This month On Xbox Live
PLAY ONLINE WITH KASABIAN, THE THRILLS & THE BEES
JOIN IN THE OFFICIAL HALO 2 TOURNAMENT & WIN BIG SAMSUNG PRIZES
London, 1 March 2005 - Xbox® LiveTM, the number one online gaming service from Xbox®, brings its members a truly stunning line-up of events this month including no less than three bands - Kasabian, The Thrills and The Bees - waiting to challenge their fans online throughout March. Plus there's the official Halo® 2 Tournament which kicks off on 7 March.
Hungry for more? No problem - the entertainment doesn't stop there because now Xbox Live addicts can get a daily dose of online action by visiting the brand new Xbox Live Calendar which launches online today at: http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/live/calendar/default.htm
The Xbox Live Calendar is a one stop shop for all your Live events for the month. It's fuelled with a fantastic menu of daily events, to satisfy even the biggest gaming appetite - and it's all there for fans to check out, at a glance. Each month the Calendar will be updated so gamers should check it regularly so as not to miss out. Members can just pick their favourite events from the listing and soon be competing in the latest tournaments, or playing and chatting to the bands of the moment - there are new ones each month.
There are also thousands of pounds worth of Samsung prizes to be won every month, including Samsung Poseidon 22" TVs. All you have to do to be in with a chance is sign up for Winning Weekends, taking part in Play and Win or play the legendary Mystery Gamer. This month's Winning Weekends feature Tom Clancy's Ghost ReconTM, Pro Evolution Soccer 4TM, Star Wars Republic CommandoTM and MechAssault® 2: Lone Wolf.
"Every month on Xbox Live we have the best bands, the best tournaments, the best games and the best prizes for the best on-line gaming experience. And now with the Xbox Live calendar you can see it all at a glance," said Michel Cassius, Senior Director, Xbox Platform and Marketing. "Xbox Live is all about gaming, entertainment and communities. Watch this space for our monthly updates and join 1.4 million members online for maximum gaming fun."
Gamers can also use the Practice Nights each month to sharpen up their skills before big events like Game With Fame, Winning Weekends and Tournaments. Game Mode Nights are entire nights dedicated to a specific game mode - either official modes or a new twist on existing modes that have been created by Xbox Live members themselves. You can also have your say by voting for the games that will be played in the April Xbox Live Calendar. Gamers can also use the Friends Forum to arrange games with players on the same skill level.
This month's bands lined up for Game with Fame - Kasabian, The Thrills and The Bees - join a growing list of bands, like The Strokes, Big Boi from Outkast, Embrace, Maroon 5 and Goldie Lookin' Chain, who have all had fun connecting with their fans through Xbox Live. Danny, the lead singer from Embrace, said; "We all loved the first Halo and to play the new game whilst we chatted to our fans was amazing".
The Bees - 2 March
The Bees defy categorisation, displaying undisputable evidence of a band still hopelessly in love with the idea of being in love with music. The guys are avid gamers while on tour and will be facing the Xbox Live challenge on 2 March!
The Thrills - 17 March
Having only formed in 2001, Dublin quintet 'The Thrills' have already taken home a plethora of prestigious Awards and been nominated for the Brits Awards' "International Breakthrough Artist. They will be ready and waiting to challenge gamers on Xbox Live on 17 March (St Patrick's Day).
Kasabian - W/C 21 March
An honest and unpretentious band fusing pounding electronic beats with a dark sensibility. Think Primal Scream meets Oasis on a night out and you are only half way there. Kasabian are a wake-up call to music. They have caught the moment and are here to stay. 2005 will be their year and they are here on Xbox Live.
There are now more than 1.4million members of the growing Xbox Live service, which enables gamers to easily find their friends and play together online; talk to other members while they're playing through the Xbox Voice Communicator, download current statistics, new levels and characters to their Xbox hard drive. The service is constantly evolving with new features like voice messages and alerts, plus "Game with Fame", 'Winning Weekends' "Play and Win", and "Mystery Gamer." There are now 200 Live-enabled titles available world-wide including Halo® 2 which has so far logged over 61 million sessions on the game, with an average session lasting nearly 92 minutes - the approximate length of a feature film.
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Editors' Notes
About Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for the Windows PC gaming, Xbox video game system and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse game portfolios for the PC (http://www.microsoft.com/games/), including such franchises
as "Age of Empires®," "Flight Simulator" and "Zoo Tycoon"; Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/), including such franchises as "Halo," "Project Gotham RacingTM" and "NFL Fever"; and Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/), the official games channel for the MSN® network and home to such hits as "Bejeweled" and "OutSmartTM."
About Xbox Live
A new frontier in imagination and extraordinary interaction, no one else offers the richness of online gameplay found on Xbox Live. The world's only unified global online console games service, Xbox Live is continuously innovating to provide members with unparalleled experiences. This unique service unites gamers together in a dynamic community where they can experience the best online games, exclusive programming and continuous downloadable content. Xbox Live launched in the United States in November 2002 and is available in 24 countries. Please visit http://www.xbox.com/live for more information.
About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in Europe for an estimated street price of €149.99/£99.99.
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.
For more information, please contact:
Marie-Claire Suter
UK PR Manager - Xbox & PC Games
Tel: +44 (0) 118 909 4599
Email: i-maries@microsoft.com