Posted: October 05 2005 at 8:01am | IP Logged

Microsoft has released a partial roster of video games for the launch of its Xbox 360 game console next month.

Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that exclusive Xbox 360 titles available for the holiday-shopping season will include the action-adventure game "Kameo: Elements of Power" and the much-anticipated shooting game "Perfect Dark Zero," both from Microsoft-owned Rare.

"Project Gotham Racing 3" from independent game studio Blizzard Creations also should be available in time for the holiday-shopping season, Microsoft said at a press event in Amsterdam.

Electronic Arts, the world's biggest video game publisher, earlier this month said it will have five titles ready for the Xbox 360 launch. Those titles are "Need for Speed Most Wanted," "FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup," "NBA Live 06," "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06" and "Madden NFL 06."

Microsoft said it will announce more launch titles in the coming weeks.

The Xbox 360, Microsoft's next-generation game machine, will be released on Nov. 22 in the United States and Canada. The standard version of the console will sell for $300, while a package with extras, including a hard drive that lets people play some games for the original Xbox, will be $400.

Analysts, who expect Microsoft to ship about 2 million Xbox 360s this year, have been closely watching the lineup of games for the console because cutting-edge games help drive console sales to hard-core gamers who are first to buy new machines.

Microsoft, the second-largest maker of video game consoles, expects 15 to 20 games on the market for the Xbox 360 launch. Fewer than 10 games were available when the original Xbox hit the market in 2001.

The company said its 2006 Xbox 360 game lineup will include "Crackdown" from Real Time Worlds, whose team includes developers involved in the creation of the blockbuster "Grand Theft Auto" franchise. Other expected 2006 titles include Epic Games' "Gears of War," Silicon Knights' "Too Human" and "Mass Effect" from BioWare.

Source: ZDNet.com