X06: Blogging the Webcast

Keep checking here for news from Microsoft's press conference in Barcelona. We'll be bringing you up-to-the-minute announcements.

• 1:06 PM: Screens are playing video of a new Banjo Kazooie game.
• 1:10 PM: Regional VP Chris Lewis says the conference will later be made available for download.
• 1:12 PM: Sensible World of Soccer is coming to the Xbox Live Aracde.
• 1:13 PM: Doom will be on the Arcade tonight! Future titles: Contra, Ultimate Mortal Kombat, Small Arms, Gyruss, TotemBall, Defender, Assault Heroes, Heavy Weapon, Settlers of Catan.
• 1:14 PM: 160 HD games by the holidays.
• 1:17 PM: New gameplay footage of Gears of War.
• 1:18 PM: The show crowd will be able to play GoW today. The final version will have single, versus, and co-op play modes. Co-op will allow gamers to drop in or out at will.
• 1:30 PM: Blue Dragon coming to Europe and the US in 2007. Trailer.
• 1:33 PM: A trailer for Project Gotham Racing 4. All cinematics.
• 1:35 PM: Two episodes for Grand Theft Auto IV released within two months of the game's October release date. Available on Xbox Live.
• 1:37 PM: Demoing the 360 version of Assassin's Creed.
• 1:38 PM: AC game features - Horseback riding, shoving bystanders, freeform "parkour-like" levels.
• 1:40 PM: More AC - Stealth emphasizes blending in with the crowd, not shadows; combat attempts to be realistic. Demo character just died.
• 1:43 PM: New Bioshock trailer. The game will supposedly be exclusive to the 360 and PC. No PS3 version any longer?
• 1:47 PM: Lost Odyssey coming to Europe and North America. Gameplay demonstration.
• 1:50 PM: So far, it's just a cinematic.
• 1:51 PM: Ah, the cinematic has segued into a Final Fantasy-like combat sequence.
• 1:55 PM: On to Lost Planet. Single- and multiplayer available to try at X06.
• 1:57 PM: Splinter Cell Double Agent trailer.
• 1:58 PM: Double Agent exclusive to the 360 and PC? Someone had better tell Nintendo.
• 2:00 PM: "Early build" of Forza 2 playable on the showfloor tomorrow. Talking about the HD-DVD drive: 199.99 Euros, 129.99 pounds, $199.00 US. Coming in November with the universal remote and King Kong.
• 2:02 PM: Games for Windows montage - Unreal Tournament 2007, Crysis, Alan Wake, Flight Simulator X, more.
• 2:05 PM: Live Anywhere debuting with Shadowrun. New game: Marvel Universe Online! Being developed by Cryptic, Marvel, and Microsoft Game Studios.
• 2:09 PM: Partnership announced with director Peter Jackson. New project is a "filmic" game with "a new way to tell stories." Based on Bungie's Halo universe. Not quite a game, not quite a movie.
• 2:11 PM: Wingnut Interactive division announced.
• 2:12 PM: The company will also work with Bungie on an original series.
• 2:13 PM: "One more thing..." Trailer for new Ensemble game. Looks like the Covenant...Halo Wars! Looks like you'll have a lot more than one Spartan to control. An RTS game?
• 2:15 PM: That's all she wrote.

POST-EVENT UPDATE: Kotaku clarifies that Halo Wars is indeed a real-time strategy game, and for the moment it's a 360 exclusive. The Splinter Cell exclusive, however, is not Double Agent. It's the recently exposed Conviction. Finally, 2K Games says that Bioshock is off the PS3 for the time being.

by MacNN Staff