Will Twitter Bring a Browser to the Xbox 360?
At this past E3, Microsoft announced plans to integrate both Twitter and Facebook into the Xbox 360’s New Xbox Experience (NXE) dashboard.
Smart move.
Preceded by the computer and the mobile phone, the living room TV is quickly becoming the “third screen” to the web and the 360 has become a popular method of getting TVs online. So it’s only natural for Microsoft to look to integrate with the fastest growing social networks.
But does this decision create a strategic dilemma for Microsoft?
The 360 is, without a doubt, a terrific platform. It is also decidedly closed. Conversely, Twitter is an open, organic web experience that derives an increasing amount of value from the distribution of passed links. Fred Wilson, an investor in Twitter at Union Square Ventures, recently confirmed this. Facebook, as it methodically opens, is also becoming a conduit for passed links. In short, these services are dependent on the browser and an open web.
Therefore, the very addition of Twitter and Facebook leads me to believe that a 360 browser is imminent. After all, the alternative is crippled Twitter and Facebook experiences that would only highlight the limitations of Microsoft’s closed platform.
Yet, adding a browser is a difficult move for Microsoft, as it brings a host of unwanted issues. Do they block alternative videos sources like Hulu and YouTube to protect their own video marketplace? What about the increased competition to their Xbox live casual game library from free, browser-based alternatives? And (I can’t believe I’m writing this) what about putting a conduit to porn on a device marketed to children?
It will be interesting to see how Microsoft balances the demand for openness introduced by these services with the lucrative nature of platform control. However, this much is true; the Xbox will soon have an open browser or a severely limited social network experience.
Image by Clickr Bee on Flickr.