Facebook.
Sponsored links
Newest First
Oldest First
You wouldn't be able to find out the average size of a movie and if you can cut off the stream when the movie is finished (I don't really want to use my bandwidth on credits..) can you Gerard? I'm on a 20gig plan as well and have had to double my data a couple of times just because of large streams/downloads.
This is a good reason why I need a new Xbox 360.
If it is just movies then I probably won't be interested, lets face it there are 2 maybe 3 movies worth seeing in a year, if it includes TV shows at a a much lower cost than the movies then I might be interested provided that they are in a timely fashion (couple of days after screening and not 6-18 months down the track).
Don't use Twitter at all and as for Facebook I can do that from my phone anywhere there is cell coverage much faster than I can from the Xbox.
I think you might have to increase your limit if you're going to be watching more than a few movies though Gerard.
@PudgiesSarah #3...
You can always just get a 120gb hard drive. They come with a transfer kit to copy all the files over. If you have a lot of DLC, this is much easier than buying a new 360 (you have to get the DLC licences transferred and re-download all your DLC, not particularly hard but quite time-consuming).
more yucky add-ons. Oh well, I guess they had the gaming side of things more or less perfect for a while now so they gotta do something. Im looking foward to the unlockable avatar accessories (they are adding them this time? I want my splosion man duds)
@H, I'll see what I can find out for you on the average size of a movie over the service. I'm guessing it'll be around 5Gb a pop, maybe, but I'm just estimating here.
Well personally I'm not interested in Facebook or Twitter - I'm not on either. I'd be interested to hear about the LastFM side of things - like if it will scrobble media played on your xbox. Also would be interested to see if all the artists are available (as I manage some artists up on LastFM). The Zune movie downloads seem a bit odd - how does this differ from netflix - is it only for Zune portable players? And as someone mentioned I'd be interested to find out the download sizes of the movies (yet again with download caps in NZ it's a really relevant question).
Can't see myself using facebook or twitter much....though facebook galleries on big TV could be useful for showing photos to friends/parents. Movie rental side could be pretty good if it adds TV shows, etc.
Gerard - I would be interested in what happens if you rent a HD version of a movie and you don't have the broadband speed to stream it? Does it just downgrade your picture to continue streaming (would defeat the purpose of buying HD) or do you go make dinner while it buffers enough movie to watch?
The Facebook will be useful for seeing which friends of mine have XBox live but not that useful on a day to day basis. The movie downloads would be good if my internet connection could handle it.
Wellington earthquake fear: No way in or out
Nightlife matriarch dies at show
Daily trivia quiz: February 17
Flights disrupted as severe thunderstorms hit Auckland
Cocaine-accused Kiwis in cruise clash
MP's deep baritone brings down the house
Urewera trial: Spent cartridges found near camps - police
Wellington earthquake fear: No way in or out
China 'will see Crafar ruling as racist'
Dazzling Adele silences critics
I'm no ticket scalper, says Mallard
Marryatt skips council debate to play golf
High cost of living mars return to NZ
Horsham Downs meditation pyramid planned
A little precision please, Paul
I can see myself using the movie option, I have a 20gb plan and don't normally get above 10gb, so depending on the selection it might be a lot more convenient than going to the video store (not to mention that my DVD player is only standard-def so this gives me a nice hi-def option!). Hooray for no late fees! Might need to upgrade the hard drive though, my 20gb is down to around 3gb free now.
I'm probably with you on the facebook/twitter apps though Gerard, I can't see these being world-beaters. Admittedly I'm not really a huge fan of either Facebook or Twitter but it's painful enough typing text messages to friends on XBL. I can probably get up from the couch, go to the computer, update my status, browse around, and come back to the couch in half the time it would take me to do that on XBL.