Facebook and Twitter Apps Booted Out of Xbox 360

Neal Alfie Lasta on Oct 22nd 2012 in Social Media 1

It is now official: Facebook and Twitter applications will no longer be part of the Xbox 360. The announcement was recently made by Microsoft, in discussing the fall season updates for the popular gaming console.

Designed Especially for Gamers

Three years ago, the Facebook and Twitter apps were added to the Xbox 360 so that gamers can share their updates instantly.

According to a PCMag report, the Facebook application enabled gaming enthusiasts to connect with their Xbox Live co-players in the real world, as well as vice versa.

Facebook and Twitter Apps will no longer be found in Xbox 360. (Image: via technologytell.com)

On the other hand, the Twitter application was included so that gamers could post updates using 140 characters or less.

Streamlining Application Functionality

In a talk with IGN’s Mitch Dyer, a Microsoft representative stated that the Facebook and Twitter applications were being taken out for the purposes of “streamlining” the Xbox 360’s application functionality.

Notably, while the change might not be noticed by most gamers, it is still a substantial change for the gaming console. Meanwhile, no official information has been released regarding the number of gamers who actively use the social networking apps.

A Social Platform for Gamers

The effect of removing the Facebook and Twitter apps from the Xbox 360 remains to be seen. However, Don Hatfield, a gadget blogger has been reported to say that Xbox Live in itself is a social media platform for gamers. Through it, they are able to chat, send messages to each other, and of course, play their favorite games together.

In the meantime, Microsoft is keeping mum about whether or not the two social apps will return to Xbox in the future.

Fortunately, the company suggests that gamers can still post updates through the Internet Explorer 9. Likewise, the fall updates for the Xbox 360 also includes a sports application, a TV and movie channel, pinning, enhanced searches via Bing, and recommendations from Rotten Tomatoes.