Microsoft adds music, game databases

Microsoft has signed a deal to license Alliance Entertainment's All Media Guide, which includes databases of music, video, DVDs and video games. Under the deal, Microsoft said it has blended the All Media Guide into the Windows Media Player for Windows XP. The software giant added that other properties using Alliance's databases will include Microsoft Plus, Windows Media.com, MSN Music and MSN Search. Alliance's guide includes reviews, biographies, ratings, images, titles, credits, essays and other content. In October, Pressplay, a joint venture between Sony and Vivendi Universal, licensed Alliance's All Music Guide, which contains 3.5 million tracks and more than 495,000 album listings.