Microsoft's multi-component gaming ambitions
by Dustin Burg 
{ Apr 21st 2007 at 3:00PM }
If these patents are of things to come, then Microsoft has grand ambitions for connecting their devices and your content. Searching through the mess that is the US Patent website, Unwired View dug up a Microsoft patent for a "multi-platform gaming system" that would allow for various devices to sync, talk, and share their resources and content. At the surface the patent is pretty simple, one would be able to connect various devices and share not only their content, but their processing power and resources between the other devices. Ultimately, you'd be able to connect all your Microsoft technology (Xbox 360, Zune, Vista PC or cell phone) wirelessly or wired and transfer information and each device's processing power. But now you can see how infinitely complex the idea could get with the possibilities that come from connecting your music, gaming and computer devices.
The idea of multi-component gaming is an interesting one with a crazy amount of potential. Just think of what could be achieved. If this kind of connectivity ends up surfacing, the Xbox 360 could end up being the epicenter of your digital life at home (if it's not already). No matter what happens, our interest has been piqued ... bring on the all that connectivity!
[Via Unwired View]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zach @ Apr 21st 2007 4:34PM
So does this mean that if you had a high-end pc and a 360 and add their powers u couls have some amazing game with all the proccessing power?
Also if microsoft made a portable game system does this mean the 360 could do all the computing power and the handheld could just be the display cause that would be too cool!
edhe @ Apr 21st 2007 5:26PM
Post1 - not really ont he first account imho, not for graphics anyway the latency of trying to cross process over the nwtwork would inhibit a useful applciation.
However on the second count... why not? You've maybe seen media extender.. well, imho, you could transmit your gaming efforts, locally, to another machine which will process the gaming world then output the digital stream via wifi to your handheld device which will 'stream' the game for you.
high fidelity interactive stream gaming.
i should patent that :P
William Winchester @ Apr 21st 2007 6:02PM
This is quite incredible. Now I know why so many people are saying Sony is going to end up leaving the computer entertainment system hardware business! It's bad enough Sony lost nearly $2,000,000,000 (It was about $1.7 billion) this year, just because of their games part of the company.
Nintendo came forward and admitted they didn't have the ability to create hardware as powerful or as advanced as the Xbox 360, so Nintendo focused on a different sort of product that targets a different group of gamers. And look at how incredibly well Nintendo's Wii is doing as a result of that!
Sony doesn't have the resources to compete with Microsoft on a level like this that involves the massive integration of hardware and software on a networked scale like this.
It really would be best for Sony shareholders if Sony's management did what Sega did, and left the hardware industry, because it isn't just about hardware anymore; it is about hardware/software/component networking.
GeneralGrey @ Apr 21st 2007 6:18PM
Uh, this sounds exactly like Live Anywhere. I guess Microsoft put a patent on it, but other than that I'm not sure this is really new info. Gates' speech (I think it was at CES?) was almost all about this whole global electronic connectivity thing. It does sound amazing though.
massive_98 @ Apr 21st 2007 6:28PM
Sony actually made $63.980 billion last year.
However, they lost almost $2 billion devoloping the PS3.
This article wasn't meant to be a fanboy argument, it was meant to be good news for the 360.
I love my 360 but you can't just spinoff every post into a fanboy argument.
lolz @ Apr 21st 2007 6:43PM
Of course sony doesnt have the money or resources to keep up with microsoft no one does.Microsoft is going to beat sony completely they just cant compete with the money,power,resources microsoft has. Its only a matter of time before sony loses the gaming buisness completely because of blu-ray they've lost so much in the gaming department they'd have to do so much to make the ps3 able to compete with the 360 and even all you ps3 fanboys know it the GIANT is here and it wont stop until it wins. I know you all think this is terrible but we all should be realistic this is microsoft they control alot of things and anything they go in they will win it will just take time.
Just think what do you think your ps3 games are being made on hmm? thats right a windows machine.
So just think about it can sony really beat microsoft.... to me not, to you maybe.
Patrick @ Apr 21st 2007 6:45PM
@ 5, yeah you can look at what site you are at lol
massive_98 @ Apr 21st 2007 6:47PM
Just remember the 360 will be forgotten in three years when Microsoft comes out with a new console. The games are great for now but just like the old xbox, the 360 will be forgotten.
Anyways, Cheers.
massive_98 @ Apr 21st 2007 7:21PM
Sony has double the employees compared to Microsoft.
And three times the revenue of Microsoft.
"Microsoft is going to beat sony completely they just cant compete with the money,power,resources microsoft has"
Sorry but no. Sony has more income, more people,more experience, and they have more ressources.
Before you make such a big comment actually have some facts before you make such a big claim.
scott @ Apr 21st 2007 7:26PM
Gotta disagree with you there, Microsoft has a much bigger presence in the business world then Sony does. If you think they have more people, you're insane.
