Spring Update: Instant Messaging Comes to Xbox 360 and More Update Det Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Spring Update: Instant Messaging Comes to Xbox 360 and More Update Details Posted by XanTium | April 9 13:17 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From the press release: [QUOTE] Your Xbox LIVE friends list is about to get a whole lot bigger. Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360, connecting friends across Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft Windows-based PCs and Windows Mobile-powered devices. With this update to Xbox 360, friends and families can easily connect and chat directly from their television using Windows Live Messenger, a network of more than 20 billion relationships and more than 260 million active accounts. Beginning the week of May 7, 2007, the Xbox 360 Spring Update will provide Xbox 360 owners worldwide with access to Windows Live Messenger features, broadening the communication options on the Xbox LIVE social network. Members of the 6 million-strong Xbox LIVE community currently send more than 2 million text and voice messages a day and can now use Windows Live Messenger to text chat with up to six people on their contact list at one time, while playing games, listening to music or watching movies. Text chat adds to the variety of options friends and families already have to communicate with on Xbox LIVE, including voice and video chat. Current relationships on Windows Live Messenger and Xbox LIVE will be unified on Xbox 360 and users will see at a glance if their existing friends on Windows Live Messenger have gamertags, instantly expanding the breadth of connected experiences they can share online. "Bringing the largest IM community in the world, Windows Live Messenger, to Xbox 360 makes sense, as Xbox LIVE has really become the largest social network on television," said Jerry Johnson, product unit manager of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. "For our growing community of 6 million on Xbox LIVE, using Xbox 360 is a very social, connected experience. They are using Xbox 360 to play games, music and movies while simultaneously communicating with one another through video, voice and text chat. With this announcement we are simultaneously expanding the access of Xbox LIVE users to existing friends and family while introducing Windows Live Messenger users to the benefits of Xbox 360." Beginning the week of May 7, users of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360 will text chat using the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360, or by connecting a USB keyboard to the console. This summer Microsoft will launch a QWERTY text-input device, a new accessory that will connect directly into the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging. Beyond Windows Live Messenger, the Spring Update for Xbox 360 includes hundreds of new features and enhancements including the following: * A richer Achievement notification pop-up will showcase the name of the unlocked Achievement and the gamerscore value without needing to leave the game to check the Achievements list. * Enhanced family settings features for Xbox LIVE communications enable different defaults for video chat and voice chat. * A new Xbox LIVE Marketplace blade lets Xbox LIVE members access the content they seek -- whether it is game content or TV shows and movies (available in the United States) -- from one place on Xbox LIVE. * Updates to Xbox LIVE Arcade allow owners to quickly see which Xbox LIVE Arcade games their friends are playing and join in the fun. Xbox LIVE members can also compare progress of leaderboard scores and Achievements directly with all friends on their friends list. Expanded Tell a Friend capabilities make it easier than ever to boast about Achievements and high scores. * A new option in Auto Downloads provides faster access to the entire collection of free, trial-version Xbox LIVE Arcade games. * New progressive download controls provide easy access to optimal viewing options by letting people fast-forward, rewind, pause and resume as their video is downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. * Extension of the background download functionality will allow owners to set their Xbox 360 console to turn off automatically after downloads are complete. The Spring Update is free beginning the week of May 7 and is easily accessible to every Xbox 360 owner through Xbox LIVE or on Xbox.com. [/QUOTE]

[Mysoundhurts]

Looks like a big time update, do you think it will stop back-ups from booting?

[feflicker]

Looks like a big time update, do you think it will stop back-ups from booting?

They've certainly had enough time since the last update. To be honest, this is the first update that has me worried at all because of that fact.

I don't use IM, so this update doesn't sound like there is anything in it for me, but a lot of people should be happy. Personally, the last thing I need while I am gaming or watching a movie is for one of my IM buddies to start spamming me lol

[WarriorSan]

more info on dashupdate:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/news/2007/0408-im.htm


extra video support

# H.264 video support: Up to 15 Mbps, Baseline, Main, and High (up to level 4.1) Profiles with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.

# Added MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 8 Mbps, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.

[proger]

This would be a nifty controller [from the xbox site]:


..And below that picture it says "Look for this new accessory this summer."
Are they serious or am I on drugs?

This post has been edited by proger: Apr 9 2007, 05:56 PM

[Deihmos]

This would be a nifty controller [from the xbox site]:


..And below that picture it says "Look for this new accessory this summer."
Are they serious or am I on drugs?

The keyboard is an add on. It's really nice and if it's cheap i will get one.

[incognegro]

finally the qerty keyboard resurfaces!

I been hearing about that thing since e3 2005, but it just disappeared from news real quick! Guess there were waiting for the right time to release it

Now thats something im interested in

The low power downloads sounds cool too

This post has been edited by incognegro: Apr 9 2007, 06:02 PM

[DrBruce]

[Modiller]

wow...

x264 is now going to be supported?

[realsubzero]

ahh did they have to add the 264 support. i had no interest in this update until i heard this, and
if it removes the ability to play my backups ive a tough decision to make

[sephiroth99]

wow that keyboard add-on looks hideous

and I'm eager to see if they will do something about backups this time

[Nytemunkey]

wow that keyboard add-on looks hideous

and I'm eager to see if they will do something about backups this time

Kid, you're on drugs! J/k everyones' got an opinion but I just see no way to make it look better, I think MS did a great job on designing it. If it is cheap (20-30 bucks) i'd buy it just to have. I think it is sexy. I would like to challenge someone who doesnt like that accessory come up with a abetter design.

This post has been edited by Nytemunkey: Apr 9 2007, 06:19 PM

[Bravo]

Added MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 8 Mbps, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.

Divx??

[Deihmos]

wow that keyboard add-on looks hideous

and I'm eager to see if they will do something about backups this time

The keyboard llooks really cool and it will be comfortable since no one holds their controller in that area. I would much rather that than using a Pc keyboard.

This post has been edited by Deihmos: Apr 9 2007, 06:24 PM

[realsubzero]

mpeg 4 is now supported, and unless im mistaken, thats divx/xvid support