Just came across this letter from Marc Whitten (Gamertag – notwen) about the Fall Xbox Live Console Update that will be coming out prior to the release of the Kinect for XBox 360 hands free controller.
With this update, we are adding 3,500 live and on-demand sporting events per year, including out of market games, from ESPN3.com and 11 million music tracks from Zune at launch in the US. We are also adding Netflix search to existing features like movie parties to ensure Xbox LIVE continues to be the best way to enjoy Netflix.
With ESPN on Xbox LIVE, available to members in the US, we’re building in interactive features that will let you keep up on the latest scores from around the sports world without leaving the game you’re watching, follow your favorite leagues, predict a winner and see how the rest of the community voted on a particular game. The social nature of our LIVE platform will let you voice chat with up to seven friends on the other coast while watching the big game as if they were sitting next to you in the stadium.
Last year, we delivered tens of thousands of videos instantly in up to 1080p HD to Xbox 360 for the first time, and this fall with the expansion of the Zune music experience on Xbox LIVE, members in the US, U.K., France, Italy and Spain can enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of millions of songs via a Zune Pass music subscription and see what their friends are listening to on the largest screen in the house. What’s better is that you’ll be able to enjoy Zune music and video across your Xbox 360 console, PC and, this holiday, Windows Phone 7.
Also included in this Xbox LIVE update is the launch of Netflix on Xbox LIVE in Canada, a refreshed Xbox LIVE dashboard and updated Xbox LIVE Family Settings so you can help choose the right play and viewing settings for your family.
You can read the rest of the letter here.
We are also starting to see info from Xbox Live’s Major Nelson that the console update is going live for those who signed up and were accepted into the preview in the last couple of weeks.
majornelson Major Nelson (Larry)
Those accepted in the Preview Program should be getting the update now. Sign into Connect.microsoft.com and you’ll find answers to your Q’s
from Bay Lake, Bay Lake 29 Sep 2010
If you were accepted just turn on your console and you should be prompted to install the update – takes about 10 minutes or so.
