LinkExchange

The Internet Link Exchange[]

1996[]

SVG NEEDED

LinkExchange[]

1996–2007[]

Designer:

Unknown

Typography:

Impact

Launched:

1996

In November of 1998, LinkExchange was acquired by Microsoft.

The company stopped accepting new applications on November 15, 2006, and would stop serving banners on June 4, 2007.

V • T • E

Microsoft

Apps, Software and Web Services

V • T • E

MSN

A service of Microsoft

Apps
Dial-up | Money | News (MSN app) | The Zone | Weather

Notes:
¹App was discontinued but the section of the website still exists
²Rebranded under the Windows Live umbrella

V • T • E

Microsoft 365

A product of Microsoft

V • T • E

Windows

Part of Microsoft

V • T • E

Microsoft Windows apps

Current:

¹ Spun off into a Microsoft Store app

V • T • E

Windows Live

Web Services

Notes

¹	Later removed the Windows Live branding.

Notes

¹	Developed by Samsung Electronics

V • T • E

Microsoft Windows apps

Current:

¹ Spun off into a Microsoft Store app

V • T • E

Dynamics 365

Apps

Sub Apps
Project Timesheet | Return to School | Return to Work | Warehouse Management

Gaming
DirectX | Havok | Start.gg

V • T • E

Xbox

A brand of Microsoft Gaming

Consoles
Xbox (original) | Xbox 360 | Xbox One | Xbox Series X & S

V • T • E

Xbox Game Studios

Part of Microsoft Gaming

Publishers
Xbox Game Studios Publishing

V • T • E

Age of Empires

Main Series

Spin-offs
Age of Mythology (The Titans) | Age of Empires: Castle Siege | Age of Empires Online

V • T • E

Crackdown

Main Series

Crackdown | Crackdown 2 | Crackdown 3

Other
Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst

Developers
Reagent Games | Realtime Worlds | Ruffian Games

V • T • E

Fable

Main series

Fable (2004) | Fable II | Fable III | Fable (2025)

Cancelled
Fable Legends

Other
Fable III Kingmaker | Fable Trilogy

Fictional entities
Reaver Industries

Developers
Lionhead Studios | Ideaworks Game Studio | Playground Games

V • T • E

Forza

Motorsport
Forza Motorsport (2005) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Apex) | 7 | Forza Motorsport (2023)

Horizon
Forza Horizon | 2 (Presents Fast & Furious) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Spinoffs
Forza Customs | Forza Street

Developers
Turn 10 Studios | Playground Games | Electric Square

V • T • E

Gears of War

Main Series

Spin-offs
Gears Tactics | Gears Pop!

Developers
The Coalition | Epic Games | Mediatonic

V • T • E

Halo

Main Series

Other
Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Apps
Halo Waypoint | Halo Channel

Film & Television
Halo Legends | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Halo: Nightfall | Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series | Halo (TV series)

V • T • E

Microsoft Casual Games

Games

Other
Carbonated Games | The Zone

V • T • E

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Games

1.0, 2.0, Macintosh | 3.0, 4.0 | 5.0, 5.1 | for Windows 95 | 98 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004: A Century of Flight | X | Flight Simulator (2020) | 2024

Related
Microsoft Flight

Developers
Sublogic | Bruce Artwick Organization | Aces Game Studio | Dovetail Games | Asobo Studio

Publishers
Microsoft | Dovetail Games | Xbox Game Studios Publishing

V • T • E

Minecraft

Main Game Editions

Spin-offs
Dungeons | Legends | Blast
Discontinued Spin-offs
Story Mode | Earth

Community-created
Websites and blogs
Planet Minecraft | Wiki

Defunct servers: Mineplex | InPvP | Pixel Paradise

Websites and blogs
Feedback | Forum | Help Center

V • T • E MineCon
MineCon 2010 (Bellevue, WA) \| 2011 (Las Vegas, NV) \| 2012 (Disneyland Resort Paris) \| 2013 (Orlando, FL) \| 2015 (London) \| 2016 (Anaheim, CA) \| 2017 (Georgia, USA) \| 2018 (London)

V • T • E

Ori

Games

Ori and the Blind Forest | Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Developer
Moon Studios

V • T • E

State of Decay

Games

State of Decay | State of Decay 2 | State of Decay 3

Developers
Undead Labs

V • T • E

Zoo Tycoon

Main Games

Other Games
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game (New Shores) | Zoo Tycoon DS | Zoo Tycoon 2 DS | Friends

Notes:
¹ Became independent from 2007–2022, later becoming a Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary in 2022
² Were moved to work on other Microsoft Software departments
³ consolidated
⁴ Sold to Take-Two Interactive, later being defunct

Other
ID@Xbox | Xbox (Windows app) (Game Bar) | Xbox on Windows

Notes:
¹Later reintroduced as a Microsoft Azure product.
²Folded into Microsoft Store

V • T • E

Xbox Game Studios

Part of Microsoft Gaming

Publishers
Xbox Game Studios Publishing

V • T • E

Age of Empires

Main Series

Spin-offs
Age of Mythology (The Titans) | Age of Empires: Castle Siege | Age of Empires Online

V • T • E

Crackdown

Main Series

Crackdown | Crackdown 2 | Crackdown 3

Other
Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst

Developers
Reagent Games | Realtime Worlds | Ruffian Games

V • T • E

Fable

Main series

Fable (2004) | Fable II | Fable III | Fable (2025)

Cancelled
Fable Legends

Other
Fable III Kingmaker | Fable Trilogy

Fictional entities
Reaver Industries

Developers
Lionhead Studios | Ideaworks Game Studio | Playground Games

V • T • E

Forza

Motorsport
Forza Motorsport (2005) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Apex) | 7 | Forza Motorsport (2023)

Horizon
Forza Horizon | 2 (Presents Fast & Furious) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Spinoffs
Forza Customs | Forza Street

Developers
Turn 10 Studios | Playground Games | Electric Square

V • T • E

Gears of War

Main Series

Spin-offs
Gears Tactics | Gears Pop!

