Microsoft Pulling Twitter and Facebook Apps off Xbox 360

Post by Eorl @ 12:27pm 20/10/12 | 12 Comments

Microsoft have announced via Eurogamer (thanks Shacknews) that the upcoming dashboard update for the Xbox 360 will see the Facebook and Twitter apps being pulled off in favour of the new Internet Explorer app.

"We are retiring the Facebook and Twitter apps," Microsoft confirmed in a statement. "Xbox Live subscribers will have the ability to access these sites through Internet Explorer on Xbox, available through the Web Hub located on the new dashboard."

The changes have only been spotted so far on users who have been given a "pre-launch" update, with users noticing the apps having been pulled off the marketplace as well.

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natslovR
Posted 08:55pm 20/10/12

Microsoft: Enhancing your experience by removing your choice.

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eski
Posted 09:15pm 20/10/12

Did they steal that slogan from Apple?

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natslovR
Posted 09:25pm 20/10/12

Apple is but a poor clone.

Ever heard of MSN?

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crazymorton
Posted 09:38pm 20/10/12

Microsoft wants you to use Internet Explorer - the search engine added to the Xbox 360 for the first time with this latest update.

Internet Explorer is a "search engine"?

I don't think to many people are going to miss these two apps on the Xbox anyway.

I don't really get the need to make consoles like PC's. Without a good keyboard and mouse combo I for one hate trying to scroll along the on screen keyboard. I'm happy to just use it to play games and stream my media. The only other things I like are ABC iView and such.

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natslovR
Posted 12:00am 21/10/12

They aren't making the XBOX like PC's, they are fighting hard to position the xbox and Windows as THE device by which you experience media, the hub from which it all runs. It will be plugged in to your main TV, you may use your phone to access it, and you will make it run your movies, play your music, stream your news and sport and even make your phone calls with, oh yeah, and play games too.

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Timmeh
Posted 09:41am 21/10/12

They aren't making the XBOX like PC's, they are fighting hard to position the xbox and Windows as THE device by which you experience media, the hub from which it all runs. It will be plugged in to your main TV, you may use your phone to access it, and you will make it run your movies, play your music, stream your news and sport and even make your phone calls with, oh yeah, and play games too.

which is extactly what i need

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euphoria
Posted 10:50am 21/10/12

I wonder if they're about to launch a People app like on WIndows Phone and now Windows 8 - where you add all your social media accounts and you get a single view of posts from all platforms in one place. Works pretty well.

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glynd
Posted 11:12am 21/10/12

did anyone actually use the xbox facebook and twitter? it's quicker to just take your phone out of your pocket.

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Khel
Posted 01:35pm 21/10/12

did anyone actually use the xbox facebook and twitter?

Yeah, thats what I was thinking, who the hell would use that anyway? Seems pretty pointless to have them in the first place. For that matter, seems pretty pointless to have internet explorer on there, I can't imagine ever wanting to browse websites on my 360.

Maybe I'm just atypical though and using Facebook, Twitter and browing websites is what people do on consoles these days, I dunno.

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crazymorton
Posted 02:41pm 21/10/12

It will be plugged in to your main TV, you may use your phone to access it, and you will make it run your movies, play your music, stream your news and sport and even make your phone calls with, oh yeah, and play games too

Apart from phone calls it does all this now. So why add IE? A browser. Seems to me that's trying to make it like a PC.

Yeah, thats what I was thinking, who the hell would use that anyway? Seems pretty pointless to have them in the first place. For that matter, seems pretty pointless to have internet explorer on there, I can't imagine ever wanting to browse websites on my 360. Maybe I'm just atypical though and using Facebook, Twitter and browing websites is what people do on consoles these days, I dunno.

Nope I think you're quite typical. Those were the points I was trying to make. It's not conducive to browsing unless they can get a good keyboard/mouse happening.

I guess it's how you use it also. I'm a games room lounge chair console player but a desk top PC game player. I have a totally separate room for my 360 with a comfy lounge, surround, and of course widescreen. Apart from games I use the catch up TV apps the most.

So I'm not going to miss those apps and maybe I'll try IE on it but I wouldn't care if it was there or not.

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ravn0s
Posted 09:11am 22/10/12

They aren't making the XBOX like PC's, they are fighting hard to position the xbox and Windows as THE device by which you experience media, the hub from which it all runs. It will be plugged in to your main TV, you may use your phone to access it, and you will make it run your movies, play your music, stream your news and sport and even make your phone calls with, oh yeah, and play games too.

all that and it can't play blurays.

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crazymorton
Posted 08:18pm 25/10/12

typing on screen from my xbox &new ie app

i'm going to eat a few of my words on this

it actually looks ok. on screen keyboard/mouse combo is not to bad. i won't be using it regularly. but the ability to save some fav pages on the "hub" is handy and lets you point and click.

so once set up, if it's just a read of fav sites with no input then it works.

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