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More proof of incoming Video Marketplace for Europe, Canada
The crafty and terminally bored denizens of the Xbox.com message boards have uncovered yet more proof that the Canadian and European arrival of the Xbox Live Video Marketplace isn't too far away. According to a forum goer by the name of Hybrid Alien, the Xbox Live Marketplace terms of service were updated this month to include a new section labeled "Special Video Content" and another labeled "VOD Content," VOD likely referring to "video on demand" in this case. According to Hybrid Alien, the section details the same regulations that American Marketplace users have, such as the 24 hour time limit placed on movies once they've been played for the first time. We certainly don't want to jump the gun, but we'd bet there are plenty of Europeans and Canadians out there waiting for the Fall Update with fingers crossed.[Thanks, DaveC. Original image by Refracted Moments]
Fox signs up with MS, Family Guy hits XBLM
Variety reports that Fox has partnered with Microsoft to become a new content provider for the Video Marketplace. The first batch of content from Fox will be the first two seasons of the fan favorite, Family Guy. Also coming to the Video Marketplace is the DVD movie Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin -- the Untold Story (otherwise known as "the Stewie movie"). New seasons of the show will be arriving soon and new episodes are expected to be available the day after they air.Of course, Fox has more to offer than Family Guy, but Microsoft and the studio felt the series was a good match for the demographic that has been downloading scads of programs like South Park and movies like 300. If Family Guy isn't your thing, don't worry, there will be plenty of Fox content on Video Marketplace before long.[Via MEGATONik. Thanks, zizzy]
THIS. IS. SPARKETPLACE! 300 on XBLVM
300 is on Xbox Live Video Marketplace for Live members in the U.S. It's available in both Standard Definition and High Definition, the HD rental weighing in at 5.3 GB. Really, that's all we gotta say about it. Er ... go download it now? Seriously though, it's really an epic film that we enjoyed in theatres, and having the HD DVD allows us to appreciate the quality of its digitally distributed cousin.[Thanks, J.R.]
Europe and Canada to get Video Marketplace in Fall
At Microsoft's E307 Media Briefing, Peter Moore announced that Xbox Live's Video Marketplace would be going worldwide, or more specifically, to Europe as well as Canada. Apparently, XBLVM will be available in these new locales this fall, a full year since the announcement and launch in November 2006 in the States. This came hot off of the announcement of Disney partnering with Microsoft to bring HD movies to Video Marketplace tonight. We're very happy to see Video Marketplace have a broader reach, though it will be interesting to see what content discrepancies there are when it launches in the coming months.
New Video Marketplace content for week of May 7th
Major posted the latest Xbox Live Video Marketplace content released this week. While it may not be the beefiest update, it gets the job done. On the cinematic adventures side of things, we've got Happy Feet as the lone HD flick, coming out on Friday, as well as Robin Williams breakout role as the spinach eatin' Popeye. On the list of additional content for TV series, we've got more Pimp my Ride, as well as an X3F/TMN favorite, Wonder Showzen's second season. Unfortunately, we can't recommend watching it if you value your eternal soul. If you're comfortable with eternal damnation, however, feel free to put down some Microsoft Points for the series, and you'll get some somewhat cheap laughs. Full list of content after the break, for shoogie.
Newsbreak: Stewart and Colbert Report on XBLM
Microsoft dropped off a little missive today letting us know that The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report will now be available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Starting today, new episodes of each show will be available on Marketplace within 24 hours of the original airing on Comedy Central.We booted up our Xbox just to check, and sure enough, there they were. Episodes are available in 480p for 160 MS Points (US$2). Of course, Comedy Central airs the previous day's episodes three times during the next day, but don't let a silly little thing like logic keep you from paying for your favorite programs.Video Marketplace, you're on notice.
Video Marketplace 2nd only to iTunes
Microsoft sent out a rather bubbly press release today, informing us that Video Marketplace has grown leaps and bounds since its inception. Of course, it's full of tricky PR speak, so it must be read carefully. First of all, Video Marketplace has become the number one digital distributor of video content in the living room. The key words there are "in the living room." The fact that the Xbox 360 is already attached to a television (not a computer monitor) gives it an edge that many download services lack (this is something we've discussed before). The release goes on to state that Video Marketplace is 2nd overall in digital distribution of video content next to iTunes. Of course, one advantage over iTunes is that Video Marketplace offers HD content.Finally, the service has grown exponentially since its launch, with Microsoft claiming that Video Marketplace has sustained double-digit growth every month since its first launched last November. Additionally, Xbox Live monthly downloads have gone up 400 percent since the service launched. All in all, some pretty impressive stats.Do you use Video Marketplace on a regular basis?Read the full release after the break.
