CES 09: MS solidifies Primetime's launch this Spring

by Dustin Burg { Jan 7th 2009 at 11:00PM }

More Xbox 360 news coming from CES, Microsoft has just announced that the long delayed New Xbox Experience feature Primetime will be releasing to the masses sometime this Spring. Microsoft's Robbie Bach demoed Primetime on stage, showing off Primetime's gameshow 1 vs. 100 all while showing what the experience will look and feel like. Primetime is the live, social and fully interactive Xbox Live channel that lets the community come together, play games and win prizes.

Tags: new-xbox-experience, nxe, primetime, xbox-live

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Aero @ Jan 7th 2009 11:15PM

They really trust the users of Xbox Live with live voice chat while loads of people are either playing or watching the 'show'?

This can only end well!

514-islander @ Jan 7th 2009 11:22PM

wonder how much interaction this one can add.. not just another thing to eat up points!!!

Deck @ Jan 7th 2009 11:34PM

So what is this...a "Home" without a virtual space? Is anyone actually going to use "Primetime"? (Not that Home is any good either)

Seems like a waste of time to me.

Jcarpio @ Jan 8th 2009 12:25AM

Then i guess it isn't for you. Everyone has different tastes in entertainment.

Blue @ Jan 8th 2009 12:50AM

Yes, actually I am really excited about it! It was one of the reasons I bought a 360 this xmas.

Serio @ Jan 8th 2009 4:49AM

Primetime has games, Home doesn't. Sadly, this is 99% likely to be exclusive to the America's, while Europe once more gets left face down in the water.

Oddly enough, i'm not really bothered by that.

Perno @ Jan 7th 2009 11:47PM

i think it sounds cool. I can see my wife and I playing Primetime together. Or if we have people over. Keep in mind this is more for casual gamers than the hardcore and I hope they pull it off with flying colors.

Call me crazy, but if it works well tons of wives will let their husbands finally get a 360 just to play this. This sounds like the Scene It games, but has the potential to be much more.

offday @ Jan 8th 2009 12:09AM

Surprise. More stuff for the casual gamer.

Jcarpio @ Jan 8th 2009 12:26AM

heaven forbid you tap the casual game market. I mean there is no money to be made there.

Blue @ Jan 8th 2009 12:52AM

Surprise, companies want to cater to a s wide of an audience as possible. Don't worry, there will surely be more fps, sports, and driving games for you.

DiscoGhost @ Jan 8th 2009 8:31AM

Lucky for us "too much stuff for casual gamers and nothing for the hardcore" isn't the 360's problem...at all.

I'm really excited for Primetime and have been since it was first mentioned as a feature of the NXE. But then again I'm a rounded gamer, from gears to sins of a solar empire to cranium to game shows.

MCycle07 @ Jan 8th 2009 12:34AM

I'm really excited for this because we watch a lot of trivia game shows at my house. It'll be great to actually compete.

DarkNightRJ @ Jan 8th 2009 12:37AM

I am not fully understanding what this is. Do you have to buy 1 vs 100? is that the only game that it relates to?

MrMuggs @ Jan 8th 2009 2:46AM

I'm a hardcore gamer and this sounds like a lot of fun. Not just with my wife and friends but other gamers on Live that I play other games with will want to meet up and compete in these games like 1 vs 100 and Trivia.

Wibblewobbles @ Jan 8th 2009 3:40AM

Any idea if this will be pushed out worldwide/in Live regions? Or is this yet another feature that makes me wish I lived in the US? Another feature that makes signing up to a Gold Subscription less worthwhile in any place other than the US?

Speaking of which, do you think this will be a Gold Subscriber only feature?

robotoid @ Jan 8th 2009 3:56PM

exactly :(

d3athcr4ft @ Jan 11th 2009 5:54PM

Hopefully we see a fix for all the areas in the campaign where you can get stuck.. like at the end of the boat level.. Matchmaking has been fine for me since the last patch though -- relatively quick to get into a game, no lag whatsoever.

Harrison @ Jan 8th 2009 5:01AM

Please let You Don't Know Jack be a Primetime game.

DiscoGhost @ Jan 8th 2009 8:28AM

That would be phenomenal...i remember crowding around the keyboard to play that game 8-10 years ago...

d3athcr4ft @ Jan 11th 2009 6:00PM

Yeah I loved YDKJ! It's actually available now as a free web-based game at youdontknowjack.com.

millo @ Jan 8th 2009 5:09AM

it actually looks good. microsoft is hiring for xbox here..
http://www.jobstaxi.com/viewjob.php?jobid=109335

Drew @ Jan 8th 2009 9:14AM

Quit pimping that damn site.

bleachedsmiles @ Jan 8th 2009 5:24AM

this should be available for gold users for free.. but it really wouldnt surprise me if they try and charge us for it.

