The future of streaming TV and movies isn’t likely going to be limited to what you can see on your regular telly, with films and shows being delivered on the web and through various platforms Microsoft is going to be there, and has announced some exclusives coming to Microsoft devices.
Slated for the Xbox gaming consoles — yup, both of ‘em, not just the Xbox One, but also the Xbox 360 — as well as some of Microsoft’s other devices are a series of unique TV offerings, intended to provide entertainment as well as interactivity which Microsoft says will create a “one-of-a-kind entertainment experience you won’t find anywhere else.”
“We are developing premium, original content for the Xbox community which is an audience we are incredibly respectful of,” said Nancy Tellem, President of Xbox Entertainment Studios.
“We believe Xbox Originals should embrace the way our fans think about traditional TV,” added Tellem.
It’s not going to be like a dedicated station, not like your conventional TV station, but Microsoft appears to be investing heavily in the idea of TV-based entertainment, attracting names like Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg to create two separate projects based on Microsoft’s “Halo” games, adding to the “Forward Unto Dawn” movie made in 2012.
To that end, Spielberg will be crafting a live-action TV show based on the Halo games, while Ridley Scott will produce a feature-length production with one of “Battlestar Galactica”’s directors to take the helm (Sergio Mimica-Gezzan).
Beyond the Halo productions, you’ll also see new dramas and documentaries, including a science-fiction eight episode show called “Humans,” an with episode unscripted show about soccer titled “Every Street United,” a documentary about modern technology, and the Bonnaroo live music festival in June.
Other possible projects in the pipeline include the stop-motion “Extraordinary Believers,” an unscripted show about Australian Navy bomb clearance diver and shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder, a detective thriller titled “Gun Machine,” and a comedy half hour show.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to use your imagination for the meantime because Microsoft only has a big green screen with “Xbox Originals” printed on it, and no pictures of the visual spectaculars Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, and countless others will have air on the Xbox later in the year.
At least Australia won’t be left behind, though, as it so often is, with our Australian Xbox representatives telling us that Xbox Entertainment Studio productions should start streaming in June just like America.
So yay for that.
