M'soft brings TGS, X06 to XBL
Flood of content from Tokyo Game Show and X06 to hit Xbox 360 from September 20-29; game from "major franchise" headed to Xbox Live Arcade.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Sep 18, 2006 1:47 pm PT
At this year's E3, many Xbox 360 owners got a chance to see the Halo 3 trailer around the same time that selected members of the press saw it for the first time. During the week of E3, Microsoft opened up the floodgates and posted several pieces of content on Xbox Live Marketplace, including demos, videos, and other goodies that were simultaneously making their debuts at the trade show.
Needless to say, gamers gobbled up the new content in record-setting fashion, with 5 million downloads passing through the pipeline in just one week--more than a fifth of all Xbox 360 downloads up to that point.
With E3 well in the rear view mirror, gamers are looking toward this weekend's Tokyo Game Show and next week's X06 event in Barcelona, Spain, for industry news. Following the success of the Xbox Live Marketplace experiment with E3, Microsoft will also have plenty of downloadable content for the two upcoming events.
Beginning September 20, Xbox 360 owners signed up for Xbox Live can check out highlights from press briefings, behind-the-scenes videos, new game demos, and never-before-seen trailers. Most of the content will only be available on Xbox Live Marketplace through September 29.
One Xbox Live Arcade title will be available each week, including a previously unannounced game from a "major franchise" making its way into Marketplace for the first time.
Microsoft isn't ready to reveal which game demos will be available, but gamers can expect new game videos from yet-to-be-announced games and from the following upcoming titles:
Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Tecmo)
Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft Game Studios)
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Eidos)
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (Microsoft Game Studios)
Need for Speed Carbon (EA)
Project Sylpheed (Square Enix)
Shrek 3 (Activision)
Viva Piñata (Microsoft Game Studios)
The inclusion of Shrek 3 in the above list is the first confirmation that the green ogre will be headed towards Microsoft's next-generation console. No other platforms for the game have been announced.
New picture packs and themes from games such as Alan Wake, Fable 2, Mass Effect, and Forza Motorsport 2 will also be available, as will a free picture pack and an exclusive scene from the upcoming season of Battlestar Galactica.
According to the UK Xbox.com, the promotion will be accompanied by a free trial of Xbox Live Gold for all UK-based Xbox Live users, courtesy of Windows Live Spaces. From September 20 to 29, all who have signed up for an Xbox Live account will be able to enjoy the service's premium content, including online multiplayer gaming. A similar promotion will take place in Japan, but there are no plans to bring the free trial to the US.
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Featured TGS 2006 Games
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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
Metal Gear Solid 4 offers even more of the stealth-based action gameplay and grand stories that the series has become known for.
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Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
Devil May Cry 4 is the fourth installment in Capcom's demon-hunting series, but this time it stars a new character, Nero, and his powerful demonic arm.
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MotorStorm (PS3)
MotorStorm is a driving game from SCEE for the PlayStation 3.
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Gears of War (X360)
Gears of War is a tactical sci-fi shooter from Epic Games. As war hero Marcus Fenix, you'll fight your way through an army of enemy creatures known as the Locust Horde.
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Afrika (PS3)
Take on the role of a freelance photographer where you must document and photograph African wildlife using an array of licensed camera equipment.
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Blue Dragon (X360)
Blue Dragon is a role-playing game from the developers of Chrono Trigger in which young adventurers battle evil with their blue shadow monsters.
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Gran Turismo HD Concept (PS3)
Gran Turismo HD is a sim racing game from Polyphony Digital. The game offers a variety of vehicles and environments in high-definition (1080p) format.
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