Microsoft talks Xbox 360 Live future

Xbox 360 \Microsoft third-party account manager Steven Blackburn gave a presentation about the past, present, and future of Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany today.

In the future instead of browsing downloadable content from the Xbox 360 dashboard, the feature will be built into the game. Blackburn offered the example of a combat flight simulator, where you can peruse new airplanes and weapons in a hangar and access the downloadable content without ever leaving the game.

The second improvement in store for Xbox Live Marketplace is an update that will allow players to preview premium content before purchasing it. Currently, players have to purchase content sight unseen, but eventually the downloadable items will include pictures so that the buyers can see what they’re purchasing.

The third and final point regarding the future of Xbox Live Marketplace was simply a brief mention of the Live Anywhere service announced at E3 2006, which will allow players to earn achievements and download content for multiple versions of the same game.

Here’s a Leipzig Games Convention preview video:

Via Gamespot