Microsoft goes Hollywood

When Netflix took home an Emmy this year for their political thriller “House of Cards,” new floodgates opened in Hollywood. The win was the first ever for an online streaming service.

Companies such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have long provided a venue for other people’s movies and television shows. Recently, these techies have dived into creating their own programming—and, perhaps to the entertainment establishment’s discomfort—they’ve proven pretty good at it.

Now Microsoft is joining the conversation.

At a conference this morning, Nancy Tellem, the president of Xbox Entertainment Studios, announced the stuff you’ll soon be able to watch via your Xbox One.

“We're looking for things that are smart, disruptive, a little noisy and captivating," Tellem, who ran CBS Television Studios for years before joining the Xbox team, claimed.

These “things” include “Humans,” a co-production with the UK’s Channel 4, coming in May of next year. It also includes a digital “Halo” movie that is slated to come out sometime later this year.

Most exciting, though, is another work in the “Halo” canon. Tellem teased reporters and fans

with tidbits of information about a live-action film version of “Halo,” with Steven Spielberg as executive producer.

XES is being very brazen about chasing youth.

"Figuring out what shows will work, what resonates with your audience, is really challenged," said Tellem. "As you can see from the breadth of the content that we're producing, we'll get a better idea once it's up about what's working and what isn't working."

Microsoft knows its Xbox audience and is catering to young men.

"There's certainly a lot of programming that appeals to young people, and young men in particular, that plays down to that audience and can be sort of base and obvious," said XES executive vice president Jordan Levin at the presentation. "Hopefully we can find a balance where this audience feels like we're…thinking about issues they're interested in."

Tellem sees Xbox One as a go-to entertainment destination for the young.

“What we’re interested in is giving subscribers a reason to stay on our platform,” Tellem continued. “We’re really focused on the fans of the Xbox, the millennials…many of whom are not subscribing to cable and use a console as their entertainment device.”

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