Microsoft shows off WP7 integration with Xbox Kinect

Emil

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At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft not only unveiled what was coming for Windows Phone 7 this year, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer decided it was time to lift the curtain on a Technology Preview featuring WP7 and the Xbox Kinect. Microsoft Game Studios showed off two women using their Windows phones to shoot balls in the Rally Ball game that a man was playing on the Kinect.

In the video, it is clear that the console and the phone are communicating in real-time, probably over Wi-Fi. This is not just Kinect motion sensing ported to the phone; this is player input from the phone being added to a Kinect game, turning the phone into an auxiliary controller. In other words, some form of cross-platform multiplayer is coming to the Microsoft world:

Microsoft sold 8 million Kinect units in 60 days. WP7 sales weren't nearly as good but if this type of gaming gets picked up, we'd bet the two will help each other out. WP7 is already attractive to gamers as it comes with Xbox Live integration, but what you see above is a whole different ball game (pardon the pun).

"The technology shown in the video is real and is an example of the types of experiences we’ll be bringing to market," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. "We remain committed to building a network that connects you to your friends and entertainment in innovative ways. This is just one example of what’s possible as we explore new ways to interact with our technology. At this time, we aren’t discussing specific experiences we’ll be offering or a product timeline, but we look forward to sharing more in the future."

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Cota said:
A bunch of girls hitting you whit their balls, lol x'D

Ah, nothing quite like the maturity of a 5 year old :p

This does seem pretty nifty, though. Haven't been able to watch the video since my blackberry doesn't support videos posted on techspot. But the kinect and cell phone link might be pretty cool. Only time will tell how well it'll take off. I don't see why it wouldn't. We can somewhat control or computers with our phones, we can turn our cars on and off and lock the doors...so why not synk them to consoles?
 
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