E3: Microsoft announces game invite tool for XBL, dubbed 'Beacons'

Rather than taking a queue from Hothead Games and going with a bacon-themed title, Microsoft instead chose to name its new Xbox Live notification tool "Beacons." So close! General manager of Xbox Live Marc Whitten detailed the new service in a post-E3 conference letter to the gaming press, explaining that the service will act as an alert system, pinging users with information about friends playing/watching a specific piece of content. Confused? We are too. From what we can decipher in the brief blurb provided, it's essentially a more direct way of knowing who's playing what and being able to tell when they're playing it. A more serious way of stalking your XBL friends list, if you will. We'll be sure to grill Microsoft about Beacons at our first chance.