Xbox Update

To ensure the success of the Xbox game console when it ships in the fall of 2001, Microsoft continues to make investments and strategic alliances with both game publishers and hardware suppliers.

Ensuring Game Titles

A game console without games will not sell. In an attempt to guarantee that there are games that people want to play on the Xbox, Microsoft will acquire Digital Anvil, the publishers of FreeLancer—a three-dimensional space-combat game. While Digital Anvil and Microsoft have a relationship that dates back to 1997, Digital Anvil’s founder and chief executive will stay as a consultant only until FreeLancer is completed.

Digital Anvil joins the stable of game companies (Access Software, Bungie Software, and FASA Interactive Technologies) recently acquired by Microsoft.

Xbox also gained the endorsement of Electronic Arts (publishers of John Madden Football, Need for Speed, and Wing Commander), a leading entertainment software company that develops products for the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64. It will make up to 10 titles available within six months of the Xbox’s launch.