Microsoft's Xbox Takes on the Television Networks

It took a little longer than expected, but Microsoft is finally ready to pit the Xbox 360 up against the major television networks.

Xbox Live Primetime, a scheduled series of interactive games that represents the video game industry’s first serious foray into the turf dominated by TV, will begin its slow-paced launch this week.

Canada will get the first open beta of the service, beginning May 8. U.S. subscribers will have to wait a bit longer, though. Microsoft , which originally planned to begin PrimeTime last November, has still not unveiled a domestic launch date for the game.

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The concept’s first offering—"1 vs. 100"—is modeled after the game show of the same name, which aired on NBC. "1 vs. 100" will air two live two-hour episodes per week. The game will be free to Xbox Live "gold" subscribers.

Source: Microsoft 1 vs. 100

Initially, Microsoft plans to air the live episodes on Friday and Saturday, when Xbox Live usage is at its peak. (Thirty-minute "extended play" sessions, which will be formatted differently and are meant more as practice rounds for players, will air at other times throughout the week.)

Contestants will answer a series of trivia questions in an effort to win codes for downloadable games or credits to download other content. That’s different than the “real world” prizes Microsoft touted when it unveiled PrimeTime in 2008, but company spokespersons say non-game prizes will be available in a separate sweepstakes after the game has begun.

"1 vs. 100" is a move in a new direction for the video game industry. Historically, game consoles have competed with each other for audience. With this launch, though, Microsoft is firing a shot across the bow of the country’s most firmly established entertainment medium.

It’s not a fight they’ll win anytime soon.

A single episode of Fox’s “American Idol” can draw crowds of nearly 25 million people in the U.S. Basic cable’s top draw (usually programming from WWE ) draws between 5 million and 6 million.

As of January, Microsoft had sold just 28 million Xbox 360s worldwide. And not all regions of the world will have the chance to play "1 vs. 100".

The launch, however, marks a shift from a passive competitor to an active one. TV executives have always dealt with the threat that viewers might play a game instead of watching a show, but they’ve never had a game company directly target specific programs.

The similarities between the "1 vs. 100," the game, and a traditional television program are extensive. Beyond the game’s scheduled time, "1 vs. 100" will be produced in seasons—each lasting 13 weeks. The game has a live host who interacts with players. And specially themed episodes—including questions on that week’s news events and a battle of the sexes—could resemble TV’s sweeps periods.

Most intriguingly, the game will have sponsors and commercial breaks. Sprint Nextel and Honda have signed on as launch partners for the game. Beyond low-key mentions (i.e., the game is played in the Sprint Theater), both will air video ads throughout the game.

The live two-hour game will feature seven minutes of commercials, while the 30-minute episodes will have 3 minutes of ads.

Source: Microsoft 1 vs. 100

Rather than the game screeching to a halt during commercial breaks, though, players will be able to check their statistics and chat with friends as the ads air.

“I wanted to ensure that when we go to a commercial break, you can still interact and still have that social experience,” says Jeanie DuMont, senior product planner for Microsoft Advertising. “We wanted to take this beyond the current in-game advertising model.”

DuMont declined to detail what Sprint and Honda paid for the sponsorships, saying only that “typically speaking, these are in the six- to seven-figure range.”

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While the TV show is formatted to only allow 101 people to play, the game expects thousands of simultaneous players. While only 101 will compete for prizes per round, the game should get in between 10-15 rounds per live episode. Players who are neither “the one” nor the 100 will still be able to answer questions and increase their chances of being among the 101 in the next round.

Source: Microsoft 1 vs. 100

The launch of Xbox Live PrimeTime is meant to do more than challenge the networks, of course. It’s meant to attract new Xbox users, who may not have considered purchasing the console previously.

Analysts say the timing couldn’t be better.

“Microsoft is pretty saturated in terms of capturing the hardcore or enthusiast gamer in the U.S.,” says Billy Pidgeon, an analyst with Game Changer Research. “It’s definitely wise for them to spread out to a wider audience ... I think this helps Microsoft establish more of a mainstream base. It will help them get into that Nintendo area of the population.”

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