Microsoft Joins Netflix, Hulu Plus by Launching Xbox TV: Starting in June, Original Shows Include Halo, Work From Directors Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg
Starting June this year, Netfilx and Hulu Plus may have a new competitor and Xbox users will have more reasons to love their Xbox. Adding to the superb gameplay experience, the Microsoft gaming platform will launch Xbox Originals, which will feature animation, premium dramas, documentaries, live events and unscripted shows, among others. To make Microsoft's offering even edgier, the company will make sure every show includes interactive capabilities and customizable features to offer a truly unique entertainment experience available only to Xbox 360, Xbox One and other Microsoft devices.
Targeted at young male gamers, at least a dozen original television programs were promised by Microsoft. The company already has attracted several Hollywood talents to Xbox Originals, including big names such as Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg, who are separately working on different projects. Fans of the Halo franchise will be excited by the idea of a show based on their favorite game. But that's only one of the thrilling projects among the tech giant's numerous plans -- imagine television series based on video game classics dating back to the days of Atari games, to action-packed street soccer and dystopian dramas. Committed project titles include: Halo, Every Street United, Bonnaroo, Humans, Deadlands and Winterworld.
Microsoft has yet to announce a price for Xbox Originals. But if the price comes close to Netflix ($7.99/month) for unlimited streaming or the Hulu Plus premium option ($7.99/month, though there is a free to watch option available), these standard streaming options should watch out. Netflix and Hulu may still have the upper hand at the moment due to having tens of thousands of streaming options readily available, but despite the existing competitors in both the streaming and gaming platforms, Microsoft is definitely introducing a game-changer here that could potentially steal users who own an Xbox device.