Microsoft has unveiled Xbox SmartGlass, a new feature that uses mobile phones and tablets to add a second screen experience for games, TV/films, and the web browsing on Xbox 360.
Launching this fall, the feature is similar to the setup Nintendo has planned with its upcoming Wii U console, which extends gameplay beyond TVs by also displaying gameplay and other content on its tablet controller.
At its E3 press conference on Monday, Microsoft demonstrated how consumers will be able to interact with Xbox 360 games using SmartGlass. It showed how players can draw and execute plays on their tablets with Madden NFL 13, or access ship schematics in Halo 4.
Consumers can also push video they're watching on their tablets or phones to TVs, continuing where they left off. As they watch a film or show on their TV, relevant information about the video can be displayed on their portable device. They can even use their phone or tablet as a remote control.
SmartGlass enables users to browse the web on their Xbox 360s with a new Internet Explorer app, too. Instead of using a keyboard, users can take advantage of the touchscreens on their phones or tablets, while viewing web pages on their TVs.
Microsoft will support SmartGlass on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android devices.
I don't know... My past experiences with hooking up devices that are different from each other have not been that great. What Microsoft is proposing is tantamount to magic. Maybe it uses a cloud like app service to get cross-play action? That could work, but I don't think it will add that much more life to gameplay or entertainment.
I think you guys are missing the real use for this - navigation. Your existing phone or tablet make a much better content navigation device than the X360 controller or the (yech) Kinect. I'm not sold on it for in-game use (it'd just be distracting) or looking up more information about the movie being shown unless it's a really boring movie (again, distracting). But I would really love to use my existing tablet to move through the X360 menus, movie lists, music lists, game lists, etc. It would work much better.
Most of the target audience already has a smartphone so this adds a zero cost peripheral. Total win, and if you don't like you just don't use it. For instance if they push full screen ads at you on the device while the movie is playing - that would push it into 'no thank you' territory.
There is one place that I could see this working. Bringing computer only media into the XBox world. For instance browsing sucks with a controller, but if I have a keyboard and big metro style icons then I might actually use the TV to browse and stream. Which I do now but from my computer to my TV. The second would be if, and this is a big if, they let you install computer games to the Xbox. Where this would actually be nice is games like Vindictus, Diablo, or other action MMO's that also need a keyboard for online communication. If they did partnerships with some companies it could turn into a great thing for both XBox and smaller computer oriented companies.
Most of the target audience already has a smartphone so this adds a zero cost peripheral. Total win, and if you don't like you just don't use it. For instance if they push full screen ads at you on the device while the movie is playing - that would push it into 'no thank you' territory.