Xbox Entertainment Studios was a short-lived American television and movie studio based in Santa Monica, California created internally by Microsoft Studios in 2012, in order to create "interactive television content" for Xbox Live.[1]
On July 17, 2014, Microsoft confirmed that the studio would be closing.[2] On October 29, 2014, both the vice president and the president of the company departed, and the company was officially closed.[3]
History
At time of closure, Xbox Entertainment Studios was developing their first projects: a documentary about the video game crash of 1983,[4] a science-fiction drama titled Humans and a live action television series based on the Halo franchise in collaboration with film producer Steven Spielberg.[5] Future projects were to have included a remake of the BBC sci-fi series Blake's 7,[6] a reboot of the Canadian children's hospital documentary series Little Miracles, and an autobiographical series about rapper Nas.[7] The studio also intended to co-produce certain live events for Xbox Live, including future editions of the Call of Duty Championship, the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant and the VGX.[8]
Before the closure was announced, the studio released a street soccer focused reality series titled Every Street United to coincide with the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Before closing, it released the video game documentary Atari: Game Over and the series spun off from Halo.[2]
In September 2014, The Hollywood Reporter reported that AMC was in talks to acquire the rights to revive Humans and that casting was underway.[9]
Several years after its closure, it was revealed that the studio were developing additional projects before closing, such as an adult animated series based on the Conker franchise.[10]
Original programming
Xbox Entertainment Studios developed original films and series in collaboration with a variety of studios:
Series
Films
Specials
Cancelled Series
External links
References
- Dan Farber. Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Studio working on interactive TV CNET, 2013-02-11, retrieved 2013-12-20^
- Dawn Chmielewski. Microsoft to Shutter Xbox Entertainment Studios (Updated) Re/code, 17 July 2014, retrieved 17 July 2014^
- Jenna Pitcher. Xbox Entertainment Studios Reportedly Shuttered as Heads Leave IGN, October 29, 2014, retrieved October 30, 2014^
- Xbox Entertainment Studios to Debut Documentary Series Exclusively on Xbox in 2014 xbox.com, 19 December 2013^
- Michael McWhertor. Halo TV series early in development, but Microsoft expects 'dramatic impact on how people think about TV' Polygon, 2013-05-22, retrieved 2013-12-20^
- Mark Sweney. Microsoft to fund Blake's 7 remake for Xbox Live service The Guardian, 2013-08-15, retrieved 2013-12-20^
- Samit Sarkar. Report: Xbox Entertainment Studios making TV series based on Nas (update) Polygon, 11 February 2014^
- Xbox Execs Talk Momentum and the Future of TV Microsoft, 2013-02-11, retrieved 2013-12-20^
- Lesley Goldberg. AMC Lands Xbox Drama Series 'Humans' The Hollywood Reporter, 12 September 2014, retrieved 13 September 2014^
- Um desenho animado de Conker 's foi cancelado pela Microsoft em 2014, segundo ex-funcionário 9 November 2022^
- First Documentary Explores Fabled Atari Mystery Xbox Wire, December 19, 2013, retrieved February 14, 2014^
- Xbox and Bonnaroo join forces for a live festival experience Xbox Wire, February 6, 2014, retrieved February 14, 2014^
- Miss Teen USA 2014 is Miss South Carolina K. Lee Graham [Recap] August 4, 2014^
- Microsoft to fund Blake's 7 remake for Xbox Live service The Guardian, August 15, 2013, retrieved February 14, 2014^
- Um desenho animado de Conker 's foi cancelado pela Microsoft em 2014, segundo ex-funcionário 9 November 2022^
- Angela Watercutter. Steven Spielberg Working on Live-Action Halo Series for Xbox Wired, May 21, 2013, retrieved February 14, 2014^
- Xbox Entertainment Studios and UK's Channel 4 Partner on Original Drama with Kudos Xbox Wire, April 7, 2014, retrieved April 7, 2014^
- Xbox One is getting a biographical show about Nas, of course Engadget, February 11, 2014, retrieved February 14, 2014^