Disney movies are now available for download (err…rental really) in high definition via Xbox Live. Why is this significant? Disney supports the Blu-Ray format and not HD-DVD. Apparently that didn’t stop Microsoft from securing the rights to distribute Disney’s “huge classic library” (quote from the E3 press briefing) via Xbox Live. Microsoft went on to say, “…all the biggest hits in theaters today from Disney will be coming to the Xbox Live marketplace.” gg. Click “read more” for a list of what’s available today as of the first offering.

Alice In Wonderland
Armageddon
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Bad Company
Bringing Down The House
Cold Creek Manor
Coyote Ugly
Déjà Vu
Ghosts of the Abyss
Gone Fishin’
Grosse Pointe Blank
Hercules
Meet the Deedles
Metro
Mighty Joe Young
Moonlight Mile
Brother, Where Art Thou?
Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
Prefontaine
Primeval
Sky High
Tarzan
The 13th Warrior
The Aristocats
The Brothers Grimm
The Emperor’s New Groove
The Fox and the Hound 2
The Great Raid
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Queen
The Waterboy
Unbreakable
Valiant
Venus
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A ton of news smacked us in the face last night as Microsoft held their E3 presentation.  They are hyping this holiday season as the “greatest holiday lineup in video game history.”  It’s hard to quantify “greatest” so I’m sure they’ll achieve that goal.

So what makes this holiday season so big?

Gears of Wars is headed to the PC and will run DirectX 10 and support Games for Windows – Live.  I have a feeling my 8800 GTX is going to get a workout.  GoW PC ships with five new campaign chapters, a new multiplayer gametype, new maps, new achievements, and a new game editor. 

A new HALO-themed XBOX 360 and accessories is going to roll out later this year.  It’s the same as the Premium version of the console except for its color and it includes an exclusive HALO 3 dashboard theme and gamer pics.  The console is “Spartan green” colored with shiney gold accents (kind of like Master Chief’s armor) and will ship in September.

Speaking of HALO, a ton of HALO media has been released.  My favorite:  a live action short film.  Bungie.net has a ton of new videos and screenshots.

Unreal Engine 3 will utilize Games for Windows – Live.  This should encourage more developers to make games with GfWL functionality (we’ve ONLY got TWO GfWL titles right now).

Marathon: Durandal his XBOX Live Arcade.  This will be Bungie’s first IP on the Arcade.  Sonic the Hedgehog is NOW available as an XBOX Live Arcade download. 

Major franchise titles will be launched this year including:  Call of Duty 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Guitar Hero III, HALO 3, Madden NFL 08, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Splinter Cell Conviction.  But other first title games will be launched as well including Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, and Mass Effect.  A complete listing of the games rolling out this holiday season:

• “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games).
• “Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft).
• “Beautiful Katamari” (NAMCO BANDAI Games).
• “BioShock” (2K Games).
• “Blue Dragon” (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.).
• “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” (Activision).
• “Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSEâ„¢ 2” (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.).
• “Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar Games).
• “Guitar Hero IIIâ„¢: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision).
• “Halo 3” (Bungie Studios).
• “Madden NFL 08” (Electronic Arts Inc.).
• “Mass Effect” (BioWare Corp.).
• “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (Ubisoft).
• “Project Gotham Racing 4” (Bizarre Creations Ltd.).
• “Rock Band” (MTV Games).
• “Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action” (Screenlife Games/WXP).
• “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction” (Ubisoft).
• “Virtua Fighterâ„¢ 5” (SEGA).
• “Viva Piñata^®: Party Animals” (Krome Studios Pty. Ltd.).

XBOX Live Arcade gets some new titles too.  As mentioned, Marathon: Durandal will be released.  Die-hard Bungie fans will eat this one up.  The hugely popular Hexic gets a sequel, Hexic 2.  I believe I saw multiplayer modes in the presentation for this game.  SEGA is releasing Golden Axe and Sonic the Hedgehog (available now) to the Arcade as well.

30 new Games for Windows titles have been revealed.  Of course, this doesn’t mean that those games will support Games for Windows – Live.  You may be able to play them online, but you won’t be connecting to Live to unlock achievements and (well, that’s about the only thing you can do with Games for Windows – Live).

Games for Windows titles:

• “Age of Empires^® III: The Asian Dynasties” (Microsoft Game Studios)
• “Bee Movieâ„¢ Game” (Activison)
• “BlackSite: Area 51” (Midway Games)
• “Clive Barker’s Jericho™” (Codemasters)
• “The Club” (SEGA)
• “Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts” (THQ)
• “Empire Earth^® 3” (Sierra Entertainment)
• “Fallout^® 3” (Bethesda Softworks^®)
• “Flight Simulator X: Acceleration” (Microsoft Game Studios)
• “Gears of War” (Microsoft Game Studios)
• “Hour of Victory” (Midway Games)
• “John Woo Presents Stranglehold” (Midway Games)
• “Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights” (THQ)
• “Kane & Lynch: Dead Men” (Eidos)
• “Nancy Drew^®: Legend of Crystal Skull” (Her Interactive Inc.)
• “Operation Flashpointâ„¢ 2” (Codemasters)
• “Rise of the Argonauts” (Codemasters)
• “Rogue Warrior” (Bethesda Softworks)
• “SEGA Rally Revo” (SEGA)
• “Sid Meier’s Civilization IV^®: Beyond the Sword^TM” (2K Games)
• “Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Gold Edition” (2K Games)
• “Spider-Manâ„¢: Friend or Foe” (Activision)
• “Star Wars^® Empire at War^®: Gold Pack” (LucasArts)
• “The Witcher” (Atari)
• “Thrillvilleâ„¢: Off the Rails™” (LucasArts)
• “Turning Pointâ„¢: Fall of Liberty” (Codemasters)
• “Universe at War: Earth Assault™” (SEGA)
• “Viva Piñata” (Microsoft Game Studios)
• “Zoo Tycoon^® 2: Extinct Animals” (Microsoft Game Studios)

Microsoft finally gets some support from third party developers for Games for Windows – Live.  Recall that Shadowrun and HALO 2 (PC) are the only games using GfW-Live at the moment.  SEGA, Eidos, and THQ have announced their “intention” in supporting GfW-Live in their games.

These games should support GfW-Live:

• “The Club” (SEGA)
• “Gears of War” (Microsoft Game Studios)
• “Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights” (THQ)
• “Kane & Lynch: Dead Men” (Eidos)
• “Universe at War: Earth Assault” (SEGA)
• “Viva Piñata” (Microsoft Game Studios)

I’m going to have a lot of say about the news that was revealed last night.  Stay tuned for my takes.  Also, stay tuned for the press conferences by SONY and Nintendo.  I’m sure they’ll have plenty of hype to spread as well.

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currently playing: Shadowrun
on the back burner: Catan, Guitar Hero II, HALO 2 (PC)
Shadowrun rocks!

At last night’s E3 press conference, Microsoft and Bungie unveiled some new goodies for Halo fans:

• A new Halo 3 trailer focused on campaign and including new gameplay footage
• A short film from would-be Halo movie director Neill Blamkomp and WETA called Halo: Arms Race
• A new Halo-themed Xbox 360 hitting stores in September
• The XBLA debut of Marathon: Durandal.

More details at bungie.net

How does that float your boat? Anyone planning to pick up that Spartan-ized 360 in September? Who’s interested in checking out Marathon again (or for the first time)? And does the new short film hint at what might come from the Halo movie someday?