The return of Xbox Live Friends to MSN Messenger

[Everlost_MI]

Major Nelson (http://www.majornelson.com/) is reporting...
After a 14–month hiatus, it’s back! You can now check your Xbox Live friends list from MSN Windows Live Messenger*. Don’t have Messenger yet? Download it here. If you already have messenger, click on the Xbox tab and you’ll see your friends list. Plus, you can even click a friend to go to their profile page. Nope…no word on when/if we’ll combine the Messenger and Xbox Live friends lists, but at least we've got this back.

*Note this is for US and Japan passport accounts only. Other regions may have this function, but it is purely up to the regional Windows Live Messenger teams if they want an Xbox tab...the Xbox team does not make this decision.

[Dag-Sabot]

..and there was much rejoicing.

[bone_matrix]

Has it really been 14 months since they took the list off messenger? Seemed like a lot less. Oh well, its a bit quicker than checking xbox.com. Although, on the website you can see what they are doing in the game, compared to seeing if they are online and in what game.

[GrinR]

Neat. A welcome return.

Man, when MS decides to do something right - BOY do they do it right.

[shnastybiznastic]

I wonder if there's a gaim plugin for this.

[TrackZero]

I'll wait until GAIM supports the new MSN protocol.

I also find it strange that Americans don't use MSN as their standard IM client. Here in Canada, it's what everyone uses (at least, every single person I've ever met). I know people down south are big on AIM. I can't understand why for the life of me. Smaller feature set and even more "big brother" vibe than MS gives out. Ah well.

[TrackZero]

I wonder if there's a gaim plugin for this.

Great minds.

[Royal Fool]

I'll wait until GAIM supports the new MSN protocol.

I also find it strange that Americans don't use MSN as their standard IM client. Here in Canada, it's what everyone uses (at least, every single person I've ever met). I know people down south are big on AIM. I can't understand why for the life of me. Smaller feature set and even more "big brother" vibe than MS gives out. Ah well.
Same here, Icelanders only use MSN (Partly because AOL never really got their stinky hands on the market). Having tried AIM, it's easy to see why MSN is so superior.

[bone_matrix]

In high school, 5-10 years ago, it was Yahoo Messenger. Everyone had a Yahoo e-mail address. It slowly went to MSN. In college, it was all MSN. some weirdos had AIM, but I don't like AOL, so I never got it.

[LilAbner]

In high school, 5-10 years ago, it was Yahoo Messenger. Everyone had a Yahoo e-mail address. It slowly went to MSN. In college, it was all MSN. some weirdos had AIM, but I don't like AOL, so I never got it.

The irony is, AIM dominates in the US. I prefer Yahoo, but use AIM the most because most people I know have it.

[Banacek]

Back in the day, all the girls that I wanted to sleep with used AIM. So I used AIM. Now it's just the fact that almost everyone I know uses it, Gaim or Trillian (with AIM SNs).

[shnastybiznastic]

Smaller feature set and even more "big brother" vibe than MS gives out. Ah well.
I'll have to investigate MSN. I was unaware that the feature set was smaller. Not that features make a service, just that they might be better implemented.

[ÜberJumper]

Any Canadians able to get the Xbox Live tab? It's not showing up for me.

[TrackZero]

Any Canadians able to get the Xbox Live tab? It's not showing up for me.

It's for "MSN Windows Live Messenger". Isn't that the new Beta version of MSN?