January 22, 2013

Xbox: Making Smart Glass Smarter

Microsoft's Xbox Smart Glass app is an innovative supplement to your gaming console.  Here's a few suggestions on how the iOS experience could be improved.



Like the iPhone Remote app for Apple TV, Smart Glass on Apple's iOS devices, provides the same capability to control your Xbox 360 console.  Smart Glass is also compatible with certain games allowing for some extra interactivity. There are a few ways to make the Smart Glass iOS experience even better with these suggested updates and improvements.

1. XBLA - Allow iOS users to buy games, movies and other media with Smart Glass. Just like the website, users should be able purchase these items and have them in their individual download queues when they launch their consoles. Although, I realize Microsoft may not want to share the 30% revenue cut Apple gets from in-app purchases. The current Discover section of Smart Glass, falls short if interested buyers can't make a purchase directly from their app

 
2. Promotions - There should be a section on Smart Glass for information on sales and promotions. I'm puzzled as to why this isn't an obvious department that should tie-in to XBLA sales, specials and discounts. We should be able to redeem codes using the iPhone camera.

3. Skype - The social aspect of Smart Glass could be utilized even further  by including video chat capabilities. Rumors are swirling that Skype will be the default communications service on the next Xbox iteration so applying this technology makes perfect sense.

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