iTunes a No-Go for 360
Ouch.
All you white-headphone wearing cool cats who think that the iPod is the greatest thing since sliced bread may have a bit of a problem swallowing the news that the “Other White Meat”, also known as the XBox 360, will be utterly unable to play all of those songs you’ve downloaded from iTunes. Here Microsoft is marketing its new toy as the future of home media, including pictures, movies, and music in the list of features, but it can’t even make ends meet with what is the fastest growing and most popular trend in the music industry today.
Let’s face it. Apple and Microsoft just don’t get along. Well Microsoft doesn’t really get along with anyone except Microsoft (Microsoft Word recognizes Xbox as a legitimate word in the English language, but not Playstation, Gameboy, iPod, Mac, or variations of those). Due to what Microsoft is calling “licensing issues”, any songs from the site iTunes will be unable to be played on the new console, although any other songs you’ve uploaded onto your iPod should play without difficulty. Anyone else smelling a rapid rebound of the music pirating industry?
There’s plenty of tit-for-tat pettiness going on between both companies, and it’s really quite funny to read how multi-gazillion dollar companies behave like school yard bullies. See News.com for a look at what I’m talking about. Thanks to Kotaku for the link.
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POSTED IN: News, Things That Suck
6 opinions for iTunes a No-Go for 360
Jeremy Wright
Nov 8, 2005 at 7:02 pm
As a note, this is really because Apple’s music format mutated the AAC standard, locked it down and encrypted it beyond repair and because they refuse to license it to anyone.
Microsoft could make the 360 play the songs, but Apple would just change the encryption and all of them would break again.
Sucks.
Karine
Nov 9, 2005 at 3:11 am
I’ve read somewhere that the reason the xbox 360 wouldn’t play apple’s music format is because Microsoft refused to shell out the cash to buy the license. Hm.
Jeremy Wright
Nov 9, 2005 at 6:46 am
Apple hasn’t ever sold a license to anyone for playing their AAC. Why would they even consider selling one to MS?
Erin
Nov 9, 2005 at 6:56 am
I’ve read both what Jeremy said initially, and what you’ve pointed out Karine. Frankly, I’m not pointing the finger at either MS or Apple. They’re both being equally big selfish babies about it and I’d love to smack them both upside the head. They should perhaps try thinking of consumers every once in a while.
I heard that MS had to do some pretty nifty programming to get the iPod to stream ANY songs onto the XBox, and I’m assuming that this has pissed Apple off. It’s just a case of a skinned knee and a snot-nose bully. They need to be spanked and grounded.
Matt
Nov 9, 2005 at 9:58 am
“They need to be spanked and grounded.”
Someone’s the kinky sort.
Honestly though? I don’t see it mattering a whole lot. I’m going to use my xbox to play games. Not as a media center. I can understand their desire to give you an all in one sort of platform (especially for that price) but I wish they’d focus on more important things rather than whether or not it’ll connect to an iPOD. Wh00p-de-fucking-do.
Erin
Nov 9, 2005 at 12:44 pm
Personally, I’m with you Matt. I don’t even give a flyin rat’s patootie if my console can play music. That’s not what I bought it for, I bought it to play my *#@)$ games. ‘Ya know?
But with MS marketing the 360 as a media centre, I’m sure it’s going to draw a lot of interest from people who want that kind of functionality.
Still, there are definitely better things to be spending time on (like making sure at least one game is ready on time) than iPod compatibility. Shame on Apple for being so monopolic about licensing and shame on MS for being so…yeah I’ll leave that one be.
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