An update due to be available to XBox 360 users December 4 will bring a social networking style feature to users of the XBox Live service.
Xbox Live, for those not familiar with the service, is Microsoft’s online gaming service that allows users to play online games with friends and others. The service has always supported a friends list, but the new changes will now allow users to see friends of friends, opening up gaming opportunities beyond current contacts.
Ars Technica calls the move “very MySpace” but social networking on XBox Live wont be in the same format. Online game collaboration on Xbox includes voice chat, so the social aspects wont resemble the profile pages and similar social networking aspects we’ve come to expect from social networking sites, but it will be a much more social service in a traditional sense of the word social.
The update will include privacy settings that will allow users to make their friends list available to everyone (members 18 or older), friends only (13 years and up) or blocked, which will be the default setting for users under 13 but available as a choice to everyone.