It's a fun idea, but considering how much spam and complaints get on the forums, I'm afraid that the shoutbox would just be overrun by more complaints. And if someone is extrememly pissed, they will spam the shoutbox, making it impossible for the rest of us to read why they are actually complaining.
It's a great idea, but I think that this community is a bit too big for it now. The same reason we should get a shoutbox (to reduce spam) is the same reason we shouldn't (it would be spammed more than the forum). Also, depending on the shoutbox, there might not be a record for people to check in case a question has already been answered. This would just make our staff answer the same question over and over, even moreso than they have to do now.
A news ticker/fader thing might be a good idea though.