Microsoft @ E3

[Paco]

Your E3 pass with Xbox Live
E3 Xbox Live Schedule

Confirmed demos to be available on Xbox Live:
Test Drive: Unlimited (Atari)
Moto GP™ ’06 (THQ)
Crackdown (Microsoft Game Studios)
Dead or Alive® : Xtreme 2 (Tecmo)
The Lord of the Rings ™, The Battle for Middle Earth™ II (EA Los Angeles)
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Capcom)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent ™ (Ubisoft)
Viva Piñata (Microsoft Game Studios)
- Plus a flood of HD trailers from games that have yet to be announced
- Call of Duty®2 – New Multiplayer Map Packs (Activision)
- The release of UNO on Xbox Live Arcade
- Game with Fame celebrity gaming sessions with stars like Jenny McCarthy, Method Man and Panic Channel (Featuring Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins, Chris Chaney and Steve Isaacs).
- Play and Win contests with the latest Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade titles
- Exclusive high-definition blockbuster movie trailer downloads
-Limited edition E3 Gamerpics and Themes
-A Backstage Pass to see developers preparing for E3

Hardware
Not much is known other than we will see the HD-DVD add-on and the camera.

I wonder to what extent they'll be showing off the gesture gaming aspects of the camera?

Rumored to be announced are bigger capacity harddrives.

Microsoft Game Studios
(internally developed or published)

Halo 3 (supposedly a short teaser video)
Gears of War (playable)
Too Human (playable)
Crackdown (playable)
Mass Effect (playable)
Ninety-Nine Nights (playable)
Viva Pinata (playable)
Lost Odyssey
Forza 2
Fable 2

also expected is the FASA (MS firstparty) Shadowrun. http://www.shadowrun.com

Also expected is a new title from Rare. It's been strongly hinted that it's either Banjo-Threeie or Kameo 2.

For the up-to-date E3 list go here: http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3games.html?...lar&page=1

Rumors:
Free Xbox Live
Recently, Microsoft acquired in-game advertising firm Massive Inc.

Massive makes its money by placing ads into games that have already shipped, typically slapping the ads onto in-game objects like vending machines, billboards, and TV screens. The ads are dynamically served, which means they can be changed on the fly, so a billboard advertising a fast food restaurant this week could be updated to plug a new movie next week. According to Microsoft's announcement, purchasing the company "will help deliver dynamic, relevant ads across Microsoft's online services, starting with Xbox Live and MSN Games."

Link

Many believe that Microsoft is doing this so they can compete with Sony's recent announcement of a free online service. The money generated from in-game advertising should offset the costs of maintanence and upgrade.

Some think Microsoft will still have two flavors of Xbox Live. One that offers free online play with some other XBL services all coupled with advertising. The other option being an ad-less Live experience for a paid subscription.

Movies coming to you through Live
Microsoft has made deals with both DirecTV and more recently Paramount. The Paramount deal is thought to be for HD movies.

strong rumor that Microsoft will publish Alan Wake exclusively for the 360. We should see it at E3.

Microsoft is still supposedly is some bidding war to get the next Grand Theft Auto exclusively for the 360.

Music
Perhaps Microsoft will shed some more light on their new music service with MTV, Urge. We know it's built in to Vista, but some are expecting it for Xbox 360 as well.

Miscellaneous
-New multiplayer maps for Perfect Dark Zero
-Street Fighter 2 to be released on Xbox Live Arcade


more as it comes...
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