Microsoft has released six free 3D games through its Zune Marketplace downloading service. But the company has clarified that it is restricted to the U.S. markets only.

Zune Marketplace is used by the company to offer new games and softwares. But the most startling fact is that it is offering the six video games free. Those video games include PGR: Ferrari Edition, Lucky Lanes Bowling, Audiosurf Tilt, Piano, Vans Sk8: Pool Service and Checkers.

PGR: Ferrari Edition provides a feeling of the racing circuits. The gamer can select a car from a list of 12 cars and can drive through the popular circuits in London, New York and Tokyo. There is one Carreer Mode, which offers an option to choose from 33 events along with competing with three other racers.

Audiosurf Tilt is a game which prompts the gamer to collect roller coasters for taking a ride. The user can shape the track, speed up or change the mood of the track using the song. The users must tilt to collect the coloured boxes.

Lucky Lanes Bowling is an interesting game which offers five different bowling options. The user is prompted to select any one bowler from the 20 existing bowlers and one bowling style from 22 ball styles. Blackjack, Golf and Exhibition are the game modes to select before playing any game.

Vans Sk8: Pool Service gives the gamer a test of skating skills.

Piano is better a music related app, which can be played with 88 labeled keys associated with it.

Checkers is there to play the game remotely.

All of the games provide enough fun and this is an initiative from the company to compete with Apple’s App stores.

Zune HD reviews are in and things look good for the new touchscreen mp3 player from Microsoft. Most major gadget sites have certified it a great device but most still feel it falls short of enough to take over rival iPod touch which offers so much more in the way of apps and accessories.

Zune HD scores lots of points from everyone and Matt Rosoff from Cnet feels it has at least 5 features Apple should steal and Joe Wilcox from Beta News feels it may be “The best portable media player you may never buy” and the Zune forums are alive with chatter on how zippy the Tegra processor is and what a pleasure Games for Zune are.

What this means to Zune and the success they have selling portable media players in this economy remains to be seen but we do know that it’s not the device specs holding it back. The Zune HD is one high performance medie device and a far improvement over previous Zune players.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

YouTube – ZUNE HD Xbox integration

ZUNE HD Xbox integration

It seems everyone expects the Zune HD to be a phone but its only a music and game device with Zune games available that should really kick butt. The Zune HD is a high powered player and the Tegra chip was made for high end graphics and video game play. The Games for Zune HD applications were made available recently along with the new game player and it seems we can expect Microsoft to offer us up some great games.

Zune HD review: Music wants you back | Crave – CNET

OK, so my official CNET review of the Zune HD is up and running over at CNET Reviews. It’s worth checking out, but if you don’t feel like taking 10 minutes out of your day to soak it all in, then I’ll make it real clear to you with just two sentences:

Buy the Zune HD if you love music.
Buy an iPod for everything else.

That’s it. And I don’t mean for that to sound dramatic, condescending, or pro-Apple or pro-Microsoft. If we met on the street and you asked me “iPod or Zune?”, then that’s the answer you’d hear from me. The Zune HD does a phenomenal job showcasing and organizing music in a way that invites exploration and interaction. And if you have the extra $14.99 per month to throw at a Zune Pass music subscription, then welcome to the music orgy.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

Do you have what it takes to bet on your hand and go all in? Build the best possible five-card hand out of your two cards and five community cards. Play solo or compete with a friend.

Texas hold Em is an official Games for Zune that you can download from Zune.net with the Zune 3.0 software.

Create clusters of same-colored tiles to clear them from the board. Sounds simple, right? But the real challenge of Hexic is in creating special patterns to earn special pieces.

Download Games for Zune and be a part of the social gamer players market. enjoy games on the go and take your Zune game player with you wherever you go.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

I’m sure the first thing we can expect to find in a Zune Mobile is the Zune Marketplace complete with unlimited downloads for Zune Pass subscribers. Having a music subscription service on a mobile phone should sweet but what more could they do? Could the Zune software turn existing mobile phones into Zune Social devices? Why not? With a Live enabled Zune Phone I could be listening to the FM radio and find a new tune i just have to send to my girlfriend on her Zune enabled phone from [insert random phone maker] with our Zune Pass subscription. FM radio, yes I do sometimes listen to the radio and chances are yo will here a new song you like one day.

