Xbox Facebook and Twitter apps removed to encourage Internet Explorer use?
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Multiple sources say social networking apps nixed from latest dashboard update to spur gamers to use new browser.
Gamers who have downloaded the newest Xbox 360 dashboard update may have noticed that the Facebook and Twitter applications are missing. Multiple sources reportedly familiar with Microsoft's plans have told The Verge that this was done to spur gamers to use the new Internet Explorer browser included with the update.
The report points out that Microsoft's Xbox Live Web page continues to list the apps, but they are not available through the Xbox 360 itself. Those who have downloaded and installed the Facebook and Twitter apps can still access them, but they are not available for new users, the report continues.
Microsoft announced this week that the latest Xbox 360 dashboard update is beginning to roll out. GameSpot has not received the update at press time. According to the sources, Microsoft will push the update out globally on October 23.
A Microsoft representative was not immediately available for comment.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
234 comments
You're saying a closed system might be forcing people to use certain applications? O-M-G STOP T-H-E PRESSES GIRLFRIEND! SURF'S UP G'S DOWN.
2 Like I'd pick IE over FB and twitter any day. Social networking has lost its appeal and has become more of an annoyance than a benefit. But even more than that, why would we want to have FB and twitter on our game consoles? I mean, honestly, who is gonna give a **** about our xbox/ps3 achievement on fb? If anything, it's just gonna make people want to block you.
Why add them and talk them up in the first place?
I doubt many people will care or even miss the facebook and twitter apps anyway, but still why even add them in the first place Microsoft.
Your taking things out with an update. that makes u look lame!
Never really cared for browsers on game consoles. Last one I used on a regular basis was the browser on the Dreamcast until I bought my first PC (folks couldn't afford it while I was in school and dial-up was the best you could get at the time anyway) to do my web browsing.
If nothing else, having IE on Xbox will do one thing: open up Live to people staying at hotels that you have to go to a webpage to log into the Internet. That was one advantage EVERYBODY had over MS with their game consoles; even on my DS I was able to go online while at hotels but I had to tether my laptop connection to the Xbox since there was no browser to use to log on directly
3 Like Never ganna happen! Love Firefox. Want to change to chrome, just too lazy. Safari. Whatever. Anything but IE
@inaka_rob So true IE always suck all tho I never really like Fire Fox ether tho it was still better then IE 2 years ago I use Apple-Safari alot I love using it then Fire Fox at the time, then I came a cross Google-Chrome hands down best web browser ever I mean just having AdBlock program(which block all ads no matter what web site you on) I download from the Chrome web store for FREE makes it my permanent web broswer and they have alot more programs I still gotta check out. If no one had try Google-Chrome web browser should try it trust you won't be sorry ;-) !
Only in this day and age can something so simple and obvious be not only OMG news worthy, but also some sort of conspiracy - in this case, Microsoft trying to shunt out apps to get people to use their new Internet Explorer app.
Fact. Before IE for the 360 was here, you couldn't access websites with it. Officially.
For some reason, Microsoft thought that some users wanted to access Facebook and Twitter through their gaming console instead of actually playing games. So they brought along the Facebook and Twitter apps for 'those users'. Fair enough.
Now, with the 360 finally being able to access websites from the internet, and I'm guessing such websites like Facebook and Twitter are some of those available, what the hell is the point of having the apps available?
This isn't some weird version of Pokemon where you have to collect every app possible. This isn't a move from Microsoft to get people to use the IE. This is common sense FFS.
It's wrong. Internet Explorer in the Xbox doesn't allow Java or Adobe. Only HTML. This means you won't get access to 90% of the video content in the net.
this is what makes laptops awesome. I can have the best of both worlds. Although, I have a ps3 so I never used the crappy browser on it anyway
I use my vita for facebook and twitter when I'm away from my pc so this doesn't bug me at all and if I could I would uninstall IE I refuse to use IE the only time that I have used it is when it was the only browser on my pc which only happens when I build a new one or just I just formatted that one that I have and I only use it once and that is to install firefox
Dont bother trying to compete with Twitter and Facebook Microsoft. Just stick to making a good operating system and xbox
1 Like Microsoft forcing people to use its Crappy Browser instead on other third party apps? Shocking!!
2 Like So would using the Internet explorer on my 360(when it becomes available) open up my 360 to virus's?
@DJK11 No, you're Xbox is a closed system. It doesn't allow downloads, which are the only way to get infected.
