Microsoft Corp. today announced that six world-class design studios plan to create exclusive games for the Xbox� video game system, all of which will be published under the Microsoft� label. The game companies, which join 18 other studios that are creating first-party games for Microsoft, are Blitz Games Ltd., Curly Monsters Ltd., Double Fine Productions Inc., Radical Entertainment Inc., Vision Scape Interactive Inc. and Yeti Interactive. These alliances further demonstrate the game community's confidence in Xbox and in Microsoft's commitment to becoming a leading video game publisher. "These artists have ambitions of delivering games that push the bounds of what's possible in video gaming, making them a perfect fit for Xbox," said Ed Fries, vice president of Xbox games publishing at Microsoft. "As their publisher, Microsoft will support them with technical support, testing, marketing and distribution power while the artists focus on bringing their imaginations to life on Xbox." The six new developers join Oddworld Inhabitants Inc., Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Satellites and Microsoft's in-house Xbox development teams such as Bungie Studios as game designers for Microsoft's publishing arm. The newly announced companies have strong roots in the video game business.