The New Xbox Experience will launch on Wednesday, November 19. On that day, millions of Xbox 360 owners worldwide will experience a completely new Xbox 360 that is fun, social and simple to use -- and puts more entertainment at their fingertips than any other device connected to the TV.
Not one of the millions who already have the Xbox 360 at the heart of the family room? No problem. Microsoft, breaking the news Thursday at the Tokyo Game Show, also announced that beginning this month, buy any Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, and games are free.
For an estimated retail price of $199.99 (U.S.), the Xbox 360 Arcade holiday offer comes with six games, including SEGA SUPERSTARS TENNIS and five Xbox LIVE Arcade games. In addition, the Xbox 360 console ($299.99) and Xbox 360 Elite ($399.99) holiday offers pair the consoles and the promise of the New Xbox Experience with two games: LEGO INDIANA JONES: THE ORIGINAL ADVENTURES and KUNG FU PANDA -- at no added cost.
With the launch of the New Xbox Experience on November 19, Xbox 360 owners will get the following:
--Games, movies and TV shows live side by side with your personal pictures and music library, and ready to share your fun anytime with friends across the globe through Xbox LIVE.
--Xbox 360 allows you to create a virtual party on your TV with up to seven friends. With LIVE Party, voice chat while you play games, share photos in real time and entertain friends all over the world.
--Create a customizable, animated avatar and literally jump into the world of Xbox LIVE. Your avatar is your game-face throughout the New Xbox Experience and represents your personality -- whether you are a LIVE Party host or chatting with a friend. With custom avatars created by the more than 14 million members worldwide, Xbox LIVE will have as many avatars as Tokyo has residents.
--Xbox 360 has more than 12,000 exclusive films and TV episodes from Netflix, and a large online library of on-demand HD TV shows and movies from partners such as Constantin, Disney, MGM, NBC Universal and Warner Bros.
-- For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public. The Community Games channel on Xbox LIVE will include games made by students, hobbyists, and average people all around the world and will be exclusive to Xbox LIVE.
At the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft also unveiled a portfolio of games for Xbox 360 from many of the world's most renowned developers. The lineup, which features a variety of high-profile titles coming this holiday season as well as in 2009 and beyond, was headlined by HALO 3: RECON, an exciting new chapter in the legendary HALO franchise from developer Bungie, as well as the announcement of TEKKEN 6 coming to Xbox 360, which brings the TEKKEN franchise from Namco Bandai Games to Xbox 360 for the first time in history.
In a keynote address, Microsoft corporate VP of LIVE, Software and Studios John Schappert provided a look at the anticipated STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPE and THE LAST REMNANT from developer Square Enix. Action-adventure fans were also given a new look at the latest trailer for RESIDENT EVIL 5, slated to launch on Xbox 360 in March 2009.
