World’s Best Game Companies Rally Around Microsoft Xbox

World’s Best Game Companies Rally Around Microsoft Xbox

Microsoft Celebrates Announcement by Unveiling Fresh, Exhilarating Xbox Logo

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2000 — Many of the world’s top game developers and publishers today demonstrated the momentum that is building around the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s future-generation video game console, Xbox, by announcing their intent to create and publish games for the new games platform. More than 150 companies from around the world – including Activision Inc., Bandai Co. Ltd., Capcom Co. Ltd., Eidos Interactive Ltd., Hudson Soft Co. Ltd, Infogrames, Konami Corp., Midway Home Entertainment Inc., Namco Limited, Sierra Studios and THQ – pledged their support a full year ahead of the Xbox launch.

Microsoft celebrated the announcement in San Francisco by showcasing action-packed Xbox games already under development and unveiling a new, futuristic logo. The announcement took place hours before the start of the Tokyo Game Show, which begins Sept. 22 in Japan, where more Xbox publisher announcements are forthcoming.

“The best game developers are flocking to Xbox earlier and in greater numbers than they have with any previous gaming system,”
said Robbie Bach, senior vice president of the Games Division and chief Xbox officer (CXO) at Microsoft.
“This massive list of high-quality developers gives gamers an indication of the super-exciting games they can expect on Xbox. It also demonstrates the excitement within the gaming industry for Xbox.”

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of momentum-building events solidifying industry support for Xbox. Game companies are supporting the platform because its future-generation technology will allow them to realize their creative visions for games. Earlier this month, Microsoft unveiled the names of 18 development studios – including Lionhead Satellites and Stormfront Studios – that will create exclusive Xbox content under the Microsoft label.

“If gamers think Xbox couldn’t get any more exciting, they better hold on,”
Bach said.
“We have several additional announcements in the works that will excite them even more. Gamers haven’t seen anything yet.”

Along with announcing the supporting game companies, Microsoft today unveiled the Xbox logo. The three-dimensional logo was designed to exude three key messages: powerful technology, an exhilarating experience and fresh, inventive gameplay. When combined, these elements make for the ultimate gaming experience.

“We wanted the logo to convey the newness and excitement of Xbox – to let gamers know they will enter a new world,”
said John O’Rourke, director of Xbox marketing at Microsoft.
“One pack of skateboarders who recently saw the logo said they wanted to plaster it on their boards. That’s what I call acceptance.”

About Xbox

Scheduled for release in fall 2001, Xbox ( http://www.xbox.com/ ) is Microsoft’s future-generation video game console that delivers superior graphics, better audio and the most intense, action-packed gaming experiences available. All this is possible because Xbox has at least three times the graphics performance of the newest generation of game consoles. Features will include a 733MHz CPU, a custom-designed graphics chip capable of processing more than 1 trillion operations per second, an 8GB hard drive, 64 MB of total memory, a 3-D audio processor with 64 audio channels, and broadband connectivity for online game play. Xbox uses familiar architecture and DirectX® development tools so game developers will be able to create better games faster.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.

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