E3: The Microsoft Xbox Conference 2006

Our detailed report covers everything you need to know from Microsoft's briefing, including Bill Gates' personal appearance, Halo 3, Fable 2, Forza 2 and much, much more, as we wrap up E3's Pre-show coverage.

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"We're shifting this next franchise into fifth gear: Forza Motorsport 2." A stylish and somewhat arty trailer takes an in-car racing scene down to wireframe, and then black-on-white line drawings, showing nuts and bolts and complicated stuff we don't understand, and then, back into the heat of a race as a camera slowly pans underneath a car, studying the tyre detail and mechanics just as they are damaged in a crash. You can play up to 11 other people through Xbox Live and will be available "this holiday season". In addition, Moore announced that the game will have its own steering wheel, with force feedback and wireless. No price was given.

The steering wheel wasn't the only new Xbox 360 accessory announced. A new wireless headset and the Xbox Live Vision Camera - basically an EyeToy camera equivalent - were also both announced. The camera will allow gamers to put their face in the game and look into their opponent's eye. All three new accessories available this fall.

It had to happen.

Continuing its brave push to court the Japanese market, Moore also addressed this weak area of the Xbox story to date. "We're committed to bringing inspired content to the Japanese market, and we'll have the help of Hironobu Sakaguchi." A trailer for Blue Dragon followed - it was a nice looking CG trailer with cute character designs that were first shown off to press at last year's show, and hoards of colourful robot enemies. It didn't leave much of a hint as to what the in-game experience will look like just yet - but it will be available in Japan this holiday.

Moore also announced Dead or Alive Extreme 2 from Team Ninja. "If there's one developer that's recognised the promise and potential of Xbox from the very beginning, it's Itagaki-san. He delivers some of the best looking titles in our industry year after year, and this week you can download his latest game trailer from Xbox Live Marketplace." Watch out for our exclusive look at DOAX2 with Itagaki-san after we meet with him first thing on Wednesday morning.

"We're bringing more content to Japan than ever before, and in no way do we underestimate the challenge that this market presents us... content by Japanese developers, for Japanese gamers, that will allow us to ultimately break through."

The next instalment in the Tom Clancy's series from Ubisoft was fired up in a new trailer for Splinter Cell Double Agent next, with Sam Fisher going deep undercover. "I used to hunt terrorists, and now I am one", says Fisher in the trailer. It's looking pretty sensational, and is due in September.

Viva Piñata has some nice ideas and lovely visuals

Viva Pinata is "reaching beyond traditional gamers by providing groundbreaking new entertainment", said Moore, as he introduced the game's producer Jim Veevaert from Microsoft Game Studios. "This is about what happens to pinatas in their lives outside of all their parties", said Jim, referring to the most common place you might find the papier mache animals. The demonstration that followed was lengthy but cute. "Everything you see in this world has been put here by the player, including the trees and plants, attracting pinatas into the world" - it seems this could be one of the best examples of what J Allard was referring to in an interview with Kikizo way back in 2002, about user content creation and content upload.

"We can trade our pinatas over Xbox Live, as well as accessories," continued Jim. "The original vision for this game was about bringing it to an audience that's less experienced, all the way to the experts as well." The game world shows a 'helper' who can make the game experience easier, automate certain difficult things, and so on, while the experienced players who can do it all themselves, will instead deal with a scouring badass racoon, which over time can be transformed into a more tame piñata - but that requires skill. Players can grow pinata population with the 'romance dance' - "and just like that, the population can grow", smiled Jim.

"Now let's take a look at the third 'essential' - surrounding entertainment," said Moore. Xbox Live Marketplace has "opened the floodgates to true digitally distributed content", with over 18 million downloads from Xbox Live Marketpalce and over 1000 pieces of downloadable content online in total, demonstrating what Moore called the "sky-high potential" of the space. "Every single publisher for Xbox 360 has some kind of content available... and it changes the way people try and buy games." Fight Night Round 3 preorders increased by more than five times in weeks after the free Marketplace demo was released, said Moore, while episodic content "keeps games fresh and alive for years". He said that Marketplace opens up a "world of digital entertainment with a direct pipeline to the coveted 18-34 year old market."

"Tonight," he announced next, "for the first time ever, you can download high definition TV content, starting with a programme called Gears of War: Race to E3. It's a docu-drama that will take you behind the scenes of one of the year's most anticipated games. This show starts on Xbox Live, and finishes next week with a half-hour special on MTV."

The HD-DVD add-on is coming this year - no price yet

The recently announced HD-DVD movie player for Xbox 360 was up for discussion next, albeit frustratingly limited discussion. "Our commitment to delivering a full entertainment experience doesn't stop at delivering HD content online, it also includes delivering the next generation of high definition movies, with this, the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player", he said holding up the slick but bulky new unit. He announced that player will be available this holiday, but there was no price announcement. "Now you will have a choice for when you want to enter the next generation of high definition movie playback - it be a better experience and a bigger bargain than anything else on this new entertainment format".

Next Moore had a "very important announcement about one of the most powerful gaming experiences of all time... a franchise that creates more excitement than almost anything else out there, not just in our industry but in all of entertainment. It's so exciting that I've got to take my jacket off." He showed his Halo 2 'tattoo' revealed at E3 2004's press conference, followed by a new 'tattoo' on his left arm - a logo for Grand Theft Auto IV. "Some guys do ducks, some guys do tattoos", joked Moore, referring to the PS3 technical demonstrations of Sony's Phil Harrison featuring rubber ducks. "Microsoft and Rockstar Games are bringing Grand Theft Auto IV - the next generation of the wildly successful series - to Xbox 360 on October 16, 2007 in North America and October 19, 2007 in Europe - the first date it's available." Of course, that means it's on both PS3 and Xbox 360, but a dual launch is pretty good news for Microsoft in itself. Microsoft also announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with Rockstar to provide "exclusive episodic content" via Xbox Live, although he didn't clarify whether that related to GTAIV or to other, unrelated content with the publisher.

GTA IV coming to 360 on the same day as PS3 in 2007

Being as it was labelled a Microsoft Conference this year, Moore had more to talk about than just Xbox. "Today I'm kicking off a full-blown renaissance for Games for Windows, powered by three things: a revitalised marketing effort, the very latest in graphics technology, and launching the most game-friendly operating system in history, Windows Vista." He jumped straight into a new demonstration for Crysis, but not in the lush forest setting we saw back at GDC - this time, the action took place in a more dark, gloomy setting, featuring the awesome mechanical boss from end of first trailer. "This game looks incredible on Windows XP, but it will look even better on Vista, which is built right on top of the very latest graphics technology, DirectX 10." A Windows Vista line-up video showed, which included Microsoft Flight Simulator X, Crysis and Conan. Frankly, Crysis looks better than anything we've played so far on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 over the last two days.

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