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SANTA MONICA, Calif. — July 10, 2007 — On the eve of the E3 Media & Business Summit (E3), against the backdrop of the Santa Monica, Calif., night sky, Microsoft Corp. tonight demonstrated its leadership in interactive entertainment when it showcased an unparalleled lineup of holiday blockbuster hits and exclusives for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. Microsoft delighted a live audience of thousands, and many more watching the live online broadcast, with titles such as the epic finale to the groundbreaking “Halo®” series, “Halo 3”; the successor to the seminal “Grand Theft Auto” franchise, “Grand Theft Auto IV,” featuring exclusive content for Xbox LIVE®; “Madden NFL 08” with stunning high-definition game play; and the widely anticipated “Rock Band,” where players can perform music from the world’s biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band.

The Best Place to Play the Most Exclusives and Biggest Blockbuster Games of 2007 

Xbox 360 is a great place to play the next chapters of “Grand Theft Auto,” “Madden,” and “Halo” — the best-selling franchises of the last generation. In fact, “Halo 3,” “Grand Theft Auto IV” and “Madden NFL 08” are expected to account for one-third of all console new release sales in the U.S. during the second half of the year, according to a recent report by IGN Entertainment’s GamerMetrics. Xbox 360 has an unprecedented lineup of blockbuster titles available by holiday 2007, including these:

– “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” takes players up to the sky and into the heat of realistic air combat with next-generation audio and visual effects and online multiplayer action.* Available this holiday, only on Xbox 360.
– “Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft). “Assassin’s Creed” is the next-generation game developed by Ubisoft that merges technology, game design, theme and emotions into a world where players will assume the role of the main character, Altair, and will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and experience the art of a master assassin. Available this November.
– “Beautiful Katamari” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). Marking the debut of Namco’s beloved ball-rolling puzzle game on a next-generation platform, “Beautiful Katamari,” the fourth instalment of the “Katamari” series, features levels of quirkiness, cosmic animations and musical stylings never seen before. Available this October.
– “BioShock” (2K Games). “BioShock” is the “genetically enhanced” first-person shooter set in the ruined undersea metropolis of Rapture. Available this August, only on Xbox 360 and Windows®.
– “Blue Dragon” (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.). From famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi comes “Blue Dragon™,” a unique, epic role-playing game. Available Aug. 28, only on Xbox 360.
– “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” (Activision). The new action thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward Inc., “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay. Available this fall.
– “Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE™ 2” (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.). The series’ encore performance on Xbox 360 delivers new gameplay options along with a mix of songs from the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and today as well as online play, downloadable music, enhanced graphics and accessibility for players of all ages.
– “Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar Games). “Grand Theft Auto IV” is the next chapter of the award-winning “Grand Theft Auto” franchise, available Oct.16. “Grand Theft Auto IV” will feature episodic content through Xbox LIVE exclusive to  Xbox 360.
– “Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision). Fire up the fret board, crank up the amp and get ready to rock out on the new wireless Les Paul guitar controllers. “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” includes star-studded tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse and Pearl Jam. Available this fall.
– “Halo 3” (Bungie Studios). The epic saga continues with “Halo 3,” the hugely anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed “Halo 2.” Available Sept. 25, only on Xbox 360.
– “Madden NFL 08” (Electronic Arts Inc.). EA’s unstoppable football franchise returns for the ’08 season in Hall of Fame fashion, featuring new players, modes, rosters and rewards to create the ultimate touchdown for pigskin fans. Available this August.
– “Mass Effect” (BioWare Corp.). An epic science-fiction action and role-playing game, “Mass Effect” will deliver an immersive, story-driven experience presented in a cinematic style with high production values. Available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.
– “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (Ubisoft). Relive the hit anime and manga and experience Naruto’s transformation from noisy ninja-academy dropout to respected ninja. Available in October, only on Xbox 360.
– “Project Gotham Racing 4” (Bizarre Creations Ltd.). “Project Gotham Racing® 4” will redefine the acclaimed “PGR®” franchise by delivering a unique, exciting racing experience complete with motorcycles and cars. Available this September, only on Xbox 360.
– “Rock Band” (MTV Games). “Rock Band” will allow gamers to perform music from the world’s biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band. Available this holiday season.
– “Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action” (Screenlife Games/WXP). “Scene It?” brings the fun of movie trivia to players of all ages with new movie clips in high definition as well as five new puzzle challenges never before shown in a “Scene It?” game. It also ships with four new Xbox 360 Big Button Pads and will be available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.
– “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction” (Ubisoft). In the latest instalment of Tom Clancy’s coveted “Splinter Cell” franchise, players will experience an adrenaline rush of gameplay where hunted down as a fugitive, you have no choice other than using everything in your environment to survive. Available this holiday.
– “Virtua Fighter™ 5” (SEGA). This new instalment in the critically acclaimed series brings intense, arcade fighting action, an all-star cast of 17 fighters and, a next-generation first for the franchise, online two-player versus mode only on Xbox LIVE.
– “Viva Pińata®: Party Animals” (Krome Studios Pty. Ltd.). An exciting new party game based on the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive and hit animated TV series, “Viva Pińata: Party Animals” brings back the familiar pińata animals and invites players to compete in a host of mini-games against friends at home or over Xbox LIVE.* Available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.

