Xbox Live Getting New Features

Since its inception, Xbox Live has undergone plenty of changes, revamps, and additions. From avatars playing dress-up to the ill-fated ESPN app. This year is no different, as Microsoft announced during E3 that many new features are coming to Xbox Live.

You know I love it when you talk new features

One of the new additions is Background Music: the ability to listen to your own soundtrack while playing games. Considering how the original Xbox had a selection of games that could tap into players' music libraries, this seems a bit late. However, better late than never. On top of that, players will also be able to set a preferred language, a setting that stretches across all games. Xbox Live is also getting Cortana, who will be available for a chat on virtually all platforms that allow an Xbox Live login. The real meat and potatoes in the announcement, though, is in the three community style updates: Clubs, Arena, and Looking for Group. Clubs will allow players to join community groups and participate in discussions with other, like-minded players. Arena works as a new way to define competitive play. As new games release, including new EA Sports titles, players will be able to use this feature to compete against others and even partake in tournaments. Things are taken a bit further, however, with the final announcement. The Looking for Group function will serve as an effective way to team up in co-op experiences. Players will not only be able to list what game and how many players they are looking for, but they will also list a description. This can be used to describe what kind of experience the host is looking for (like achievement hunting or exploration), making sure only players with similar goals in mind will join in.

Xbox Live continues to grow and expand over the years. Not all of their past additions have been winners, but this year looks to be promising. Not all of them may hold on, but some of them have potential to make a new trend in console gaming communities.