The Microsoft Hyper Release Schedule is Speeding Up

First of all, great job to everyone on the Live.com, both Windows and Xbox, we are starting to see some major output from both teams, and more importantly, it’s all coming at faster release cycles and is forward thinking than some other offerings. (not to mention the delays in some units.)

 

Crossing the two messenger services together are a logical but very important step for the Live Network to be the social networks. By combining messenger and xbox live you’re making a nice gimick for gameplay (finish the game on the cell phone later) and by leveraging two existing services, you’re adding value to both future customers and only doing a bit of work.

 

The Social network of tomorrow consists of people paying a monthly fee to Microsoft for premium live services which has so much cross platform value propositions, making it more attractive. SOE is going to be dwarfed by the Microsoft Platnium service of tomorrow. I always hear about how leveraging products together with a monopoly proven product is illegal, but never the logic behind it–that ads value to the customer. The important part here is that by combining two services together you are creating twofold value which is convient to the customer

 

All inegrated in one account you will get:

Xbox Platnium: An all Access service package.  Think SOE Premium Station pass.

Xbox Live: Access to the core services and many free upgrades.

Messenger Live: Connected with Xbox Live

Conferencing and social network enhancements for the personal and work from home type. (VPN support someday?)

Xbox is going to have some Cross platform MMO offerings. Vanguard just left, most likely because they were going to force Sigil to launch Vanguard Saga of Heros on Vista only machines. (not good, Microsoft should be thinking MMO station type pass that ads value to it’s live chane, and not worried about adding more value to Vista which–let’s face it–is going to fly off shelves and be the top dollar maker for you next year. Office will be next padding pockets.

Xbox-MTV-WMP offering. I don’t know much about Urge yet but this will be wrapped up with Xbox at some point and WMP on the desktop.

 

/o, this is Microsoft’s answer to Google-Apple Ipod/Itunes-Sony-SOE

 

Two quick words of advice:

Make a light version of live for older laptops that some of use still have. Load time freezes my browser some times.

First easy step for Xbox-Windows service merge is to get my user pic’s combined. I still have the dog face on Windows and the Xbox live service has my Oblivion hero logo as my user pic. (I know you don’t want to undercut web cam sales but do it after.)

 

Back to the good stuff, the web cam is not the perfect tool that adds value especially for the work at home types who might have a low key conference they want to have with a possible business partner or customer. These Dad’s will be "getting their kids" an 360 for Christmas.At any rate, get the darn Vista on time and looking great, get live.com tweaked out more in time for it’s vistor boom and keep it up. HD-DVD will defintely be on my list if it’s at 200. At 250, you’ll be losing my business in new games.

 

Time to get back to work!