Brief

Game On! With Xbox 360

Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division (MEDD) recently launched two games for their next generation gaming console, Xbox 360. The games launched were Gears of War and Viva Pinata. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar graced the occasion. Microsoft announced some forthcoming titles—Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, Lost Planet, Superman Returns and Call of Duty 3 on the Xbox 360 platform. Gears of War has sold a million copies worldwide in two weeks. Akshay Kumar, who launched these games was excited to try his hand and was happy that Viva Pinata, a family game with an ‘E’ rating, was suitable for his son.

Indian gaming console market is growing slowly vis-a-vis the US or Japan. That said, sales of gaming consoles are burgeoning as the economy grows. Anand says, “We are coming up with a new game, Yuvraj Singh Cricket 2007, specifically developed and published for the Indian market which is approved by the ICC as one of their official games.” Microsoft intends to collaborate with broadband service providers for Xbox live, an online multiplayer gaming and content delivery system created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is not planning any development centre in India for the Xbox.

Anand says, “Currently piracy is not possible in Xbox 360 as each box is different from the other in some ways.” The Xbox 360 platform supports Digital Rights Management (DRM). The hardware only permits programs certified and signed by Microsoft to run. One of the problems faced by Microsoft is that the Government of India imposes 37 percent import duty upon the Xbox and titles written for the platform. Unfazed by the prospect of competition from the PlayStation 3 which is yet to be launched in India, Anand is optimistic about the platform’s success in the country.

Mohit Anand, Microsoft talking about the game along with Akshay Kumar