14 DAY TRIAL // The team at Microsoft in charge of the Xbox One home console announces that it is planning to add more than 45 new entertainment-focused applications to the next-gen console and the older 360 platform and that it is also dropping the requirement for Xbox Live Gold for many of them.
The more interesting incoming applications include Twitter with television integration, Vine, HBO Go, ShowTime Anytime, Comedy Central and Major League Gaming and the official announcement says that they will be all delivered before the end of the holiday season.
This means that the app catalog will increase to more than 225, a 25 percent expansion that will take place in just a few months and the full list is large and can be consulted on the official site.
Yusuf Mehdi, a corporate vice president of devices and studios at Microsoft, states, “Xbox fans are spending more time than ever on the console, spending more than five hours a day on Xbox One. Today as we announce new commitments from dozens of our partners, including deep integration with experiences like Twitter and Vine, we hit an important milestone in our journey to deliver unique experiences on Xbox.”
The Twitter for television app is one of the most important to ever arrive on the Xbox One because it allows gamers to use the service in a new contextual way and integrates it with the listing of the OneGuide.
This makes it easier for users to interact with friends while watching their favorite shows and see what subjects are currently trending.
Jana Messerschmidt, a vice president of business development and platform at Twitter, adds, “We’re enhancing that experience on the Xbox One with a unique Watch with Twitter integration. It will now be easier to discover what shows are trending in real-time on Twitter, tune-in and follow the conversation right from within the Xbox One interface. We are excited to work with the Xbox One team and continue to deliver unique entertainment experiences.”
Starting on Monday, June 9, the Xbox One retail package is no longer including the Kinect motion tracking system and will retail for 399 dollars or Euro.
Microsoft hopes that this will result in more gamers attracted to the device and the announcement about new apps will also serve to make it more interesting for TV fans.
The company will make more announcements about the Xbox One during the E3 2014 trade show.