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E3 06: Lost Planet demo leads E3 Xbox Live promotion

Gears of War trailer among 60 "pieces of new content" that will be available for download during next week's free week of Xbox Live.

At the DICE Summit in February, Microsoft corporate vice president Peter Moore announced that approximately 50 percent of Xbox 360 owners use Xbox Live. That's a marked improvement above the 10 percent of original Xbox owners who used the online gaming service.

Now, the software giant is trying to convince subscribers of Xbox Live Silver, the free version of online service, to pay money for Xbox Live Gold, which allows for online play. From 12:01 a.m. on Monday, May 8, until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 14, any Xbox 360 owner can log onto Xbox Live and play with friends gratis.

It's no coincidence that the free week of Xbox Live is coinciding with the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo--which is now just over a week away. In fact, as Microsoft has previously stated, the event will be designed to bring the E3 experience to those unable to attend the Los Angeles event, which is not open to the public.

Today, Microsoft revealed the specifics of its Xbox Live promotion--which, unsurprisingly, will feature a bevy of free downloads related to the Xbox 360 games that will be at E3. Microsoft said that "over 60 pieces of new downloadable content will be available" on Xbox Live Marketplace starting next Monday.

Many gamers will be most excited by the release of a demo for the recently subtitled Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the forthcoming sci-fi adventure game from Capcom. The game itself, which is exclusive to the Xbox 360, won't be available until 2007.

One of the most anticipated titles tentatively set to ship for the 360 this year is Epic Games' Gears of War. While no demo for the third-person shooter will be made available, Microsoft will "debut the first-ever Gears of War high-definition game trailer" on Xbox Live Marketplace. Several movie trailers will also be made available, as well as "a flood of HD trailers from games that have yet to be announced." Some gamers have taken the "flood" reference as further evidence that a trailer for the next Halo game will be at E3.

Microsoft also promised new content from a variety of games on Xbox Live Marketplace, including: Crackdown, Moto GP 06, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent, Test Drive Unlimited, Viva Piņata, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, and Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2--which no longer has "beach volleyball" in the title, but retains it in the game. Microsoft did not specify which of the aforementioned games would be getting trailers and which would be getting demos.

Next week's promotion will also mark the release of the classic card game Uno on Xbox Live Arcade. Rounding out the E3 festivites will be various other promotional events, including E3 Gamerpics and themes; a behind-the-scenes featurette on developers preparing for E3; and "Game With Fame" sessions with Jenny McCarthy, Method Man, and Dave Navarro's new band, Panic Channel.

82 Comments

  • dontaskgames

    Posted May 6, 2006 7:24 am GMT

    ...

  • anamnawshad

    Posted May 6, 2006 5:58 am GMT

    XBL rocks!

  • daveg1

    Posted May 3, 2006 4:19 pm GMT

    i cant wait to see all these trailers on my 43" hdtv!!

  • xbox_gamer1

    Posted May 3, 2006 1:45 pm GMT

    The 360 keeps getting better!!

  • schm177y

    Posted May 3, 2006 1:16 pm GMT

    Sweet, this is what the Marketplace is all about. Now all we need is a way to enquque (?) downloads

  • strik9

    Posted May 3, 2006 11:43 am GMT

    Lost Planet looks sick.......I want a gears of war demo though.....AND Halo 3.

  • lancebalog

    Posted May 3, 2006 11:12 am GMT

    650mb demo on xbl = 2+hrs
    650mb demo on xbl during e3 = 4+hrs

    650mb file on pc = 20mins

  • sicone111

    Posted May 3, 2006 11:01 am GMT

    6 days to play Lost Planet!!! w00t

  • gertish

    Posted May 3, 2006 10:51 am GMT

    neato

  • craphoo

    Posted May 3, 2006 9:49 am GMT

    Wohoo. This is awesome. There even a demo on xbox360 live. I'm so exited. Aaargh I can' wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

  • snakes2solid

    Posted May 3, 2006 8:38 am GMT

    Lost Planet demo !! and more!!!!!!!!.. now that's what i'm talkin bout!!!!!!!!
    Microsoft!!!... "you're on the right track"!!!

  • MadsWare

    Posted May 3, 2006 8:04 am GMT

    Viva Pinata !!

  • SplinterMech

    Posted May 3, 2006 6:08 am GMT

    Ah, I see Manatassi. Everything still sounds great though. I can't wait for next week.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted May 3, 2006 5:55 am GMT

    smart move by micro$oft.

  • Lanowar

    Posted May 3, 2006 2:08 am GMT

    How about telling us when we can get Street Fighter! I was hoping that would be released next week...

  • PiMacleod_basic

    Posted May 3, 2006 2:02 am GMT

    wow, i'm no fan of Microsoft, but I never could deny how user-friendly the 360 was. and now this? It's like free E3 previews, right on my system for me to play.

