I can't say how this ultimately plays out (with "social networking" features, no one ever does) but the notion that you might grab eight pals from any place in the world to watch a movie or TV show together sounds fascinating. Now they just need to sort the logistics of wearing the Xbox 360's clumsy headset (connected to a kludgy gamepad, no less) while fumbling around for the popcorn and beer and Cheesy Poofs.

And the Verdict is...

It's a work in progress but it feels awfully progressive just three weeks from launch. Put it this way: If you're a PS3 owner, the only theoretically compelling feature is Netflix, and then just because Netflix has catalog muscle. If you're a Nintendo Wii owner, same deal. Netflix do or die -- the whole Avatar thing isn't designed to woo you away from your Wii-motes. The big winner? Xbox 360 owners, because they're getting a freebie update to the operating system that'll change the way they relate to everything from the games to social activities to digital media.

And if you own none of the above systems, Microsoft just added a very formidable and seductive arrow to its quiver of compelling buy-me arguments.