14 DAY TRIAL // The CES 2012 show has not been particularly video game oriented, with most companies concerned more with the next in television technology and smartphone development, but Microsoft included the Xbox 360 in its presentation.
Steve Ballmer, who is the current chief executive officer of Microsoft, and Ryan Seacrest, who is the current spokesperson for the Bing search service, talked about the history of the Xbox 360 home console, saying that it had managed to get 66 million overall users, 40 million of who had also signed up for the Xbox Live service.
The pair also mentioned that the Kinect move to the PC would allow users to have control over a number of applications, including Bing, via voice commands rather than relying on the keyboard.
It seems that the new Metro interface, which is set to be the main selling point for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, will also come to the Xbox 360, probably as part of a bigger firmware update, and will allow user to get content quicker and with less hassle.
Microsoft also plans to deliver more integrated experiences between the Xbox 360 and the line of Windows 7 phones that it is developing with Nokia.
There are also hints that the new two way television sets that the company announced will be able to deliver simple games to the users, although it’s not clear how involved Microsoft will be in their development.
Ballmer stated, “In the new math at Microsoft, Metro means that one plus one really does equal three. So what’s next in 2012? Metro, Metro, Metro and of course, Windows, Windows, Windows.”
The focus on Windows 8 might be a sign that Microsoft is not yet prepared to deal with the much-rumored Xbox 720 issue.
Analysts believe that the company would announce the new home console, which would integrate Kinect and other new features, at the E3 2012 event, with the launch date possibly coming later in the year.
Microsoft has not made any official announcement about the device.