November 17th 2009 8:00 am PT

New Xbox 360 features now available (Twitter, Facebook, Zune Video and Last.FM)

 

We’ve just released the latest new features for your Xbox 360.  In case you’ve been off the grid for the past few months and don’t know what is in this update, allow me to give you the some of the highlights: Facebook, Zune Video, Twitter and Last.FM.  Here is how to find ‘em: Facebook and Twitter will appear automatically on your dashboard in the new My Community channel, Zune Video is in the Video Channel and Last.FM will be found under the Music Channel.

 

Assuming you have the latest Xbox 360 system update from Xbox LIVE, these new features will automatically appear sometime over the next few hours. Availability of these features will vary by region.


Remember, if you are under 18, you’ll have to
wait a little longer for some of these features.

 

 

Xbox 360 By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

  • Sim31

    Woooo! The Fall update is here! The preview program was awesome! Hope everybody enjoys the new additions to your XBox Live Console! Ready for the next preview.

  • DarkGin87

    Now the Beta is out the way, can we get a sneak at joy ride……….i been waiting for this arcade game since E3

  • RICE md

    Yay? I guess…The one feature I liked in Preview form was the Zune Video Marketplace. fbook and twitter were not so great. I do like the Xbox is continuing to evolve. So Yay for Xbox makers of cooler stuffs.

  • Blue Thunder28

    Finally I wont be the only person on my list with the new features! Looking forward to Zune video Parties!

  • xXxsoccerxXx

    No last.fm in Germany :(

  • mnemo

    It would be REALLY nice if the features would be directly integrated into the dashboard instead of having separate apps. Sony is integrating Facebook directly into XMB. (I’d never thought I’d use Sony as a good example. Meh!)

  • MasterAbbott

    Enjoy it .. ive had it for the past 2 weeks and it’s great .. but us Aussies miss out on a few of the featus like Zune Video and Last.FM .. everything else is there and working happily .. now back to MW2 ;)

  • Pr3ggas

    Cool things just keep getting better.

  • mnemo

    BTW, will people with in the preview program get a new firmware, too? Mine didn’t update and I have Dashboard V2.0.8955.0

  • DavidGX

    Such a lame update. I really miss our old spring/fall updates.

  • DavidGX

    Such a lame update. I really miss our old spring/fall updates.

  • DarkGin87

    @mnemo – Okay you use Sony as an example then did you forget Sony isn’t making netflix intergraded to the console (least not for a while)they are sending out streaming disc you have to keep in youre console while you watch which is far worse than and APP. Least the way Xbox is doing it if you ain’t going to use the feature you won’t download it. BTW i think twitter was the only thing they make a downloadable APP for

  • vinchenzison

    Why tease me with LastFm, allowing me to log in etc but then to tell me not available in my region when trying to play a track!!

  • s1lentb0bUK

    I thought JoyRide was going to be released the Fall Update? Anyone any idea as to when it actually comes out then?

  • Cronan

    Thanks to everyone who worked hard on this. To those posting about firmware, this is not a firmware update, it’s just a set of new apps (please correct me if I’m wrong, Major)

  • Cronan

    Also, some of the links not working in the UK:

    http://www.xbox.com/live/update/default.htm

  • Kyaizen

    I’ve been using these updates since the preview program started, and I’m quite disappointed. If you could integrate what you’ve been playing [XLN and Raptr do a great job already], and if you could tweet/facebook WHILE in a game, not on the dashboard, then this would be an amazing update… But the fact is, I haven’t used any of the features [besides Last.FM while cleaning] since I tested them out.. If you upgrade these features, and make them easily usable in-game, then you’ll have a hit on your hands.. otherwise, it’s a pass.

  • Cronan

    Some constructive comments:

    Last.fm on the 360 is great, but it would be amazing if it worked in the background – I would love to be able to use Last.fm as a custom playlist in a game.

  • Cronan
  • Glenn ZA

    I’ll sadly only get to see it once I get home from work later this afternoon…

    ;) 8-)

  • Karamutengo

    This update is lame.
    I tought you could check and update your status while you are gamming but you cant. You need to return to dash and then use the facebook/twitter. While for twiiter i use an API (i think now is the same on the xbox fall update) that every achivament i get its automatic updated in my twitter and facebook. Zune video is “ok” but all the movies avaliable i already have on DVD or Blueray. Last.fm isnt avaliable in Switzerland. So for me this update is good as nothing.

