Microsoft has hinted that its focus for the future of the Xbox 360 will be in forms beyond gaming, with its E3 press conference set to steer the console more as "an entertainment brand" rather than an exclusive gaming platform.
In a blog post on the company's corporate website, vice president of corporate communications Frank Shaw spoke of how the Xbox 360 will see a transformation. "For the last 10 years at Microsoft, we’ve been turning up the heat on how we think about Xbox, and next week at E3 you will get a chance to see how far we’ve come.
"While people are still playing a ton of video games, 40 percent of all Xbox activity now is non-game. Put another way, we’re seeing an average of 30 hours of video consumption per month per Xbox, a number that is growing fast. And people are expecting more – more options, more games, more videos, more entertainment.
"You’ll see Xbox marketed more as an entertainment brand this year."
It's looking a lot like a reduced focus on gaming here, but Shaw insists that the Xbox hasn't and won't lose its core gaming roots - "Today, there is no better gaming experience in the world. Immersive games, sports games, games where you are the controller, games where you talk to your friends"... he goes on.
As well as things like deals with ESPN and social networking websites, Shaw hinted that Microsoft would be investing a lot into Kinect and its uses in navigation and entertainment in the future.
In a blog post on the company's corporate website, vice president of corporate communications Frank Shaw spoke of how the Xbox 360 will see a transformation. "For the last 10 years at Microsoft, we’ve been turning up the heat on how we think about Xbox, and next week at E3 you will get a chance to see how far we’ve come.
"While people are still playing a ton of video games, 40 percent of all Xbox activity now is non-game. Put another way, we’re seeing an average of 30 hours of video consumption per month per Xbox, a number that is growing fast. And people are expecting more – more options, more games, more videos, more entertainment.
"You’ll see Xbox marketed more as an entertainment brand this year."
It's looking a lot like a reduced focus on gaming here, but Shaw insists that the Xbox hasn't and won't lose its core gaming roots - "Today, there is no better gaming experience in the world. Immersive games, sports games, games where you are the controller, games where you talk to your friends"... he goes on.
As well as things like deals with ESPN and social networking websites, Shaw hinted that Microsoft would be investing a lot into Kinect and its uses in navigation and entertainment in the future.
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Cfan 1 Jun 2011 10:06
1/4
"Today, there is no better gaming experience in the world. Immersive games, sports games, games where you are the controller, games where you talk to your friends, games where you have to pay for multiplayer, 10 year old kids playing a 18 rated game and RROD"
PaulRayment 1 Jun 2011 10:13
2/4
My word this guy is out of touch. To start with what does he mean by more? More bandwidth being used? That sounds fair, a HD video will consume more bandwidth than days of gaming. Although he might be right and people are just watching a lot of film etc.
But all the other stuff. Last FM, Twitter, Facebook, Sky. All very poor.
Zune is good for film (not as good as iTunes) but music video? Who the heck buys music videos? It's free on PS3 too.
MS just seems to give us what they can do with their business partners, not what the console owners want. iPlayer, Love Film, 4OD, both are on PS3, Wii, internet TVs but not on the 360.
Kinect is another joke. I wonder how well MS would be doing if these efforts and monies were put in to creating great gaming 'experiences'.
But all the other stuff. Last FM, Twitter, Facebook, Sky. All very poor.
Zune is good for film (not as good as iTunes) but music video? Who the heck buys music videos? It's free on PS3 too.
MS just seems to give us what they can do with their business partners, not what the console owners want. iPlayer, Love Film, 4OD, both are on PS3, Wii, internet TVs but not on the 360.
Kinect is another joke. I wonder how well MS would be doing if these efforts and monies were put in to creating great gaming 'experiences'.
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DrkStr 1 Jun 2011 13:08
3/4
I've not got a 360, but isn't this "extra" stuff what everybody's been slagging Sony off for including on the PS3?
Losing focus, not just for games, already have a Blu-ray player, etc.
Losing focus, not just for games, already have a Blu-ray player, etc.
weerw 7 Jun 2011 06:14
4/4
Losing focus, not just for games, already have a Blu-ray player, etc.
[8 Jun 2011, 01:04: Message edited by 'config' - despammed]