While it's always been assumed that Microsoft would one day be unable to resist the opportunity to stick its big unwanted nose in portable gaming, the Xbox platform holder has often shied away from talking about such possibilities. Until now, that is. Shane Kim has been chatting about the potential of portable Xbox gaming, calling it a matter of "when" and not "if."

"For us, it’s a matter of focusing on 'when,' because if we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like … Project Natal," the corporate VP tells Kikizo. "So we’ve chosen to focus on the living room experience from a hardware standpoint, if you will, but we’re building a service in Live that … will extend to other platforms. No question about it ..."

Whether this means Xbox Live will integrate with an existing system, or a brand new portable Xbox will appear, we don't know. Kim views Xbox Live as a "connective tissue" that can run through many different conduits, so it's possible we could see the service go anywhere. As for the idea of a portable Xbox -- would you like some Halo on the move?