  • xxREAPERxx35

    What a great first preview i was in and hope its not the last. Glad its full release now WOOP!

  • NBA Kirkland

    Feedback on Last.fm: Cool, but useless to me unless I can listen while I play a game. Please work on that for the next update. Thanks.

  • Cronan

    Constructive feedback 2: Xbox Live devs, once you’ve made Last.fm run as a custom playlist would you please make Twitter on the 360 as easy and quick to use as the Messenger integration? Thanks in advance.

  • r3dreck

    last.fm rocks, though some of the kid’s channel songs are questionable.

  • m la taupe

    Does it include Halo Waypoint?
    If not are teher any release date planned for Waypoint outside of the US?
    (I searched the intertubez but could’nt find any official statement regarding it)

    Thanks for any answer anyone can provide.

  • BlackMage66652

    Man I would kill for an in-game last.fm player. Although, reading all of the info about bands is kinda fun to do while listening to music.

  • Rotmm

    @vinchenzison,

    LastFM works fine in the UK as far as I can tell (and has done since the preview). I don’t know why it says the song you tried is not available in the UK. Maybe just restart and try again?

  • DePetri

    @m la taupe,
    Halo Waypoint is available in Europe. At least here in Finland it is.

  • Vinnie PT

    @ m la taupe Waypoint is available in Europe. I have it (it’s in English though).

    Is this new update going to be available outside the US, CA and UK?

  • MysticWeirdo

    I didn’t get the update this morning. First time an update hasnt been available when i got up in the morning.

  • Fonou

    Yeah !!!
    Already tried all of them (except Last FM, it does not seem available for France…) and love it!

  • JoJoStarFire

    @DarkGin87 already have my copy of the PS3 Netflix disc. An inconvenience I can adapt to.

  • SkinnerY2K

    Yawn, nothing exciting there

  • OSKAR1983

    No lastfm for Sweden? Does video rental work for us in Sweden?

  • backofthepack8

    I agree with most, the Facebook is ok, but with no browser, the links the people post are useless. Twitter the same. Last.FM would be so good if you play it in the background like you can do on your computer.

    I was in the beta program, but honestly, I don’t use any of these much. Disappointing, I hope MS is watching what Sony does with FB.

  • Schooner2000

    No update here yet.

  • robincognito

    From what I’ve heard about this update it seems like the most pointless thing ever to come to Xbox. When I heard about these features I thought, “Oh cool. I can listen to music during games through Last.fm and tweet achievements etc”. But now, unless I’m mistaken, it seems that Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm are all apps and they aren’t integrated into the dashboard at all. Is this really true? What’s the point of having these features on an Xbox when the exact same features, are more, are on the PC. It’s ludicrous. The only useful thing is the Zune Marketplace.

  • ageha stg

    For all that are wondering about Last.fm, the free radio player is only avialable in the US the UK and germany, users from any other other country have to pay to use the player (from the PC) and I think that’s why it will not come to a 360 from any other country until the last.fm guys change that again.

  • N3WB13 R0N

    no last.fm for canada.. =P I wish we could but we cant..

  • I Yova I

    No last.fm in Spain :(

  • GhStRdR2k

    How do I follow someone using twitter on the 360? There is no option to follow someone. Guess I will just stick to posting tweets on my iphone.

  • Lord Of Blah

    Awesome, I’ll download it right after Support fixes my xbox. So… 3-4 weeks. I was in the Preview, and I was somewhat disappointed with last.fm. I wish you could download songs and buy it, or at least let you use the Playlist out of the last.fm page. (Like on the Dashboard.)

  • TSA jpicard

    I Have to say this is the most pointless update besides the ZUNE, facebook n twitter, most people have it on there phones or the computer that’s near the freaking xbox why bother ?

  • Lord Of Blah

    I wish there was some way to enable a web browsing feature onto the 360, otherwise the links on Twitter and Facebook are utterly useless, and links is usually what I look for on those sites.

  • The Brit

    That is the biggest problem with the twitter and face book apps – going to a separate tab / application to open them is very counter productive and so 2005.

    You need to be able to hit the jewel (at least for twitter) and just make an entry – its an online, always updating program – having to back out of what your doing and going to the dash each time is just backwards.

