Anilrgowda

At the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled the new gaming features in Windows Vista.

CES attendees got hands-on with 15 of the Games for Windows titles, including some of the first games to support DirectX 10 - “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek) and “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive Ltd./Funcom).

Gamers also experienced “Shadowrun” from Microsoft Game Studios, the first of many titles that will bring the Live gaming and entertainment network on Windows Vista for true cross-platform gameplay.

In addition, during the CES keynote address, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach demonstrated the ease and simplicity of connecting people who play games on a Windows Vista PC to friends who play on Xbox 360 for a cross-platform game challenge with “UNO” (Mattel, Inc.) — one of the many new upcoming casual games optimized specifically for Windows Vista.

Connecting Windows Vista and Xbox 360
Delivering on a vision that Microsoft presented at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006, Microsoft Game Studios’ “Shadowrun” and Mattel’s “UNO” are part of the first wave of Live titles that bring the benefits of Xbox Live to gamers on Windows Vista, including an active community of nearly 5 million gamers, a single identity for each gamer across Windows and XBOX 360, as well as Achievements. The Live gaming and entertainment network will enable gamers to play and communicate online across both of Microsoft’s gaming platforms, bringing more players and their friends together to play and connect in new, exciting ways. In addition , “Halo 2” for Windows Vista (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios) will also support Live, enabling Windows gamers to communicate with Xbox Live gamers and earn Achievements in the famed “Halo 2” campaign — a first for any “Halo” title on any platform.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is also making the leap to the PC - with the option for keyboard play, or the use of the 360 controller.

Windows Vista itself caters to the casual game player. Updated versions of Windows-based classics such as “Minesweeper,” “FreeCell” and “Solitaire,” as well as all-new titles such as “Chess Titans,” “Mahjong Titans” and the family-friendly adventure game “Purble Place,” will be included with Windows Vista from the start and will be easy to discover by way of the new Windows Vista Games Explorer.