If its kept free then they best bring it to the UK.. its a joke at just how much MS denie us, yet charge us twice that that they set the american RRP at. Netflix i can understand as theres licencing problems.. but even things like IGN insider get denied to the UK..theres little reason for that other than MS couldnt give a shit about any nation outside America, and stupidly Japan.

And give us a damn regional filter already.. i'm tied of having all my games host dominated by america and having the lack of UK community and poor connections because of that.

RedSonRising @ Jan 8th 2009 5:54AM

im really looking forward to primetime. i cant wait to have something fun to do with my avatar.. i wish m$ had planned better and updated more xbla titles with avatar support before the NXE debuted.

casual gamers have very different and sometimes higher expectations than the HC crowd.. they wont stick around if things are not ready today; sink or swim, m$ has to perform on command or there wont be a tomorrow to cash in..

UK31337 @ Jan 8th 2009 7:02AM

Sigh... more US-exclusive shiny bloatware. If this even appears in Canada or Europe at all it'll be laughably gimped.

Move along.

exiled360 @ Jan 8th 2009 7:46AM

sweet

FuzzFace @ Jan 8th 2009 8:31AM

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/16103/17127/microsoft-live-primetime-service-announced.phtml

the above says that primetime will be available in North America, France ,Germany, and the U.K at time of launch, this is pre nxe news but i would think still applies.

SadisticHam @ Jan 8th 2009 9:08AM

I think a few people owe big bad Microsoft an apology now. :P

Serio @ Jan 8th 2009 9:42AM

I think it's only logic if they spread it to the rest of North Europe over time, since both political and economically is alot like the UK. It'll be interesting to see.

It's a good thing to see Microsoft keeping their promise, though.

Wibblewobbles @ Jan 8th 2009 9:40PM

No Australia love? :( Awww

Australia is always over looked! Even Scene It: Box Office Smash isn't here yet! And it was developed by Krome... an Australian based developer (I think)!

kinetic @ Jan 8th 2009 10:06AM

MS need to get it act together and finish rolling out promised features before trying to add more.

Im still waiting for TV on my xbox like promised 2 years ago now.

Graeme Q @ Jan 8th 2009 10:15AM

Yep, me too. Europe got overlooked again.
(Well, in the UK its actually the BBC's fault and also the governments for requiring a TV license)

Graeme Q @ Jan 8th 2009 10:18AM

Yeah, me too. Europe overlooked again.

I know in the UK, its not MS's fault though as the silly government still requires a TV license and therefore Xbox as a TV player is a can of worms. (same applies to watching TV on a computer but its hard to deal with therefore nothing gets done)

UK31337 @ Jan 8th 2009 12:08PM

Actually, you don't need a TV licence if you're using on-demand services. You only need a TV licence if you're watching or recording TV signals as they are being broadcast.

You don't need a licence for the iPlayer, for example.

KineticOnline @ Jan 8th 2009 12:17PM

From the BBC Website

"Do I need a licence?

The law says that anyone who uses a TV, or any other device, to receive TV signals, must buy a licence.

This includes video recorders, set-top boxes and DVD recorders.

You will also need a licence if you use your computer to watch live broadcasts"

Therefore downloadable (video marketplace - if they ever get around to it) and on demand shows wouldnt need a TV licence but the streaming TV channels (which is what they showed in the demo) would require a TV licence.

BUT! and its a big but.. the TV Licence has nothing to do with MS, they and the program providers dont need to check if we have a licence or not, its nothing to do with them directly and so is really a non issue

Graeme Q @ Jan 8th 2009 10:19AM

Why does my first post never appear and I have to double post every single time.

Only occurs when replying....

Erich @ Jan 8th 2009 12:20PM

Dig the concept, but how do they expect to keep at-home players honest? The only way anyone would get an answer wrong is if they forgot they had a computer and that it can Google things.

robotoid @ Jan 8th 2009 4:00PM

I don't understand something. Is it gonna be like just ONE show with a very limited number of players/contestants?, since it'll have a "live host" and all. Or are there gonna be like as many shows at the same time so you can always find a group to join and play?

Ryan @ Jan 8th 2009 5:41PM

haha, i just got an email from microsoft saying I was suspended for live for violation of the codes of conduct or whatever. I guess thats what happens when you make complete ass of your self on xbox live and have 96% avoided and 4% preferred as your rep.