I find it very interesting that so little information about E3 really gets out there till later on, the last.fm / Facebook / Twitter announcement is a prime example of the fact that if company reps don't stand on a stage and scream it at the reporters you wont here about it till the last minute.


Here is a report from Michael Pachter of gamasutra.com talking about what makes these under reported add-ons so important: The announcement that I thought was missed was the opening of the Xbox Live Dashboard interface to the internet. Later this year, Microsoft will allow members to access last.fm and to select music, to access Netflix and instantly watch films/TV shows, to access Facebook and interact with other friends, and to access Twitter and post/read tweets.

In order for this to happen, Microsoft has to open up the Xbox Live interface and for the first time will let Xbox Live members use the built-in browser as a browser.

Admittedly, the selection is limited to these four sites, but it's a start, and is a glimpse into the future of the Xbox 360 as a home media/internet hub. I think that this announcement was far and away the most important one of the show, and think that the media completely missed its importance.

Ultimately, Microsoft appears intent on positioning the Xbox 360 as a functioning computer that happens to be located in the living room and is connected to the television. This gives the company a huge jump start on a hopeful Apple, which has as yet to make a dent in sales of its AppleTV (intended for the same purpose).

Microsoft appears to me to understand that it can leverage its 30 million installed base advantage if it moves quickly, and Apple will have a long way to go in order to catch up. By far, this was the most important announcement of E3.

News-Source: gamasutra.com