Microsoft Game Studios announces that Shadowrun is heading to North American stores for Windows Vista and Xbox 360. We lost our decoder ring, so the s are still a mystery, but here's the announcement:

Time to teleport, glide and summon your minions! Microsoft Game Studios is launching Shadowrun onto retailers across North America.

Starting today, humans, elves, dwarves and trolls can join the cross-platform revolution with Shadowrun at the estimated retail price of $59.99 (U.S.) for Xbox 360 and $49.99 (U.S.) for Windows Vista. Shadowrun is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). Shadowrun is also part of the Games for Windows. initiative, offering reliability, compatibility and enhanced experiences on Windows Vista..

Additionally, Xbox 360 gamers can get in on the action with the official Shadowrun demo on June 6. The demo will be available for download via Xbox LIVE. Marketplace.

The innovative first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay of Shadowrun, developed by FASA Studio, thrusts gamers into strategic battles that utilize magic and technology. Players must vie for supremacy, playing as a human, elf, dwarf or troll. Cleverness, cunning and split-second improvisation are rewarded through a unique combination of modern weapons, ancient magic and advanced technology. As the first game to support Microsofts Games for Windows  LIVE service, Shadowrun gives players on both Xbox 360 and Windows Vista a chance to compete, cooperate and communicate across both platforms with an Xbox LIVE Gold or Games for Windows - LIVE Gold account*.

Shadowrun will ship with nine unique maps and an additional three map variations, showcasing dynamic environments set in a futuristic Santos, Brazil, and its neighboring ancient Ziggurat. Shadowrun includes six training chapters, letting gamers fine-tune their strategy and lethal combinations against the intuitively smart and talented A.I. bots. Gamers can also play with bots at four levels of difficulty on every map and with every game type.