“Thanks to our amazing partners and our own studios, no company in video game history has ever had a lineup of blockbusters and exclusives like we will have by this holiday,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “We have a monumental library of titles hitting stores by the end of this year for Xbox 360 that will strike an emotional chord with every type of customer.”

More High-Definition Content Coming to Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Global Expansion Announced

In a move that will add to the incredible popularity of Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Microsoft announced an agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television to make high definition and standard definition feature films from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films, and Hollywood Pictures available for rent on demand to members of Xbox LIVE in the U.S. A growing catalogue of current and library titles will be available this July with more blockbusters to come. Microsoft also announced the highly anticipated rollout of the high-definition video store on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for customers around the globe. Microsoft will begin bringing content to living rooms in Europe and Canada by the end of this year. Currently offering more than 2,350 hours of premium entertainment content from 28 networks and studios, and nearly 500 hours of HD content alone, this puts the U.S. on-demand, high-definition library for Xbox 360 at more than twice the size of the nearest cable provider.

In addition, Microsoft will be adding several new Xbox LIVE Arcade titles sure to be a hit this summer, including these:
– “Bomberman Live.” A bomb-dropping action title featuring eight person multiplayer from Hudson Entertainment
– “Golden Axe.” The classic action-adventure game with two-person multiplayer from SEGA, available for download now from Xbox LIVE Arcade*
– “Hexic® 2.” Experience head-to-head competition in this action puzzler sequel to “Hexic HD” from Carbonated Games
– “Marathon: Durandal.” The first-person shooter that was the precursor to “Halo” from Freeverse*
– “Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords.” An engaging action RPG puzzle game from D3Publisher of America.
– “Sonic The Hedgehog.” The classic platform game updated in HD from SEGA, available for download now from Xbox LIVE Arcade
– “Undertow.” An underwater shooter with multiplayer for up to 16 people from Chair Entertainment Group*

New Special Edition “Halo 3” Xbox 360 and Family Fun Accessories

The Xbox platform of hardware and accessories is thriving with American consumers spending more money on Xbox 360 than on any other next-generation platform (NPD, May 2007). At E3, Microsoft announced European availability of the premium Xbox 360 Elite starting Aug. 24 and unveiled several new additions to the Xbox 360 hardware and accessories lineup, all available this holiday season, including these:

– Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Console. In anticipation of this year’s largest blockbuster gamer launch, Microsoft will offer the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition console. The console features an authentic Spartan green and gold finish and comes with matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB Hard Drive, Headset, Play & Charge Kit, and exclusive “Halo 3” Gamer Pics and Theme available via Xbox LIVE download. Available in September.

– Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. Chatting with friends and family on Xbox LIVE and Windows XP- and Windows Vista®-based PCs can now be done using the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. This device easily connects to any Xbox 360 controller and provides thumb-stroke chat capabilities while maintaining gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device. The Xbox 360 Messenger Kit includes a Chatpad and Xbox 360 Headset, and will be available beginning Sept. 6. ERP $34.99 (CDN).

– Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers available in festive new colors. Gamers can express their identity with new pink, dark blue and light blue Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers. These new colors will be available in October. ERP $59.99 (CDN).

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers.  Xbox 360 will have a portfolio of more than 300 games and will be available in nearly 40 countries by the end of 2007. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/xbox360.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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