European game developer Funcom has announced that it will divert its development efforts to focus on the Microsoft Xbox console and will no longer pursue the development of titles for the Sony PlayStation 2. "After evaluating the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox technology for several months, we made the strategic decision to go for Microsoft's new gaming console - the Xbox," said Funcom president Andre Backen. "We believe that Xbox has significant market potential due to both cutting-edge technology and Microsoft's marketing muscle. And on top of that, exploiting the new technology reduces our development cycle by several months, which also cuts development costs by approximately 20 percent."

　　Currently, Funcom creates games for the Sony PlayStation and PC platforms. The company's Dublin studio, involved exclusively in PlayStation development in the past, will now play host to the company's Xbox development efforts. Funcom is responsible for Speed Punks and Championship Motocross for the PlayStation. In its PC efforts, Funcom has produced the acclaimed adventure game, The Longest Journey, and an upcoming online RPG, Anarchy Online. Although no details on specific Xbox projects were released, games like Anarchy Online, with its online massively-multiplayer gameplay, are excellent candidates for the Internet-enabled Xbox console.