If though, like me, you’ve had to delete the “installation” folders to get each of the installer packages to work, you will find that it will not automatically update. They will need to get those installer packages fixed first before thise auto-update will work.

The update worked fine for me… Here are the details of this update from Microsoft:
Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta 1 Update 1
This update is being used to test how Microsoft Updates are distributed for Windows Live Messenger. While there are no actual changes to Messenger at this time, it’s important for Messenger Beta testers to receive this update. Thanks for helping test Messenger!

ORLY–

It seems… plausible… but I haven’t personally heard of it. The general appearance, though, would suggest that it is not–it looks almost nothing at all like any past Windows Live service or application. Still, maybe it’s just a very very early beta or something.