Microsoft Press Conference Round-up E3 ‘08

Avatars, a new interface, and Final Fantasy, oh my!

On Monday, during its E3 press conference, Microsoft came out and unveiled what they are calling the “ Xbox Experience“. With a new, cleaner Xbox Dashboard Interface reminiscent of Windows Media Center, Xbox Live Avatars (which bear striking resemblance to Nintendo’s Miis), and a Partnership with Netflix, Microsoft was all about strengthening the Xbox Live service.

That’s not to say games were left out, either, as Microsoft provided live demonstrations of Fable 2, Gears of War 2, and Fallout 3. For Xbox Live Arcade, announcements came for games like Galaga Legions, Geometry Wars 2, and Portal: Still Alive. But perhaps the biggest news of the night was saved for last, with the unveiling of Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360. Once a Playstation 3 exclusive, the title is now launching on the Xbox 360 simultaneously with the PS3 version - in America. Japanese gamers will still have to buy a Playstation 3 if they want to play the game.