Despite focus being naturally aimed at the Xbox 360 during their pre-E3 performance at The Shrine Auditorium, LA, Microsoft confirmed that software support for the current generation Xbox is set to continue beyond 2006 with 200 titles expected to be released during 2005 alone including Half-Life 2, Ultimate Spiderman, and Far Cry: Instincts.

Confirming that the number of Xbox units sold has passed 20 million and become the fastest selling console during Christmas 2004 (North America), the list also includes the likes of:

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
• Need for Speed Most Wanted
• Tomb Raider: Legends
• Moto GP 3
• Star Wars: Battlefront II
• Shadow the Hedgehog
• Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Lockdown
• Battlefield 2: Modern Combat

The news comes as the company announced that by June 2005 the number of subscribers to Xbox Live will top 2 million, doubling before the end of the year with over 300 titles supporting the online service.

The news of continued support for the first iteration of Xbox is sure to be a relief for some who thought that Microsoft would be completely abandoning the platform to concentrate on the Xbox 360.

We’ll have more on some of the big titles coming to Xbox in 2005 very soon...