Microsoft is set to replace its voice chat system with Skype for the next generation Xbox, CVG has learned.
After Microsoft purchased Skype last year for $8.5 billion, it has been trying to integrate Skype with other Microsoft systems. Just last week, Microsoft announced that Skype IM will replace the outdated MSN. So replacing the existing voice chat with the service seems like the next logical step at consolidating Skype into the Microsoft infrastructure.
However these reports do leave a lot of questions unanswered. Will this mean that there will be in-game video chat in the next Xbox? Will we have to tie a Skype account to our gamertags?
Personally I think that the current system in place is already good enough because it can deal with lots of people chatting at the same time and I have rarely experienced problems. By introducing Skype it could complicate the system, especially if we have to tie our Skype accounts with Xbox accounts.
Interestingly, in the report it is revealed that Microsoft is looking for a UI designer for the next Xbox, with the job is located at Skype’s offices. So it seems clear that Skype will take some role in the next generation Xbox, but how much of a role we will have to wait to find out.
Would you like Skype to replace the current system? Would in-game video chat be appealing to you? Let me know in the comments below.
