|
Microsoft to demo Xbox
|
 |
January 5, 2001: 11:28 a.m. ET
Game console, interactive TV system will be unveiled at Las Vegas show
|
NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Microsoft Corp. will show a preliminary version of its Xbox video game console and exhibit its technology live for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Saturday.
Microsoft spokesman Dan Leech said the company also will trumpet the arrival of interactive television service Ultimate TV at the show. Ultimate TV will be offered in combination with Hughes Electronics' (GMH: Research, Estimates) DirecTV, and receiver manufacturers Sony Corp. (SNE: Research, Estimates) and Thomson Multimedia SA's (TMS: Research, Estimates) RCA.
 Microsoft's Xbox uses PC technology, processors and a hard drive, and could bring state-of-the-art film quality graphics to the game-playing experience.
The Redmond, Wash.-based company hopes by using standard PC development tools it can attract top game designers with ease of use.
Microsoft introduced the Xbox in March, but has failed to get other companies to build the machine.
Microsoft sees the home entertainment market as an untapped goldmine. Sony has made millions with its PlayStation, and is expected to make even more with the PlayStation2.
Microsoft's previous attempts to crack the market, though, have fallen somewhat flat. In 1998, the company announced plans to team with Sega, which used Windows CE on its Dreamcast units. And while Dreamcast sales have been moderately strong, game developers haven't embraced CE, opting instead to write their code using Sega's own language.
Shares of Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates) were up 89 cents to $49.25 in morning trading Friday. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Xbox
|
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNNmoney
|
|
|
|
 |
|
