Microsoft Partners with Exent For Digital Game DistributionMicrosoft Partners with Exent For Digital Game Distribution

Microsoft Game Studios has partnered with Exent Technologies, a provider of secure digital software delivery, for online distribution of its PC titles. Microsoft games available through Exent's 'on-demand' digital subscription services will include entries in the Age of Empires, Dungeon Siege, Mechwarrior, Rise of Nations, and Zoo Tycoon series. "Microsoft is committed to helping expand the PC game industry," said Microsoft Director of Franchise Development Ed Ventura. "By making our titles available through Games-on-Demand services, we can broaden our reach to new audiences and monetize additional release windows. Exent's distribution channels help us to extend the lifecycle of our game catalog and to build a firm foundation for the future." Exent's service will allow players to purchase and play games online efficiently, either with a one-off or a monthly fee, and without having to download the full executables, which can often run toward the hundreds of megabytes. Its partners which run Exent-based digital distribution services include Yahoo! Games with its Yahoo! Games On Demand service, as well as T-Online and Comcast. Other companies allowing its PC games to be distributed through Exent include Eidos, Atari, Take-Two, and others.