Windows gamers are to get their hands on the small arcade-style games that have been delighting users of the Xbox360. The Xbox Live Arcade, which offers downloadable games for a small fee, has been very popular, and now it's coming to Vista. Microsoft says that on May 8 it will release Halo 2, which will be compatible with the Xbox version. That means Windows gamers can compete against Xbox players. Later in the year, more games will appear.

It's interesting that Microsoft is so keen to push gaming on Vista - particularly as something you can do in conjunction with your Xbox 360. XP is a pretty good gaming platform, but clearly the company reckons that Windows is in danger of being left behind as gamers stick to their Xboxes or, worse, their Playstation 3 consoles.