You can use your XBox to play games on your television set. And you can use your XBox to purchase, rent and watch movies and television shows on your set. But what if you could combine video games with watching your favorite show?
That’s what Microsoft is trying to do with the latest add-on for XBox users. According to the Hollywood Reporter, XBox LIve Primetime will launch later this year, featuring an interactive version of the popular Endemol TV game-show format “1 vs. 100” that will air Friday and Saturday nights in North America.
Manuel Bronstein, director of Primetime’s “100,” said expectations are for as many as 200,000 Xbox Live Gold members to play either the live versions of the game on Fridays and Saturdays or quick-play versions on other days of the week.
The new show could launch in the next six weeks according executives at Microsoft and the new program has already lined up corporate sponsor support from Honda and Sprint.
Microsoft also will have a sweepstakes tied to the show, giving Xbox Live members the chance to win home theater systems and other goods.
Microsoft is strategically positioning “100” as a small-screen, family-friendly alternative by launching during the summer — traditionally the slowest time for television — and on weekend nights, when lower viewer levels are the norm.
“We definitely started this with the big picture in mind and the belief that there’s this crossover between TV and gaming,” Bronstein said. “We feel we can provide a very compelling experience by bringing the high production values, the scheduling and the anticipation that happens around TV and combine that with the stickiness and social interaction that happens with gaming.”
The idea is great, but as a hardcore gamer I’d see it as not that great, turning my gaming box into entertaining one. It’s really getting far from being console for hardcore gamers.
I wouldn’t deny it’s cool to have to thing to make everything available, but wouldn’t that be shorten Xbox’s lifetime, specially with the hardware issues, and Microsoft plans of NOT releasing a new generation, and instead they’re going to release the next controlling system “Natal”. Finally hence the saying “dont put all your eggs in one basket”.
Cheers…