Microsoft set to launch original programming for Xbox One in early 2014
Microsoft hopes its first wave of original TV programming for Xbox One will be out in early 2014, the company's president of entertainment and digital, Nancy Tellem, tells Variety. At the latest, Redmond is hoping to have its original content out by the second quarter. She admits the initiative has taken longer than expected, due in part to a lack of a prescribed business model like that of Amazon or Netflix. Hollywood deals are also hard to come by due to a fully formed strategy. The goal isn't to redefine the TV viewing experience, she tells Variety, it's it's to evolve it. Her division is in the process of securing exclusives and trying to figure out whether the content is "best on Xbox or only on Xbox" when it comes to interactive functionality. Whether the first round of shows includes the previously-announced Spielberg-produced Halo series or something involving street soccer remains to be seen, but from the sounds of it, it won't be long until we find out.
Tellem says Microsoft is keeping millenials in mind when it comes to how programming is consumed, whether it's through multitasking or on-demand content that's available whenever someone has the time to watch. If Microsoft's original programming model with Xbox Video sounds familiar, that's because the likes of Netflix,Hulu and Amazon are all leading the charge on their own streaming services. For more from Tellem, be sure to check out Variety's piece.
