business group

Jerry Seinfeld is signing off again, this time from Microsoft's television commercial series with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. The popular comedian's work for the software behemoth is complete, and the next phase of the multiyear, $300 million Windows marketing campaign to reconnect with customers is beginning.

According to Microsoft, the next ads will celebrate the diversity and passion of consumers around the world who use Windows to stay in touch with people, information and ideas that they care about.

Microsoft Corp. will let independent developers sell video games for the Xbox 360 console -- and keep most of the profits -- beginning this holiday season, the company said Tuesday.

In a move to "democratize game development" and broaden the range of titles available for the Xbox 360, Microsoft said it will let game makers who are members of its $99-a-year XNA Creators Club submit their games for peer review. If they pass, the game creators can sell their work on the Xbox Live Marketplace, the console's online store.