While no formal release announcements were made at the CES 2011, Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, did hint that the Kinect motion sensor add-on to the Xbox 360 will be getting PC support in the future.  How far into the future we’re not sure, we’re hoping its the ‘near’ future.

During an interview with BBC News, Ballmer reiterated that he was not prepared to make a formal announcement or provide a time line, but that he’d like to see PC users have the ability to utilize their Kinect cameras on their computers for an even more expansive application of the device.  Ballmer seemed to be very much for the idea, and stated that when Microsoft feels the time is right, developments in this direction will become a priority.

Ballmer went on to stress that Microsoft is very focused on developing long term applications for the Kinect and the Xbox 360 that delivers an overall entertainment experience beyond the traditional gaming platform, to include movies, TV, socialization, and music.  The goal is to cater to the entire family unit.

The Kinect surpassed sales goals in 2010 as it sold 8 million units in its first 60 days in the market, 3 million more than projected goals for the end of the year.  The Kinect has transformed the interactive gaming landscape forever, with their advanced motion sensor technology that allows for controller free gaming and total immersion into your game.  Microsoft announced the upcoming Avatar Kinect which will be an avatar chat service where users can have their avatars meet up to chat in any of the 15 virtual environments.

The Kinect brings motion control to the chat functionality, allowing users to express themselves through their movement, while the facial recognition software built in to the Kinect will allow participants to also express themselves through facial gestures, such as raising your eyebrows or sticking out your tongue.  Read a Review on the Avatar Kinect chat service and watch the video of the demonstration of the service that was featured at the CES 2011.

Learn more about the Xbox 360 Kinect in the Amazon Microsoft Kinect Store.  The Kinect motion sensor Xbox 360 add-on comes bundled with the Kinect Adventures game.  

Source:  BBC News