Microsoft Announces Windows Vista Title Lineup
Microsoft unveiled the much anticipated games lineup for the Microsoft Windows and Windows Vista operating systems in Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), with plans to bring Xbox Live game and entertainment network. Leading publishers like Electronic Arts, NAMCO BANDAI Games, THQ and Funcom, with Microsoft Game Studios will provide game play experiences for Windows Vista gamers like role-playing games (RPGs), first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), massively multiplayer online (MMO) and simulation.
The showcase lineup for Windows Vista includes games with subjects running from psychological action thriller, World War II RTS to some new intellectual property.
According to Microsoft, Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver will allow gamers to use the Universal Serial Bus (USB) wireless receiver with Windows XP- or Windows Vista-based computers.
Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Reinvent Next-Generation Gaming
The Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system has created a global phenomenon with its record-breaking performance and fervent consumer response and even more with Microsoft Corp. announcing the next wave of games and accessories for Xbox 360 and new world-class Xbox Live entertainment experiences.
 Peter Moore, corporate vice president, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, said that gamers can expect more than 160 high-definition games by the end of 2006 for the Xbox 360 platform at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
In addition, Moore unveiled several new Microsoft Game Studios titles in development for Xbox 360 including Alan Wake, Fable 2, Forza Motorsport 2 and the next installment in the critically acclaimed Halo franchise, Halo 3.
Grand Theft Auto IV to Appear on Next-Gens
Rockstar Games and Microsoft have struck an agreement that brings Grand Theft Auto IV to both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation platform on day one of its global release. Developed by Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto IV will be simultaneously available for both next-consoles in North America on October 16, 2007 and in Europe on October 19, 2007.
Separately, Microsoft and Rockstar Games announced a strategic alliance to provide exclusive episodic content for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV. "We have a unique opportunity to reach out to our audience in new ways," said Sam Houser, executive producer and founder of Rockstar Games.
 Rockstar has earlier given exclusive GTA titles to Sony platforms. This event possibly marks a step ahead in the battle for supreme next-gen consoles for Microsoft. “Few franchises have had the profound impact on our industry as ‘Grand Theft Auto,’” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.
The distribution of exclusive Rockstar Games also highlights the publishing community’s growing desire to feed the growing gamers’ with high-definition experiences and playing online
Bill Gates Declares 10 Million-Unit Head Start for Xbox 360
Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates announced that Xbox 360 system will have a 10 million-unit head start by the time it enters the market in the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) and have more then 160 games by the end of the year. He also outlined the company’s bold vision to connect millions of Xbox 360 gamers with hundreds of millions of Microsoft Windows-based PC and mobile gamers from around the world through the Xbox Live online entertainment network.
 The initiative is said to put gamers at the center of a ubiquitous always-on world where their digital identities, games, friends and digital entertainment are always accessible through the familiar Xbox Live interface, regardless of location or device.
By next year, Microsoft expects more than 6 million gamers to be connected to the Xbox Live network.
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