Before Microsoft even opened the doors to its annual E3 media briefing Monday morning, the company had already captured headlines with an announced price drop for its Xbox 360 console. $50 shaved off the price of the current 20 GB model ushers in a phase out of the unit in lieu of a new 60 GB configuration. But that announcement was made only to put the focus on a number of key reveals, the most shocking of which included Final Fantasy XIII hitting Xbox 360.
Before getting to those announcements though, Microsoft eagerly welcomed select developers to the stage to demonstrate some of the most anticipated titles hitting Xbox 360 through spring of next year. Fallout 3, Resident Evil 5, Fable II, and Gears of War 2 all received live demos. Accompanying the live gameplay footage were announcements regarding the March 12th release date for Resident Evil 5, as well as Fable II's October ship date. Lastly, Cliff Blezinski touted a November 7th release for Gears of War 2.
Feeling boastful after such an impressive show of games, Don Mattrick, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's Entertainment Division made a bold claim: Microsoft will sell more Xbox 360 consoles than PlayStation 3 in this generation.
The company hopes to achieve that goal starting with a radical new firmware update coming this fall. The current blades interface is set to be replaced by a simpler structure that resembles Windows Vista Aero. Channels can be panned with the left thumbstick with additional options available by pressing up or down on the thumbstick. In many respects, it takes after the XMB system used for PlayStation 3. Accompanying the new interface are Mii-like customizable avatars. Just like Miis, Xbox 360 avatars can be personalized and used in supporting games.
New channels will also mark the launch of the new interface. The Community channel allows access to avatars and a suite of social features. Xbox Live Primetime will offer networked games for real prizes. A reworked Games channel promises a range of new Xbox Live Arcade titles including Uno Rush and Geometry Wars 2, both exclusive to the console.
Galaga Legions, sequel to the original arcade classic, also hits the service next month. A game based on the South Park cartoon program was teased too. As if that wasn't compelling enough, Valve has committed to releasing an exclusive version of Portal on Xbox Live entitled Portal: Still Alive. Given recent criticism over the quality of content hitting Xbox Live, this line up is a strong turn in the right direction.
