Xbox LIVE Fall 2010 Update Coming With Kinect, Zune Pass Music and ESPN

Microsoft today confirmed that the Xbox LIVE Fall 2010 update will be available by November 4 and will include ESPN, Netflix Search and Zune Music. The release will come just before Microsoft’s Kinect motion capture gaming controller hits stores on November 10.

By far the biggest news coming out of the fall release is ESPN for Xbox LIVE. Access to ESPN will require an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription, but the features are fairly compelling:

• Access to more than 3,500 sporting events per year, including college football, MLB, NBA and soccer.
• Full HD video with DVR capabilities.
• With the Games at a Glance feature, viewers can quickly check the scores of other sporting events, without leaving the game that is currently playing.
• Viewers can predict the winner of games and see the percentage of votes among other Xbox LIVE ESPN viewers.
• A voice chat feature will connect up to seven individuals so people can watch the game with their friends even if they’re not with their friends.

In addition to ESPN, Microsoft will also be bringing music to the Xbox 360 through Zune Pass. The Zune Pass music service costs $15 per month for unlimited music streaming and DRM-infused downloads. There will be several social music functions that allow listeners to connect with Xbox LIVE users with similar musical tastes. Listening queues will also be displayed so you can discover new music vicariously through your friends, and your friends can discover that you’ve been listening to tracks like “We Used to Wait” by Arcade Fire on repeat for the past two months.

Those who have grown familiar with Netflix on Xbox LIVE will be pleased to learn that the service is getting an upgrade. The feature makes it considerably easier to quickly search Netflix titles on Xbox 360. It’s admittedly minor in comparison to ESPN and Zune Pass music, but it’s nice to have the service streamlined.

The forthcoming Xbox LIVE update is focused more on traditional home entertainment than it is on gaming. The Xbox 360 with Xbox LIVE has long had the ability to stream a wide array of media formats (Xvid, DivX, etc.) and these features place it even more directly in contention with media center devices like Apple TV, Boxee and Roku.

With its game console meets media center demeanor (and Hulu Plus access said to be coming soon), Xbox 360 seems to have more than a fighting chance at winning a place in quite a few home theaters this holiday season. So what say you: Does the Xbox LIVE fall update sweeten the deal enough for you, or is your heart still set on some other media center?

[via mashable]

Posted in: ESPN,Kinect,Netflix,Tech,XBox Live,Zune