Microsoft mandates that iPhone Xbox Live apps stay free

by Christopher Grant on Aug 19th 2008 4:29PM

While Microsoft hasn't yet announced an Xbox Live iPhone app of its very own, it has taken a well-intentioned step towards validating the handful of apps currently available on the service: it's required that the developers make their apps free. Now, before you go off about mean ol' Microsoft keeping the independent developer down, consider the reasoning here: these developers are given access to the Live functionality through the Xbox Community Developer Program and, as such, are beholden to Microsoft's rules.

In this case, Microsoft evidently has no problem with the applications themselves, just with developers charging cash money for them, so it's really looking out for you here. If you've held off on trying one out, we've included links to the three we could find (one isn't free yet, but we expect it will be shortly). Take 'em for a spin around the 'net and report your findings back here.

Source – 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends List AppStore Application is now FREE
iTunes – 1337pwn (now free)
iTunes – iLive (still $1.99)
iTunes – Xbox LIVE Friends (formerly iXboxLive; now free)

Tags: 1337pwn, App-Store, Apple, iLive, iPhone, Mobile, Xbox-360, Xbox-Live, Xbox-LIVE-Friends

Reader Comments (48)

BoroConcilman's avatar is quite awesome.

Go MS!!

Anyone try any of these and can offer a recommendation?

I may be a certified achievement points whore, but I can't see myself ever having to check my friends' accounts while on the road.

Especially just to see if they are online...when I'm not. They seem totally useless to me.

I only want to know when the chicks Im stalking on live are online.

Um, if you have web access on the iPhone, you can message your friends if you see them online by going to Xbox.com and sending a message from there.

@ Duke

Yeah, this function is basically useless. I mean wouldn't rather know if your friends are on if your nearby your 360 or just when your on it in the first place? But whatever, its free!

Oh, that was sarcasm. I see.

Its useless to me. I don't need my cell phone app to tell me someone is online. If I'm going to play the 360 I'll be starting it anyway. Your sarcasm wasn't needed.

How about they make live free instead, eh?

Go play on the PS3's online service for a week or two; after that I suspect you won't complain about $50 a year again. I mean c'mon dude, that's less than the price of a probably shitty game!

$4 per month = too expensive for someone who bought a $200-$450 console?

@AoE
Amen to that.

@Jonah Falcon
You pay for the service every year. Its not like MS is charging you $4 every month plus if you can afford a $200-$450 console then you can also buy $50 gold membership.

people are so cheap these days.

@Hala Madrid!!

$50 distributed over 12 months is roughly $4 a month. I think you and Jonah are in agreement.

ain't that something. maybe soon their generosity will spread. fingers crossed but i wouldn't hold my breath.

It's a rare fine day when corporate greed and consumer interests coincide.

I'm adding all those people to my account!

Hah hah!

jk...

Very nice Microsoft.

If I were a cynical man, I'd say this had less to do with generosity and corporate policy and more to do with the fact that, if it was sold for cash, Apple would get a cut of the money.

Fortunately, I live on a fluffy cloud in the Land of Unicorns and Fairies, so I'm really glad that Micorsoft is looking out for the little man!

And if I were a proof-reading man, that would have read "Microsoft".

@Corbo,

Apparently you do live in fluffly cloud-land. You... um... you do know that MS OWNS a part of Apple, right? And... you realize that MS actually releases and sells software for Mac OSX, right?

No I assure you it's not to keep the minuscule amount of money these apps would generate out of Apples hands. You've got a distorted view of the world if you think any of these apps would generate large enough profits for anyone to actually give a damn beside the developer.

But... keep going with those conspiracy theories, one day one of them will be in the ballpark!

This has NOTHING to do with MS being "nice".

There is no doubt in my mind that this is 110% a business decision (as always).

My 8ball is a little murky at the moment as to what their intent is (if they have anything concrete planned at all for mobile platforms), but then having other people make money off of your infrastructure without compensation is always a bad deal.

If you somehow believe this is MS "sticking up for it's customers", you are dead wrong.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm just joking. I'm not really a conspiracy nut - the hat is just a convenient and stylish way for me move tinfoil around.

Aoe

Microsoft sold their shares of Apple about a decade ago. MS no longer owns any part of Apple.

Testing new comment system!

12345678

Is this thing on?

No, sorry. Can't hear you.

It's new?

Most excellent! [download]

I agree with MS that an app such as this SHOULD be free.

Good for MSFT. Open access is generally not their motto.

lol does this new comment system come with a secret edit button somewhere?

Testing new system...

Aparently the new system doesn't save my email and I have to write it everytime.

Yeah, is a problem. Joystiq, fix that please. This new system doesnt remember my email and I have to write it everytime I want to post.

Well, I guess it's time to start making angry calls about that $0.99 I spent. (kidding)

Yea should be free.
this is a test

Isn't in interesting how the faces of the 2 rivals have changed....with APPLE now the evil controlling ITunes trickling out improvements to their products and protecting their profit margins and image to the stylistos, and Microsoft being the innovative, do what you want 3rd party supporter, catering to its customers.

MS hasn't changed, Apple just became more like them. Yet, at the same time, they are both pumping out products I enjoy.

MS announces $4.99 iPhone app in 3... 2... 1...

So while we Windows Mobile users still wait for XBL Anywhere for, I don't know, 2.5 years, iPhone users get the app in a fraction of the time. Way to believe in your mobile os guys.

It's absurd to cheer MS for doing this. Think about it - would your life be better (in the long run obviously) if games/consoles/peripherals were mandated to be given away at no cost?

It's not at all "absurd" for Microsoft to be doing this. You can already get access to this information for free from the web thanks to Microsoft providing it free. Since they aren't making any money on it, why should the so called "developers" who are simply wrapping Microsoft's information in an iPhone app.

I'm all for developers making money for developing apps that let me do something I couldn't already do, or do it better than I could before. These apps don't do either. They are just ways for shucksters with a bare minimum of programming skills to make a quick buck off the current popularity of the iPhone App Store. Why should they make money off information Microsoft is giving away for free, when they add *zero* value to that information?

Thanks, Microsoft, for keeping these bastards honest.

Is it just me or do you feel bad downloading these apps for free. I can't think of any other way these guys would make money, which would mean that they are giving people a free service, when it wasn't meant to be.

Microsoft is a little late to the party. Afterall I think most people who have a iPhone/iPod Touch and wanted the apps already bought the app (like me). Either way 1337pwn is the best XBL app.

iLive is free aswell now if not already then very soon.

testtesttest

Now WinMo users need an XBL app.
Slack ass MS.

It's ridiculous that Microsoft only allowed 50 developers to join their "Xbox Community Developer" program. And that was years ago.

I'm sure if they opened it up, we would start seeing loads of really interesting, useful Xbox Live Web 2.0 mash-ups.

Typical M$.

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Microsoft mandates that iPhone Xbox Live apps stay free

Reader Comments (48)

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