Microsoft expands Zune for Xbox 360 in Europe

Zune, the digital entertainment service, will be expanding in the UK this autumn, Microsoft said today. The Zune multimedia service on the Xbox 360 will add the ability to purchase videos and music, as well as rent movies for viewing on a Windows PC or for syncing on a mobile device with the new Windows Phone 7 operating system. The new Zune dashboard interface will use Kinect, Microsoft's upcoming controller-free system, though it can also be operated with the standard Xbox 360 controller. Although Kinect voice commands for media playback weren't part of the demo shown to the press, GameSpot was told Zune will be "fully compatible" with the voice recognition when Kinect launches.

The rollout of the Zune service will be tied into the launch of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's new mobile operating system, which is scheduled for an October release. The addition of the new Zune service to the Xbox 360 will come with a dashboard update this autumn. The Zune service tile will appear in the Kinect hub and offer "a similar marketplace experience to the PC" in terms of interface and presentation.

On the PC, Microsoft will make the free Zune media centre software available to users in the UK and other European markets, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The media centre software is comparable to iTunes, combining a media library and player with access to Zune's Marketplace online store, which sells music, video, and applications. The newly accessible service will also include Zune Pass, an unlimited music subscription service comparable to Spotify, for £8.99 a month. The Zune Pass service will work across PC, Windows phone, and the Xbox 360. Pricing details for Zune movie purchases are not yet available.

The Windows Phone 7 system, announced in February and due for release this autumn, will include Xbox Live integration. This means the user's Xbox Live avatar and gamerscore will be accessible from the phone's home screen, and new mobile games offering achievement points in the same way as Xbox 360 titles will find their way onto Windows Phone 7 phones.