Xbox Live Primetime coming springtime

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 8th 2009 at 11:22AM }

With arms raised, Xbox head Robbie Bach declared during Microsoft's CES keynote address, "This Spring we'll launch the Primetime channel on Xbox!" While the announcement didn't exactly elicit an ovation from the crowd, it does put a relative timestamp on the arrival of another, delayed piece of the NXE puzzle (we're still waiting on word about movie sharing). The Primetime channel's complete lineup remains a vague concept of "scheduled social events," but we do have 1 vs. 100 -- and its limitless chest of real prizes -- to look forward to.

The game-show-turned-game-show was briefly demoed during the keynote, ostensibly confirming 102-player support (The One versus the 100-count Mob -- plus one host). Players will be represented by their Avatars and will answer questions "about really, really recent pop-culture," according to Engadget. The demonstration asked: "In 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' who plays a character that ages in reverse?" Three potential answers were offered. Clock's ticking!

Oh-oh! We know! A. Fred Thompson! ... So where's our new car?

Tags: 1-vs-100, breakingnews, ces-2009, primetime, xbox-live, xbox-live-primetime

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Erluti @ Jan 8th 2009 11:29AM

B! B! It's B! PRESS B!
Oh gosh, don't be an idiot!!!

george @ Jan 8th 2009 11:38AM

stop yelling!!! you messed me up and I pressed A....Dammit!!!

joeybeast @ Jan 8th 2009 11:49AM

Will I get any use out of the Big Bottom Controller?

Readme @ Jan 8th 2009 12:54PM

I am a fan of Big Bottoms.

Foo @ Jan 8th 2009 2:16PM

if you sit on it then yes.

jumpshot @ Jan 8th 2009 4:32PM

I love the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXy0hZDIrmY

joeybeast @ Jan 8th 2009 7:13PM

How I use my controller is my business.

The Dark Wayne @ Jan 8th 2009 11:55AM

even on actual tv 1vs100 seems to have the easiest questions

copa @ Jan 8th 2009 11:57AM

You know, I stopped watching live TV a while ago. I prefer DVR's, gaming, and my iPod, where I can consume entertainment when it's convenient with my schedule, and that of my friends.

So some genius at Microsoft said, "Let's do scheduled entertainment, where someone externally sets the time that you can play the game, and we can hit you with current, contextual ads!"

I hope they send him off to the share a prison cell with the guy that thought PS Home would be a system seller.

Readme @ Jan 8th 2009 12:12PM

It's always fascinating to see the words of a stranger when those words could easily be my own. I, too, am disgusted by such marketing strategies (most marketing strategies, actually), but it seems the thing I hate is the very thing which makes our world go 'round. A cruel irony.

Erluti @ Jan 8th 2009 12:28PM

But it's a 100 person multiplayer game! How can you not schedule that?

aristokrat @ Jan 8th 2009 1:56PM

Well there is a pretty easy solution: don't play it. Sure this is a promotion-driven event, but they pay you for your time with the chance to win a prize. It's like a raffle where the entry fee is having to sit around for a while.

If you want some game theory, unless your time is worth less than the value of the prizes times the probability of you winning (plus the thrill/enjoyment you get from playing minus the aggravation you get from watching ads), then you shouldn't play.

Me, I'll try it out a few times because I like trivia games.

DangerMouse @ Jan 8th 2009 11:59AM

My dreams of playing as Bob Saget in a video game are closer to becoming true.

Readme @ Jan 8th 2009 12:02PM

Betcha I get to be John Stamos first.

Donald @ Jan 8th 2009 12:27PM

I made him as a Create-A-Wrestler for a Smackdown game a few weeks ago.

It's relevant since he was the commissioner of a wrestling promotion at the time.

ducttapeBigSexy @ Jan 8th 2009 1:12PM

I'd totally love to play as Bob Saget in a video game. This way, every time I die, I'd finally have a better reason for screaming "OH BOB SAGET!"

Obie @ Jan 8th 2009 1:49PM

So this is another channel that will spam the dash, cannot be opted out from and will still be visible even for region locked locations.

Great.

Farseer (GDI) @ Jan 8th 2009 2:30PM

Wow... your NXE hatred even made it to your avatar...

Obie @ Jan 8th 2009 2:38PM

NXE is fine, it's the spammy stuff that bothers me.

Farseer (GDI) @ Jan 8th 2009 2:50PM

I agree - I wish that I could disable the "spotlight" menu, or at least choose to have the system start on a different menu.

Obie @ Jan 8th 2009 2:59PM

Yeah having my xbox boot up to a frickin' cherry soda ad, fuckin' pisses me off.

Farseer (GDI) @ Jan 8th 2009 3:25PM

Thus the angry avatar. :)

Deck @ Jan 8th 2009 2:12PM

I realize they are trying to make it a "Home entertainment console" in many ways instead of the a hardcore gamer console like it is. Netflix has done a lot to make their image more in line with their goal.

This however just doesn't do it for me. Its attempting to cater to an audience that I do not believe (for the most part) really exists on the console.

Plus with such little information about it, it really feels rather "bleh".