Microsoft is raising Xbox 360 forecasts in Japan amid rumors Sony might drop the price of its PlayStation 3 even more. Meanwhile, Microsoft is planning to release an Xbox 360 with a Blu-ray drive, putting it on more equal digital-media footing with its main rival.
And as the holiday shopping season approaches, Sony and Microsoft are preparing to launch virtual communities. Sony has delayed its Home virtual world for the PS3 twice already, but company officials said it will be launched later this year. Microsoft plans to start its New Xbox Experience virtual world on Nov. 19.
Both companies are hoping their virtual worlds will capture gamers who have been visiting Linden Lab’s Second Life in droves. Second Life features a cyber universe where players create digital versions of themselves, called avatars, and then build relationships, attend social gatherings, and even do business.
The Xbox Experience
With the new Xbox 360 experience, gamers can personalize their entertainment by creating their own avatar and jumping into a party with friends from around the world. Some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Netflix, NBC Universal, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the SCI FI Channel, USA Network, Constantin and MGM, are bringing their content to Xbox 360.
“We’re entering a new age in entertainment, and Xbox 360 is uniquely positioned to become the heart of the living room,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the interactive entertainment business at Microsoft. “The new Xbox experience offers more content than you can find from any device that connects to the television. That convergence of entertainment and gaming will bring new people and more families to the category, driving a record year for the games industry.”
Sony’s Home will let PS3 owners create their own avatars and explore a real-time virtual community as if they were playing a detailed 3-D game…