XBOX Live: The Entertainment Revolution Starts Here

This past week has seen a raft of new features unveiled as part of Microsoft's quest to make the XBox 360 console a full-on media centre through the adaptation and expansion of XBox Live to include more content and services than have ever been seen on one system before. With it, the 360 becomes a set-top box to rival and actually shame all others, further announcing an entertainment revolution that aims to provide consumers with every kind of entertainment they yearn for in one place, as well as the opportunity to share it with friends. To celebrate the launch, the XBox Live team invited us and a number of others to London venue Supperclub, and proceeded to assault the collected senses of the newly appointed XBOX Live Ambassadors with a themed launch event that tried to frame the new content in an engaging and entertaining way. Two performance art shows and some savoury macaroons later, and we knew exactly what the redevelopment of the XBox Live system would look like. Very basically, we're looking at an integrated system that combines multiple functions and platforms in one box, which is already in a vast number of living rooms around the world, and all of which will be open to the free upgrade. Joining the Sky Player and Zune Video, which were already an established part of what the Live system offered, Microsoft have moved to strike up partnerships with other media outlets such as LoveFilm, 4OD, Demand5, and Youtube . The full list of partners, set for staggered unveiling throughout December runs as follows: Sky Zune Video LoveFilm 4oD Screenrush blinkbox Crackle Daily Motion Demand 5 MSN Muzu.TV VEVO Youtube And 2012 will see the addition of the BBC service, MLB.TV and Televisa Sports, rounding out a phenomenally content heavy package for XBox Live users. More than gaming? You're not kidding. Obviously, with the XBox Live tiered membership model, Gold users will enjoy more benefits than their Silver counterparts, but the amount of content available to those who choose only to take on the free level of access is certainly enough to convince anyone who is not yet a Live customer. Not only will the new-look system team Live with a host of new partners, it also launches an all new Kinect compatible interface that allows users to search and control their system using simple voice commands. The technology of Kinect will combine with Bing to allow Live customers to use their voice to search for games, movies, TV shows and music on Xbox LIVE. No controllers, no remotes. The future is here, and its name is Live. Here's the official line on that particular evolution, from Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft:

A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place€”your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports. With this update, Xbox 360 system owners will experience Kinect voice control integrated with Bing search, making your TV and entertainment experiences more social and personal than ever.

So, the revolution is here, and it has arrived thanks to Microsoft. Keep with WhatCulture as we bring you more coverage on the new XBox Live set-up in the coming weeks.