Lock and Load! Counter-Strike for Xbox Goes Gold

Lock and Load! Counter-Strike for
Xbox Goes Gold

Microsoft Game Studios and
Valve today announced that Counter-Strike™ for Xbox® has gone gold and
will arrive on store shelves on November 18 for an estimated retail price of
$49.99 (U.S.). Counter-Strike makes
its explosive console debut exclusively on Xbox and Xbox Live.
Counter-Strike on Xbox will be the most graphically advanced version of the
series to date and has a host of Xbox-exclusive console
content, including seven
never-before-seen multiplayer maps, one new counter-terrorist team,
one new terrorist team and downloadable maps via Xbox Live.

The intense, team-based
multiplayer combat of Counter-Strike for Xbox sprawls across 18 multiplayer
maps and two thrilling game types: Bomb Defusal and Hostage Rescue. Players
can battle against super-intelligent AI
opponents offline in the single player
game before taking their skills online against up to 16 players. Gamers
have more than 20 real-life weapons at their disposal, including shotguns,
sniper rifles, pistols and heavy weapons as
well as new weapons effects such as grenade
deafness and vision adjustments. HDTV
and Dolby 5.1 support help add to the Counter-Strike experience, making
gameplay even more compelling and immersive.
Teammates can forget about frantically typing messages to each other;
now they can bark orders at each other
with the Xbox Communicator for the ultimate in tactical team-based play. The
secure environment of Xbox Live ensures that gamers will experience
nothing but cheat-free play. For more
information visit
http://www.xbox.com/counterstrike/.

Counter-Strike for the PC is the
world’s most popular online action game.  With approximately 2.5 million
Counter-Strike players worldwide and over 100,000 of them playing at any given
moment, the action is non-stop.

Founded in 1996, Valve creates
entertainment software titles, including Half-Life®, Counter-Strike, and Team
Fortress®. Valve’s portfolio accounts for over 10 million retail units sold
worldwide, and over 88% of the online action market. More information about
Valve is available through the company’s Web site at
http://www.valvesoftware.com.

Xbox (http://www.xbox.com)
is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the
most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an
expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified
Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, “it’s good to play together,”
captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment
lifestyle. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.