Canadians Receive Diminished Xbox Live Beta Experience

Being an Xbox gamer in Canada isn’t much different from being an Xbox gamer in the US. Many pre-order bonuses are available in both countries and game release dates are always the same. However, with the latest Xbox Live Update Preview, Canadians are shorted the cooler features. There is no Last.fm here, nor has Netflix been added from the previous update.

There are only three new features available to Canadians: Facebook, Twitter, and Zune Marketplace. Since not everyone has the chance to test out these features yet, we thought we’d give them all a test drive to see how well the new features work on the Xbox 360.

Twitter
Just like on your computer, the new Twitter feature allows you to ‘Tweet’ and follow friends’ tweets, only from the comfort of your couch. While there is nothing wrong with how Twitter was implemented, the basic nature of Twitter doesn’t seem to fit into the Xbox 360 dashboard.

Most Twitter updates contain links to other sites which you can’t follow on your Xbox. A little thing called lack of web browser prevents this.  Also, the Twitter application only shows the last 49 updates of those you are following. Posting a new tweet can be frustrating. It may only be 140 characters but try typing with your controller. Best to bust out your Messenger Kit or a USB keyboard.

I did like the fact that a search feature was implemented and you can view the top 10 trending topics. Twitter works, it just has some bugs which need ironing out.

Facebook
Microsoft did a good job creating the Facebook application. The UI is easy to navigate and it’s easy to see your friends’ updates. It was nice to discover you’re not limited to how many updates you can view.

Like Twitter, you can update your status. You can also display your photo albums and your friends’ photo albums. It’s really easy to view the photos. I had a friend post a new album, and both my husband and I were able to see the photos without having to boot up the computer or leave the sofa.

A search feature has been included allowing you to search for anyone on your Facebook friends list that isn’t on your Xbox Live friends list and vice versa. You can also link your Facebook account and Xbox Live account. However, I’m not sure I need people to know how much time I spend playing the Xbox.

Zune Marketplace
The Zune marketplace isn’t just for movies, TV shows can also be purchased. I’m going to be honest here, the TV shows offered are awful. For the beta, only three networks are available: MTV, Spike, and Warner Bros. The Warner Bros. offering is Trust Me, a show I’ve never heard of. For Spike, you can watch such quality programs as Deadliest Warrior or Manswers. MTV has the most with shows with series such as Beavis & Butthead, The Hills, and Jackass. I have a feeling that it’s not going to be much better for Canadians when the update is rolled out to everyone. It would be nice if Canadians could purchase episodes of Corner Gas, the Mercer Report, or Little Mosque on the Prairie. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft localizes content.

Of the three new features offered in the Xbox Live Update Preview, I’ll use Facebook the most. It’s not that the other two are horrible and not usable, they just don’t do much for me.

So is the update going to change the gaming landscape? No, it won’t, but it does help Microsoft solidify the Xbox 360′s position as a social and gaming hub in your living room.