Does Xbox Live Need Pandora?

Eerily realizing science fiction, Pandora automates a playlist conforming to a single, model song that it's fed. The service has won a conceptual bet over whether people enjoy programs of music that is within and closely related to a particular genre -- in fact, people do enjoy them.

What about Pandora as a value-added feature for Xbox Live? In the month since Apple's iPhone incorporated Pandora, the mobile application has leapt to top standing. Still possessing the gadget press, Pandora shows longevity as plain as its mainstream market potential.

Despite a falling out between Microsoft and The Music Genome Project, resulting in Pandora's removal from MSN, avatars coming to Xbox Live show that Redmond's already invested in user customization. Front and center, demand for playing music independently on a console is there, and can be met by the most highly personalized service on the market.

Do cultural and competitive edges add up to a return that's worth another risk?

Author: Michael Ubaldi