Game Stooge

Xbox Text Controller Confirmed By Microsoft

• Scribbled on April 9th, 2007 by Jonah Falcon
• Filed in Hardware Peripherals, Industry News, Microsoft Xbox 360, Press Release, Release Date(s)

Okay, this time the keyboard controller peripheral is really for real, as Microsoft issued a press release introducing the new MSN Messenger/Xbox Live connectivity, and gave a release date for it as well:

Beginning the week of May 7, users of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360 will text chat using the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360, or by connecting a USB keyboard to the console. This summer Microsoft will launch a QWERTY text-input device, a new accessory that will connect directly into the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging.

GameSpot might have jumped the gun on the news a little, but honestly, it made too much sense, and Microsoft had conducted a poll last year which queried Xbox Live users if they’d like this feature. Engadget revealed some of the features, such as a backlit keyboard and that it comes with its own headset. No price has been announced yet.

Are you excited for the new keyboard peripheral, and does this open the gates for more MMORPG’s like World of Warcraft to the 360 market?

Click “Read more…” to read the entire press release.

Xbox 360 owners can connect with more than 260 million Windows Live
 Messenger users on Xbox 360, Windows-based PCs and Windows Mobile-powered
  devices beginning the week of May 7.

REDMOND, Wash., April 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Your Xbox LIVE(R)
friends list is about to get a whole lot bigger. Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:
MSFT) today announced the launch of Windows Live(TM) Messenger on Xbox
360(TM), connecting friends across Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft(R)
Windows(R)-based PCs and Windows Mobile(R)-powered devices. With this
update to Xbox 360, friends and families can easily connect and chat
directly from their television using Windows Live Messenger, a network of
more than 20 billion relationships and more than 260 million active
accounts.
  (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
  Beginning the week of May 7, 2007, the Xbox 360 Spring Update will
provide Xbox 360 owners worldwide with access to Windows Live Messenger
features, broadening the communication options on the Xbox LIVE social
network. Members of the 6 million-strong Xbox LIVE community currently send
more than 2 million text and voice messages a day and can now use Windows
Live Messenger to text chat with up to six people on their contact list at
one time, while playing games, listening to music or watching movies. Text
chat adds to the variety of options friends and families already have to
communicate with on Xbox LIVE, including voice and video chat.
  Current relationships on Windows Live Messenger and Xbox LIVE will be
unified on Xbox 360 and users will see at a glance if their existing
friends on Windows Live Messenger have gamertags, instantly expanding the
breadth of connected experiences they can share online.
  “Bringing the largest IM community in the world, Windows Live
Messenger, to Xbox 360 makes sense, as Xbox LIVE has really become the
largest social network on television,” said Jerry Johnson, product unit
manager of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. “For our growing community of 6 million
on Xbox LIVE, using Xbox 360 is a very social, connected experience. They
are using Xbox 360 to play games, music and movies while simultaneously
communicating with one another through video, voice and text chat. With
this announcement we are simultaneously expanding the access of Xbox LIVE
users to existing friends and family while introducing Windows Live
Messenger users to the benefits of Xbox 360.”
  Beginning the week of May 7, users of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox
360 will text chat using the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360, or by
connecting a USB keyboard to the console. This summer Microsoft will launch
a QWERTY text-input device, a new accessory that will connect directly into
the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging.
  Beyond Windows Live Messenger, the Spring Update for Xbox 360 includes
hundreds of new features and enhancements including the following:
  — A richer Achievement notification pop-up will showcase the name of the
  unlocked Achievement and the gamerscore value without needing to leave
  the game to check the Achievements list.

– Enhanced family settings features for Xbox LIVE communications enable
  different defaults for video chat and voice chat.

– A new Xbox LIVE Marketplace blade lets Xbox LIVE members access the
  content they seek — whether it is game content or TV shows and movies
  (available in the United States) — from one place on Xbox LIVE.

– Updates to Xbox LIVE Arcade allow owners to quickly see which Xbox LIVE
  Arcade games their friends are playing and join in the fun. Xbox LIVE
  members can also compare progress of leaderboard scores and
  Achievements directly with all friends on their friends list. Expanded
  Tell a Friend capabilities make it easier than ever to boast about
  Achievements and high scores.

– A new option in Auto Downloads provides faster access to the entire
  collection of free, trial-version Xbox LIVE Arcade games.

– New progressive download controls provide easy access to optimal
  viewing options by letting people fast-forward, rewind, pause and
  resume as their video is downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

– Extension of the background download functionality will allow owners to
  set their Xbox 360 console to turn off automatically after downloads
  are complete.
  The Spring Update is free beginning the week of May 7 and is easily
accessible to every Xbox 360 owner through Xbox LIVE or on Xbox.com.
  About Xbox 360
  Xbox 360 is the most powerful video game and entertainment system,
delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox LIVE
online gaming network and unique digital entertainment experiences that
revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a catalog of more than 160
high-definition games and is available in 37 countries. More information
can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.
  About Xbox LIVE
  Xbox LIVE is the first and most comprehensive unified online
entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console
experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and
entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360
system. Xbox LIVE connects millions of members across 25 countries to enjoy
hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox LIVE Arcade,
free and premium playable game demos, music videos, TV shows and movies in
the United States as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for
all their favorite retail games. More information can be found online at
http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.
  About MSN and Windows Live
  MSN(R) attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month.
With localized versions available globally in 42 markets and 21 languages,
MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling programmed content
experiences to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses
worldwide. Windows Live, a new set of personal Internet services and
software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships,
information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and
security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN and Windows
Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services. Some
Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1, 2005; these
and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com. Windows Live
is available at http://www.live.com. MSN is located on the Web at
http://www.msn.com. MSN worldwide sites are located at
http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.
  About Microsoft
  Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software,
services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full
potential.
  Microsoft, Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Xbox 360, Windows, Windows Mobile,
MSN and Xbox are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. The names
of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of
their respective owners.