Sunday, March 19, 2006

Xbox Live and Epic Records Striking a Deal

Xbox Live and Epic Records came to an agreement that will, for one year, allow Xbox Live users to download music and high-definition video from Epic Artists. There is a variety of genres with Epic artists. A few artists that are signed with Epic Records include ACDC, Shakira, The Fray, Judas Priest, and Howie Day.

More on the deal between Epic and Microsoft here.

What's the RIAA going to do about this one? They can't stop us from downloading music legally. I think this will be the start of a trend, which could provide more free music in the future.

Microsoft seems to be making all the right decisions regarding gaming. Sony and Nintendo need to start following their lead if they want any share in the console market. In my opinion, the biggest advantage Microsoft has is that they're staying one step ahead of competitors. For example, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 a year ahead of it's competitors. This has allowed them to divert time and resources towards other services and products such as Xbox Live. Furthermore, Xbox Live has been out for over a year now and Sony has yet to come out with an online service. They are so far ahead it will be near impossible for competitors to catch up.

Microsoft continues to reign supreme, unfortunately. I think a little competition would do the console market well, but Sony seems to think that this Blu-Ray technology is more important. Let's hope they're right.

-Kyle