As it has promised last month, Microsoft unveiled today the Xbox 360 Spring Update. The most important addition to Microsoft's gaming console is Windows Live Messenger thanks to which the Xobx 360's users will be able to text chat with up to six people on their contact list at one time, while playing games, listening to music, or watching movies.

"Bringing the largest IM community in the world, Windows Live Messenger, to Xbox 360 makes sense, as Xbox LIVE has really become the largest social network on television," said Jerry Johnson, product unit manager of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. "For our growing community of six million on Xbox LIVE, using Xbox 360 is a very social, connected experience. They are using Xbox 360 to play games, music, and movies while simultaneously communicating with one another through video, voice, and text chat. With this announcement we are simultaneously expanding the access of Xbox LIVE users to existing friends and family while introducing Windows Live Messenger users to the benefits of Xbox 360."

Until Microsoft will launch its QWERTY text-input device created especially for Xbox 360, for chat you will have to use the virtual keyboard or a regular USB keyboard.

Microsoft announced at CES this year the unification of Microsoft's popular gaming platforms Xbox and Windows. With Windows still being the largest platform for offline and online gaming and with Xbox 360 already on track of reaching the 15 million owners target by June, Microsoft is hoping to ensure an even more dominant position by bringing together the Xbox and the PC platform. Gaming is the second most important activity for users of the Windows platform, after Web-browsing, accounting for almost 18% of their time.

The bridging will happen when the massive Xbox hit HALO 2 will come out for Windows Vista. Games for Windows LIVE will connect Windows gamers to over six million gamers already in the Xbox LIVE community. Then, launching in June, "Shadowrun " will for the first time connect Windows gamers with Xbox 360 players in cross-platform matches using a single service. "UNO," releasing later in 2007, will also support cross-platform play between Windows and Xbox 360.

But let's get back to the Spring Update. Beside Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft offers new features such as: a richer Achievement notification, enhanced family settings features for Xbox LIVE communications, expanded "Tell a Friend" capabilities and a new option in Auto Downloads.