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Microsoft: Skype won't be making its way to Xbox Live anytime soon
Ricardo Trejo
Ever since the industry shaking deal that Microsoft made to buy Skype for $8 billion dollars in CASH, people have speculating what sort of plans would the OS maker have for the leading VoIP service. Some suggested a streamlining of the product across all of MS’ platforms, including the Xbox. Well, according to one marketing manager over at the firm, we shouldn’t expect that anytime soon.
While it’s a sure thing that we’ll begin to see the first signs of Skype making its way to the mainstream through Windows 8, and integration between it and Live Messenger, it remains to be seen how the service will work with Kinect and the Xbox Live system.
It just makes too much sense that you would put two and two together, but that’s not exactly the case according to Robin Burrowes, EMEA Xbox Live Product Marketing Manager. Speaking with VG247 on the matter during GamesCom, he replied with this interesting quote:
“I don’t know about the near future, but given the recency of the acquisition, it’s something we know that the company is focussed on.”
Apparently, the deal of the century is still having some trouble lifting off the ground on all sides since it doesn’t have much room to go forward with — at least for now.
But Burrowes added that they were still “figuring it out”, and that while “nothing in the immediate future for Skype […] the future is rosy in terms of how we can integrate it.”
You’d think that they’d simply slap the Skype logo onto Video Kinect and call it a day, but it appears Microsoft’s got something bigger in store. Could it be a paid service available through the means of Xbox Live? I guess we have a lot more time ‘til we get the answer to that one.
