Microsoft Game Studios revealed earlier today that Shane Kim would be taking up a new position at the company. Kim will become corporate VP of strategy and business development for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment business. Learn more about this after the jump!

Microsoft's Xbox 360 console enjoyed a certain amount of success in the U.S. thanks to exclusives like Grand Theft Auto 4's downloadable episodes and Halo 3. But why isn't Microsoft using the same tactic to win the hearts of Japanese gamers, like securing an exclusive Final Fantasy game, perhaps? Microsoft's Shane Kim answers in the full article.

It wasn't long ago that Microsoft's Don Mattrick, president of the company's Interactive Entertainment division, opined that the first console to break 10 million unit sold was the winner of the console race. Of course, at that moment, the Xbox 360 just touched that threshold after NPD results of April poured in. Now we have VP Shane Kim saying that the winner of this generation's console race will be the one closest to 100 million units sold. You know where to go for the full story.

Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios, was present at the recent Microsoft spring showcase in San Francisco where he spoke about various issues including the success of Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3), the company's 2008 line-up, Halo Wars, and more. To find out what he had to say, head on over to the full article.

Lots of surprises are being popped in this year's DICE, and Microsoft's Shane Kim is no exception to the activity. In this update, we get the skinny on a LOT of upcoming titles from the man himself, as well as the reason for a certain MMO's cancellation. Check it out in the full article.

Crackdown was a surprising, if not a sleeper hit for the Xbox 360. Not only did it offer an awesome sandbox city to play in, but some awesome physics mechanics to go along with it as well. Plus, you get to throw cars. Now, no other than Shane Kim himself is saying that there might just be a sequel to the game in the near future. Check it out in the full article.

Microsoft Game Studios Vice President Shane Kim discussed several choice topics during the recent DICE Summit in Las Vegas last Thursday. Among the things he mentioned were the company's move to expand its userbase into the casual gaming market, more Halo projects and some other small tidbits discussing the state of the gaming company and its plans for the future (a portable handheld gaming console, perhaps?). Read more about what Shane Kim had to say in the full article.

It's official: Bungie Studios and Microsoft are parting ways. A press release from Microsoft announced today that Bungie Studios will be embarking on a path to become an independent company. This confirms earlier rumors of the Bungie-Microsoft split.

Microsoft will still retain an equity interest in the studio. Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie will be continuing their publishing agreement for the Halo IP as well as other future Bungie projects. According to Bungie studio head Harold Ryan, the studio will continue to focus primarily on video game development for Microsoft platforms.

Shane Kim, Microsoft Game Studios' corporate vice president, also assured people that they will continue to invest in "a new interactive series set in the Halo universe" with Bungie and other partners including director Peter Jackson.

The numbers are in and Bungie Studios' Halo 3 has officially had the biggest launch in entertainment history, raking in about US$ 170 million dollars in sales within 24 hours of its release. In addition to this amazing feat, it has also been reported that over 1.7 million copies of the game were pre-ordered.

The worldwide celebration was massive with over 10,000 retailers opening at midnight to sell the game. The amazing sales weren't just a local thing either because it was also made available in 36 other countries in 17 languages. Corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios Shane Kim had this to say about the launch:

Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon. Not only is Halo 3 setting sales records, it’s also redefining entertainment.Within the first 20 hours alone, we’ve seen more than a million Xbox LIVE members come online to play Halo 3 – that makes September 25 the most active Xbox LIVE gaming day in history

The retailers were just as happy about the successful launch. The vice president of games and movies for Best Buy Jill Hamburger pointed out that the demand for the game was just astounding. She also noted that their customers have been very enthusiastic about the release of this video game.

Microsoft has placed a huge amount of confidence on the success of Halo 3, and outspoken Shane Kim even goes so far as to say that its release may even ensure the Xbox 360's place above the Sony PlayStation 3. Kim further expresses an aggressive drive by the company to compete for the hearts of gamers.

Kim, general manager at Microsoft's Game Studios, believes that the holiday season is a great opportunity for the Xbox 360 to maintain its lead over the PlayStation 3 for the remainder of this generation's console wars, especially with Halo 3 in the market spearheading its banner. He says:

We're pretty convinced that a lot of Xbox 360s are going to get sold along with copies of Halo 3. [...] We have a great opportunity to push [Sony] to the brink in terms of finishing behind us in this generation.

The release of Halo 3 and the sales of Xbox 360s will also be an indication of how much Microsoft has managed to gain back the trust of the consumer after the red ring of death issue. "From everything we can tell we have been able to remove a lot of concerns and doubts in people's minds," says Kim.