Windows Phone App To Let Users Search For, Control Xbox 360 Media

Microsoft has announced that Windows Phone 7 users will be able to search for and control certain content on the Xbox 360 using an upcoming, free Xbox Companion App. As detailed on the Windows Team Blog, the Xbox Companion App will be able to search and display information about video, music and game content on the Xbox Live Marketplace right on the phone. The app will also support a "controller mode" that can be used to launch and control video and music playback or navigate the Xbox user interface. The announcement makes no mention of using the app as a game controller. The app is shown briefly in a video demonstration of the New Xbox TV Experience, Microsoft's recently detailed partnership to bring video content from dozens of providers to the Xbox 360. Microsoft has been making efforts to integrate its sluggish Windows Phone 7 platform with the successful Xbox 360, building Xbox Live features into the mobile phone and allowing for connections between Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live Arcade games. The company has also shown off potential integration between the phone platform and the Xbox 360's Kinect depth-sensing camera. Last year, Microsoft briefly offered a free Xbox 360 game with purchase of a Windows phone.