Games for Windows shown at CES, including Geometry Wars & UNO as cross-platform gaming (with Xbox 360)
Microsoft’s keynote address at CES 2007 was an interesting one for PC gamers. Robbie Bach, president of the entertainment devices division at Microsoft, took the stage and confidently announced that Windows Vista and Games for Windows “will revitalize gaming” for the platform. According to Eurogamer he reckoned 200 million people per month play games on Windows.
Mr. Bach said “one of the cool things about Games for Windows is that, while it’s for hardcore gamers, it’s for casual gamers too,” and then introduced a video showcasing a line-up of Games for Windows titles, all of which can be controlled using the Xbox 360 controller, which last I heard will soon be getting a wireless adapter for play on PC’s (so you don’t have to buy a wired controller).
Games featured in the overview included: Age of Empires III: The Warchiefs, Supreme Commander, Shadowrun, Alan Wake, Spinworld, Luxor 2, Bioshock, Flight Simulator X, Bliss Island, a new Train Simulator, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, World in Conflict, Hellgate: London, Company of Heroes, Lego Star Wars 2, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Crysis.
In that same overview you could see the PC version of Halo 2 and more interestingly a Games for Windows version of Xbox 360’s Live Arcade favorite Geometry Wars.
The remaining games in that overview were shown using Live Anywhere (now renamed as “Live Games and Entertainment Network”), that was announced back at E3 2006. This service will enable PC and Xbox 360 gamers to play together, with games like UNO and Shadowrun confirmed as cross-platform enabled titles when the service goes live summer 2007.
Outside of those game announcements, what’s new is:
* 10.4 million Xbox 360 consoles were shipped worldwide by December 31, 2006.
* Mr. Bach claimed more than 300 titles will be available for Xbox 360 before the end of 2007.
* Mr. Bach said Xbox Live now has 5 million members, and that it’s the most popular network service on TV.
* Bill Gates repeated the Windows Vista release date is January 30th.
* They also showed IPTV running on an Xbox 360, and will launch in “Holiday 2007″, more about that later today with video footage…
