The Chevy Volt will be getting some prime exposure with gamers thanks to an agreement with Microsoft to include a version of the vehicle in its "Kinect Joy Ride," which will be available this fall. The game will be one of the first Xbox releases to be designed for the Kinect motion system, a revolutionary new controller technology that enables users to play video games using only the motion of their bodies.

In "Joy Ride," players will be able to steer vehicles by placing their arms out at "ten and two" and rotating an imaginary steering wheel. The fictionalized Volt will be a convertible with with noticeable similarities to the real thing, but a few added styling details to drive home the point that it's powered by electricity and make it more consistent with the other vehicles in the game.

Microsoft's relationship with the Chevy doesn't end there though. On Tuesday, the company announced that the Volt will be the first vehicle to have a "branded presence" on the Windows Phone 7, a new smartphone operating system that comes out later this year. Phone 7 users will be able to get information, zoom in on features or even schedule a test drive for the vehicle.

Reprinted with permission from PluginCars