Microsoft tonight demonstrated its lineup of holiday blockbuster hits and exclusives for the Xbox 360. The audience was no doubt impressed with what they saw as titles such as Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Madden NFL 08 and the widely anticipated Rock Band all  made an appearance. 

 

“Thanks to our amazing partners and our own studios, no company in video game history has ever had a lineup of blockbusters and exclusives like we will have by this holiday,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “We have a monumental library of titles hitting stores by the end of this year for Xbox 360 that will strike an emotional chord with every type of customer.”

 

Microsoft cited that the best place to play next generation games was on the Xbox 360 and backed this up by showing the impressive list of games below.

 

•Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (NAMCO BANDAI Games). Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation takes players up to the sky and into the heat of realistic air combat with next generation audio and visual effects and online multiplayer action. Only on Xbox 360.

 

•Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft). Assassin’s Creed is the next generation game developed by Ubisoft that merges technology, game design, theme and emotions into a world where players will assume the role of the main character, Altair, and will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and experience the art of a master assassin.

 

•Beautiful Katamari (NAMCO BANDAI Games). Marking the debut of Namco’s beloved ball rolling puzzle game on a next-generation platform, Beautiful Katamari, the fourth installment of the, Katamari series, features levels of quirkiness, cosmic animations and musical styling’s never seen before.

 

•BioShock (2K Games). BioShock is the genetically enhanced first person shooter set in the ruined undersea metropolis of Rapture. Only on Xbox 360 and Windows.

 

•Blue Dragon (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.). From famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi comes “Blue Dragon,” a unique, epic role playing game. Only on Xbox 360.

 

•Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision). The new action thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward Inc., Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay.

 

•Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE 2 (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.). The series encore performance on Xbox 360 delivers new gameplay options along with a mix of songs from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and today as well as online play, downloadable music, enhanced graphics and accessibility for players of all ages.

 

•Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar Games). Grand Theft Auto IV is the next chapter of the award winning Grand Theft Auto franchise, available Oct.16. Grand Theft Auto IV will feature episodic content through Xbox LIVE exclusive to Xbox 360.

 

•Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (RedOctane/Activision). Fire up the fret board, crank up the amp and get ready to rock out on the new wireless Les Paul guitar controllers. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock includes star studded tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse and Pearl Jam.

 

•Halo 3 (Bungie Studios). The epic saga continues with Halo 3, the hugely anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed Halo 2., Only on Xbox 360.

 

•Madden NFL 08 (Electronic Arts Inc.). EA’s unstoppable football franchise returns for the 08 season in Hall of Fame fashion, featuring new players, modes, rosters and rewards to create the ultimate touchdown for pigskin fans.

 

•Mass Effect (BioWare Corp.). An epic science fiction action and role-playing game, Mass Effect will deliver an immersive, story driven experience presented in a cinematic style with high production values. Only on Xbox 360.

 

•Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft). Relive the hit anime and manga and experience Narutos transformation from noisy ninja academy dropout to respected ninja. Only on Xbox 360.

 

•Project Gotham Racing 4 (Bizarre Creations Ltd.). Project Gotham Racing 4 will redefine the acclaimed PGR franchise by delivering a unique, exciting racing experience complete with motorcycles and cars. Only on Xbox 360.

 

•Rock Band (MTV Games). Rock Band will allow gamers to perform music from the worlds biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band.

 

•Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action (Screenlife/WXP). Scene It? brings the fun of movie trivia to players of all ages with new TV and movie clips in high definition as well as five new puzzle challenges never before shown in a Scene It? game. It also ships with four new Xbox 360 Big Button Pads and will be available only on Xbox 360.

 

•Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction (Ubisoft). In the latest installment of Tom Clancy’s coveted Splinter Cell franchise, players will experience an adrenaline rush of gameplay where hunted down as a fugitive, you have no choice other than using everything in your environment to survive.

 

•Virtua Fighter 5 (SEGA). This new installment in the critically acclaimed series brings intense, arcade fighting action, an all star cast of 17 fighters and, a next generation first for the franchise, online two player versus mode only on Xbox LIVE.

 

•Viva Piñata: Party Animals (Krome Studios Pty. Ltd.). An exciting new party game based on the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive and hit animated TV series, “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” brings back the familiar piñata animals and invites players to compete in a host of mini-games against friends at home or over Xbox LIVE. Available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.