1 Like Thank goodness we still have Facebook and Twitter on our phones, tablets - even TVs. And we still have browsers like Chrome and Firefox for accessing them on our PCs.
In all honesty, I find these two applications very cumbersome to use on my Xbox 360. Anyone has a different experience?
2 Like I hear all the ppl on here ripping internet explorer a new and I understand why everything before internet explorer 9 was F#*KING TERRIBLE infasis on the F#*KING TERRIBLE part but I actually like internet explorer 9 it's actually faster then google chrome which I thought I'd never say.
@Marky360 Well glad you like it. I hate IE9, and love Chrome. I use both chrome and Firefox (and safari on my apple) but my fav is chrome. I use G+, gmail and some google apps, and will never use another search engine than google (yahoo definitely sucks) so chrome integrates everything. Not only do I hate IE because of how it ahndles, but also because they pay how many places to show their "o so wonderful' overplayd ad for IE9. I do like the LOOK of IE9 very nice to look at etc, but I do not use any of their MS features. Hell I do not use most of MS built in stuff in Windows (MS mail, IE, media player,) and I HATE BING. Man that is the most irritating thing ever.
Anyways, thinki IE9 could be nice but does not give me what I want as Chrome does.
Me personally it doesn't matter to me both Chrome and IE9 are just fine now I'm using Chrome later I may use IE9 it's really just dependent on which one I happen to click lol. I was just saying that both IE9 and chrome really are pretty much the same and that Internet explorer isn't as bad as it used to be.
@Marky360 on PC, maybe. n the xbox, you can't download Java, and MS only offers HTML in Internet Explorer.
Yea I can believe it although I wouldn't blame MS it's probably adobe's fault because they stop supporting mobile flash and they more then likely consider the Xbox as a mobile platform it's the same thing that happened to the PS Vita. Hopefully more sites will start to support HTML5 so we can all forget flash ever existed.
strange move, taking it away to new people. Do they want the revenue from a dedicated XBOX web portal?
a big piece of the future of the internet
is accessing it by voice and without remotes on your main home tv
that why MS made xbox
ms knew this was coming well over a decade ago
this is also why nintendo made wii/motion contols
--whoever comes out on top of the "homepage" console browser wars
--there gonna be making several million time$ more than anyone else in the gaming industry
--sorta makes microsoft's xbox venture make sen$e all of a sudden?
i don't care for any new updates from Xbox endless they take away the damn adds that sit all over the dash pffff
I don't know if I'm representative, so let me ask this: Do any of you use the PS3 or Wii web browsers on a reguar basis? And if so, do you have a real hardware keyboard, or do you do all your typing using the controller and on-screen keyboard?
If I have to type anything complex, I plug a USB keyboard into my console, but really, if I want to do any real browsing, I'm more likely to just get up and go to a computer or grab a tablet / smartphone. I'm glad the console browsers are there, but I don't use them much at all.
@theKSMM I just use my vita since it is with me almost all the time and yes it doesn't have flash but that is adobe fault and not Sony since adobe is not making flash for mobile devices but it really doesn't bother me since I just use it for places like this like what I'm doing now
Yea I totally get what your saying thats one of the reasons I'd like a Vita so I could surf the web while I'm playing a game on PS3 so I can look up cheats or walkthrough videos.
@theKSMM
I pretty much do all my web browsing from my PS3 it just seems simpler to brows the web from my PS3 then pop in a game and play. I'm actually using my PS3 as I type this comment. As for weather I use a usb keyboard or the virtual keyboard I like just using the virtual keyboard I have my usb keyboard right next to me but it's just collecting dust lol I just feel like I can type faster with the PS3 controller.
@theKSMMI have a USB keyboard, so I will communicate with others via this, but as for internet access, the PS3 browser is dismal. I'd rather use a PS3 and laptop at the same time.
@theKSMM i have use the ps3 web browser but id rather use my comp:P its not bad just its not a comp
2 Like 5 years later Microsoft finally adds a browser to 360. I've been thankful for my PS3 having it - I don't use it often but it has allowed me to sign into my school's wi-fi easily, just open it up and log in
1 Like Ehhh, not really suprised (except by the fact people would use their console for general internet browsing or social media updating).
2 Like NOW Sony should respond with Chrome, Firefox, or even a paid for Opera!!!!
something because the browser that Sony has SUCKS!!!!!
1 Like IE is junk and prone to security risks...kind of what happened about a month ago. Chrome is the way to go.
1 Like @Ravenlore_basic @Frosty192 lmfao iv made better use of what sony has then IE. IE is slow and has so meny bugs
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