Windows 8 To Feature Xbox Live Integration

Microsoft revealed plans to further extend Xbox Live beyond the Xbox
360, integrating the online multiplayer and digital distribution service
into its upcoming Windows 8 operating system for PCs.

"Live will be built into the PC," said Mike Delman, Global Marketing VP
of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business group, in an interview with the Seattle Times. "It will be the service where you get your entertainment."

He claimed Xbox Live's integration into the Windows Phone 7 mobile OS
starting last October has been successful, and added, "You will not just
see consoles and handhelds at [E3] next year, this show's going to
morph into other devices."

Delman believes that consumers want to be able to access services and
content through multiple devices, and said it's Microsoft job to make it
possible for users to buy a movie or game in one place, then watch or
play it anywhere.

When asked if Xbox Live will be a cloud media service for PCs, Windows
Phones, and Xbox 360s, the executive responded that it will be "the
pervasive media service across devices".

Microsoft last attempted to launch a major PC gaming service several
years ago with Games for Windows – Live on Vista, which offered online
multiplayer, messaging, achievements, and cross-platform play features.

The company has not yet announced when it expects to ship Windows 8.