Developers
The Coalition | Epic Games | Mediatonic

V • T • E

Halo

Main Series

Other
Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Apps
Halo Waypoint | Halo Channel

Film & Television
Halo Legends | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Halo: Nightfall | Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series | Halo (TV series)

V • T • E

Microsoft Casual Games

Games

Other
Carbonated Games | The Zone

V • T • E

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Games

1.0, 2.0, Macintosh | 3.0, 4.0 | 5.0, 5.1 | for Windows 95 | 98 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004: A Century of Flight | X | Flight Simulator (2020) | 2024

Related
Microsoft Flight

Developers
Sublogic | Bruce Artwick Organization | Aces Game Studio | Dovetail Games | Asobo Studio

Publishers
Microsoft | Dovetail Games | Xbox Game Studios Publishing

V • T • E

Minecraft

Main Game Editions

Spin-offs
Dungeons | Legends | Blast
Discontinued Spin-offs
Story Mode | Earth

Community-created
Websites and blogs
Planet Minecraft | Wiki

Defunct servers: Mineplex | InPvP | Pixel Paradise

Websites and blogs
Feedback | Forum | Help Center

V • T • E MineCon
MineCon 2010 (Bellevue, WA) \| 2011 (Las Vegas, NV) \| 2012 (Disneyland Resort Paris) \| 2013 (Orlando, FL) \| 2015 (London) \| 2016 (Anaheim, CA) \| 2017 (Georgia, USA) \| 2018 (London)

V • T • E

Ori

Games

Ori and the Blind Forest | Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Developer
Moon Studios

V • T • E

State of Decay

Games

State of Decay | State of Decay 2 | State of Decay 3

Developers
Undead Labs

V • T • E

Zoo Tycoon

Main Games

Other Games
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game (New Shores) | Zoo Tycoon DS | Zoo Tycoon 2 DS | Friends

V • T • E

ZeniMax Media

Part of Microsoft Gaming

Publishers
Bethesda Softworks (ZeniMax Europe | ZeniMax Asia)

V • T • E

Doom

A Bethesda Softworks (Microsoft Gaming) franchise

V • T • E

Fallout

A Bethesda Softworks franchise

Main
Fallout | Fallout 2 | Fallout 3 | Fallout: New Vegas | Fallout 4 (VR)

Other
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel | Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | Fallout Shelter | Fallout 76

Cancelled
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 | Fallout Extreme

Television series
Fallout (TV series)

Developers
Black Isle Studios | Interplay Entertainment | 14 Degrees East | Bethesda Game Studios | Obsidian Entertainment

Publishers
Interplay Entertainment | Bethesda Softworks

V • T • E

The Elder Scrolls

A Bethesda Softworks (Microsoft Gaming) franchise

Upcoming
The Elder Scrolls VI

Notes:
¹ Consolidated into ZeniMax Online Studios
² Acquired by Krafton Inc.

V • T • E

Activision Blizzard

Part of Microsoft Gaming

V • T • E

Activision

Part of Activision Blizzard, a subsidiary of Microsoft Gaming

Franchises

V • T • E

Call of Duty

Main

Warzone
Warzone (DMZ) | Mobile

Defunct video games
Heroes | Online (China only) | Warzone Caldera

V • T • E

Crash Bandicoot

Racing:
Crash Team Racing | Crash Nitro Kart | Crash Tag Team Racing | Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled

Party:
Crash Bash | Crash Boom Bang! | Crash Team Rumble

V • T • E

Guitar Hero

Main

Developers and Publishers
Activision | FreeStyleGames | Harmonix | Neversoft | Vicarious Visions

V • T • E

Skylanders

Main

Developers
Activision | Beenox | Toys For Bob | Vicarious Visions

V • T • E

Spyro

Main Games

Handheld Games
Season of Ice | Season of Flame | Attack of the Rhynocs | The Cortex Conspiracy | Shadow Legacy

Mobile Games
Spyro | Ripto Quest | Spyro the Dragon

V • T • E

Tony Hawk's Franchise

Main

¹ Now published by Bungie

V • T • E

King

Part of Activision Blizzard, a subsidiary of Microsoft Gaming

Stores
Candy Crush Store

Film, television production and distribution company
Activision Blizzard Studios

Other
Activision Blizzard Consumer Products | Activision Blizzard Media | Activision Blizzard eSports | Major League Gaming

Hardware
HoloLens | Surface | Windows 365 Link

Conventions
Build

V • T • E

Microsoft Garage

Graduated Projects

Arrow Launcher | Journal | Kaizala | Mouse Without Borders

Divisions
Microsoft AI

V • T • E

Windows Live

Web Services

Notes

¹	Later removed the Windows Live branding.

V • T • E

Microsoft Live Labs

Products

Successor
Microsoft Research

Notes:
¹Nokia phone brand licensing was sold to Human Mobile Devices in 2016. The original Nokia company continues to exist.
²Developer Kit hardware was discontinued in 2023. Azure Kinect technologies continued to be licensed to its partners.