"Reach out and IM someone" - The Xbox Live update will give you IM power. Oh...joy?
The one thing that people keep complaining about with the Xbox 360 is surely its lack of connectivity options. I mean, after all, you can
only have voice chat in-game on a system far better than most PC setups, and failing that there's that paltry little video option. No, what everyone's been really missing is the text-based communication of IM.
After all, it sounds stupid to actually say "pwn3d!" out loud...
Fortunately, Microsoft is thinking of you in its upcoming "Spring Update" rollout for the Xbox 360. The big addition?
IM support via Windows Live Messenger. Now you'll be able to type to up to six people on your contact list while you game, watch video, or listen to music.
The new update will appear on Xbox 360s the week of May 7th, and is free to all Live subscribers. To help with the typing, Microsoft also mentioned it will launch a new QWERTY input device that plugs right into the controller, reminiscent of the small keyboard found on Blackberries.
Will you make use of the new service? Did you always wish you could IM people right in the middle of your gaming sessions? Let us know your thoughts
in our forums.
"Microsoft said it will launch a Qwerty text-input device over the summer that will connect directly to the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging."
They should better release a keyboard and mouse adaptor that's supported for use in games, not for IMing.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/09/xbox-360s-qwerty-thumb-keyboard-is-official/
Well, it does. I mean, props to MS for listening to customers' demands, but what an abysmally stupid demand. "talking is just too easy, I wanna game with a challenge!"
The most disappointing thing about this update though is still no 16:10 support. People have been asking for this for sooooooo long it's not even funny. I'm convinced the image quality would be an awful lot better if it was the Xbox itself handling the scaling of a 720p image to fit 1680 x 1050. Come onnnnn gimme gimme.
It's been possible to use a USB keyboard for sending messages from the dashboard for quite some time now.
I don't get what the big wow about this actually is? Is it that it integrates with you MSN friends list or something? Just that we've been able to send messages via text to people on our XBL contacts lists since, well, ever.
PUH-WNN-threed. Easy and you don't sound stupid at all ;)
Why fork out the money? Once a console gamer, always a console gamer. ;)
and why only 6?
They wont want to give support for USB keyboards as they wont more money from us so instead of getting a £5 USB keyboard they are going to fleece us for their own.
MS could do very little to secure their console as the victor of the console wars.
All they would have to do is install an optional (non-live) browser, make Live service free, and bankroll a few more games each month (cause at the current rate good 360 games are very rare).
being able to watch my 720p rips on TV = UNF
I've currently got an old keyboard plugged in which is very handy for messenging/games with text input. But it does take up space, and I have to pause games regularly to stop the little one messing with it so the thumb-board could be quite handy.