Xbox Live is the online aspect of the Xbox 360. It allows players to play games against each other, download movies, send messages, and more. Various improvements have been announced recently but one seemingly minor new feature actually demonstrates how the way we consume media is about to change… forever.

The feature is called “Xbox Live Party” and it allows users of Xbox 360 to create a party of up to 8 friends online who can do various things together. One feature allows the party to stay with each other from one game to another, another allows them to chat whilst selecting what to do (i.e. whilst in the lobby). These are very useful but it goes further.

Xbox Live Party allows a party of 8 to share a slideshow of personal photos or to watch the same Netflix movie they have downloaded together. This is amazing. It’s like watching a movie with your mates but no-one has the rubbish chair, or the bad viewing angle, because you’re all in your own home. If the movie’s bad, you can all deride it together, or if you hate people talking during a movie you can watch the movie with your friends but cut out their banter and re-join the chat after the movie is over. It’s not the same as physically watching movies together in the same room, but often that just isn’t possible.

This small utility shows us the way in which we’ll consume media in the future. Shared media experiences with online social groups. Forget the abstraction of having avatars in virtual spaces where your avatars hang out and you’re the one feeling disconnected; instead, share your real-world media experience without the barrier of geographical distance - music, movies and games.

It’s ingenious. It’s scary. It feels alien right now. But it’s on its way.

Tags: Play, xbox, Xbox Live Party