14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just been reported that it is preparing to deploy its own set of drivers and a software development kit for its Kinect motion detection sensor on the PC platform.
Microsoft's Kinect has been selling extremely well, reaching the 8 million mark in about 60 days since its release, so you know the American company wants to support it in the future.
Besides its intended purpose, of adding motion sensitive controls to the Xbox 360 console, the company is also planning to take the Kinect to the PC platform, at least according to a report from WinRumors.
In it, Microsoft is pegged to offer full driver support, as well as a software development kit (SDK) so that people can work and create new experiences by using the Kinect.
Many intrepid developers have already created some very interesting applications for the Kinect using the PC, via an open-source set of drivers released on the web.
Now though, Microsoft wants to make it official, and will be releasing the drivers under a beta tag, while the SDK is going to be a part of a "Community Technical Preview" for those who use Microsoft's XNA Game Studio tools.
This effort of bringing the Kinect on the PC was also endorsed by Microsoft's current CEO, Steve Ballmer, who said that the company will support this initiative at the right time.
"We'll support that in a formal way, in the right time, and when we've got an announcement to make we'll make it," revealed Ballmer.
Seeing as how the Kinect is a huge success on the Xbox 360, it would make a lot of sense for Microsoft to deploy official support on the PC and let independent developers create new applications and even full-pledged games on both the PC and on the Xbox 360, thus making the device even more attractive to regular customers.
Still, this is just a rumor, at the moment, so take it with a grain of salt until an official announcement arrives.