I was lucky enough to receive a preview invitation to see the Xbox Live Update today. But instead of doing one of the million of play by plays that you see on the web, I thought I’d do a quick bullet list list of the new features available to Canadians:
- News
- last.fm
- Instant On Zune marketplace Zune Marketplace Video Marketplace Beta
In place of America’s interactive, instant-viewing library of 1080ps movies features, Canadians will relish in their sole feature of a reskinning and a library that continues the tradition of such new releases as ‘Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey’ and ‘Analyze This’. Finally! We can see what the hype is about!
In addition to this is the new category of TV, allowing you to ‘download’ your favorite new hits like Beavis and Butthead. - Twitter:
I was expecting an automated way of tweeting what I’m playing, but instead what I got was a slower, more awkward version than what’s on my phone (I use twidget for Android). - Facebook:
Xbox’s version allows you to continue the tradition of finding smut photos of people you know but this time, on a larger TV while your wife watches. - List of Shit Americans get that you won’t be getting
This feature is loud and proud under the Preview menu.
Shut Up and Play This? You really don’t have a choice: the update will be mandatory soon. And while the list of new features on the American’s featurelist looks exciting, Canadians once again won’t be getting any of them, making this update near pointless. While the featuring of the lastest social networking sites is trendy and cool, its a feature that detracts the Xbox from what it’s intended to be: an entertainment device. You don’t sit down with your friends to twitter. You don’t show photos of your best friend dressed in drag in highschool to your new girlfriend. Xbox is used primarily as a movie watching and game device, and these features actually detract from that.
…and now a rant….
I’m proud to be a Canadian. While not from birth, I naturalized here and for many reasons that are outside of the scope of this gaming site, I couldn’t ask for a more diverse and greater country to live in. But we are constantly, as Canadians, on the short-end of the stick when it comes to technology and media. I’ve been doing research as to why and been saving that up for a larger, more journalistic article as to why this keeps happening. There are many things that stem this issue, from government intervention to corporate greed, but let me put up a challenge to any Canadian owned company. Instead of complaining that there isn’t enough support for Canadian content or Canadian businesses and asking the government for handouts, or simply being forced to shut your doors or be bought out by American Interests, why not find out where the opportunities are and start it yourself? Bind together with other businesses of like? There is a HUGE opportunity for not only featuring old and current Canadian content on Xbox Live Video Marketplace here but also for creating new content for a perfect demographic that is trapped to do nothing but WATCH your content. And Xbox Canada, isn’t it your duty to help Microsoft mold their features and services to the needs of a Canadian clientelle? Shouldn’t you already know and be figuring out ways to get help to set this in motion?
I’m tired of being treated like the 3rd world of technology up here and seeing, for no other reason than greed and the over protectiveness of our government, the lack of choice given to Canadians. Choice breeds ingenuity, initiative and a more competitive marketplace and it’s about goddamned time we were given some. And it’s about goddamned time someone in Xbox Canada, in one of the controlling corporations, or in many of the small-time production companies realized the potential to promote, provide and showcase some of the Canadian talent we have up here.