    Twitter will get used for a few days and then it will have been a waste of the devs time in my opinion because hardly anyone will use it.

    And guess what, Sony will see that, implement twitter how WE want it and then they will have gained another step on xboxlive. I really don’t understand why it was implemented like this.

  • wolfzero01

    I wish some of the features were optional. Not everyone cares about Facebook or Twitter, so why should we be forced to have these. the Last Fm is cool, but I really wish it was available while I was playing a game

  • FTA Talisman

    I haven’t checked it yet but i’m kind of looking forward to just tweeting and updating facebook from my X-Box. Nice little treat but I’m sure the effect will wear off pretty fast.

  • DarkTear81

    No real changes since the prev. program, so this update is lame.
    Oh and I finally got some Vodafone-commercial in my blade… this sucks.

  • WeezeeWare

    What’s up with joyride ?
    Really looking forward to that!!!

  • Perixon

    Major, why isn’t last.fm available to Sweden? The broadband penetration ratio per capita is one of the highest in the world here and Spotify – a last.fm competitor – is also based here. The market is mature and ready for last.fm. I just don’t get it.

  • Salsinha

    Have you delayed all this time to NOT provide Last.fm to all users in all countries AND also to make people to quit games to post a simple twitt? Ha! Ha! Ha! my god what kinda lame professionals are you working with? Talk to the guys from the Windows7 usability team, learn something about user experience and then correct it.

    However this update add cool things, the way it is working is a SHAME.

  • Trunks SSJ

    Is last.fm coming to Belgium any time soon??

  • DarkTear81

    No Last.FM in germany… unless I’m too dumb to find it.

    For Facebook and/or Twitter. Loving my PC and PS3 Browser.

  • Lucky 13 X

    I really appreciate how seamlessly you can add these things to our console, without the need for an interrupting update process. Good job Xbox team.

  • N0RDS

    Why no Last.FM in Canada :( I know it have an explination but comon we dont live on the moon!!

  • oxymoronx420

    Wow, what a garbage update.
    Way to try and grab on to declining internet trends and buddying up with facebook and twatter….

    Way to fail MS, your core demographic of 20something MEN don’t want that garbage. Tweens, loser teen boys without meatspace friends and skank women use those services.

    The thing I did want, isn’t available.

    If you want to put some lame app in your next update, try something POPULAR(amongst real people, not marketdroids or teens) like youtube.

  • KP ScuzzyBunny

    As a Zune owner, the Zune video maketplace is awesome…been loving it since the preview, and my first purchase today was Star Trek (though in SD?…getting the BRD anyhow, so now I have a portable version). One question, the XBL marketplace had the show Flash Forward, yet the Zune doesn’t. Will there be integration of the stuff that was on XBL and not Zune at some point?

  • CosmicSea

    Wow what a big disapointment this update is ,like all the others.The only appealing feature to me would have been lastfm but wait,aint available in canada !? why? When i bought my first console i tought we would be able to use it like a pc,made by microsoft.I mean i tought we would be able to play real massive multiplayer games,with hundreds of player on the same map,like planetside and world of warcraft ect.But no game like this yet,we still play small online games with 24 or 30 players max,just the same as the first xbox console.Where’s the huxley game and others MMO’s we were supossed to get on xbox360? This console is 4 year old.And then we get this useless update,focus on improving gamer features and stop with these chat boring stuff.Aint console supossed to be a gamer priority? for boring stuff i use my laptop,not my xbox360!

  • Codename 76

    Microsoft wants to create compartmentalized web modules with there revenue partners rather then an internet browser. Completely pointless features – what’s next a LinkedIN module?

  • Joergen8

    ZUNE SHOP: 3e for the SD and 5e for HD versions of 90′s movies is a bit too steep. I would love the convenience of not having to drive around picking up and returning DVD/BD, but the lack of new titles and price is a bummer!

    I mean, you can get and own any of those old movies on DVD for 3-5e free delivery from the web!

    Plus, please get an option to preview/test the HD/SD streams.. the option to preview a low quality VHS trailer is hardly previewing!

  • Joergen8

    Oh and.. while the PS3 browser (opera) is hardly perfect (doesnt work with some fave TV streaming sites!), its the one and only feature that makes the PS3 look like alien technology compared to these tiny compartmentalized apps!

