MICROSOFT'S Xbox One launched today might not end the console war but it opens up a new battle for the next generation of interactive TV.
The Xbox One, which has 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, not only offers a new level of gaming but is also being pitched at those craving interactive TV.
Key features of the Xbox One revealed in Microsoft headquarters in Seattle are advanced voice controls and the inclusion of a new-generation Kinect controller with every console, allowing you to switch from watching TV to playing games by spreading your arms as if you are grabbing the screen similar to the way you pinch an image on a smartphone or tablet.
The rumours that the new Xbox would be called the Infinity were at the wrong end of the scale, with the revelation that Microsoft is going back to the beginning with its naming system.
Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick said the design of the new game console, which will be available later this year, was a result of looking at the change in consumer expectations with the rise of smartphones and tablets.
This product image released by Microsoft shows the new Xbox One entertainment console that will go on sale later this year. Picture: AP
Mr Mattrick said the designers of the Xbox One started with a white board and the question of how expectations had changed since the launch of the Xbox 360.
''First off you've got to deliver something that embraces what consumers are doing today,'' he said.
''What consumers are doing today is dramatically different to what consumers were doing in 2003.
''The Internet is different, the number of devices and the portability is different.
This video game image released by Activision shows a scene from Call of Duty: Ghosts.
''This is the centre of your home, it's the thing that most of us do, it's where the most hours get spent with the most emotion, with the richest engagement.''
Indicating the emphasis of the Xbox One as an ''all-in-one entertainment unit'', Steven Spielberg is teaming up with Microsoft to produce a live TV series version of the hit game Halo which, when shown on the Xbox, promises to be more than a passive TV show.
The new Kinect motion detector, which will come as a standard feature of the Xbox One, can detect whether a person watching TV is appearing happy or distracted and determine their heart rate.
Apple has long been rumoured to be working on a smart TV device, nicknamed the iTV, as its next ''game changing'' product since it launched the iPad.
Microsoft's Don Mattrick unveils the next-generation Xbox One entertainment and gaming console system. Picture: Ted S. Warren
Mr Mattick declined to comment on how the launch of the Xbox One might impact on Apple's plans.
''My job isn't to talk about competitors. What it really is is to talk about what we inspire to create for the future,'' he said.
''We've created an unrivalled device. I think we've created a new set of fundamentals, a new way of experiencing content.''
Nancy Tellem, corporate vice-president of Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Studios, described the Xbox as providing "immersive" television.
"For the first time ever, TV will be truly personalised to your tastes and your needs," she said.
Microsoft showed off the new console, which includes a new controller that looks similar to the Xbox 360 controller but has 40 new design features.
Video gamers have been given a first glimpse at the upcoming Call of Duty: Ghosts title from Activision as it formed part of the Xbox One launch.
One of the key features of the Xbox One as an interactive TV unit is snap mode, which launches a second window on the screen. So, while you're watching sports or a movie, you can also browse the web of use social media.
The bad news of current Xbox fans is that current Xbox games will not be able to play on the new unit.
Microsoft did not announce pricing for the Xbox One but said it would be available this year worldwide.
SOURCE: news.com.au
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