Lusipurr.com – Presenting the Sundry Opinions of Lusipurr and Friends

I am a fan of Facebook and Twitter. I have my Twitter synched up to my Facebook so that people that are anti-Tweets (who are these people?!) can see all the stupid things I have to say at all times always (because who doesn’t have a Facebook account?). Lucky them! I am okay with this connectivity because it makes sense; it is a seamless integration that keeps me from having to write the same thing twice.

I thought the much hyped Xbox 360 update that allowed for Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm (I am there, too) integration was stupid for two reason:

1. What does this have to do with gaming?
2. With all the stink Microsoft was making about bringing these features to the masses, have the masses forgotten that the PlayStation 3 has a built-in browser and can already do these things from within that? (PS3 only does EVERYTHING after all)

I’ll focus this piece on the first question, and the answer is, of course, nothing. For Xbox Live Gold members, it potentially keeps them logged in longer to see what their friends are up to, comment on their photos, or shoot off a quick Tweet about whatever-the-hell, but this data will invariably be misconstrued by Microsoft on some year end fiscal report bragging that people spend X amount of time utilizing the service (which will more than likely be presented as being X minus Y hours more than the competition’s service), which sounds great to shareholders. Know what else sounds great to the Gordon Gekkos of the world? Free advertising! Service users can opt-in on updating their Facebook statuses with info about what they are playing and the Achievements they have unlocked. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but when you consider that users are paying (usually) $50 a year for the option to do so, that is pretty dickish.

“I see you are playing Borderlands on the 360. I will now buy it!”

Sony’s online infrastructure has taken a while to nearly match Microsoft’s offering in most respects, and with no subscription (for the time being) to boot. The week after the update became officially available for the 360 which allowed for all the above mentioned hullabaloo, Sony launched a minor firmware update (3.10) for the PS3 that allows for some Facebook updating as well. Users can link the PSN account to their Facebook accounts and choose to update their status with information like Trophies obtained (this only happens when gamers synch their Trophies, so it will not be an endless barrage necessarily), make purchases from the PSN Store, or potentially alert other Facebook users of in-game events that have been triggered (this feature is game dependent however). Since PSN users are not paying a subscription fee, I do not feel nearly as bad about this as with Microsoft’s offering.

“I see you are playing Borderlands on the PS3. I will now buy it!”

While they do not rely on the extra bells and whistles that Sony or Microsoft do, Nintendo is not out of the picture either. With the DSi, gamers are able to take photos and upload them onto Facebook directly using Nintendo WiFi Connection. These photos are then placed into a Facebook Album labeled “Photos from Nintendo DSi.”

“I see you are taking photos on Nintendo DSi. I will now buy one!”

I am not against peripheral features added to a console to extend its use into other areas that make it more appealing to broader audiences. I think the availability of NetFlix streaming is a huge reason some people might consider getting a 360 or a PS3 this holiday season over a Wii. And while Facebook and Twitter might be appealing bullet points (“Hey, I know Twitter!” says the middle-aged mom looking at the box), they certainly don’t add much to the experience of enjoying a piece of media, interactive or otherwise. If anything, they only serve to clutter the console’s interface (though Sony hides the Facebook connectivity within a menu), and the News Streams of Facebook friends with free propaganda for the game someone is playing.

One company that was fairly smart with their integration of Twitter support was Naughty Dog in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. While giving the player control over what the PlayStation 3 game would send updates about, Naughty Dog had noticed a ridiculous number of Tweets being made from review copies about level progress and Trophies unlocked. Not enjoying what they themselves were seeing in their own product, Naughty Dog had a day one patch that turned off certain notifications until they found what they believed to be a happy medium for said notifications. A software update has yet to be released beyond that first one.

“I see you are playing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Tweeting
nonstop about the Chapters you have completed. I will now buy it!”

What, dear Lusipurrian, do you think? Is the integration between consoles and social network sites a trend you are happy to see in gaming? Do you feel like these companies are using you to silently advertise their products? Do you feel like your Facebook is a good indicator more of who you are as a person, or more what you are as a consumer? These last lines of disposition, my friends, is known in law as “leading the witness.” I have no shame.

UPDATE: Microsoft has no shame either and, in my eyes, it has begun.