At a media launch in Sydney yesterday, Microsoft announced the imminent release of its new Movies on Demand service. Andrew Jenkins, product manager for Xbox Live discussed how it will deliver movies directly to your TV in a way never been done before.
After a spectacular appearance by MC Hammer to launch the new Lips: Number One Hits game for Xbox, as well as the new Facebook and Twitter applications, Andrew Jenkins took some time out of his day to talk with Current.com.au about the new features available on Xbox Live and show off the upcoming Movies on Demand service.
“One of the main questions I get asked is when is the Xbox 360 going to get movies, this month we are finally delivering this awesome technology,” he said.
“We have made it really simple to deliver a library of titles as well as the latest blockbusters directly to your Xbox 360 and we have done it in a way that doesn’t require you to hook up multiple devices. We have got one device that gives you gaming, entertainment and social networking all from the comfort of your living room.”
Jenkins said that the service will have over 100 titles at launch including new release titles like Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, The Hangover and Observe and Report. Release dates will depend on the studio but he did confirm that these three titles mentioned will be released at exactly the same time as the DVD and Blu-ray editions.
“It’s really simple to use, once you have found the movie you want, you basically just select it and you are ready to go. Prices range from $4 or 240 points up to $7 or 480 points. You can then decide whether to stream or download the movie.
According to Jenkins the movies are available for 14 days once purchased, but as soon as you hit play, it will be valid for only 24 hours.
One of the features Jenkins was especially excited about was the way in which you can share the movies with your friends on Xbox Live.
“With Movies on Demand you can arrange a party and watch the same movie with friends around the world. You can even sit in a virtual cinema and see when your friends join you. You can then chat with your friends during the movie,” he said.
“This makes watching Movies on Demand a real sociable experience and keeps everybody connected.”