It is E3 after all and we should expect much of this week’s news to be focused on the gaming industry – so Microsoft has not just come out and tried to revolutionize the games controller (see separate piece) but it is now promising HD 1080p films over the internet to the Xbox ‘ presumably, and we are guessing here, as a result of its work with Move Networks, a specialist in the area which it invested in a year ago.
But still it is not enough and Microsoft has been dropping the phrase ‘social network on TV’ trying to position Xbox Live as a genuine community and in order to do that, it has leveraged off that investment in Facebook it made last year, and brought that to the party.
It announced that Xbox LIVE would have a special TV version of Facebook and of Last.fm, now part of CBS Interactive Music Group. Microsoft also announced Xbox LIVE Party for movies, which will allow a movie experience to be shared whether it is by playing it in your own home or sharing it with someone across the country (note it never mentioned in other countries).
‘We are always asking ourselves how to make the TV more social,’ said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment LIVE, Software and Studios at Microsoft. ‘By bringing Facebook, Last.fm and Xbox LIVE Party for movies and TV shows to Xbox LIVE, we’re not only extending the walls of your living room beyond your home to your friends in different corners of the world, we’re creating the definitive social network, uniting more than 200 million people to share status updates, pictures, thoughts on music and the world’s best online gaming experience.’
The 200 million is a reference to Facebook users, let’s not get carried away and believe that Microsoft Live has that many subscribers.
The version of Facebook on Xbox LIVE mean that using Facebook Connect users can share their best moments in gaming, by posting updates and screenshots from supported games directly to Facebook. Okay so sure you can see your pals’ latest game score, but this is a long way from what recent upstart Onlive talked about, Massively parallel spectators to gaming experiences, but it’s probably a step in the right direction ‘ enough to make the claim about being a social network.
The first game to support this will be EA Sports ‘Tiger Woods PGA TOUR.’
Part of the Xbox Live Party for movies is simply taking your avatar and up to five friends to the cinema inside the Live network. That’s what it is conceptually, but actually it means that up to five protected streams for a film viewing can go to different destination and stay in touch via voice chat. Add to this the idea of viewing 1080p films as a stream and you are all set.
What Microsoft is actually saying is that it has managed to view a HD film across the Atlantic through its network. As a result, staring in Fall movies and TV shows from Zune video on Xbox 360 will be available to play on Xbox 360. Microsoft also said that it will more than double the number of markets where Xbox LIVE offers video from eight which include the US, UK and Ireland to 18, by adding Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
It took the opportunity to remind everyone of recent deals in the US with Netflix and in the UK with BSkyB (using the Xbox as a set top) which completed the video picture.
Naturally Microsoft also introduced lots of new games for the Xbox including a new chapter set in Halo, Forza Motorsport 3, Joy Ride,
Crackdown 2, Alan Wake, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction and Left 4 Dead 2 as well as The Beatles: Rock Band and others (including the new Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid games).