With the premier video game conference, E3 Media and Business Summit (formerly known as Electronic Entertainment Expo), just two months away, Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) jumped the gun by showing off its hottest titles at the Xbox 360 Spring Showcase 2008 in San Francisco two weeks ago.

Among the games shown to the local and international media were the highly anticipated Gears of War 2 (GOW2), Ninja Gaiden II (NGII), Fable 2 and Too Human.

We also got a glimpse of other titles, such as Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, BanjoKazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One.

Mr Shane Kim, MGS's corporate vice-president, singled out GOW2 as the game he is most excited about and predicted it to be "the biggest hit in the industry this holiday" when it launches in November.

The original title enjoyed tremendous success worldwide, he said, and its creator Epic Games has put in a lot of effort to advance the sequel.

When questioned about whispers of Blu-Ray support and motion-sensing peripherals for the Xbox 360 console, Mr Kim denied the rumours and said that the key differentiating factor of its platform lies in Xbox Live, Microsoft's online multiplayer gaming and digital content delivery service.

Launched in 2002 for the original Xbox console, Xbox Live has since been expanded to the Xbox 360 and some Windows Vista PC games, such as Shadowrun.

There are plans to expand the service to mobile devices as well.

Xbox Live enables Microsoft to do more than multiplayer gaming as it allows the distribution of gaming and video content, said Mr Kim.

Xbox Live Marketplace allows subscribers to download new and premium content, while Xbox Live Arcade lets gamers buy and download games into their Xbox 360 consoles. For example, the new Penny Arcade Adventures is only available via Xbox Live Arcade.

Mr Kim added that Microsoft is continuously building new capabilities into Xbox Live services. For example, it plans to offer Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV this year.

There are already 12 million members of Xbox Live, with a vast majority being paid subscribers. "We will continue to push our advantage in the online space because that's our identity," said Mr Kim. - TODAY/fa