Just got word of a new feature that will be included in the Xbox 360 Dashboard update next week. Its called Friends of Friends and it seems to an interesting step from Microsoft into the social networking market. Basically the new setting allows users to take a peek at your friends list so they have done the good thing and exposed a way for you to control who can see your friends list, if at all.
I wonder where Microsoft is going on the social networking front. Could there be a Facebook and Xbox LIVE integration coming along next year perhaps? Who knows.
Check out the official press release below:
Microsoft is making it even easier to expand your Friends network on Xbox LIVE, starting with the year end Dashboard Update on December 4th. Members will now be able to check out the friends lists of fellow Xbox LIVE members right from the Dashboard. With this new feature, members can find old friends or connect with new ones within the community of more than 8 million people on Xbox LIVE around the globe and send messages and game invites, as well as compare games and Achievements.
With the prevalence of social media websites such as MySpace and FaceBook, this type of capability has largely come to be expected from consumers as a means to relate in an online community. Xbox LIVE continually seeks new ways to better serve the expectations of its members, which often result in enhancements made available for free through the bi-annual Dashboard updates.
When the Dashboard update is distributed on December 4th, the new default setting on Xbox LIVE will be active enabling members to see the Friends lists of other Xbox LIVE members. Members who would like to keep their friends list private can take the following steps to change their settings beginning today:
Log in to www.xbox.com/fof and select one of the three options available for your Gamertag:
- Everyone (only available to members 18 and older)
- Friends only (available to members 13 and older)
- Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)
Stay tuned for more information about the Xbox 360 Dashboard Update later this month!
[tags]Xbox LIVE,press release[/tags]
This sounds cool, we’ll see how well its implemented though.