Release date for Twitter and Facebook features on Xbox 360 removed; fall 2009 release still official

(Microsoft)   

For months Xbox LIVE members have been patiently waiting for some news about an official release date for a new dashboard update that will include integration of Twitter, Facebook, and LastFM into the Xbox’s online service.

First announced in the earlier half of this year, and passed over during the massive August dashboard update, the unreleased additions are expected to add another layer of interactive entertainment and social networking to millions of LIVE’s members.

Up until recently an official date had not been announced, but over the weekend users of Xbox LIVE UK may have gotten a little insight into a pending release date on the official Xbox website. Unfortunately, almost as soon as it was announced the information has been pulled, leaving many gamers now unclear as to when exactly to expect the arrival of the new features. Previously reported as coming on November 17 on the website, the information has now been replaced with an ambiguous “coming soon, autumn 2009” tag.

Officially Microsoft has claimed they have not established a release date for these features just yet, other than sometime within the next few months, however, there is expected to be a public Beta of these new features available for Xbox LIVE gold members in the next few weeks.

Many of these features are expected to only be available for paying ‘Gold’ members of Xbox LIVE and not offered for free to non-paying ‘Silver’ members. It’s unclear exactly how these new additions will be integrated into the existing service, but users of the Twitter and Facebook social networking services are expected to soon have a whole new way of linking up with their friends and family directly through their consoles in the coming months.

Though autumn 2009 is still the only date Microsoft is willing to cement at this point, considering the upcoming Beta and previous announcements, a mid to late November arrival seems to be a reasonable guess.

More news in the coming weeks.