Hollywood Producing Original Shows Exclusively for Xbox Live

Microsoft is dead serious about trying to turn the Xbox 360 into a digital distribution wonder machine. So serious in fact that they’ve signed a deal with a production company to produce original shows exclusively for their system. The Safran Company is owned by Peter Safran (producer of “Meet the Spartans”) and represents clients such as actor and writer Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”), filmmakers Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (“Epic Movie”), and Sean “P. Diddy Puff Daddy” Combs. Yes, that’s truly a dream team of filmmakers they’ve got behind them. On the plus side, Safran has said that the first round of productions will all be scripted (i.e. no reality shows) and will most likely be very genre-focused. The shows should run under ten minutes may be offered elsewhere after a timed run on the Xbox 360. Microsoft has said this is expected to be the first of many similar deals. The first round of videos should start hitting the Xbox Live Marketplace this fall.

If the videos are offered for free, they might have a shot. If they charge anything for them though, the service is probably dead in the water. With the incredible number of videos on the internet, why would anyone want to pay money for a 10-minute short? I think I guess what’s going to happen either way though: most people will download one video to check it out, watch it, not like it, and never touch the service again.

Via New York Times