xbox live - Internet Marketing News and Blogs

Microsoft’s Xbox Live may have surpassed the 10m user milestone but this is no time for ebullient press releases from the Redmond-based giant. Since Christmas, playing Xbox Live online has been nothing short of a nightmare.

Microsoft has totally failed to manage user expectations, to accommodate new Xbox users, and to cater for the spikes that were bound to appear over the holiday period. It’s a pity, since the Xbox Live experience, when it works, is nothing short of sensational, and should get better and better.

The battle for the living room is hotting up, with Microsoft's plans to provide movies on-demand through Xbox Live.

The service is set to launch in the UK next week, with launch titles including The Matrix, Harry Potter, and Ocean's Eleven.

Xbox Live users can download movies for 250 Microsoft Points, which is equivalent to around £2 each, or pay more for high definition versions.

Microsoft plans to add a new social networking option to its Xbox Live platform, by allowing users of the service to connect with friends of friends.

The Dashboard Update will be introduced on December 4, to allow gamers to find friends, send messages and invites, and to compare games.

All of which prompts the question: Is Microsoft trying to become 'the new Facebook'?

Xbox Live, Microsoft’s killer online gaming platform, was down for maintenance yesterday for a lot longer than was anticipated by the Redmond giant, something which caused a predictable wave of panic among the gaming community.

Owners of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will soon be able to watch and download a range of movies and TV shows through their consoles.

Microsoft has announced that it plans to rival Apple by renting and selling downloaded movies and TV shows through Xbox Live, though the video service may well be more about the console wars with Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii.