Microsoft will expand the non-game entertainment offerings on its Xbox 360 console with new video offerings, the company said Monday.
YouTube will be integrated into the console in a future update, the company said, bringing the Google-owned video service to the console via a dedicated application.
The company will also integrate its search engine Bing into the console, with voice recognition enabled. Bing will be integrated into all of Microsoft's content providers, the company said, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, as well as both the Zune and Xbox Live marketplaces.
Finally, the company committed to expanding its live TV services to the United States. Live television is already available in France, Australia and the UK, but until now the company has not made a solid commitment to bringing a similar service to the U.S.
While no specific partners were announced, the company said it was working with "leading TV partners in the United States and around the world" to integrate an enhanced cable box-like experience to the console.
"This is an incredible time of growth and innovation for our business leveraging technologies that see us, hear us and connect us all together," said Microsoft's Don Mattrick. "This year by bringing together the power of Kinect for Xbox 360 and the intelligence of Bing, we are transforming how people enjoy entertainment."
The way it works here in Canada through Telus's Optik system is that you pay a $5 fee (per month per Xbox), and you can schedule and view recordings on your 360, interfaced through your PVR (uses your PVR's storage). It does take some resources as the compatible PVR can only record 3 shows at once along with viewing another. So with many 360s in a house it can limit that factor.
The only thing that actually surprised me this year at MS's conference was Youtube, which is great!
Nothing else really got me excited, We all knew Halo 4 was coming eventually, and the trailer really didn't tell us anything. The focus was so heavy on Kinect, and while thats interesting, it's not as great as seeing some great new franchises for the core coming down the line. It was all games we already knew were coming with kinect support, and some new kinect games which was expected. The fable kinect game looks interesting. I would have rather seen a Fable 4 trailer, a hint of Halo4 gameplay, something brand new as a franchise NOT kinect related. This years E3 was a bit disappointing. I wish Todd Howard would have demoed some Skyrim, but thats going to happen im sure.
The Xbox 360 isn't designed for Browsing, it's designed to have stand alone "Apps" like Netflix... and it works incredibly well. Having a dedicated YouTube app means someone is designing it from the ground up, and we don't have to deal with the tons of issues the Wii and Ps3 has when it comes to console browsing.
If people want to login to Facebook, they should get a PC or an app specific to your device, not use a console-browser.
This is all excellent news for Xbox 360 owners, and as a Live subscriber I'm thrilled by it all.
Just what i want an update for an app that i will constantly have cut out the middle of a video to say "buffering" for a longer period of time than the actual video.....youtube on 360 no thank you ill just use my PC when i want to get on youtube...... unless this means i can send game footage to youtube via the 360 in which case great idea.
Now that would be a feature id love to see, or pictures of the game your playing on facebook, flicker, etc. Dirt 3 has it already, but the time allowed for the video is too small.
I think the Bing announcement is huge considering a few things. One issue with the 360's Marketplace (as well as Sony's) is easily finding content. Things aren't so bad with searches, but the ease of using this search as compared to inputting text through a gamepad is as stark as night and day.
It also has some benefits to developers who have their titles hidden in the marketplace, they can be easily found with this service. If I made an Indie game called "Super Mega Awesome™", I can tell the entire 360 userbase to "Bing 'Super Mega Awesome' to get the demo". Far easier than, "Go to the Games Marketplace Tab, select Demos, select Indie Games, select search... etc."
I'm sure that soon once we "Bing Halo 4" we'll get a load of info on the title along with results allowing us to buy all of the previous titles as you can now. It can point users to content they never knew existed. People wanting to watch the "Watchmen" movie will find the movie along with the relatively unknown XBLA game, perhaps increasing exposure and thus sales. It can be a very good thing.
My question is will the Xbox be an DVR too or will it interface with my DVR?
Nothing else really got me excited, We all knew Halo 4 was coming eventually, and the trailer really didn't tell us anything. The focus was so heavy on Kinect, and while thats interesting, it's not as great as seeing some great new franchises for the core coming down the line. It was all games we already knew were coming with kinect support, and some new kinect games which was expected. The fable kinect game looks interesting. I would have rather seen a Fable 4 trailer, a hint of Halo4 gameplay, something brand new as a franchise NOT kinect related. This years E3 was a bit disappointing. I wish Todd Howard would have demoed some Skyrim, but thats going to happen im sure.
If people want to login to Facebook, they should get a PC or an app specific to your device, not use a console-browser.
This is all excellent news for Xbox 360 owners, and as a Live subscriber I'm thrilled by it all.
-The Le
That is why i enjoy Bungie's Theater from Halo 3 up to Halo: Reach. I just wished it was easier to upload a series without problems.
It also has some benefits to developers who have their titles hidden in the marketplace, they can be easily found with this service. If I made an Indie game called "Super Mega Awesome™", I can tell the entire 360 userbase to "Bing 'Super Mega Awesome' to get the demo". Far easier than, "Go to the Games Marketplace Tab, select Demos, select Indie Games, select search... etc."
I'm sure that soon once we "Bing Halo 4" we'll get a load of info on the title along with results allowing us to buy all of the previous titles as you can now. It can point users to content they never knew existed. People wanting to watch the "Watchmen" movie will find the movie along with the relatively unknown XBLA game, perhaps increasing exposure and thus sales. It can be a very good thing.