In a letter from Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Whitten, the Xbox 360’s most recent successes are touted, and a few key new features are discussed alongside the current state of the console. Since the most important things have already been talked aboutbymyco-workers, I’m here to tell you about a couple of stealth additions you may have missed.
First up, there’s user ratings. A five star rating system is being added that’ll allow you to show your approval or disapproval of any piece of XBLM content, and organize by user rating for searches. Yippee! This may not seem like a big deal, but trust me, it’ll make random searches much easier.
Besides that, the general slowness of accessing your friends list and having the guide menu pop up is being addressed through a series of updates. Additionally, the friends sorting list, Achievement views, and matchmaking support are getting “revamped.”
Again, to the average Xbox 360 player, this won’t be a huge deal or even all that noticeable, but to people like you and me, the little things make a huge difference over time.
A Letter from Marc Whitten: Xbox LIVE at E3 2009
Dear Xbox LIVE Members,
Last week we announced that Xbox LIVE has reached a staggering 20 million active members, reinforcing that Xbox LIVE isn’t just an online gaming service; it’s a community. That’s why we’re committed to offering entertainment for everyone on Xbox LIVE, from the core gamers with us since the beginning, to our newest members just learning about all the fun of Xbox 360.
We took a great step toward that goal last November when we re-imagined the Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE with the New Xbox Experience.
I talked then about our commitment to innovation on LIVE, and today we continue to deliver on that promise as we showcase new blockbuster games, technologies and partnerships that will transform the way people think about home entertainment. With Xbox LIVE at the center of your living room, you can watch your favorite movies in instant on 1080p HD and 5.1 channel surround sound with Zune video, or update your Netflix instant Queue and share the fun with a virtual movie party.
You can take your entertainment experiences to the largest social network on the planet with Facebook on Xbox LIVE, and even post a snap shot of your favorite gaming moments through Facebook Connect. And with Twitter, you can stay connected and keep your social circle up to date by reading, posting and replying to tweets right on your Xbox 360.
And for music lovers like me, our partnership with Last.fm will bring personalized streaming radio stations right to your Xbox 360.
We’re also thinking globally, and delivering a custom experience from BSkyB, one of the biggest names in European home entertainment – bringing great local content and live football to our members in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
We’re excited about all the innovations we unveiled today, and I want to share some of the new gaming and community features coming to Xbox LIVE this fall:
I’ve never been more proud to be a part of this team, and I truly believe that there’s never been a better time to be an Xbox LIVE member – there are more entertainment choices than ever before for our members. With today’s announcements, I can confidently say that an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership is hands down the best value in home entertainment, giving you exclusive access to Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Sky, Last.fm, “1 vs 100 Live” beta, and the best gaming and entertainment network on the planet.
There’s much more to come, and you’ll hear even more details soon. But in the meantime, we hope you’re having as much fun as we are.
See you online,
twitter.com/notwen
