This summer is going to be a scorcher with the addition of two new features and highly anticipated hits from distinguished third party publishers. With this unrivalled line-up, we plan to deliver on our promise of taking the online gaming experience to an unprecedented level. 

Xbox Live Arcade

Xbox Live is driving the market forward with new and innovative offerings, such as the recently announced Xbox Live Arcade, which will provide fun, engaging digital entertainment to gamers of all levels and interests.

Xbox Live Arcade, coming this fall, is a new casual game experience that will bring an added social dimension to the online console environment.  A virtual destination within Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade will enable Xbox Live subscribers to try out different types of games, download them and then play them with their friends and family around the world.  Xbox Live members will find puzzle games, card & board games, social sports, pub games, and classic action/arcade favourites such as “Galaxian,” “Dig Dug,” “Poker,” “Bejeweled” and “Feeding Frenzy.” These games are tailor-made for a quick five minute fix or endless hours of intense fun.

Xbox Live Alerts
When Xbox Live subscribers sign up for Xbox Live Alerts, they will be notified when their friends sign on to Xbox Live and when they get a friend request or game invite. Xbox Live will even let them know when new downloads are available and when hot new games are released.

It’s not surprising why subscribers have flocked to the service. Xbox Live supports one Gamertag and voice chat, and Xbox Live Alerts across all Live-enabled titles. This unified service offers a number of innovative features to enrich gamers' online experience

• Voice Chat. Using the Xbox Communicator headset that comes with every Xbox Live Starter Kit, friends can talk, laugh, strategise and taunt in all Xbox Live games, or in the Xbox Live Now lobby. They can even leave Voice Messages as attachments to game and friend invites.
• Gamertag. On Xbox Live, players have a single persistent identity across the entire service, making it easy to build and grow their online reputation.
• Friends List. Using their unique Gamertags, players can find their friends online and invite them to a game, no matter which Xbox Live game they’re playing.
• Live Web: Live stats and friends lists are available to view through a new Xbox site that links to the service – something only available on Xbox Live.
• Live Aware: More games allow players to be “logged on” while playing, even if playing single player so they can receive invites, and keep up with what their friends are doing.

Blockbuster Titles:

At the E3 press briefing on the 10th May, 2004, we announced an exciting partnership with Electronic Arts (EA) that will bring many of EA’s award-winning, critically acclaimed major franchises to Xbox Live.

In addition, more than 20 titles are expected to hit Xbox Live in the next few months that will incorporate all of the great features listed above: 

• “Full Spectrum Warrior” (June 2004)
• “Driver 3” (June ‘04)
• “Rainbow Six Black Arrow” (August 2004)
• “Mortal Kombat: Deception” (October 2004)
• “FIFA Football 2005” (October 2004)
• “Star Wars Battlefront” (21st September, 2004)
• “Burnout 3 (September 2004)
• “Outrun 2” ( October 2004) )
• “Unreal Championship 2” (Christmas 2004)
• “Halo 2” (9th November, 2004)
• “Need for Speed™ Underground 2” (November 2004)
• “Forza” (December 2004)
• “Call of Duty” (Q4 2004)
•  “Doom 3” (When it’s done!)
• “MechAssault 2” (January 2005)