I was reading the Xfire forums when I came across a question about Xfire Plus. It isn’t new to me and maybe to you as well, but it was six months ago when I last checked their add-on plug-in offerings, so I visited them and what I discovered is a very interesting addition for Xfire – Cross-Communication with the Windows Live Messenger. And here I took screenshots to show it to you all..
Follow up:
The Xfire Plus Plugin is called the Multi-IM (MSN Plugin), this plugin is an answer to the many request of the Xfire users to offer cross-communication with the other Instant Messengers (IM) like Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger), for the simple reason that we can not force our other contacts to register and download another messenger just to contact us gamers while we are playing games – which is one of the strengths of Xfire – Cross-In-Game Communication – the ability to communicate with your friends even while they are playing.
Another reason is to lessen the applications running while playing games, especially that majority do not have high specs computer systems to handle an MMOG, YM, WLM (MSN), AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, all running at the same time, and depending on the game and a person’s IM settings, every message may force the game to either crash or minimize – now that is a hassle when you are in a raid, a quest, a PvP Arena, or an instance, so Xfire + Integration with the other IM networks is the best solution.
And the screenshots I prepared will show how well this plugin works.
I am playing Guild Wars, my Xfire Nick is ***https://gameshogun.ws, as shown in SS 1.1. My Xfire Status, including the game I am currently playing appears in WLM as shown in SS 1.2. Not only that, as shown in SS 1.2, the WLM Custome message https://gameshogun.ws is reflected as its status in Xfire, SS 1.1 above.
A feature that others have tried to implement in the past but either they stopped with the developing or are still coding it. And this is only the tip of it, as we know, the important feature here is cross-communication between different networks and platforms, especially for an IM like Xfire which was designed for gamers, for gaming.
SS 2.1 and 2.2 shows the communication between the two IM clients in normal Xfire mode (ie chat window).
While the next screenshots, SS 3.1 and 3.2, shows how the communication is while an Xfire user is In-Game.
This is the first truly working cross-communication plugin for Xfire and gamers are surely waiting for a plugin for Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, ICQ, and Google Talk/Jabber. We (yes including me) have been waiting for this, and thanks to the Xfire Plus Team, a group of Xfire Users willing to devote time, effort and money, for the further enjoyment and betterment of the unique tool for gamers – Xfire.
In today’s cross-communication and/or integration of different Instant Messengers (WLM+YM, AIM+Google Talk, and the very long-delayed AIM+ICQ), Xfire shouldn’t be left behind, after all, there are millions of gamers using the product out there. I just hope that the WLM Team will not block this Xfire Plugin, and I hope that the other IM giants will – even underground – encourage development of an Xfire plugin for their respective clients/networks.
Good work and more power to all the IM Networks.
So, now if you are using Xfire and you don’t want your WLM (MSN) contacts to have a hard time to contact you, go install the plugin now by downloading it here.
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