The evolution of Live
Live is slowly but steadily transforming our Xbox 360’s to be the ultimate media, entertainment and communications center in our home. It’s becoming the window in our living room. And yes, it’s still unmatched by any other “protected, connected environment” offering on the market. The competition either only offers a fragment of the variety or is a step or two behind in that evolution.
What E3 2009, Windows 7 and Zune HD have shown us so far is that Microsoft is beginning to listen to us consumers. Here is the list of how far they have come and how much we have, with some comments, I even added some futures I would like to have in the future, highlighted with bold text.
Personal
Avatars: More functionality with natal?
Avatar Marketplace: Will we be able to win certain items thru achievements?
Free your Avatar: More games with Avatar integration.
Achievements: The next-gen crack.
Social
Windows Live Messenger
Facebook
Twitter
Hotmail: Even if read-only implementation, I would love reading my mail without having to use my computer or cell phone.
RSS: A bit farfetched, or maybe not. They can do it as they did with twitter. Give us a few channels like CNN, BBC etc at first and slowly add more. It would be like, nope nothing interesting today… continue play.
Xbox LIVE Parties
Photo Sharing
Music Sharing
Movie Party
Party Chat
Clan Support: Heard that some people want this.
Music
Last.fm
Music Games Store: Make this as a one buy, multiple functionality. I don’t like the idea of buying the same song for each game. Let us only buy the game style for the track (karaoke function or the instrument play) if we’ve already bought it elsewhere.
Zune Music/Music Marketplace: Why not? I would like to buy some tracks, listening to them on my box while I play and transferring them to my Zune/Ipod.
Games
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Community Games
360 Games on Demand: Release earlier as it will be multiplatform differential.
Game Add-ons: More exclusive, as it is multiplatform differential.
Xbox Originals
Game Rental: Ooh pleas. I do not want to pay retail price, I want to be able to trade in my game or borrow it from my friends.
MMO’s: Have them in a special place and let them work as game rentals i.e. subscription based.
Natal Marketplace: Yes, that’s the future! Set the Natal compatible arcade games apart from the rest. And let me buy Natal add-ons for my older games, that would also be a multiplatform differential.
Movies
Xbox Video Marketplace
Zune Video: With instant on 1080p, can’t wait for that baby!
Netflix
Sky Live TV
Youtube: Why not?
Hulu: Again, why not?
IPTV: I don’t even know exactly what this is, but why not?
Interactive/free entertainment
Xbox Live Primetime: 1 vs. 100 and more please! What is the true next-gen gaming, is it HD graphics, Natal or is it Xbox Live Primetime? You tell me.
Joyride: I like where this is heading.
MMO’s: There are plenty of free MMO’s that are based around micro transactions, I say let the joyride begin. Hey! Why not a free, micro transaction based Avatar MMO?
The PC Connection
LIVE Marketplace on the Web
Windows Media Center extender
Access your Xbox 360 content on other devices, like a reversed extender.
Misc
Live Anywhere: Doesn’t need any explanation.
Live Everywhere: I already hate Americans, don’t let me hate them even more. Jokes aside, but can’t Microsoft hurry up a bit with the other countries? We are feeling a left out of all the fun while paying the same as the “cool people”. We also need Netflix goddamn it!
Bing.com: Why not, only access the net thru a limited and controlled Bing until the courts decides something else, hint Google.
Free Live: Well come on! You can make money thru services and ads. Or why not only move the online gaming to silver, you know, it’s a gaming machine. That would quell all complaining gamers.
Cheaper HD: WTF where you thinking Microsoft. Well it’s never too late.
OnLive: Ok, that is to ask too much right now.
LiveBox: I know where all of this is heading. It’s is heading to a Set-top box/DVR unit with the Live compatible logo near you soon. It’s possible to do everything except HD gaming. But with if Microsoft acquires OnLive technology ;-)
Now let us pray!
Moe
Nice blog...no offence but its painfully obvious your a fanboy by the way you know ALL of this stuff. How about you do one now for the Nintendo Wii and the Playstation 3.
Clan support? I'm beginning to think it's never going to happen, even though it needs to.
How about it free to play online whilst limiting access to all other features?
I agree live is evolving
A Xbox 360 Browser