Leveled Up 10.28.09: Future 360 Update Suggestions

Posted by Joshua Richey on 10.28.2009

Did we really need a Twitter app for the 360? In this edition of Leveled Up, we'll take a look at some features that would have been more useful than the ones planned for the latest Xbox update.

Being that this is my first column here at 411Mania in two years, I thought it would be appropriate to do a quick little re-introduction. I'm Joshua Richey. I'm a Gemini; I have one scar; and I love the smell of permanent markers. There. We're basically family now. I was part of the original staff when the gaming section launched a few years back. I wrote articles and reviews and somehow managed to piss off quite a few people from the industry in the process. (Most famously, Jack Thompson)

After a series of frustrations and a lack of time to devote to writing, I peaced out. I'm back now and I'm pretty much anxious as hell to get going. This is Leveled Up.



A few weeks from now you're going to turn on your Xbox 360 and be greeted by a notification that informs you that a firmware update is available. This update is going to allow you to access your Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm accounts via your Xbox 360. It's a pointless update if you ask me; though I guess I can see some value in the Facebook app. I mean, who doesn't want to fap to pictures of that sexy girl you're "friends" with, but never spoken a word to on a 40-inch LCD? As for the Twitter app, who's going to use that thing? I already hate exchanging messages with people on Live with my controller as it is. Actually, I burst out a loud "FFFUUU" any time that I'm asked to enter in anything. It usually involves a 5 minute process where I go "L (5 second pause as I try to find the next letter) O (5 second pause as I try to find the next letter) L (5 second pause as I try to remember how to get to the punctuation screen) !"

Microsoft seems hell bound and determined to make the 360 the only device that you use in your household. You can now chat with your friends, listen to music, use Netflix, update your Twitter, check your Facebook...oh, and play video games. Now if only it could make a Hot Pocket without burning the edges and leaving the center of it cold, then I'd be set. (BTW: Damn you, microwave)

But if Microsoft really wants to be my home entertainment hub, there are a few services and features that they could add that would have been more useful than the ones that they're adding into this latest update. Since I like to pretend that I'm smarter than the people overseeing these decisions, I'm going to give you some examples. So here are a few application/services/feature suggestions that I thought up that would, in my opinion, have people glued to their couches until their Xbox's ultimately RRoDthed.

Calendar

I know what you're thinking. "What? A calendar? That's fucking lame, Josh". But let me explain to you why I think that something as simple as a calendar is needed to improve the Xbox Live experience.

Calendars are usually used for what? Birthdays, anniversaries, shit like that, right? Well imagine a calendar that allows you to remember all of those things but that also updates itself with things such as game & demo releases, scheduled patch updates, promotions and events, things like that all in one neatly organized location. No more signing on and then flipping through each category just to see if there's something new. It's a small add-on, but I guarantee you that we all would get a lot more use out of that than say the Twitter app.

Meebo


The 360 currently supports MSN Instant Messenger, but there's a problem: nobody has used MSN Instant Messenger since 1998. That would be the beauty of a Meebo app. Meebo supports AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, Facebook, and others.

Obviously the app would need to be optional. You don't want your friends bothering you and sending you pictures of LOL Cats while you're in the middle of an online fire fight in Gears of War 2.

Speaking of which, that reminds me...

Browser

The Wii has one. The PS3 has one. But, for some reason, the Xbox 360, a system made by Microsoft of all people, doesn't have an internet browser. Now I know Microsoft's stance on this issue. Heck, I even agree with it to a point. Their belief is that, if you've got Xbox Live, you've also probably got a computer. If not, it's 2009, people. Get with it. Thus you really have no need for a browser on your gaming console. Plus you also have the security concerns. But at the same time, even if one person utilizes the browser, gets use from it, finds that it comes in handy, isn't it a worthy feature to add?

Maybe I'm in the middle of one of those long-ass elevator rides in Mass Effect, wouldn't it be nice to bring up your dashboard, press a button and check your RSS feeds? Or maybe you're sitting in an online lobby waiting for other players to join your game. Instead of sitting there and being harassed by a bunch of 12 year olds over your headset, you could read the latest Leveled Up column on 411Mania (or the Totally Fappable blog).

App Store

If you ever go check out the Indie Games section of your Xbox Dashboard, you'll see a few games made by independent developers that, well, aren't really games at all. They're basically mislabeled apps. They're bunched in with the Indie Games because there's no other place for them. You've got Rumble Massage, which is essentially a "game" that will allow you to give yourself a massage using your controller. You have Fireworks HD, a glorified firework screensaver. Then you have Fireplace, which, if you couldn't guess, makes your television appear to be a nice, warm fireplace.

There should be a clear difference between these "games" and the others that you'll find in the Indie Games category. If Microsoft were to open up an App Store and allow developers to make small, useful apps, it could have gargantuan success. (You hear me, Microsoft? I said gargantuan.)

YouTube

If my cell phone can play YouTube videos than my video game console should be able to play them as well. A YouTube application just makes too much sense; especially with their Hi-Def feature. We've all had those YouTube sessions where we look up one video but quickly find ourselves watching blooper reels that feature the family pet.

Whatever your reasoning, to be able to sit at home and browse through a kazillion YouTube videos on your Xbox 360 would be a pretty damn cool addition.

Hulu

There's no question that adding Netflix to the Xbox 360 was one of the best decisions that Microsoft has made yet. Nearly everyone that I know that owns an Xbox 360 has taken advantage of it. As big of a hit as Netflix was though, Hulu could be even bigger.

If you miss the latest episodes of The Office, 30 Rock or Family Guy, how nice would it be to just fire up your Hulu app on the 360 and catch up on them? You would start off watching one show, but then, before you even know it, you're sitting through an Alf marathon.

Services like these make sense for Microsoft for many reasons. It satisfies their customers; it improves their product while also opening up more areas to advertise and make more money.

It makes sense, no? Or maybe if we wanted our gaming systems to do all of those things, maybe we should just become PC gamers. Just throwing that out there...

Well that's about all that I've got for you this week, kiddos. Let me just say that Leveled Up isn't an Xbox 360 column. Truth is that I have no idea what I'm going to write about from week to week. But with the Facebook/Twitter update about to be released here in the next few weeks, I thought it was appropriate. So please don't give me any of that "he's an Xbox fanboy" bullshit.

I'll be back next Wednesday, but if you find yourself missing me and not able to wait until then, you can check out my Totally Fappable blog. It's not completely devoted to gaming, but I update it several times a day and I like to think that it's lols.

One last thing: I just want to mention again how good it is to be back. It's been a little over two years since I stopped writing here and it's amazing to see how much has changed since then. The 411Mania crew are getting games, they're getting interviews, they're going to conventions. It's something that I didn't think they'd ever accomplish back when we launched the gaming section. I've got to give massive kudos to Ramon and his staff; they've done one hell of a job.