Earlier this spring, Microsoft enabled "voicemail" for its Xbox Live service, allowing gamers to leave a brief voice message with friend requests or a general "howdy" for existing friends. At E3, Microsoft announced it will be rolling out video messaging as well. Today, Microsoft announced officially who will be seeing themselves on camera first.
“Xbox Video Chat” will debut later this year in Japan, allowing up to five people at a time to talk, make faces and do otherwise non-voyeuristic things together. The service will be available for 6,800 yen.
Microsoft did not announce when "Xbox Video Chat" and its webcam-like peripheral would be available in North America, Europe or other markets.
Like Microsoft's last bad peripheral idea, also known as Xbox Music Mixer (read DailyGame's review), Xbox Video Chat will include several multimedia-friendly features, including video effects, sound effects, preset graphics and a music function that allows all participants to listen to prerecorded songs.
With any luck, though, Xbox Video Chat will not only be more functional than Microsoft's last peripheral venture, but also more enjoyable.