AfterDawn: News

Gaming content coming for Zune

While Microsoft's Zune provided little or no challenge to Apple's iPod in the portable music player market over the holidays, it was revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that gaming content will be available for Zune within the next 18 months. This means the Zune will be used as Microsoft's first serious entry into the market for portable gaming, currently dominated by Nintendo and Sony.

Peter Moore, the head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division, which includes the Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles, made the announcement. The large screen featured on the first released versions of the Zune music player is ideal for gaming. The device also has wireless compatibility, allowing users to share music with some limits.



However, since the current generation of Zunes do not have support for the type of graphics applications in the Nintendo DS or Some PlayStation Portable (PSP) systems, we can expect to see the gaming capabilities only added in newer versions of the Zune released over the next 18 months.

Source:
GamesIndustry.biz

Written by: James Delahunty @ 10 Jan 2007 10:50

• Previous article

• Sixaxis grabs awards for borrowed designs *UPDATE*

• Next article

• Nintendo raises sales forecasts

• 5 comments

• solarf

  wow, now I actually want one.. Although I don't really think it has a chance, not against PSP and DS.

  10.1.2007 11:03 #1

• CiDaemon

  The'yre trying too hard to do as much as possible; this device s all streeeetched out between functions, and that means that each function has very little depth. It's a bad media player because they focused so much on other things, and it'll be the same way as a portable gaming device. I understand M$'s point: try to make one device that replaces many. Unfortunately, such a device can't rival others that are geared towered a single purpose.

  10.1.2007 15:21 #2

• evilbunny

  The'yre trying too hard to do as much as possible; this device s all streeeetched out between functions, and that means that each function has very little depth. It's a bad media player because they focused so much on other things, and it'll be the same way as a portable gaming device. I understand M$'s point: try to make one device that replaces many. Unfortunately, such a device can't rival others that are geared towered a single purpose.
  
  ^^^ i sort of agree with that but i feel that if microsoft wanted they could have made the zune 100x better and then with added gaming ability it would never be as good as a standalone portable game system but it has potentional to come close.

  10.1.2007 15:49 #3

• borhan9

  Just lookling at this product makes me think how are you going to control the game with that kind of control layout :)

  10.1.2007 18:42 #4

• punx777

  i bet they will have an add on for gaming purposes...

  11.1.2007 10:11 #5