A year ago at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft looked to change the way people controlled their gaming and entertainment experience in the living room with the Kinect, which ditched the traditional controller for motion sensing technology. This year at E3, the software giant, and maker of the successful Xbox 360 gaming platform, took it a step further by adding voice search for Bing searches through the console.
Users will have the option to "speak their mind" and in the process state what they are searching for. The system uses Microsoft's Bing search engine and the Kinect software, and will be compatible with select streaming content providers including Netflix, Hulu Plus and ESPN online. Users can further use this voice search to find games, music and videos directly from the Xbox Live Marketplace. The voice command system will expand throughout the year to include news, sports and favorite local channels.
"This is an incredible time of growth and innovation for our business leveraging technologies that see us, hear and us and connect us all together," said Don Mattrick, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business President. "This year by bringing together the power of Kinect for Xbox 360 and the intelligence of Bing, we are transforming how people enjoy entertainment."
Microsoft also announced that it will be adding YouTube to the Xbox 360 later this year, while also announcing Microsoft's own IPTV service that will include Pay Per View events from the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). The new UFC pay per view events will be integrated with the EPSN 3 application available on the Xbox 360.
Microsoft is not turning away from the interactive entertainment role of the Xbox 360 however, and at the press conference provided a peek at upcoming titles including Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3 - suggesting that good things come in threes. Additionally Microsoft gave a peek at Halo CE Anniversary, an online multiplayer game that will be available as a lower priced offering, and finally Microsoft ended its event with the first glimpse of the upcoming Halo 4.
And on with the show.
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