Before you make such a big comment actually have some facts before you make such a big claim.
Sony may be bigger in the GAMING world, but not the business world.
Martin Duffy @ Apr 21st 2007 7:33PM
#10, before you commence argument ad hominem such as branding people as "insane", maybe you should focus on your research skills.
Go to Yahoo Finance, Microsoft's annual revenue is in the range of $40 billion US, SONY's revenue is in the range of $60 billion US.
massive_98 @ Apr 21st 2007 7:53PM
Microsoft is actually bigger than Sony in the gaming department. Microsoft has their eggs in two baskets; computers and gaming.
Sony's ressources are spread over music, gaming, computers, tvs and movies. I am just saying overally Sony is bigger which counts for alot.
Yay for #11.
cg @ Apr 21st 2007 8:12PM
Oh for fucks sake! my multinational corporation is bigger than your multinational corporation FUCK off! you sad, boring, pathetic wankers before you bore us all beyond death.
John @ Apr 21st 2007 8:42PM
Massive_98 are you some sort of retard? Microsoft's profit in 2006 was 12.6 billion USD, Sony's profit in 2006 was about 1.2 billion USD. MS has a market capitalization of around 300 billion USD, Sony has a market capitalization of around 50 billion USD. I think you're failing to convert Sony's figures from JPY to USD.
massive_98 @ Apr 21st 2007 9:22PM
Sorry but you are wrong.
Sony
Total Net Profit 2006:
18.438 billion
Operating Income:
18.438 billion
Microsoft
Total Net Profit 2006
12.6 billion
Operating Income:
16.4 billion
All of these are in USD. Its close but Sony is still much larger than Microsoft.
charlie @ Apr 21st 2007 10:05PM
ol bill gates himself has more than sony's corp's
massive_98 @ Apr 21st 2007 10:31PM
He smells funny.
John @ Apr 22nd 2007 12:46AM
Where are you getting those numbers?
John @ Apr 22nd 2007 1:04AM
Your numbers don't even match Sony's own consolidated statement.
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/ar/2006/qfhh7c00000akslc-att/qfhh7c00000aksmr.pdf
c2morg @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:04AM
microsoft would need to put xbox media centre on to the 360 before the xbox 1 is removed at the centre of my digital life.
Sparkstalker @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:09AM
I hate to be the "OLD NEWZ!!!1!" guy, but this has been MS's strategy since the release of the original Xbox. Hell, it was their strategy when they purchased Ultimate TV before that. It's why they built XP media Center Edition. Distributed computing throughout the home is what MS has been pushing towards for ten years or more.
And I can't wait to see it in action.
Aidan @ Apr 22nd 2007 11:43AM
Great blog!
I run a video game review/cheat site and am looking for reviewers. The incentive is that we give away free titles to actively posting members.
The site: www.gameace.net
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Aidan
wertt @ Apr 22nd 2007 5:39PM
am i the only person whose xbox 360 is so offensively loud they wouldn't consider it a multimedia anything? we still play all of our dvds, cds, etc on our xbox 1, and it's not just because of xbmc. listening to music on my xbox 360 requires noise-canceling headphones.
laserboyjc @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:21PM
No big deal, but I didn't get credit for the referral, again...
razer @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:35PM
Massive_98: before posting in a thread like this 10 times you need to really look at your numbers again because you are waayyy off. Man
have you been drinking too much of the Sony kool-aid or what??
@#23:Yes you are. I watch and play on the 360 all the time and I've never issues with the console being so loud I couldn't enjoy it. Two words come to mind when I see your comment is drama queen..
wertt @ Apr 23rd 2007 11:43AM
i am completely serious. i love the thing, but it's at least 5 or 6 times as loud as my xbox. i've turned it on to download something and left the room and my wife has come down from upstairs to ask what that annoying noise is. you shouldn't be able to hear a console up a floor and down a hallway.
hah ha @ Apr 24th 2007 2:50PM
The first-ever class on the Playstation 3's Cell Broaband Engine has just wrapped up over at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
When these MIT dudes graduate and start making games the PS3 will be number one again.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/education/mits-ps3-class-254794.php
Intel and AMD are developing multicore 8 processors like the Cell in the PS3. Looks like Sony was ahead of the crowd again further demonstrating why they will win the console war.
hah ha's mom @ Apr 25th 2007 12:19PM
"When these MIT dudes graduate and start making games the PS3 will be number one again."
Yeah, because all those fresh-faced noob students are going to go directly into games (rather than one of the other zillion uses Sony has planned for the Cell) and develop the next God of War on their first try.
"Looks like Sony was ahead of the crowd again further demonstrating why they will win the console war."
FURTHER demonstrating? When have they demonstrated the PS3 would be the winner to begin with? Was it the massive backlash to their PR? The loss of exclusives to the 360? Getting eaten alive by the Wii over the holidays? Yeah, what a leader.
You know nothing.