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By Staff (AXcess News) Reno, NV - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) said its new Xbox 360 video game consoles would attract as many as 10 million new users, confirming its forecast for the new technology. While Microosft's Xbox Live service already has 4 million subscribers who can download the latest video games, chat and compete with friends, the Redmond, Washington-based Xbox maker said it hoped to convert more users once movie and television shows could be downloaded. DFC Intelligence forceast the number of video game consoles connected to the Internet to quadruple by 2010. Outside of Microsoft's Xbox Live service, Sony's Playstation 2 service has 3 million users. Sony said it is reworking the service, called PlayStation Network, for its new PlayStation 3 console that makes its U.S. debut later this month. Microsoft said that hi-def movies and television programs would be available on the U.S.-based Xbox Live Marketplace on November 22, just days behind Sony's revamped service. Microsoft said it entered itno partnerships with six media companies to provide content for the Video Marketplace. CBS, Warner Bros., Viacom, Paramount, UFC and Turner will all provdie content for Microsoft's Xbox Video Marketplace. The categories on the Video Marketplace are as follows: Movies, TV Shows, Music Videos, Game Videso and Clisp. Clips wree described as DVD-extra type content. Terms of the partnerships weren't released, though Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft's Xbox Live Group Marketing Manager said, "It will be competitive with iTunes."
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