Level 3 Communications, Inc. today announced it has signed agreements to provide multiple broadband infrastructure services to Microsoft Corp. for its new online video game service, Xbox Live.
The agreements make Level 3 a major provider of network services in North America and Europe for Xbox Live, which is scheduled to debut this fall. Under the terms of the agreements, Level 3 will provide (3)Center Colocation, (3)CrossRoads Internet access, and (3)Packet MPLS Private Network (MPN) services to Xbox Live.
Microsoft plans to launch Xbox Live in North America, Europe, and Japan this fall and will begin its consumer beta program in North America. Xbox Live will support five exclusive games at launch, and more than a dozen by the end of 2002, including "Unreal Championship" (Infogrames), NFL 2K3 (Sega), and "MechAssault(TM)," "Whacked!(TM)," and "NFL Fever 2003" (Microsoft Games Studio). By the end of 2003, at least 50 Xbox Live-enabled games are scheduled to be available worldwide.