Microsoft Unveils Initial Xbox 360 Marketplace Content

Microsoft has announced the more than 400 pieces of downloadable Xbox Live Marketplace content to be available at the Xbox 360's launch on November 22 in North America. This includes free game demos, music videos, and movie trailers alongside pay downloads for specific game elements and for Xbox Live Arcade. Particularly notable are the downloadable playable demos for launch titles including FIFA Soccer 06 Road to the 2006 FIFA World Cup (Electronic Arts), Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios), Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft), NBA LIVE 06 (Electronic Arts), Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts). Also included for free download is a HD music video, "Show Me How to Live" from Audioslave's Live in Cuba DVD, plus Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To" music video, as well as HD movie trailers for Aeon Flux and Pulse, plus Red Vs. Blue videos, free game trailers, and demo versions of every single Xbox Live Arcade title. For pay-to-download titles and elements, Microsoft Points will be available for purchase at participating retail stores and via the Xbox Live Dashboard. In North America, consumers can purchase a card worth 1600 Points for an MSRP of $19.99, and consumers can buy via the Xbox Live Dashboard in 500 Point increments. Game-specific individual elements include Gamer Pictures and Themes for a number of the games, including Amped 3, Quake 4, and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, for as little as 20 points (25c), plus an unspecified 'Winter Warrior Pack' for Kameo for 200 points ($2.50). As for the initial Xbox Live Arcade titles, these have now been locked down, and purchase prices are almost entirely in the 400 to 800 points ($5 to $10) range. Games include Bankshot Billiards 2 (pixelStorm, Inc.), Bejeweled 2 (Popcap Games), Gauntlet (Midway Home Entertainment), Geometry Wars Retro Evolved (Bizarre Creations), Hardwood Backgammon (Silver Creek Entertainment), Hardwood Hearts (Silver Creek Entertainment), Hardwood Spades (Silver Creek Entertainment), free title Hexic HD (Microsoft Game Studios), Joust (Midway Home Entertainment), Mutant Storm Reloaded (PomPom Games), Outpost Kaloki (Wahoo Studios), Robotron 2084 (Midway Home Entertainment), Smash TV (Midway Home Entertainment), Wik & The Fable of Souls (Reflexive Entertainment), and Zuma (Popcap Games).