Microsoft is ready to try original programming for their Xbox consoles, but don't expect their shows to rival Netflix and Hulu just yet.
According to the Associated Press, Microsoft recently held a press preview of Xbox Originals at Microsoft's offices in Santa Monica, Calif. However, the company is unsure how they will offer the original programing to their Xbox customers.
"We don't necessarily know what approach will work, and we don't necessarily know what approach won't work," said Nancy Tellem, the president of Xbox Entertainment Studios, during the preview.
Tellem explained during the press preview the company could add the original shows as part of the $5-a-month Xbox Live subscription, sells the shows inviidually or give them out to their Xbox users for free. The shows will be available in an Xbox Originals app.
"Among the shows coming to Xbox this year are the street soccer docu-series "Every Street United,' which will be the first to debut in July, and the six-part tech-centric documentary series 'Signal to Noise,'" AP reports. "The first installment - 'Atari: Game Over' - chronicles this past weekend's excavation of a landfill thought to be filled with copies of Atari's infamous "E.T." game."
According to GamesBeat, Microsoft will be launching 10 major TV projects for the Xbox Originals app. Microsoft has yet to announce when the Xbox Originals are set to launch.
"Everyone has a different agenda as far as what they're trying to accomplish with original series," Tellem said in a press briefing, according to GamesBeat. "For Netflix, I think original series was a differentiator, and in the future, it may protect against other content providers who'll be more resistant. Amazon has another model. For us, our focus is on using our console and people who are subscribing to our service. Between these game announcements and releases, we offer content that will keep them engaged and on our service."
