Remember what Nintendo did with the Game Boy Advance connectivity? Imagine that but, 100 times better (Sorry guys)

It seems that Microsoft’s plans to take over your lives are growing. The recent discovery of a new patent by Microsoft seems to point out that they plan many things for many devices. Mainly the patent focuses on connectivity between a central ‘hub’ (Probably the 360 or a Vista computer) and several ‘hand held’ devices. They don’t just stop at the ability to swap mp3s or stream videos however (Seems that Sony is content at that with the PSP) Microsoft have detailed a completely consolidated experience with several hand held machines. Some of the things mentioned by Microsoft in the patent include

• Using other devices to increase processing power & storage space
• Ability to ‘update’ games via another device (Patches via Xbox Live?)
• Streaming of audio and video data to another device (Didn’t see that one coming…)
• Ability to send saved games and other information between devices
• Being able to use the processing power of other devices to increase power in one device - it’s mentioned that you could be able to play a console-quality game on a hand held using the processing power of another machine

Not only is this plan ambitious at the least it’s also quite unique to me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone come up with something so strange before. It’s great that your hand helds will be able to process games up to standard of current Xbox 360 games but that would surely have to be in the same local area as the console geographically (as far as I’m aware it would be way too slow to transfer processing power over the internet). Isn’t the whole point of a hand held that you can play games on the move?

I think the idea is great though (if a little flawed - but isn’t everything in this industry?). I love the idea of interconnected devices which communicate and swap information seamlessly (I still refuse to badmouth Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles). With the Zune, 360, Vista, Live and whatever else Microsoft have in the pipeline - we’re definitely looking at positive times ahead for the company (which according to Infendo Radio - is still ‘In the Red’).

Source: Xbox360 Fanboy

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