The E3 Media & Business Summit kicked off in Los Angeles yesterday and, as is customary with these high-profile events, the press conference addresses from the three main industry players (namely Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo) are generally the core focus as longstanding rumours are confirmed or banished and surprise announcements galore are trotted out in a game of corporate one-upmanship.
Microsoft lauds the ongoing success of its Xbox 360 console at the 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit. Image: E3/Microsoft.
Yesterday, American software behemoth Microsoft Corp. took the convention center stage, pulled off its well-worn gaming gloves and began swinging at the competition with claims of an entirely different user experience for its Xbox 360 fan base.
Microsoft provided plenty of new trailers, gameplay clips and developer walkthroughs for upcoming console exclusive titles such as Gears of War 2, Fable II, The Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscovery, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Too Human, Halo Wars, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Galaga Legions, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 and Portal: Still Alive.
And it also wowed the crowds with yet more teasing content for Capcom’s multiplatform Resident Evil 5, along with EA’s free-running FPS Mirror’s Edge, Bethesda’s apocalyptical epic Fallout 3 and the major scoop that Microsoft has stolen perhaps Sony’s biggest series jewel in the form of an Xbox 360 version of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII.
Yet, beyond all the well-oiled software muscle on show, Microsoft was keen to highlight how well the Xbox 360 is doing against its competitors, leading the way in both hardware and software sales, with Don Mattrick, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, openly stating that “Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide this generation than PS3.”
And, as the leading provider of online gaming, Microsoft also lauded the upcoming Autumn revamp of its user interface as its home console prepares to strike out in a whole new entertainment direction courtesy of a new dashboard, the introduction of personal avatars, industry-leading movie and TV downloads, and also a more evolved, party-based online experience.
Arriving looking not unlike the stacked Windows Vista interface, the new Xbox 360 dashboard will be made available for download in the coming months via an Xbox 360 system update.
“Xbox 360 delivers entertainment choices so broad that it now rivals what people can find on television and at movie theaters,” enthused Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development with Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. “Whether it’s sports, music, movies, game shows or great games you crave, Xbox 360 is home to the biggest and best out there. From those new to games and eager to jump in, to the hardcore gamer looking for the most intense games experiences, this is truly the year to own an Xbox 360 system.”
Thanks to a content deal with TV producer Endemol, one such personal Live experience that will capture and portray Microsoft’s goals is a multiplayer version of hit show “1 vs. 100,” which will see a single player pitting their knowledge against 100 other Live players from around the world for a host of great prizes (real prizes, not in-game).
Other titles designed to create a personalised party atmosphere that will attract a wide-ranging demographic include the likes of: “Lips,” a karaoke-style singing game that will allow users to sing along to any musical track stored on their Zune or iPod music player; and “You’re in the Movies,” a set-piece movie maker and editor that works with the Xbox Live camera (included) and allows players to physically participate in short scenes that can be then edited together to create an individual short film.
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