Xbox 360 Update To Give Fans A Glimpse Of The Future: ?Behind The Scenes Improvements? Coming Next Week [SPECS]

By Lisa Eadicicco | June 13 2012 10:30 AM

As E3 2012 ends, Microsoft begins to roll out its Xbox 360 update for the spring. Microsoft has not announced what the upgrade will entail, but promises that it will prep for future enhancements, according to the Official Xbox Magazine.

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If you got an Xbox 360 system update: Spring Update rolling out to a few this week -- everyone else next week, Microsoft's Larry Hryb, also known by his gamertag, Major Nelson, posted on Twitter. The system update contains behind the scenes improvements & prep for future enhancements.

It is unclear exactly what Nelson means by these future enhancements, but it could have something to do with Microsoft's SmartGlass project. At E3 2012, the company announced that it will be developing an app for iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices that will be directly linked to a player's console. This will allow gamers to stream content from their Xbox systems directly to their phone or tablet, but Microsoft hinted that there will be more of an emphasis on the gaming aspect. This could mean that players will be able to manage their game content or post achievements to Facebook, but until Microsoft makes more announcements it is difficult to say.

The company unveiled a ton of service announcements at this year's E3, putting a strong emphasis on the implementation of TV, movies and music into its gaming console. Microsoft's Phil Harrison, however, assured that the gamers have not been forgotten and will have plenty of revelations to look forward to in time.

Game consumption on the console is going up, he said to Edge. Entertainment consumption is going up, and is now higher than games, but games are growing as well. I have no concerns about what that means for gamers, whether they're core gamers or casual gamers or somewhere in between.

Xbox 360 owners are already seeing some of this shift toward multi-media entertainment. Paramount has just announced that it will launch an app for Microsoft's console that will allow users of its UltraViolet app to stream movies on their television via the Xbox 360. Previously, UltraViolet users were only able to view movies on their computers through the Cloud, as the Verge has reported.

Microsoft has promised that this new Xbox update will give fans a behind the scenes look at upcoming developments. Does this mean players will see a preview of what to expect with the new Xbox '720' console? It's too soon to say, but Xbox players likely will find out what Microsoft has in store next week.