Web content on Xbox Live not a Microsoft priority

by Richard Mitchell { Sep 21st 2009 at 2:20PM }

Speaking to Business Week, Microsoft's general manager of global content acquisition and strategy, Ross Honey, painted a somewhat bleak picture for web content on Xbox Live. While The Guild has managed to succeed on Microsoft's platform, it has done so via a sponsorship deal with Sprint. Apparently, finding a different way to monetize a web series -- like inserting ads into programming -- is generally more trouble than it's worth.

Furthermore, Honey tells Business Week that it's important that Microsoft finds content that will "move the needle" -- in other words, content that will appeal to the Xbox audience. Honey pointed out that "gamers love watching things about gaming," noting that the World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero inspired South Park episodes are the most popular shows on Xbox Live.

Failing that, you could always make your web series about Halo.

Tags: microsoft, the-guild, web-content, web-series, xbox-live

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Shmil @ Sep 21st 2009 2:24PM

Gamers like watching things about gaming? pish posh.

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 2:25PM

Lately I've spotted several posts posted at "{{X} minutes ago}". Am I privileged? Are posts from the future traveling in time just to see me?

Obie @ Sep 21st 2009 2:27PM

I just watched "The Guild" for the first time last week, I have to say it's a great little show.

Obie @ Sep 21st 2009 2:33PM

I watched the first two seasons on their youtube channel, I wanted to watch season 3 on XBL, but of course it is region locked. Yet on MSN video it's not, who the hell figures this stuff out??

Louis @ Sep 21st 2009 2:27PM

How about I already pay a fee and they should be working to bring content to me to keep me happy.

Either way, my TiVo downloads the web podcasts I watch, or I can save them in iTunes and stream them to my 360.

bioadam @ Sep 21st 2009 3:10PM

It is difficult enough to explain to my wife that "I can't talk right now" because I'm watching a 3 minute show about people playing World of Warcraft on my Xbox 360 that cannot play World of Warcraft. Meanwhile, we can watch all manner of video on You-Tube using our Blu-Ray player. Maybe web video on the Xbox will be a next-next gen thing. Maybe Microsoft doesn't get it.

Colin @ Sep 21st 2009 2:38PM

Really? That's it? Better than The Guild? Wow Microsoft, I've heard of lowering standards, but to dismiss them altogether? Bold move there.

Deezul @ Sep 21st 2009 2:59PM

Good, someone else who doesn't think the Guild is the greatest show in history. As has already been said, people watch it for Felicia, not because it's a great show. She could read a phone book and some folks would watch.

Colin @ Sep 21st 2009 3:45PM

That's just it though. I don't get why people watch for her either. I mean, I wasn't introduced to her until recently, when a friend told me how attractive she is, so I did a quick wiki search, and was greeted by this picture.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Felicia_HS.jpg

So...I fail to see why anyone enjoys The Guild.

Heh @ Sep 21st 2009 2:38PM

Back before the 360 was released, weren't they saying the 360's marketplace was going to be 100% supported for user-based content? That whatever we designed, including shirts, could be bought by others and the etc. What ever happened to that idea?

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 2:42PM

Those responsible have been sacked.

Premature ejaculation man @ Sep 22nd 2009 2:12AM

Yeah, the user marketplace was one of the most awesome sounding things ever...
Instead we get non-refundable, overpriced content!

MystileArmor @ Sep 21st 2009 2:38PM

With a name like Ross Honey, you'd expect the man to "move needles" on a daily basis.

WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Sep 21st 2009 2:52PM

b-b-b-b-b-but what about my gaming-based video game parody web series that parodies games in video form?

No but seriously, I've violated too many dozens of copyrights to ever have the show monetized (unless Squeenix, Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Valve, Blizzard, and everyone else don't mind!)

Faceman @ Sep 21st 2009 2:52PM

The Guild is awesome. It's now up there with my other top fav shows including South Park. This only has partially to do with Felicia Day being a very hot redhead.

Obie @ Sep 21st 2009 3:02PM

She is adorable, now that Asian girl, Tinkerbella, she is smokin'!

Space @ Sep 21st 2009 4:15PM

I consider myself a redhead connesuir. I say she is average.

MystileArmor @ Sep 21st 2009 3:08PM

I never get the whole "I watch a show cause such and such is hot". I watch porn for the hot women, comedies to keep me entertained.

The Guild does not entertain me.

Charles @ Sep 21st 2009 3:16PM

This is more about the web on the Xbox in general, but why don't I ever see discussions about the company responsible for the most widely used web browser omitting it from their console? Every other console has some sort of web browsing feature. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't wish IE on anyone. But it is ironic that MS doesn't even trust it on their own hardware.

Larry @ Sep 21st 2009 3:27PM

It is not like Microsoft has not added new web content. They added a new show that spotlights geek girls, and they had a bunch of shorts of Truimph the Insult dog going to a music festival.

Punishment4Gluttons @ Sep 21st 2009 3:39PM

Rejected

mikewalsh19 @ Sep 21st 2009 4:14PM

I don't see what the problem is, The Guild is sponsored by a company, so they make it on XBL. Microsoft would have to foot the bill for the non-sponsored programming in terms of storage and bandwidth.

Microsoft would consider playing re-runs of the Gummi Bears cartoon if Sprint paid them to do it, but it's not worth the monetary investment for them to provide "free" programming to an audience so varied as the Xbox Live community.

Hell, the comments on this post alone shows how different peoples tastes are. It's just not worth it to Microsoft to expend the resources to only hit a small portion of the demographics they are working with.

And really... if you want to watch user created web content, or if you are upset about the lack of a web browser, go sit at your computer and surf the web. If Microsoft wants to add new features to the Xbox, great! But it's not their job to build the Xbox into anything other than what I bought it for, a gaming console.

RedSonRising @ Sep 21st 2009 4:37PM

i dont want crappy youtube videos on my xbox 360. for every good episode of 'The Guild' and 'Red vs Blue' theres 1000s of collegehumor vids that cant make me laugh once.

and Tinkerbell is definitely the hottest chick on The Guild. i hesitate to call Felicia Day hot tho: Felicia Day is attractive but i think calling her Hot is a stretch.