The Microsoft X06 Summary Press Release

Few games have generated more interest than “BioShock” (2K Games) in the past year, and Microsoft confirmed today that the highly anticipated first-person shooter will be exclusive to Xbox 360 and Windows when it launches in spring 2007.

Looking into the coming year, X06 showcased a montage video trailer demonstrating the dazzling power and versatility of the Xbox 360 platform, promising gamers a choice of titles and genres coming this spring season, including the Microsoft Game Studios titles “Crackdown™” (Real Time Worlds), “Too Human” (Silicon Knights), “Mass Effect” (BioWare Corp.), and “Forza Motorsport™ 2” (Turn 10). In addition to these titles from Microsoft Game Studios, games from today’s leading publishers round out what is already a robust library of offerings for the Xbox 360 platform, including “John Woo Presents Stranglehold” (Midway), “Lost Planet: Extreme Condition” (Capcom) and “Pro Evolution Soccer 6” (Konami).

Microsoft underscored the continued momentum behind Xbox 360 with more than 5 million consoles sold since launch, the fastest console launch ever. Microsoft remains on track to deliver 10 million consoles worldwide, with a library of 160 games, by end of year. The Xbox Live community continues to grow and is on track to double in size to 6 million gamers by June 2007. Those numbers are supported by the most impressive number of all: Xbox 360 is now available in more than 30 countries since the console launched last November. By the end of this year, Xbox 360 will launch in even more countries, including South Africa and in Europe where plans are set in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

Microsoft also provided attendees with an update on Games for Windows and announced several exciting new Games for Windows titles, including “Bioshock” and “Marvel Universe Online.” Starting this September with “LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy” from LucasArts and “Company of Heroes” from THQ, games will carry the Games for Windows branding after meeting a set of technical guidelines designed to provide consumers with a consistent, reliable gaming experience on Windows XP and Windows Vista. The guidelines include easier game installation, improved reliability and support for key Windows Vista features such as the Games Explorer and Parental Controls. They will also support wide-screen gaming, will launch from within Windows Media Center, be compatible with 64-bit consumer versions of Windows, and will support the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows (for games that enable gamepads).

Attendees were given a glimpse of the exciting upcoming Games for Windows titles including “Hellgate: London” (NAMCO BANDAI Games), ”Rail Simulator” (Electronic Arts) and “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos/Funcom), as well as Microsoft Game Studios titles “Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs,” “Alan Wake,” “Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania,” “Flight Simulator X,” “Shadowrun,” “Halo 2” for Windows Vista and the newly named “Marvel Universe Online,” a massively multiplayer online game for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista from Cryptic Studios.