Microsoft will be sponsoring the World Cyber Games through to 2008. The games showcase some of the most cutting-edges video games in the industry, in addition to being the ground for gamers to flaunt their skills.
The software giant's patronage will include sponsoring all games, including three pan-regional championships, the Korean championship, the U.S. championship and the grand finals to be held in Monza, Italy.
Under the terms of the deal Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 will be the exclusive gaming platforms for the computers and consoles to be used.
"Microsoft's support for the WCG further validates the growing global popularity of e-sports. Having Microsoft as a partner reinforces the WCG's position as a pioneer of competitive gaming and as the premier event in global e-sports," Hank Jeong, chief executive of International Cyber Marketing, said in a news release.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Attackers Target Gamers with Spyware
Online players of the video game Omerta have more than the rival gangsters in the computer game to worry about. According to anti-spyware vendor Sunbelt Software, of Clearwater, Fla., cyber-thieves have been spreading spyware disguised as software from Omerta Game Ltd.
Hotmail banks on speed for better service
It's free and available worldwide, but Hotmail isn't known for its speedy access. What's more, if you're a dialup internet user, particularly in a developing country, the situation is worse. But the seemingly endless wait for Hotmail connectivity will soon be over, or at least the company is hoping.
Feature: Hot-selling tech toys
From the iPod to the Xbox, Robosapien V2 Robot and Amazing Amanda Interactive Baby Doll, there are a number of tech toys that are expected to be hot sellers this year.
Tech firms fare better than most in jobs slump
(AP) -- Technology appears to be one of the least hard-hit sectors in an economy beset by unemployment at a five-year high. The Labor Department reported Friday that companies slashed their payrolls by 84,000 jobs last month, sending the country's unemployment rate to 6.1 percent from 5.7 percent in July.
Microsoft to slash Xbox 360 price in Japan: report
Microsoft will slash the price of its Xbox 360 video game console in Japan by almost 30 percent to try to boost sales amid tough competition from rivals Sony and Nintendo, a report said Monday.
US company sues Nintendo in Wii wand patent suit
(AP) -- Nintendo's hit Wii console with its wandlike remote controller has been targeted in patent infringement complaints by a U.S. technology company.
US intelligence alerts travelers to cyber spies
A US intelligence office Friday warned Americans traveling to the Beijing Olympics or elsewhere to expect cyber spies to surreptitiously compromise their laptops, cellphones, and other electronic devices.
First Details on a Future Intel Design Codenamed 'Larrabee'
Intel Corporation is presenting a paper at the SIGGRAPH 2008 industry conference in Los Angeles on Aug. 12 that describes features and capabilities of its first-ever forthcoming "many-core" blueprint or architecture codenamed "Larrabee."