    Personally, I'm waiting for some Nintendo announcements and Square announcements. But hey, I can't deny the goodness that this delivers! I'll be downloading to my heart's content next week.

  • marcinek007

    Posted May 3, 2006 1:14 am GMT

    I think they won't allow us to download gears of war demo, because it sucks gameplay-wise

  • CCR_infinIte

    Posted May 2, 2006 10:12 pm GMT

    Hey, I own 50 bucks to enable my xbox live. but sence its going to be free this week. Will I be able to tun my xbox on and go to the market place?

  • jagwrestler130

    Posted May 2, 2006 8:54 pm GMT

    fun

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted May 2, 2006 8:47 pm GMT

    They should release this game for PS3 if they want to sell BIG, their's game will be flop on this 360.

  • yanks43215

    Posted May 2, 2006 8:42 pm GMT

    wow thats good news

  • NeoJedi

    Posted May 2, 2006 8:40 pm GMT

    Sounds pretty good indeed... makes me want to get a 360... almost.

  • SP8616

    Posted May 2, 2006 7:29 pm GMT

    NIOCEE! this very good news

  • crossfadeJ

    Posted May 2, 2006 7:22 pm GMT

    nice. I'll have to check it out on my friends 360.

  • dadistiller

    Posted May 2, 2006 7:00 pm GMT

    money worth every penny

  • Wolfgang66

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:42 pm GMT

    Yay I cnat wait to see these trailers

  • asus69

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:34 pm GMT

    awsome

  • racer360

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:20 pm GMT

    next week is gonna be awesome

  • EvanO_O

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:10 pm GMT

    So it's like having the E3 experience in your own home instead of going out to l.A. amoung the thousands of people. I'm up for free xbox live. W00t!

  • jacques117

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:03 pm GMT

    i love e3

  • Drudaddy

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:00 pm GMT

    any they said that they had 10 miilion downloads so far since launch on the marketplace, well be ready to add another 5 millon more to that #, because if there are demo's like lost planet, and a halo3 trailer, xbox marketplace is gonna get very crazy

  • Jedi_Osborn

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:55 pm GMT

    cool

  • Manatassi

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:50 pm GMT

    the new sonic game is being developed for the 360 splintermech thats what thats refering to.

    More marketplace downloads always a good thing

  • strahd01

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:30 pm GMT

    may is the best month ever for downloads lol

  • SoralinkGS

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:24 pm GMT

    cool
    E3 rocks

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:23 pm GMT

    Thats neat to see it up there on the market place.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:20 pm GMT

    Over 60 pieces of new downloadable content ? Holy damn. But I will need a good MMORPG to make me commit to the paying for the gold service.

  • SplinterMech

    Posted May 2, 2006 5:03 pm GMT

    Sounds great. I can't wait for next week. The mention of Sonic the Hedgehog in the article really makes me wonder if maybe it will become available on the Xbox Live Arcade. I would certainly hope so.

  • SuspendMEimBAD

    Posted May 2, 2006 4:54 pm GMT

    this is great news for anyone on the Microsoft side of the console wars, i just hope they keep the great content coming as not to dissapoint

  • neoand12

    Posted May 2, 2006 4:50 pm GMT

    yay!!!!!!!!!!!

  • avengefulreign

    Posted May 2, 2006 4:38 pm GMT

    I sure hope it is a cool as it sounds!

  • dukerav

    Posted May 2, 2006 4:28 pm GMT

    Man this is awesome stuff, who knows what all will be announced and what we will see. Now if they just put up the Microsoft press conference Ill be a happy camper, then While Im downloading that I can watch a press conference about Weeee !!

  • comthitnuong

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:58 pm GMT

    wish i had a 360

  • soylent_system

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:46 pm GMT

    Lost Planet is looking very promising indeed.. can't wait to get my hands on the demo. ^^ Playable demos or atleast trailers of rpgs like Blue Dragon, PSU, Last Odyssey and Enchanted Arms would also be awesome.

  • VividScientific

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:43 pm GMT

    Microsoft is agian setting the bar for what the game industry should be.

  • shockwave04

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:42 pm GMT

    Now when is it going to be in OXM ???

  • chibi-acer

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:33 pm GMT

    This is a cool idea. Gamespot usually has some good E3 coverage, but this seems like a great way to get a small piece of E3 to Live users, in HD, not less.

  • Mindphaser

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:26 pm GMT

    SIXTY new downloads at once? I know what I'm doing all next week! Woohoo! Or should I say Wiiiiiiiiiii!? Now where is my 360 download manager?

  • Teivan

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:24 pm GMT

    online gaming is the way to go...

  • agus23

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:12 pm GMT

    by the way xbox live and xbox.com are currently down for maintenance. =( no sense to play geo wars if I can't upload my record in the xbox live leaderboards....=(

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