Thursday, March 28, 2024
Homethe tech betXbox original programming—no big risk for Microsoft

Xbox original programming—no big risk for Microsoft

Microsoft isn't taking a huge risk with its plan for original programming for millions of Xbox owners., an expert says.

Microsoft announced the plans Monday, saying Xbox Originals will release 12 new TV shows available through Xbox consoles and other Microsoft devices starting in June.

Read MoreXbox getting original programming

Microsoft is trying to enhance offerings on its Xbox live service by making it an all-in-one entertainment device.

The company says Xbox Entertainment Studios original shows aren't a departure, but rather an extension, of what Microsoft Studios has been doing for years with first-party game development.

A man uses an XBox One while waiting to buy a console from a Microsoft pop-up shop at the Time Warner Center in New York.Getty Images

In the new era of TV, Microsoft doesn't have to create a new "Mad Men" or "Game of Thrones," said John Simons, technology and media editor at The Associated Press. The idea is to appeal to an audience Microsoft already has—Xbox gamers.

"These shows are not watered down in such a way that that have to appeal to millions and millions of people. They can appeal to a niche, and viewers benefit in that they can find shows that they really like and that appeal to them," said Simons.

Simons said the biggest headwind facing Microsoft is finding Hollywood producers who can actually make good programming.

With Steven Spielberg executive producing "Halo," one of its first original TV series, it's not starting out as too big of a problem.

—By CNBC's Christina Medici Scolaro

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