Xbox LIVE

LONDON – 5 August 2009: Less than a week from today, the Xbox LIVE summer update will arrive to more than 20 million Xbox LIVE members and with it will come the next evolution of connected entertainment on Xbox 360. Get ready to meet the many new faces of your Xbox 360; whether it’s new Avatar clothing and awards from Adidas or “Splosion Man”, or even a private home cinema, Xbox LIVE has something for you.

Movie night on Xbox LIVE

Browse, select and jump right into your favourite movies from the top genres: comedy, action, horror…even a tear-jerking chick flick. There are hundreds to choose from, with many in HD.

Avatars are people too!

Now thanks to Avatar Marketplace the options for customising your avatar are endless. With an ever-expanding selection of stores, full of premium outfits and accessories from your favourite games and fashion brands, you can express yourself through your Avatar like never before. Your Avatar’s one-stop-shop will launch with a growing collection from the top names in fashion and gaming including:

• Top Brands: Adidas, Quiksilver, Roxy, Tokidoki

• Unique Fashions: Steampunk, Recessionista

• Your Favourite Games: “BioShock 2,” “Halo 3,” “Halo 3: ODST,” “Gears of War 2,” “Fable II,” “The Secret of Monkey Island SE,” “Splinter: Cell Conviction,” “Star Wars Clone Wars: Republic Heroes”

You can also earn special Avatar clothes and items just by playing your favourite games, starting with a hot logo t-shirt from “Splosion Man,” the hit Xbox LIVE Arcade title that kicked-off off the 2nd annual Summer of Arcade. And to keep your Avatars from getting bored, we’re giving them fun new props to play with; everything from a basketball to pompoms, even a mobile phone…just try to stick with nights and weekends.

Full Xbox 360 games at the push of a button

Xbox 360 games: Games on Demand. Launching with a library of 21 great titles, Games on Demand marks the introduction of digitally distributed full Xbox 360 games: the titles you want, when you want them, straight to your Xbox 360 at the push of a button. You’ll also have the option to easily purchase Games on Demand titles directly via credit card.

From award-winning hits like “Mass Effect,” “and “Assassin’s Creed,” to family favourites like “LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” Games on Demand gives you access to a growing catalogue of full Xbox 360 titles, updated weekly and available to browse and download 24 x7 from the comfort of your couch. Check out our line-up at launch:

Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)

Burnout Paradise (EA)

Call of Duty® 2 (Activision)

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Fight Night Round 3 (EA)

Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)

Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios)

Meet The Robinsons (Disney)

MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)

Need for Speed Carbon (EA)

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (EA)

Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)

Prey (2K Games)

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Rockstar Games)

Sega Rally (Sega)

TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED (Atari)

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas

Tomb Raider Legend (Eidos)

Viva Piñata (Microsoft Game Studios)

Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in Paradise (Microsoft Game Studios)

No more hide and seek

Now you can view, find and arrange your content on Xbox LIVE the way you want. Want to send a specific friend a message? Sort your friends list by Gamertag, status and even activity, so you can easily find the friends you want. There are also new options for viewing your Achievements and progress, improved matchmaking support and more.

Best of all, you can now rate every single piece of content on Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a five star system. Support your favourite XBLA game with a five star rating, or find the top-rated titles in the newly-updated Indie Games Marketplace – it’s never been easier to find the best and most beloved game content on Xbox LIVE.

Just the beginning…

The Xbox LIVE summer update brings all new ways to play games, and connect with friends or friendly rivals anywhere in the world. It’s another step toward realising the Xbox 360 promise of entertainment for everyone, and another reason why Xbox LIVE is hands down the best entertainment value in your living room. But this is just the beginning…

Coming soon, we’re bringing a whole new wave of partnerships and custom features straight to your Xbox 360 – instant on 1080p streaming video with 5.1 audio from Zune, personalised digital radio stations from Last.fm, and the biggest forces in social networking: Facebook and Twitter.

In the meantime, have fun with your Avatar, or download that classic Xbox 360 game you’ve been meaning to pick up. Sit back, relax and enjoy and stay tuned for the next evolution in connected entertainment, courtesy of Xbox LIVE.

-Ends-

For press information, please contact:

Nik Thakkar / 020 3047 4087 / nik_thakkar@jcpr.com

Georgina Edwards / 020 3047 4057 / georgina_edwards@jcpr.com

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a portfolio of more than 300 games in nearly 40 countries. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE connects more than 17 million members across 26 countries to each other and the entertainment they love. Home of more entertainment from one remote than can be found from any device connected to the television, Xbox LIVE is also a unified online social network bringing friends together, no matter where they are — in the living room or across the world. More information and Xbox LIVE membership can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.