Many iPhone gamers out there are Xbox Live gamers as well, which is why we covered Nicholas Pike’s Xbox LIVE Friends (formerly known as iXboxLive) [App Store], an application that helps iPhone users on the go stay in touch with people on their Xbox Live “buddy list."
Xbox LIVE Friends isn’t the only such app in the iTunes App Store. Another popular application that keeps iPhone users in touch with their Xbox Live buddies is 1337pwn.com’s 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends Application [App Store]. It offers a variety of features to the Xbox Live gamer on the go:
- Complete XBOX Live Profile including Biography and Location
- Send messages through XBOX.com via a shortcut button
- Recent Games List including store and last date/time played
- Direct link to a player’s iHaloStats face card
- Links to leaderboards for applications like the Club and Geometry Wars
- Shortcut links to compare achievements on XBOX.com
- Location is integrated with Google Maps application
- Twitter integration–simply include twitter(twitname) in XBOX Live bio
1337pwn debuted on the App Store as an $8 download and was later reduced to $5. But, as Ars Technica reports, thanks to Microsoft–it’s now free. It seems that Microsoft is not happy about third-party developers selling apps that tie to Xbox Live. According to 1337pwn’s blog post, “Microsoft is halting the sale of any XBOX Live-related applications in the iTunes App Store."
And unsurprisingly…Xbox Live Friends is now free as well. Xbox Live gamers can be glad these apps are still available for free. Let’s hope Microsoft’s stance does not harden to the point of forcing free versions of such applications out of the iTunes App Store.
