Microsoft is putting out a new means for battling grade inflation at America’s universities: the Xbox 360. Video games — the great eaters of college students’ time — just get more and more complex, and now the means by which they hit the market is getting more complex too. Too chic to simply put on the shelves at Target with a few television ads for hype, the new Microsoft Xbox 360 demands a coronation party, and MTV will be providing it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure MTV is getting a nice little piece of the action (perhaps Bill Gates, KBE, can hook Carson Daly up with some knighthood?), but this is still an innovative way to hype a game system. IGN reports:
Microsoft will give the world its first real taste of the next-generation Xbox system on MTV next month, as both companies today announced a marketing alliance and celebrity-studded television special in support of the console.
On Thursday, May 12, MTV will air “MTV Presents: The Next Generation Xbox Revealed,” hosted by Lord of the Rings star and confessed gaming fanatic Elijah Wood. Microsoft promises to reveal not only details on the next Xbox’s connectivity, personalization, and high-definition output, but actual footage from next-generation games.
Las Vegas band The Killers will also play. Uh, did we mention game footage?
The MTV premiere is exciting in itself, but it also supports the notion that the next Xbox will be a big part of Microsoft’s E3 showing this year. We expect to see plenty related to the new console at next month’s expo, and of course, we’ll be passing the good stuff on to you as quickly as possible.
Look for the MTV special to air May 12 at 9:30 PM Eastern, and on May 13 elsewhere in the world.
Nathan Novak at 12:56 pm