This Week in Video Marketplace (2/26)
This week's update for Video Marketplace comes courtesy of Major Nelson. Unfortunately, the two movies we get are only available in 480p, which is kind of a bummer. On the upside, though, we do get South Park's seasons 5 through 8 exclusively this week. The O.C., which had its series finale a week ago. Those of you looking for some octagonal action should enjoy the UFC fights. In light of the addition of more South Park, one of the aforementioned films happens to be South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. Full list of content available after the break.
Marketplace movies that don't expire?
Joseph Molnar of the Pensive Gamer is reporting a new "problem" with Video Marketplace downloads. As avid users know, movies are considered rentals on Video Marketplace. After the play option is chosen, the movie expires after 24 hours. According to Joseph, though, his copy of Superman Returns has never expired. He has successfully watched the movie on multiple days without issue. We're not sure how widespread this "problem" is -- or if it's something that could be further exploited -- but we'll take a budget HD copy of Superman Returns any day. Then again, we're saving room on our hard drive for the Halo 3 beta.Has this happened to anyone else?
Video Marketplace tops similar services
Variety -- our go-to source for gaming journalism -- praises Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace in a recent article. While no specific numbers are mentioned, the article claims that sources have confirmed that Microsoft's download service is outperforming several similar services -- in particular, Amazon's Unbox service. The article further notes that this is from a user base of only 3.5 million Xbox 360s in the US, versus other services that can be used by anyone with a broadband connected PC. Another interesting note, HD versions of movies are downloaded far more than standard versions. What's the big difference between other download services and Video Marketplace? It's simple, Video Marketplace puts movies right on your TV. Other services allow users to download movies to their PC, which isn't exactly optimal for movie viewing. Sure, some people have the know-how and the hardware to get PC movies onto a TV, but it can be daunting for the average viewer. Variety expects that the movie download boom won't really begin until more services offer the same easy functionality -- something Apple's upcoming iTV claims to do. We have to admit, we were skittish when the Video Marketplace launched. However, as new content keeps rolling in (The State FTW!) we're finding more reasons to skip the video store. How often do you use the Video Marketplace?[Via Planet Xbox 360]
Video: Video Marketplace demonstration
GameTrailers has posted a nice video rundown of the upcoming Video Marketplace (embedded after the break). While we're as excited as the next person about downloading TV shows and movies, we do have one concern. The rep in this video assures us that the prices are not set, and that the prices used on the demo are just placeholders. Still, the prices listed, if accurate, seem a little high. 320 points ($4) for a high definition TV episode is fairly steep considering iTunes episodes usually run for $1.99. Granted, those episodes run in the tiny, tiny window of a video iPod, but we still hope that the Video Marketplace is similarly priced. The video is fuzzy, but the high definition downloads shown looked to take up about 2 gigs of space, whereas standard definition episodes were 0.5 gigs. An hour long TV episode is trimmed down to about 42 minutes when commercials are removed, so that should give us an idea of the amount of space we'll be consuming with TV and movies. The video Marketplace is visually much more interesting than the regular one we're used to. Each show has a themed storefront, highlighting some aspect of the show. Another neat feature is that users will be able to watch a short sample clip of potential downloads. There clips have no sound, but at least you'll have an idea of what you're purchasing (and maybe we're one step closer to video streaming?). Overall, the Video Marketplace should be an interesting addition to the Xbox 360, and possibly the console wars as a whole. Do you plan on using the Video Marketplace, or are you content just playing games?
70 GB hard drive spotted, HD DVD useless?
Hot on the heels of the confirmation of downloadable movies and TV shows on Marketplace comes this picture from a recent Microsoft press event. If you look closely, you'll notice that the hard drive has an entire 70 gigs free. In other words, that larger hard drive rumor has surfaced yet again. Given all the recent announcements, it's fairly safe to assume a larger hard drive is coming. It's just a matter of when. We're betting that you won't see these larger hard drives before Christmas. Microsoft might announce them -- especially in the wake of the Video Marketplace -- but we doubt they'll release them. Why not? Because Microsoft wants to sell as many 360 HD DVD players as possible, and a larger HDD plus Video Marketplace is in direct competition with that. Of course, this brings up an interesting quandary: knowing that you'll be able to download HD movies and (probably) get a bigger hard drive, are you still interested in the HD DVD player?[Via Engadget]
