Something really strange happened this afternoon – I turned on my Xbox 360 and was prompted to sign into my Facebook account.
That's right – if you haven't heard, Microsoft and the social-networking giants Facebook and Twitter have teamed up to provide gamers around the globe a one-stop source for all their media needs via their Xbox Live service.
I have to admit that at first I was unsure how I felt about the integration. Then I realized that I loved it. After all, I am a technology-hungry individual, and every time a cool new gadget or upgrade is released, I get flashbacks to Christmas morning as a child.
With each innovative idea like this one, my excitement reaches new levels for the future and all the possibilities. Part of the fun is trying to figure out what will come next, whether it is the newest cell phone features or my eventual dream – Internet and cable together on your TV.
I can't wait for clunky home computers to be a thing of the past. It will save so much room and bring the two superpowers of entertainment together.
The move to combine both platforms is a brilliant marketing decision. Sony and Microsoft are always battling to get the upper hand in the market, and this move really sets Xbox apart from the competition.
It's also important to note how gaming has evolved over the past 10 years. When I was growing up, it wasn't always a ticket to popularity to admit to being a gaming enthusiast.
Today, both women and men of all ages are proud to show their true colors and the world of gaming has never been so popular.
The application on the Xbox allows users to utilize most of the features of the actual Web site while experiencing the site in a brand new way. The innovation also makes updating your status or tweeting easier than ever before.
The really cool part about all of this is the connectivity it gives to gamers at all times. For the longest time, I had to switch my Internet connection back and forth between my computer and my game console. Even with the wireless, multi-source world we live in today, it is still one step closer to my eventual hope of combining everything.
So after I clicked the sign-in button and took a look around, I was hooked and I am sure most people will get a kick out of the new upgrade to the gaming experience. Tomorrow should be interesting, when I will have to decide if I want play some NBA 2K10 or send out a few tweets and check out some pictures on Facebook.
What an exciting time to be alive.
E-mail: matthew.parrino@ubspectrum.com
