Gears of War 2, Rock Band 2, and Fable 2 News Among the Most Exciting on Day 1 of E3

The annual E3 video game show began today in Los Angeles. Here's a quick rundown of the biggest news from the Microsoft press conference and the rest of the first day, according to 1up.com.

"Final Fantasy XII" is coming to Xbox 360. The game, previously a Playstation 3 exclusive, will now release the same day on Microsoft's console. No release date was confirmed, but the news alone should be enough to silence a legion of PS3 fanboys.

"Portal: Still Alive" will be released on Xbox Live Arcade sometime this fall. The game is essentially an expansion pack for the hugely-popular Portal. The game will have new levels and add additional achievements. No word on whether the "Orange Box" disk will be required to play "Still Alive" but the fact that it's an Arcade title seems to insinuate that it will not be necessary. Still, the cake is a lie.

"Gears of War 2" will be released on November 7^th of this year. Earlier rumors pointed to the release date being 11/9, but they were pretty darn close.

"Resident Evil 5" will ship March 13, 2009. An online co-op mode was also confirmed for the title. Zombie slaying with a buddy over Xbox Live? Count me in.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with Netflix that will allow subscribers to watch movies instantly on their Xbox through Netflix's "Watch it Now" feature.

The Xbox 360's Dashboard will be receiving an update including a completely redesigned interface and the ability to create custom avatars similar to the Nintendo Wii's Miis.

Peter Molyneux confirmed that "Fable 2" will release sometime this October and will feature seamless drop-in drop-out online co-op play.

Highly-anticipated Halo-themed real-time strategy game "Halo Wars" was also confirmed for the "first half" of 2009. Earlier speculation had suggested the game might be pushed into 2010, so this is great news for Halo fans.

"Rock Band 2" will feature 80 tracks, including the music game debuts of AC/DC and Bob Dylan. Other highlights include "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi and "Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic at the Disco. Check out the full track list here: www.associatedcontent.com/article/879627/rock_band_2_setlist_announced_game.html

Microsoft will also be adding the ability to install 360 games on the hard drive for faster loading times. The feature will be optional (unlike the Playstation 3). No word yet on whether the game disk will still be required to play, though in light of copyright issues I can't see it being any other way.

Microsoft has certainly opened the show with an impressive salvo. It'll be interesting to see what Sony and Nintendo have to match it.