Six months or so since I first heard about the MSN user-gen video project codenamed “Warhol” —I thought it would be in public beta by the summer—details are starting to seep out. LiveSide.net, which covers all things connected to Windows Live, is reporting that the new site will be called MSN Soapbox, which they see as surprising given the fixation on Live.  LiveSide, which has posted a screengrab, expects the project to move out of internal beta in the next few weeks.
Expected features, according to LiveSide:
—Multiple format uploads, max. file size of 100 MB.
—Integration with Windows Live Spaces
—Ability to embed on other sites.
—Personalized RSS.
This has been an MSN project all along so the idea that it will be branded that way isn’t as surprising to me. Yes, it is user centered but it’s all about entertainment. Will MSN be too late to market with this one? You can’t underestimate the power of scale to make up for not being first or even fifth into a market. The prospects will be much better if MSN can provide the features people are coming to expect without a bout of “me too” syndrome.
Related: “MSN Originals” Kicks Off With Two Deals: Reveille, Be Jane