Tunes + Games = Zune

By Lou Kesten

The Associated Press

Originally published August 10, 2006

It sure is hot out, but at least gamers have their PlayStation Portables and Nintendo DSes to distract them from the miserable weather. And soon, Microsoft will be joining the portable entertainment parade with a device called Zune. Alas, Zune isn't the dedicated game machine a lot of gamers were hoping for. Instead, it's an attempt to compete with Apple's iPod by building a digital music player that will tie into the Xbox, Windows and Microsoft's Media Center software. The Xbox Live online game service is one model for the Zune's network capabilities; Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices group, said the company hopes to create a similar sense of community with Zune, enabling users to share playlists and videos or find band information...