Microsoft: The Fun Starts on Xbox Live Primetime Beginning Spring 2009

Microsoft confirmed that it would debut Xbox Live Primetime in the spring of this year, at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (CES 2009). The company’s President of the Entertainment & Devices Division, Robbie Bach, previewed the interactive entertainment genre on stage at CES 2009 via the show 1 versus 100. Bach described 1 versus 100 as a “live game show, where Xbox Live members can play online against others.”

“This spring we will launch something called Primetime, which is a channel on Xbox. And the idea behind Primetime is to create scheduled programming, so that you can go at a specific time, find friends, and experience live events,” Bach added.

Via the Xbox LIVE Primetime channel, Microsoft is attempting to offer members of the Xbox LIVE community a single channel blending together TV and gaming. In this regard, the company's focus is to kick up a notch the level of interactive entertainment available to Xbox 360 owners via Xbox LIVE.

The confirmation that Xbox Live Primetime will premiere in spring 2009 comes on the heels of Microsoft announcing record sales for the Xbox 360 consoles. Earlier this week, the software giant indicated that sales of the Xbox 360 had jumped past 28 million units. Keeping up the pace with Xbox 360 console sales, the Xbox LIVE community has also exploded, currently accounting for over 17 million members.

“Not only is Xbox 360 one of the world’s leading next-generation gaming consoles, but with partners like Netflix, it is one of the world’s leading entertainment devices, period,” Bach declared. “With 28 million consoles sold worldwide, an active online community of 17 million members, and more than $1 billion spent on Xbox LIVE since the launch of the Xbox 360, it’s clear that consumer demand for these great entertainment experiences has never been higher. We’re only beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible with Xbox.”