M'soft brings TGS, X06 to XBL

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.