Xbox 360 to Get More Entertainment Features at E3 2011

Microsoft has released a teaser statement about its Xbox 360 console and how the device is going to play an even larger role in the company's entertainment strategy through the release of many new things at next week's E3 2011 conference.

The Xbox 360 has seen a massive sales increase in the last year, managing to take down the Nintendo Wii in the US and set new records with the help of the Kinect motion sensor, which was released at the end of 2010.

Now, as more and more entertainment features are being piled onto the Xbox 360, Microsoft's Vice President of Corporate Communications, Frank X. Shaw, has talked about the role of the console in the company's global entertainment strategy.

While highlighting that the Xbox 360 is still one of the most popular games consoles out there, being the preferred platform by hardcore players, Shaw says that more than 40 percent of all Xbox activity isn't related to gaming, meaning owners are using the console to enjoy various things like Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, Facebook or Twitter.

"Put simply, Xbox = entertainment and is core to our entertainment strategy. Around the world, the Xbox connects more people to online content and communities through the largest screen in the house than any other device. And as the console has evolved, it’s stayed true to its core while adding more and more experiences."

Shaw bakes down the new strategy for the Xbox 360 in a few simple sentences: "The vision for Xbox is straightforward: All of the entertainment you want. With the people you care about. Made easy."

Microsoft is also going to invest more in the Natural User Interface, which allows users to control the device through speech or gestures, in order to make interaction that much more intuitive.

In the end, Shaw says that the "Xbox home entertainment pot will be boiling over," at the company's E3 2011 press conference that will be held next week.

At the event, besides these new entertainment features teased by Shaw, we can expect plenty of new games and experiences to be announced, as teased by Microsoft's special press invitations.