E3 2012: Microsoft Announce Xbox SmartGlass + Loads More Entertainment Services

One of the big pushes for Microsoft at this years E3 was how devices interact with each other to provide a better overall experience, introducing Xbox SmartGlass, Xbox IE, and a whole heap of new video content.

Xbox SmartGlass

Xbox SmartGlass basically takes your phone or tablet device and turns it into another portal, supplementing what you’re watching/playing on the TV with interesting information or gameplay.

For example during the conference it showed how the Xbox SmartGlass app could be used on a tablet to draw out plays in Madden 13 or accept a game invite on Halo 4, effectively turning any device you have into a PS Vita or Wii U Gamepad.

The Game of Thrones TV show was used to show how directors and creators can expand their creations onto multiple screens, as the tablet displayed a world map and where certain characters were as they moved around in the show.

Xbox Internet Explorer

Internet browsers on TV don’t tend to work very well, Microsoft aim to change this with Internet Explorer for Xbox 360 and Xbox SmartGlass.

This winter IE will launch on the 360 allowing people to surf the net on their TV, allowing the user to control the experience using their phone or tablet. The browser will even make use of Kinect voice functionality.

Xbox Entertainment Services

First off Kinect voice control is now available in 12 new countries, Australia, Austria, Brazil France, Germany, Ireland, Italty, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and Switzerland.

Loads more sport services will also be available:

• NBA Game Time
• NHL GameCenter LIVE
• ESPN (U.S.)

Not to mention 30 new TV services:

• Absolute Radio – U.K.
• Ameba TV – Canada, U.S.
• BreakMedia – Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, U.K., U.S.
• Comedy Central Stand Up – U.S.
• Comoyo – Denmark, Norway, Sweden
• Corus Entertainment’s Franklin the Turtle – Canada
• GameSpot TV – Australia, Canada, U.K., U.S.
• Headweb – Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
• Indie Flix – U.S.
• Machinima – All Xbox LIVE markets
• Napster – Germany, U.K.
• Nickelodeon – U.S.
• Paramount Movies – U.S.
• Picturebox – U.K.
• Quickflix – Australia, New Zealand
• Rakuten ShowTime – Japan
• Revision3 – Canada, U.K., U.S.
• Rhapsody – U.S.
• RTL XL – Netherlands
• Slacker Radio – Canada, U.S.
• SnagFilms – U.S.
• Terra (Sunday TV) – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico
• The AOL On Network – Australia, Canada, Netherlands, U.K., U.S.
• The Weather Channel – U.S.
• The Whistle – U.S.
• TOU.TV – Canada
• TV3 – Spain
• Twitch TV – U.S.
• Univision – U.S.
• Wuaki – Spain
• Youzee – Spain

Some really exciting things coming from Microsoft on both the gaming and non-gaming front this E3. What did you think of their conference overall?

Most of the features announced today will be rolled out over the course of 2012.