Microsoft hints at handheld Xbox gaming device

Microsoft is weighing opportunities to extend its Xbox gaming system to the mobile platform, according to Shane Kim, corporate VP of strategy and business development for the software giant's Interactive Entertainment Business. Asked by gaming website Kikizo about the possibility of an Xbox-branded handheld device, Kim said "For us, it's a matter of focusing on 'when,' because if we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like instant-on 1080p HD, Facebook, Twitter, Project Natal. And so we've chosen to focus on the living room experience from a hardware standpoint, if you will, but we're building a service in Live that will ... extend to other platforms. No question about it."

Kim adds that the question facing Microsoft is precisely how best to extend the Xbox brand into the mobile marketplace. "Do we do our own device, do we create our own phone--that's a question for the company itself--do we continue to go down the Windows Mobile path, which is that path that we're on today, etcetera, etcetera. But believe me, we understand the importance of that device in people's lives. And the more we make Live about valuable service and add more content, and add more ways to connect with your friends through it, we're going to need to make sure that it's on all the important platforms in people's lives, including PC."

For more on Microsoft's Xbox plans:
- read this Kikizo article

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