Microsoft has said that it plans to make the Xbox 360 the heart of its entertainment offering across all platforms moving forward.
In a blog post by Yusuf Mehdi , Microsoft's Chief Marketing Officer for the company's Interactive Entertainment Division, ahead of the company's annual press conference at the E3 gaming conference on Monday, Mehdi has said that the console will move away from being just that.
"To date, our success with Xbox has been led by a box in the living room.
Moving forward, Xbox will go beyond the box to reach all new families of devices. Just as Xbox has grown to mean more than just games, it also is more than just a console. This year, Xbox becomes the premium entertainment service for Microsoft.
Whether on your PC, tablet, TV or phone, Xbox will be a gateway to the best in music and video, your favourite games and instant access to your friends. With the launch of Windows 8, we’ll bring Xbox entertainment to everyone. With Xbox on Windows 8 devices, we rapidly accelerate the reach of Xbox entertainment from more than 60 million people to hundreds of millions of people worldwide."
Mehdi goes on to say:
"We understand that entertainment has become a multi-screen experience where you and your friends are watching TV, listening to music, and playing games while interacting with your tablets and phones in new ways.
We’ve got ideas for making all the entertainment you love more personal, interactive and social across the devices you love - and on the phenomenal Windows 8 devices that are to come."
That suggests that gamers and entertainment fans will more than likely be able to push content to and from their phones and tablets, and is the greatest hint yet that the next version of Windows Phone will be even more tightly integrated with the console and other Microsoft offerings.
It could also mean the creation of an "Apple TV" style home entertainment box that brings the entertainment element of the Xbox without the focus on AAA games titles.
The Xbox 360 is one of the company's more popular and profitable arms at the moment with over 67 million consoles sold to date.
That has given Microsoft a 47% share of the current-generation console market. It's Xbox Live service has 40 million members.
Mehdi promises more details and announcements at E3:
"You’ll see the first of that next week at E3 where we will showcase the very best of Xbox. We’ll unveil new games, show new ways to enjoy the entertainment you love and, as always, we’ll have a few surprises to share!"
Source: Pocket-lint
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