Microsoft wants to integrate all technology into one service

Jan 17, 2013 07:59 GMT  ·  By

The voice chat service integrated into the Xbox Live service from Microsoft is set to be replaced by a new Skype-based option, according to an internal source from the company.

CVG reports that Microsoft has long-term plans to consolidate all its communications technology and programs into Skype, with the Messenger set to be eliminated this coming March.

The source states, “You might jump to the conclusion that we’ll see asynchronous voice and video messages in next-gen Xbox Live.”

A number of previous job listings from Microsoft have also suggested that the company is ready to hire more engineers to work on Skype, which could be fully integrated into the new Xbox 720.

The new hardware is expected to be revealed during E3 2013 and actual launch should take place before the end of the year.