Microsoft Reveals Blockbuster Lineup For Xbox 360

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Microsoft Corp. has revealed their new lineup of Xbox 360 games at the Tokyo Game Show 2008. As you might expect at one of the world’s prestige gaming events, the hype surrounding new game showings is always intense, and good old Microsoft didn’t disappoint.

The new lineup includes games from many of the world’s finest developers, and covered the coming holiday season right through into 2009 and beyond. Headlining the offering was of course the expected “Halo 3: Recon” by world-class developer Bungie, the latest new chapter in the classic “Halo” franchise. Microsoft also announced “TEKKEN 6″ is coming to Xbox 360, which ensures that Namco Bandai Games’s fans of the Tekken series will be happy on their Xbox 360s for the first time ever.
“Halo 3: Recon” is the latest chapter in the “Halo” saga, and with it, gamers now have a new hero to play. This is a stand-alone expansion, due for fall 2009 release, and has the usual extra hours of new campaign excursions and multiplayer gameplay. Visitors to the Tokyo Show also saw an all-new titbit in the form of strategy game “Halo Wars” from Ensemble Studios, which will be exclusive to Xbox 360. Shown in campaign mode, watchers got a taste of the gameplay and new perspective, but will have to wait until early 2009 for “Halo Wars” to retail.

John Schappert, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of LIVE, Software and Studios delivered the keynote address, and he paid homage to the best that Japan has to offer. There’s a reason why Microsoft likes Japan: by partnering Japan’s best developers and publishers, Microsoft not only gets huge Xbox 360 penetration into Japan, but to Japan, but also helps Japanese games reach new global audiences. During Schappert’s keynote address, he revealed that Xbox 360 has more top-selling, third-party Japanese titles than any current games platform. Japanese publishers have made sales of over $800 million in games to date for Xbox 360 and this is likely to hit lifetime figures of over $1 billion by the end of the coming holiday season.

Other new titles from Japan revealed by Schappert include “NINETY-NINE NIGHTS II” (producers Q Entertainment, developer Feelplus). This will join “Ninja Gaiden” and newly-announced “Ninja Blade” Japanese action games. Keeping RPG players happy he announced “Star Ocean: THE LAST HOPE” and “THE LAST REMNANT” and others including “Infinite Undiscovery,” “Fable II” and “Fallout 3.”