coexist

Xbox Live launched an update yesterday, allowing their Gold subscribers to interact with Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, and the Zune.net store. While the integration is not without its flaws, it’s still a welcomed update that opens many doors.

Coupled with last years update which allows subscribers to stream any Netflix Watch Instantly movie through their console, the Xbox 360 now serves as a pretty robust piece of entertainment hardware when compared to its release in 2005.

It all goes to show how longevity of a service can be prolonged with significant updates and maintenance. The days when a company could release a product only to sit back and profit are gone.

Consumers now expect the products they interact with to last longer, offer more, and cost less. From Blu-Ray players to smartphones, and even web experiences—these products lend themselves to constant evolution, which can now be achieved on almost any popular platform over a network.  It’s a relatively new standard, and it’s better for everyone involved.

So is this software update going to be the cause of an onslaught of holiday sales? Probably not—but the perception communicated to it’s 10+ million Gold subscribers is that Microsoft is continually working to create the best experience possible, without charging for a new product. Their customers will remember this commitment when the next generation of hardware is released.

Action is always more powerful than promises, and the Xbox team is delivering. Plus, I can now tweet without reaching for my Blackberry or Laptop—huzzah.