Microsoft's Xbox 360 will be a fitness machine, a web browser, a way to share music, and stream both movies and sports. Of course, it still plays plenty of games, too.
In fact, Microsoft kicked off the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles today, with the introduction of Halo 4. The latest title in the popular action shooter franchise has cemented the Xbox 360 as the leading video game console in the world. That said, Microsoft is also looking beyond gaming to take its popular console to the next level.
"Xbox has moved from being the best selling console in North America to being the best selling console world wide," Don Mattrick, president of interactive entertainment at Microsoft, told the audience at the Galen Center on the USC campus. "Today, it is all about the Xbox 360, the only device that brings all your entertainment to you on one device."
Mattrick stressed that Xbox will move beyond just the console to mobile phones, tablets and PCs this holiday season. Center to the strategy remained Xbox LIVE, which Yusef Mehdi, head of marketing and strategy for Xbox, emphasized would include a new search by genre feature, for streaming movies and music to the Xbox 360.
This year, the service will welcome new brands, such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Movies, Machinima and Univision. Of course, sports will remain an emphasis for Microsoft.
On the music end, Microsoft reaffirmed that it would provide up to 30 million music tracks to "discover and share." The company also plans to extend this service, allowing crossover from the Xbox 360 to the PC, tablets and phones. "Xbox Music is about your music, your way," added Mehdi.
Music won't be Microsoft's only cross platform initiative, with interconnectivity between devices being a major part of Microsoft's Smartglass platform. This will allow users to share content between devices, such as mobile smartphones and tablets, through Xbox LIVE. "Your devices aren't so smart because they don't work together," said Mark Whitman, head of Microsoft Live. "That is all about to change."
A bigger surprise came when Whitman noted that Microsoft was planning to finally bring Internet Explorer to the Xbox system later this year.
"Through Internet Explorer coupled with the power of Xbox, we are able to deliver for the first time a fast, fluid and intuitive web experience in the living room," Whitman said. "This is the web transformed for TV. And just like the rest of Xbox, your favorite sites are controlled by the power of voice."
The new features would utilize Microsoft's own Bing search engine and be compatible with Kinect voice recognition for services including Netflix, Xfinity, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow and VUDU.
Microsoft also noted plans to further emphasize the Xbox 360 as a central hub for watching sports. "We want to be your home for every match, every game," said Mehdi. He went on to say that MLB TV now offers 100 games a week, and both NBA Game Time and NHL Game Center will be coming to the service later this year. Additionally, ESPN will provide 24/7 programming from ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN U, with live sporting events -- and all available in HD.
The synergy of sports and games remained apparent in other ways, as Andrew Wilson of EA Sports was joined on stage with legendary NFL quarterback Joe Montana to demonstrate Madden NFL 13's new support for Microsoft Kinect.
Of course, there will also be plenty of games.
"Only the best games are on Xbox 360," said Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Studios. "This will be the biggest year of games."
Some of the biggest titles shown during today's press event included racing game Forza Horizon, Fable the Journey, Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell Blacklist. The event closed with a preview of the upcoming Call of Duty Black.
Check back this week for a recap of the best titles from this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Where to Buy:
