If you were excited about sending Facebook updates and tweeting while on your Xbox 360 and don’t have an Xbox Live Gold membership, you’re up shit’s creek without a paddle. Tucked in their announcement of the Xbox 360 Elite and Pro price cuts, Microsoft had this gem to drop:

“Xbox LIVE Gold Membership will be required for Twitter and Facebook when they are available, and is required for Netflix. Games, media content and Netflix membership are sold separately; a hard drive is required for storage.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but doesn’t it seem a little silly to you? Twitter and Facebook are free social networking options, with a multitude of different ways to connect to their service. While I see the value of having each service on Xbox Live, I don’t see why it would push anyone to want to buy Xbox Live Gold for the sole purpose of using services that are readily available on the PC and mobile platforms–free of charge.

[EDIT: Microsoft has told MCV that this may actually prove to be false, and that plans for Facebook and Twitter access on Xbox LIVE are not yet finalized.]