NUads to offer Kinect-enhanced ads to Xbox Dashboard

Microsoft is preparing NUads, short for "natural user-interface ads," a new service that will help advertisers enhance Xbox ads with Kinect support.

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Kinect isn't going to simply change how you play games on the Xbox 360. It will change the way you interact with advertisements on the Dashboard--at least, that's the goal with Microsoft's "NUads" initiative. The New York Times reports that NUads, short for "natural user-interface ads," will be shown to advertisers and marketers today at the Cannes Lions International Festival. Should partners sign up, Xbox 360 owners will see new Kinect-enabled interactive ads on the Xbox starting spring of 2012.

The new ad format will be enhanced primarily by Kinect's voice recognition software. According to the report, Xbox users will be able to ask for more information about an ad by saying "Xbox More." Other commands, like "Xbox Near Me," will allow advertisers to send a map to the user's phone, showing the nearest retailer that sells an advertised product. "Xbox Tweet" could let you send a message on Twitter about an ad you just saw.

It's unclear how advertisers will respond to Microsoft's proposed offering. However, at least one agency seems to be sold. "The new ad units really epitomized the level of engagement that everyone is working towards," a John M. Lisko told the newspaper. "You can text, you can tweet, you can vote. That’s phenomenal."

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    June 21, 2011 11:15 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, NUads to offer Kinect-enhanced ads to Xbox Dashboard.

    Microsoft is preparing NUads, short for "natural user-interface ads," a new service that will help advertisers enhance Xbox ads with Kinect support.

    • reply
      June 21, 2011 11:17 AM

      [deleted]

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      June 21, 2011 11:23 AM

      I will insta-unfollow anyone who tweets in this manner.

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      June 21, 2011 11:27 AM

      The Tweet feature sounds stupid on the surface...but be honest. If you see a new ad with Betty White wrestling a shark over a bag of Doritos, you're tweeting the hell out of that ad.

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        June 21, 2011 10:14 PM

        Do you work for Doritos' ad agency? Because you should.

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      June 21, 2011 11:41 AM

      This is getting sort of ridiculous now.

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      June 21, 2011 11:41 AM

      I'm actually interested in the "voting" aspect for TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance", where I'm too lazy to even text.

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      June 21, 2011 11:57 AM

      I've always wondered why ads are even shown in a service I've paid for. Fortunately, they're not intrusive but lame nonetheless.

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        June 21, 2011 12:26 PM

        Same, but I guess you could say the same about cable

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      June 21, 2011 2:29 PM

      wow… this is… wow.

      you know, for all the shit MS fanboys give Sony, at least PSN doesn't shove (now interactive) ads down my throat every time i want to play a game. i turn on my PS3, the first thing that pops up it *gasp* the game i put in, and it all manages to still be free. not only has MS upped the cost of an XBL subscription, but they're constantly scheming with advertisers to try and convince you that advertising can be "fun", and shove more of it into your eye-holes. i just don't get why the hell the 360/XBL is so popular. i have a 360 and an XBL Gold account, but ONLY because so many of my (less savvy) friends have it as well. if i had more friends with PS3's i'd ditch MS and their bullshit advertising schemes without ever looking back.

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        June 21, 2011 4:41 PM

        "my (less savvy) friends have it as well."

        At least they didn't get their shit stolen from hackers. Have fun there fanboy.

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        June 21, 2011 4:42 PM

        You dropped your monocle bro.

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        June 21, 2011 6:05 PM

        you forgot to say M$

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        June 21, 2011 10:02 PM

        Maybe your (less savvy) friends know how to go to their profile/system options and tell it to boot the game disk at start-up. Hey, just got an idea! You should ask them how that shit works. Then your 360 will work like your PSavvy3.

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        June 22, 2011 12:19 AM

        [deleted]

    • reply
      June 21, 2011 3:47 PM

      "It's advertisers, advertisers, advertisers!!" -- Steve Ballmer, Avenue-A Razorfish client summit, March 2006

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj3FOHc-fgA

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      June 21, 2011 6:04 PM

      fuck advertising

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      June 21, 2011 10:09 PM

      Would You Like To Know More?
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiU_NmYUy7U#t=00m30s

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      June 21, 2011 11:24 PM

      The only people that think this is 'phenomenal' are advertisers.

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