I watched the Microsoft Xbox keynote(link to press conference video on gamespot.com) today and was really impressed. I think they've got a pretty solid line-up of games coming out in the next year, but what I really want to talk about are the peripherals that Microsoft has put together. Nike+ is getting integrated into some fitness stuff with Kinect and Nike Fuel, which seem interesting, but I think the biggest announcement today was Xbox SmartGlass(link to Microsoft press release). SmartGlass is going to use tablets, phones and other "second screens" to enhance both gaming and TV viewing.
I'm excited to see what developers are able to do with this new function; the demos they showed today are just the beginning. I'm more excited to see SmartGlass being implement as a platform-agnostic function. Microsoft made sure that we know that SmartGlass will work on your iPhone, Windows Phone, Android phone, iPad, Windows 8 Tablet or Android tablet. Microsoft wants you to be able to use SmartGlass no matter the ecosystem you've picked.
A little wishful thinking on my part: I'd like for more companies to develop systems like this. I doubt we'll ever see Apple put out an iTunes App for Android or and Apple TV App for Windows 8, but think of the freedom we would have as consumers if they did. I'm glad Microsoft decided to make SmartGlass available for iOS and Android and I think it will benefit them immensly; but would anyone have been surprised if the apps were only available for Windows 8 tablets?
So here's wishing for a brighter future where we can use our hardware where we want for what we want and not have to worry about where we bought which apps and which tablets or smartphones or PCs we can use them on
Andrew
Reading
Little Fuzzy, H. Beam Piper. Page 115/154
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay. Page 10/176 676
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