With Zune Mobile I can share the song with my friends and grab it in the Zune MarketPlace when someone else sends me something new. What else could it do? How about it that song was from a soundtrack to the latest blockbuster movie? With features mentioned in Zune VideoX we might expect to see a recommendation to rent the movie to go with our new favorite song. A Zune Movie Pass could give subscribers access to unlimited movie rentals via download similar to what you find with Xbox and Netflix right now. Zune VideoX is supposed to be a part of Project Pink and a just perfect for a set of premium mobile services.

Zune VideoX is not Zune Marketplace revisited, sources say. Instead, it is Microsoft’s attempt to apply the lessons learned with the success of the Xbox Live Marketplace to the Zune market, said one source who asked not to be named. It would be a single hub where Zune users could buy and download music, videos, TV shows and more entertainment content.

Seadragon is the first iPhone application from Microsoft. Engineers claimed they needed a large install base of smartphone users so they could test the high definition image software application on real world devices with a built in graphics processor. Zune Mobile has to work with the high quality phone cameras available from suppliers like Nokia and so we should expect that the Zune mobile software is capable of maximizing that available technology.

Seadragon is best known as a core technology behind Microsoft’s Photosynth photo-browsing program. It’s designed for zooming smoothly in, out and around photos over the Internet, regardless of bandwidth constraints or image size. Seadragon’s technological trick is to store images in multiple resolutions and deliver only the bits needed to present the view a user wants at any given moment.

I would say we can expect image handling on the level of Photosynth on the next generation smartphones and Zune Mobile will be ready for it. Rumor has it the Zune use interface team will be working with the Windows Mobile team. it seems odd to me that we hear rumors of them getting started on this now when it appears obvious they should have been working together like 2 years ago but I am certain they have their reasons. I guess we can say there are a lot of things coming togethber that may be a part of Zune Mobile and bringing all the Zune, Xbox and Windows Mobile offers together is not as easy as it may seem.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

So as tough as the economy is Microsoft is still building upon their commitment to Zune with an obvious long term plan on improving Zune Xbox integration.

Job Details – Microsoft Careers

The Zune Design team seeks a visual designer who is passionate about software design, software innovation and consumer entertainment experiences. We are looking for a strong, collaborative designer to work closely with the creative directors to propose innovative designs and content solutions for the Zune Device UI, Zune Xbox and Zune PC Application. You will be part of a small, but experienced, design team working with multiple feature teams to help ship exciting and emotionally engaging products for Zune. Additional responsibilities include creating interaction design solutions and creatively merging the interaction and the visual directions.

Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.

In the two years I have had MAX we have been a few places. I don’t have a lot of pics of me and MAX but he’s been right there with me for lots of cool stuff from beaches to mountain peaks and lots inbetween. I’ve read a few stories about broken Zunes and I have also heard all the complaints Zune owners and haters have. I may have a few gripes about Zune but most of my disappointment is with Microsoft and the botched launch of the Zune line that ticks me off the most. I think the stumbles they made in the first year are going to cost them billions to overcome in name alone and the Social has been lonely to say the least. It was stupid to rush to market ill prepared with a crippled device but I like my Zune and it’s been a great player that keeps on improving.

That’s what most cool about my Zune, it keeps getting better and more interesting. My original Zune 30 now comes with some cool wireless multiplayer Games for Zune as well as podcast support, gapless playback, and all the stuff people cried was missing in the first firmware like a clock and wireless sync. How many other portable media players get better with age?

When Microsoft announced a subscription music service to go along with Zune a lot of folks laughed at the idea or thought it was dumb to rent music as some said but for me it was a great way to get new music pushed in my face every time I logged into the Zune MarketPlace and it helped kept me deep into the Zune universe. I have maintained my Zune Pass subscription the entire time an it’s been a good deal for me. I have listened to 100′s of new artists and at least 1000 new songs I may never have heard without my Zune Pass and now it gets even better.

I still pay $15 per month for unlimited Zune downloads but now I get to keep 10 songs each month as part of my permanent collection. How cool is that? When you consider the going rate for 10 songs is $10 its like paying $5 extra for the subscription service. That makes Zune Pass the best deal of all the pay for content models. It’s better than buying a CD each month, its better than buying individual songs from iTunes and its the best subscription service of them all. The only way to get music any cheaper is to steal it!!

Got Zune? Get Zune Pass!!