Microsoft to Farm Out Xbox Software

Does this mean you'll be able to play Xbox games on your fridge? We can only hope.

What is Microsoft up to? This is a question on the minds of many after the company revealed that it is thinking of farming out Xbox software to other companies.

Sony is currently the dominant player in video game and controls more than half of the worldwide market. Microsoft's president, Bill Gates, said that his company is considering allowing others to use "basic software" for Xbox in an attempt to get a piece of Sony's action, according to a report from the Associated Press.

There has been no mention of the companies involved in talks with Microsoft or even what sort of devices the software could end up in, but the move could mean that other home electronic devices would be able to play Xbox games.

Sony has also put Microsoft on the defensive in another technology matter, namely that of next-generation DVD support.

Sony revealed at E3 that PlayStation 3 will use Blu-ray discs, a high-definition replacement for current DVDs that Sony had a hand in creating. Microsoft has recently allied itself with Toshiba to back the competing HD-DVD standard - a competitor to Blu-ray.

And while the first generation of Xbox 360s will ship only with standard DVD support, Microsoft has hinted that future models could be able to play HD-DVD discs.

"The initial shipments of Xbox 360 will be based on today's DVD format," Gates said during a speech in Tokyo this week. "We are looking at whether future versions of Xbox 360 will incorporate an additional capability of an HD-DVD player or something else."

But first up for Microsoft is getting the Xbox 360 into living rooms across the world. The company is planning to release its next generation console this Christmas.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games