Why settle for Windows Live on the PC when you can have Xbox Live on the PC? Xbox Live has become one of Microsoft’s most popular media platforms, extending beyond gaming throughout the Xbox 360’s life to encompass downloadable services, Netflix integration, and social networking. Where Xbox Live has built up a reputation as the definitive online gaming service on consoles, Windows Live on PC has been largely ignored or outright hated. With the cross-platform success of Xbox Live gaming on Windows Phone 7, it seems only natural that Microsoft would announce Windows 8 has Xbox Live in its future. Speaking to The Seattle Times, Microsoft VP Mike Delman described how Xbox Live will be expanded withlive TV and integration into Windows 8. A major chunk of time spent with Xbox 360 consoles today is dedicated to multimedia consumption rather than gaming, so the shift makes sense. Live has been successful on the Windows Phone. Live will be built into the PC. It will be the service where you get your entertainment. We were talking about it — you will not just see consoles and handhelds at this show next year, this show's going to morph into other devices. Currently Xbox Live and Windows Live have some connections. You can sign into Live Messenger on the Xbox and there is a system for cross-platform gaming in place--a system that’s been mostly neglected since Shadowrun, but a system that exists nonetheless. From Delman’s comments, it sounds like Xbox Live will take over as the primary multi-platform delivery service for games and video content, covering Microsoft’s phones, consoles and PCs. Q: How will your services and content be part of Windows 8? A: There will be a lot of similarities in design and service philosophy. Whether it's us or Apple or anybody else, people want to be able to navigate through multiple devices in a certain ecosystem very seamlessly so we're committed to that. Q: Will Xbox Live be your cloud media service that works with your Windows PC as well as your phone and Xbox? A: Xbox Live will [be] the pervasive media service across devices. Q: Right now it's a little confusing — you've got Xbox Live, SkyDrive storage and other online places for media. A: We have a ton of assets. Unifying the assets will be good for us and good for consumers. Microsoft will have to play smart to successfully carry Xbox Live over to the PC, where gamers can easily play games for free without paying $60 annually for a subscription service. Games for Windows Live already offers access to Xbox Live friends lists and achievements, but there’s very little reason to choose the service over Steam. Microsoft’s going to need to deliver a very tightly integrated media platform to expand Xbox Live into the PC space, especially if it plans to charge for access to the PC service. If Xbox Live isn’t a free service on Windows 8, it’s hard to picture non-subscribers paying $60 a year for Live on the PC. http://www.tested.com/news/xbox-live-coming-to-pc-with-windows-8/2452/
@TheVoxelman on twitter
