Xbox Live‘s Director of Programming, Larry Hryb – more popularly known by his online moniker “Major Nelson” – released new details today regarding Xbox One‘s friends application. In addition to outlining new social media concepts like “following,” Major Nelson emphasized that most Xbox Live features will be carried over to Microsoft’s new console when it releases on November 22, including friend lists. Take a guided tour of the new interface in the video below.
As demonstrated in the video tour, the new Xbox Live platform will offer two ways to connect with other members: as friends or as followers. Similar to Facebook, Xbox Live users will be able to befriend those they wish to have back-and-forth interactions with, while merely following others to see what they’re up to (like celebrities). Each user can have up to 1,000 friends and an unlimited amount of followers. Separate privacy settings will be available for each.
Like Twitter, the new Xbox Live friends app will let users see the public portion of any active profile via search. This feature seems to be more all-reaching than Facebook’s search function, which sometimes hides certain users from appearing. Hryb wrote that, “For example, on Xbox One you can search for me by my gamertag (Major Nelson) and follow me to see what I share publicly, such as my latest game scores and achievements.”
Overall, Microsoft has made it clear that Xbox Live will remain a top priority moving forward into the next console generation. Revamped social features, better online matchmaking via Smart Match, and a brand-centric marketing strategy are promising steps for what is already the world’s most popular online gaming service.
Today is only the first day in Microsoft’s “Week of Xbox Live,” so stay tuned for additional news. Also be sure to check out Major Nelson and other Microsoft employees as they discuss the future of Xbox Live in the video below.
(Source: Xbox Wire)
