XBOX LIVE SUMMER UPDATE PUTS A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Milan ? 05 August 2009 ? Less than a week from today, the Xbox LIVE summer update will arrive to more than 20 million Xbox LIVE members and with it will come the next evolution of connected entertainment on Xbox 360. Get ready to meet the many new faces of your Xbox 360; whether it?s new Avatar clothing and awards from Adidas or ?Splosion Man?, or even a private home cinema, Xbox LIVE has something for YOU.

Movie night on Xbox LIVE

Browse, select and jump right into your favorite movies from the top genres: comedy, action, horror?even a tear-jerking chick flick. There are hundreds to choose from, with many in HD.

Avatars are people too!

Now thanks to Avatar Marketplace the options for customising your avatar are endless. With an ever-expanding selection of stores, full of premium outfits and accessories from your favorite games and fashion brands, you can express yourself through your Avatar like never before. Your Avatar?s one-stop-shop will launch with a growing collection from the top names in fashion and gaming including:

• Top Brands: Adidas, Quiksilver, Roxy, Tokidoki
• Unique Fashions: Steampunk, Recessionista
• Your Favorite Games: ?BioShock 2,? ?Halo 3,? ?Halo 3: ODST,? ?Gears of War 2,? ?Fable II,? ?The Secret of Monkey Island SE,? ?Splinter: Cell Conviction,? ?Star Wars Clone Wars: Republic Heroes?

You can also earn special Avatar clothes and items just by playing your favorite games, starting with a hot logo t-shirt from ?Splosion Man,? the hit Xbox LIVE Arcade title that kicked-off off the 2nd annual Summer of Arcade. And to keep your Avatars from getting bored, we?re giving them fun new props to play with; everything from a basketball to pompoms, even a mobile phone?just try to stick with nights and weekends.

Full Xbox 360 games at the push of a button

Xbox 360 games: Games on Demand. Launching with a library of 21 great titles, Games on Demand marks the introduction of digitally distributed full Xbox 360 games: the titles you want, when you want them, straight to your Xbox 360 at the push of a button. You?ll also have the option to easily purchase Games on Demand titles directly via credit card.

From award-winning hits like ?Mass Effect,? ?and ?Assassin?s Creed,? to family favorites like ?LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga? and ?Sonic the Hedgehog,? Games on Demand gives you access to a growing catalog of full Xbox 360 titles, updated weekly and available to browse and download 24 x7 from the comfort of your couch. Check out our line-up at launch:

• Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft)
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted (EA)
• Burnout Paradise (EA)
• Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Call of Duty® 2 (Activision)
• Prey (2K Games)
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Rockstar Games)
• Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
• Sega Rally (Sega)
• Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)
• TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED (Atari)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)
• Tom Clancy?s Rainbow Six Vegas (Ubisoft)
• Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Tomb Raider Legend (Eidos)
• Meet The Robinsons (Disney)
• Viva Piñata (Microsoft Game Studios)
• MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)
• Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in Paradise (Microsoft Game Studios)
• Need for Speed Carbon (EA)

No more hide and seek

Now you can view, find and arrange your content on Xbox LIVE the way you want. Want to send a specific friend a message? Sort your friends list by Gamertag, status and even activity, so you can easily find the friends you want. There are also new options for viewing your Achievements and progress, improved matchmaking support and more.

Best of all, you can now rate every single piece of content on Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a five star system. Support your favorite XBLA game with a five star rating, or find the top-rated titles in the newly-updated Indie Games Marketplace ? it?s never been easier to find the best and most beloved game content on Xbox LIVE.

Just the beginning?

The Xbox LIVE summer update brings all new ways to play games, and connect with friends or friendly rivals anywhere in the world. It?s another step toward realising the Xbox 360 promise of entertainment for everyone, and another reason why Xbox LIVE is hands down the best entertainment value in your living room. But this is just the beginning?

Coming soon, we?re bringing a whole new wave of partnerships and custom features straight to your Xbox 360 ? instant on 1080p streaming video with 5.1 audio from Zune, personalised digital radio stations from Last.fm, and the biggest forces in social networking: Facebook and Twitter.

In the meantime, have fun with your Avatar, or download that classic Xbox 360 game you?ve been meaning to pick up. Sit back, relax and enjoy and stay tuned for the next evolution in connected entertainment, courtesy of Xbox LIVE.