  • PrismSub7

    At-least allow use to hide more channels just like the Welcome Channel, I never use the Music/Video/Community/Spotlight/Inside Xbox-channels. The clutter is getting a little out of hand.

  • Borralho

    Can’t download the Facebook App… Error 800700e8 (Since the preview program started)

  • Jamsponge97

    Compliments to the Microsoft team, but Last.FM is absolutely brilliant. I`m not to bothered about Facebook or Twitter, and dont buy movies so Zune marketplace probably wont be any good for me, though i`m not saying i will never byy a movie.You never know.

  • Snookrt

    Doesn’t appear you can queue videos for download from the Zune marketplace :/

  • MasterDarkstar

    No Last.fm in Ireland. :(

  • exception360

    Maybe it is a good idea to add information whether you can view a movie in Video Party or not before you rent it?

  • Ashenkhar

    Sorry, but this is a pretty boring update.

  • Binarynova

    Last.fm would be great if, like everyone else agrees, you could listen while playing games.

    The Zune Video Marketplace would have been ok, but I can’t help but feel like it’s a sad attempt to get your brand name out there since ALL you videos are now under ZUNE marketplace. I have to open the Zune Marketplace to watch the Guild videos that are on my harddrive? Really?

    And yeah, I kinda wish that Achievements and/or gaming status were integrated into the Facebook app. But that would require the Facebook app to be accessible without leaving games and going to the dashboard I bet.

    At the end of the day I don’t actually see myself using any of these much. Well, except for the Zune Marketplace, but that’s because it’s forced if you watch any videos at all (except Netflix).

  • Tyrant Dunn

    Hope everyone is haveing fun. The preview update was great.

  • GKnight 10

    Question, a friend who is 16 has Last fm and the Zune marketplace but not Facebook and Twitter. I am also 16 and I only have the Zune marketplace but if you said that under 18s weren’t going to get Last.fm/Twitter/Facebook for a while, then why does he have Last FM?

  • seldinhio

    Ok all these updates or apps as they are usually called. Is an nice addition to Live but man do they come rarely, and not to all countries like (Europe and the rest of The Word, except for UK ans the US). You may guess of witch app I’m talking about, yes Last.FM . And in my eyes the best app out of this update. I would like to see more frequent updates and some maybe directed more to the European and PAL audience. A service that I would like to see i Spotify and the upcoming Vodler. You have the infrastructure to pull this of. But if there isn’t any $ for M$ to collect, then it’s a dead race.

  • Hedfix

    Until I can access Twitter through the Guide and use it like an extended Xbox Live Friend List it’s of little use to me. Might be good to plan things with friends but it’s not instantly accessible enough to be checked/used often as an extension to Live’s Friend List.

    Good start though.

  • Roscoe73UK

    Hi, Like the new Zune Marketplace and the quality of the 1080p downloads is really good – was part of the beta program but only just tested it with the free Avatar vid available in the UK and its great.

    Quick question though – where have the episodes of “The Guild” gone that were in Video Marketplace here in the UK?

  • CyberG4

    Will the Avatar video be available to people in Canada (or the USA)? So far it only seems like it’s available in the UK

  • scotztubbie

    I see we now have less movies in the UK and the guild has gone to. Great last fm is great so are facebook and twitter but don’t use that much.

  • LapsonHK

    I have only tried facebook, and I hope this is just a launch of a xbox-facebook platform for your team to keep adding more features to it.

    I thought it will be integrated into the OS, like MSN. But it is not. Now it’s like an arcade game that I need to explicitly run it to play. But this game is not fun enough for me to do it.

    I thought there will be more interactions between xbox and facebook, or some xbox-specific features. But now it’s just like using my xbox as a PC to browse facebook, while xbox is actually a less convenient client machine.

    I hoped it can capture in-game screenshot, for me to share with friends on facebook. But apparently, I hoped too much.

    I thought, at least, it can replace the facebook app “gamercard”, to automatically update my achievement history onto facebook. This should be technically easy. But it can’t.

    Honestly speaking, based on its current features, I am disappointed by this facebook add-on.

