News: And they plan to add IPTV functionality in the future.
With the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show starting in Las Vegas this weekend, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach talked a little about the future of the Xbox 360.
First things first, Bach confirmed that Microsoft has reached their goal of selling 10 million Xbox 360s by the end of 2006. The official number is 10.4 million, which gives the 360 quite the commanding lead in the next-gen console race.
Microsoft also announced they will be bringing IPTV to the Xbox 360. The service will roll out sometime around the 2007 holiday season. For those that are unsure of what IPTV can do, MS supplied this explanation:
Tapping into an expanded set of entertainment experiences, users will be able to watch their favorite sporting event live while chatting with their friends, for example, or participate in a match on Xbox Live while they record a TV program in the background. IPTV on Xbox 360 is expected to be available to consumers by holiday season 2007 and will be offered by providers that are deploying TV services based on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform.
УOur goal is to make entertainment more personal, more interactive and more social,Ф Bach said. УIPTV on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are powerful examples of ways we are bringing together the worlds of gaming, TV viewing and community to make it easy for people to access and discover their favorite content and share their personal experiences with the communities they are part of.Ф
We'll have more on the future of the Xbox 360 soon.