Microsoft sets upgrade dates for online gaming
Reuters | at | by Mike
Microsoft on Thursday pegged Aug. 25 as the launch date for upgrades to its Xbox Live online video game service.On its Xbox Live Web site, Microsoft set the date for upgrades to the "Xbox Dashboard," which will include a list of the player's friends who are also online, as well as the ability to start a voice chat that does not require subscribers to actually be playing a game.
Those service enhancements were first announced in May, at the industry's annual E3 trade show. From Xbox Live's launch last November, Microsoft has emphasized the network's voice communication features, and the new game-independent voice chat was said to be one of users' most-requested features.