Shane Kim talks mobile-izing Xbox 360, Xbox Live brands

Though it's been quite some time since we last heard anything about a portable gaming device from Microsoft, corporate VP Shane Kim recently reconfirmed to Kikizo that the company is still very interested in the idea. "We're building a service in Live that will... will extend to other platforms ... no question about it," Kim told them in an interview earlier this week.

He stresses that, with development for Project Natal underway, Microsoft isn't exactly ponying up for extra resources to make portable Xbox gaming a reality. "If we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like ... Project Natal." Surprisingly, Kim even touches on the always touchy (and often not even mentioned) Live Anywhere initiative, saying, "We talked about Live Anywhere a few years ago ... Live is the connective tissue." From the sounds of things, though Microsoft may very well be thinking about the idea of a gaming handheld in the future, it's not exactly right around the corner.

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Reader Comments (80)

but rrod included.

Live on other platforms eh? Sony Playstation 3 perhaps???

Would be a great idea...united gaming community at last!

That's not how a Sony Troll is supposed to act. You just admitted Live was better than PSN.

Am I the only one who thinks the Zune squircle would work great as a d-pad?

i think it works great even on zune games.

hehe, I still chortle every time i see the word squircle

If there was an Xboy or a Zune 360 or Zune Arcade or Xbox Zune or whatever, I'd seriously consider getting it IF IF IF

-Gamertag/achievements carried over with some kind of online functionality
-Some/all XBLA arcade games playable on this device
-Ability to play/sync music/video as if it were a Zune
-Some kind of media format that doesn't suck
-The guide button is not in the damn D-pad

Xune looks interesting but a Sony Memory Stick port? O rly.

Yeah that was the first thing I noticed strangely enough. Also notice the click wheel borrowed from the iPod. This thing is a Photoshop disaster.

God is there anything MS won't copy off of someone else? Seriously when was the last time they innovated anything?

Ironic considering your comment is a copy of every fanboy's remarks for the past like 6 years. Why don't you start innovating?

What exactly are they copying here? The PSP? iPhone? Neither of which were particularly unique or innovative either. Besides the fact we have no information as to what this might be, MS making a handheld isn't a bad thing and I certainly don't see how they're just "copying". Sony and Nintendo have copied just as much from Microsoft, as MS have from the others.

This is how business works.. and this generation, Sony have been far worse for this. PSN being a great example, where nearly every new feature it gets has been directly lifted from Live.

MS hasn't innovated anything since all they do is copy the competition and market the living hell out of it since the days of windows 3.1. Live is just an extension of what's been on PC's for ages, ICQ, heck if I'm not mistaken there was one called "Roger Wilco" or something to that matter.

I'd definitely be interested in some kind of Microsoft handheld, especially with proper Live account integration.. I don't know why they've never tried to take advantage of that. They could easily encourage 360 owners to buy Zunes, and vice versa.

I dont see why need it? it does not talk to the xbox at all other then just music...imo

No, it doesn't need it, but that's the problem. Give the 360 a music store for buying music and being able to sync it the Zune, and give the Zune games abilities. Then there would be need, and the Zune would be a lot more worthwhile.

@Snowblind

Windows 3.1 copied Mac OS
IE Netscape
Zune iPod
Messenger ICQ
Office Lotus
MS Money Quicken

In all these instances there was a fantastic product established and all MS did was copy and then not just market, but in some cases strong armed into having its version being accepted. Now I'm all for competition since it makes for better products, but the truth is Office overcharges, Xbox hardware is junk, they continuously push for closed standards on governments which they stand to benefit from.

aneurysm in 3.....2.....1.....go

AMEN to that brother! Couldn't agree more.

I just want a good app for cell phones that is offical for xbox live. I would love to have player alerts for when they log on and be able to access my xbox messages easier than logging into the site on my phone. I have a windows mobile 6.1 phone, blackberry, and G1 and all the apps on each are third party one that work ok but could work much better.

i would love a microsoft portable, maybe they would listen and put 2 analog sticks...yea thats right..i went there.

Knowing its microsoft. its hackable

...and also unreliable...wonder if it comes with the blue screen or red ring of death.

xboy microsoft windows portable gamestation two thousand and nine with zune
- for all those tools that long for games about talking paper clips

Not into hand helds but that mock up looks dope.

One word.

FUGLY

I'm a little leery of Microsoft-made hardware now, so we'll see.

Really? I've had a Zune and it's been great. I've also heard many people that use their keyboards and mice that they are really superb too.

Xune 360 is kinda lame. I came up with the name MicroBox back in 2002, think that's much better.

If it's even half as good as 360 I'll buy it.

By the language of "extend to other platform*s*" (emphasis mine), I would think that this is not a hint at a portable Xbox device, but a portable Xbox service, set to grace capable WinMo phones (Chassis 1) and possibly the Zune HD. Microsoft is more interested in software and services at the moment than making more hardware.

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Shane Kim talks mobile-izing Xbox 360, Xbox Live brands

Reader Comments (80)

Posted: Jul 17th 2009 1:58PM Ashitaka said

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