Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made it clear the software giant aims to move the Xbox beyond the gaming realm.
Starting in the Spring, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be able to use the controller-free device Kinect to control Netflix through physical gestures and voice commands. The company will also add a Hulu Plus app to Xbox Live, enabling users to stream video content from the internet on their gaming consoles.
Additionally, Ballmer introduced a new feature called Kinect Avatar, which uses the sensor camera to track a user's movement and facial expressions and translate it to a cartoonish version on the screen. This, Microsoft stated, will create an imaginative environment in which friends from around the world meet in a virtual room.
Xbox 360 users that want to get the most out of their hands-free media controls or virtual meetings can connect their console to an HD-TV, LED monitor or HDMI projector to display video feeds in high-definition.
Along with the new features, Microsoft announced it sold more than 8 million Kinect units in its first two months on the market.
