Xbox Gears Up for Update

REDMOND, November 18:
Microsoft is promising a revolution in home entertainment with its New Xbox 360
Experience, an update to the Xbox 360 gaming console that will be released
tomorrow that allows for the delivery of an expanded range of high-definition
movies and TV shows.

According to Microsoft,
almost 25 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide in the last three
years.

"The future of home
entertainment is Xbox 360—it's on demand, it's high definition, it's
always social, it's all in one place," said Don Mattrick, the senior VP
for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. "With the
New Xbox Experience, we will reach the next generation of Xbox owners, 25
million and beyond. We are at a watershed moment, backed by the largest entertainment
brands, with an incredible lineup of entertainment unmatched in any
industry."

Through the Xbox LIVE
network, the console will provide online streaming access to 12,000 movies and
TV episodes from Netflix. The online rental company is introducing approximately
300 choices in HD via Xbox 360, including La
Vie en Rose, Flawless and Heroes. Xbox 360 is the only
Netflix-ready device to offer high-definition movies and TV episodes. Xbox 360
also provides an online library of more than 15,000 on-demand high-definition
TV shows and movies from global partners such as Constantin, The Walt Disney
Studios and NBC Universal.

Many of Xbox 360's content
partnerships extend beyond the U.S. Magnolia Pictures, the studio behind Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,
among other titles, will be bringing its slate of feature films to Xbox LIVE in
Canada and the U.S. MGM is bringing its library of blockbuster movies to Xbox
LIVE in Italy and Spain. MGM, already available on Xbox LIVE in Canada, France,
Germany, the U.K. and the U.S., will offer films such as Carrie and Rocky.
Paramount Digital Entertainment will mark the two-year anniversary of making
its movies available on Xbox LIVE by becoming a content provider in Italy and
Spain. Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will make 100 movie titles available
on Xbox LIVE in Italy and in Spain. The studio currently offers content in
Canada, Germany, France, the U.K. and the U.S.

Other features include a
"virtual party" where users can chat during games, share photos and
more; personalized avatars; a personal game room; and a community games channel
for titles developed by Xbox 360 users.

—By Mansha Daswani