14 DAY TRIAL // Well, it looks like Microsoft is starting to learn how to get people to watch TV on their consoles, as the Redmond giant has just announced that the Xbox One is getting some original programs that might actually be of interest to gamers, kicking off this June.
The Xbox One original programs list include two Halo-related live-action projects, as well as an unscripted program focused on football, Every Street United, featuring Thierry Henry and Edgar Davids looking for prospective football stars all around the world.
The team in charge of Xbox intends to offer gamers access to a wide variety of dramas, comedies, documentaries and other programs, and they plan to also allow Xbox 360 users to enjoy them via the Xbox Live service, which might mean that other Microsoft devices such as smartphones and tablets will also be able to get them.
The news came from the Xbox Wire, where president of Xbox Entertainment Studios Nancy Tellem said that they are developing premium, original content for the Xbox community, stating that the upcoming Xbox Originals should embrace the way their fans think about traditional TV.
"I know full well from my years spent at traditional TV networks that creating a lineup of hit shows isn’t easy. It's the beginning of a long journey, but we're incredibly excited to be on our way," she added.
Aside from the list of projects that the company is already committed to, there are also some projects which are currently in development and will be featured at a later date.
The studio intends to deliver a show based on the successful Deadlands pen and paper role-playing game, offering an alternative history of the Weird West, with undead gunfighters, sorcerers, mad scientists and secret societies.
Also among the list of pending titles is Extraordinary Believers, a hybrid stop-motion show from the creators of the Emmy Award winning Robot Chicken.
Fearless is an unscripted series starring Paul de Gelder, an Australian Navy bomb clearance diver and shark attack survivor who takes on a quest to aid individuals who risk their lives in order to make the world a better place.
Gun Machine is a hard-boiled detective thriller based on a best-selling novel by Warren Ellis, about a detective tracking a serial killer tied to a mysterious collection of guns used in infamous New York murders.
Winterworld is a limited event live-action series based on Chuck Dixon's homonymic graphic novel series, following the survival efforts of the human race after the world has been entirely encased in ice. The remaining humans have banded together in tribes, fighting and enslaving one another in the hope that they'll survive the infinite winter.
Finally, a yet untitled and unique comedy format will feature Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, Tim and Eric and Reggie Watts, offering a variety half hour type of program where each week a different comedian hosts an episode showcasing fresh talent from the comedy business.