  • GryffinDarkBred

    Was kinda hoping to stream in-game. I mean, sure it’ll be cool if I’m ever somewhere with an internet conenction, my Xbox 360, but no PC and I want some music, but honestly I doubt I’ll use Last.FM that much because my Laptop’s never that far away…

    Perhaps further integration with the dashboard and media player in the 360 OS would be just what this feature really needs. I’m not asking for the ability to flip through stations, but recents and favorites might be nice to pick from while in-game.

    A feature that works as advertised, could use more integration to maximize the potential, all in all a B grade effort. Definite effort was put forth, and it works well, but needs a bit more polish and work to truly be effective.

  • Sotherluck

    Good new features, I expect they will be more integrated with xbox live, achievements, etc in the future.

    Only problem I have encountered is with the Avatar trailer, I am from Spain and it is available here. It works great on one of my 360s but when trying to play it in the other one it doesn`t have sound and worse, after returning to the dashboard it keeps without sound even if you try to play another video or play a game it stays mute. Only way I have found to get sound back is restarting the xbox. Every other trailer I could see works flawlessly in both consoles, so I guess it has something to do with that particular video audio codecs or something for that particular version of the 360 hardware. Anyone else experiencing this?

  • vladmk2

    last.fm says it is not available in my region :-(

  • Rainami

    Nice features but to make it BETTER, have at least twitter in game like MSN. That would be epic.

  • samekila

    I love that there apps if you don’t like your not forced into having it I hope more apps are on there way. I think I like apps more on my console then my phone. Last. FM is awesome. Netflix , Last. FM , and MW2 not enough time in the world it sucks.

  • wolfzero01

    I really hope there will a future update that will allow Last Fm to be used while messing around with the dashboard or playing a game, as I would like to be able to do other things on my 360 while listening to it

    I’m really glad that Facebook & Twitter are optional

  • Spacezombie76

    I really hate the new Zune Video Library. It shows me everything I’ve ever downloaded or looked at mixed in with my downloaded videos. I would just like to see what I’ve got on the hard drive.

  • Jayrossss

    Okay, awesome. But I can’t use these new features because I’m 17? What gives? Microsoft is fine with me being able to stream American Pie: The Naked Mile via Netflix but won’t let me access my Facebook? I can shoot people in the face(MW2), have sex with sarcastic wizards (Dragon Age), but I can’t tweet? Microsoft is fine selling me Star Trekk for 1,200 MS points, but I can’t listen to last.fm? I can pay $40 for xbox live but I can’t download the L4D2 demo?

    These age restrictions are unnecessary, steps should be taken to open it up more, or make it easier to change what I can access. I hope this update comes quick.

  • batkinson001

    the update is nice and all but i and most likely many of the canadian xbox live gold users want all the features promised in the update… all we got was zune video marketplace (with little to no free stuff) twitter and facebook (both limited in what they can do)… where’s our Last.FM & Netflix???

    stop giving canadians the finger M$.

  • enanenes

    I live in Portugal, so that means no zune / netflix / sky and no last.fm. Yes, we have twitter and facebook, but they are so limited, comparing with what we can do in thoses sites in the internet!!! Very disapointing!!!

  • GKnight 10

    I still haven’t got anything while my friends got Twitter, Facebook and Last FM.

    Can someone explain to me why this is happening?

  • Ofiks

    yeahh cool, not an ordinary FB

  • lennieboy16

    zune market place can”t play in my region.*sign* what a let down or mybe becuz it was a free vid,stil still cool anyways, i want to try last fm.u think ms could sign a deal with dish or direct tv that would bo cooljust lke with sky tv.

  • ncBadrock

    This Update is so weak. It’s not even a real update. And it was not tested thoroughly, there are lots of bugs.

    Major flaws:
    - The need to wait for all of these applications to load and beeing unable to access them durin a gaming session
    - When you downloaded Zune, you don’t have the choice between the direct hard Drive access or Zune, if you want to watch a downloaded video from the game marketplace you always have to use Zune
    - Zune does not update the video list when new videos are downloaded from the marketplace
    - Zune displays invalid and outdated movies I bought several months ago, can’t delete these items from the video list

    I wonder who beta tested these apps…

  • Warrengonline

    Last.FM totally rocks! The only ‘bad’ thing is that you can’t play a game and listen to music at the same time. I’m glad the apps were downloads and not integrated into the dashboard. Looking forward to having time to make a playlist. What’s with all of the new channels?

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