Anyone with a pulse knows that Microsoft's much-anticipated Xbox 360 game console debuts today, and most people will likely think nothing more of it than as something their kids will nag them about
between now and the end of the holiday season. However, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is expecting everyone to want to own one of these things--and not just because it plays pretty games. According to
the Associated Press, Gates sees the Xbox 360 as the center of a strategy that will eventually tie in elements of Microsoft's new online initiative, Windows Live. For instance, Gates expects gamers
from all over the world to be able to utilize Microsoft's new live instant messenger platform to coordinate competitions. Also, he says that families can use the Xbox as an entertainment hub to watch
high-definition television, listen to music, watch home movies or look at digital photo albums. Analysts note that Microsoft is using the Xbox Live to bolster loyalty to Microsoft products, so it
becomes the media hub for everything consumers do.
Read the whole story at Associated Press »
