Third-Party Publishers Announce Xbox 360 Launch Titles

The mystery of which titles Xbox 360 games will launch day-and-date with the system, and which will be part of the "launch window" has been resolved a little further, as a new Reuter report has illuminated the plans of many third-party developers for the North American system launch, concretely scheduled for November 22 in North America. Take-Two Interactive, best known for the Grand Theft Auto series and its 2K sports line purchased from Sega last year, will be releasing NBA 2K6, NHL 2K6, Top Spin 2, Amped 3, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion at launch. The company is tied for most launch titles with Electronic Arts, which will debut with Xbox 360 versions of Need for Speed Most Wanted, FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, NBA Live 06, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, and Madden NFL 06. Activision, by contrast, will have only four games, but in a more diverse selection of genres than the other publishers' sports-heavy lineups. Its same-day offerings will be Call of Duty 2, Quake 4, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, and Gun. Microsoft has said that the system will be joined on launch day by 15-20 games; the 14 listed above alongside promised first-party titles Kameo: Elements of Power and Perfect Dark Zero, both from Rare Studios, make 16. Microsoft is also intending to contribute Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing 3 for a total of 17 launch games.