Microsoft’s plan to turn the Xbox console into something that isn’t just a gaming machine has taken another step with the company’s announcement that Xbox LIVE would be providing live, interactive election coverage for the States’ upcoming presidential election.
Starting on 27 August Xbox LIVE users in the US will have access to a range of election content from several sources “which will focus on convention-related news.”
Users “…will be able to interact in real time throughout the three scheduled presidential debates, as well as enjoy live feeds from the Republican and Democratic national conventions.”
Microsoft’s Marc Whitten said “We want to provide our passionate Xbox LIVE community with a great way to experience the election process with TV that makes them participants — and not just viewers. This is a great example of how our Xbox capabilities are making the promise of interactive television a reality.”
Following the Xbox’s foray into the realm of interactive ads and their plans for further domination of the living room, something like election coverage isn’t that surprising. The question is just how much further is Redmond planning on developing a technology that was previously reserved for gaming.
Source: Microsoft