Microsoft scrapped their television programming department back in July, which was going to be a service which delivered content to the Xbox Live mostly on the Xbox One. The department, known as Xbox Entertainment Studios, was to focus on bringing original programs to Xbox Live.
The Hollywood Reporter has now claimed that the studio is up for sale, and that Warner Bros. is apparently first in line to scoop up Microsoft’s studio.
Allegedly, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, Warner will most likely merge XES with the Machinima brand, where shows made with in game content have been available for years now.
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A Warner spokesperson, however, stated that it was a mere matter of simple talks between the two companies, not anything close to plans for a merger.
“a conversation is just that – a conversation.”
XES closed in July as part of massive cost cutting layoffs within Microsoft, as money saving has now become imperative for the massive company, who now has more competitors than ever before. Around 18,000 lost their jobs.
The studio was originally launched as a rival to streaming services such as Netflix, and in 2012 at least, seemed like it was to be around for the long haul. Original programming for the moment is in limbo, although, again in 2012, Nancy Tellem, the head of the studio at the time, made promises to complete programming already in production.
This includes the long awaited, scarcely spoken of, live-action Halo series produced by Steven Spielberg, which has been on the cards ever since Halo 3 arrived. It’s been a long time coming, but now this may mean the end of that particular offering.
Whether the studio will return is all up in the air, but what we do know is that the upcoming Master Chief Collection will include a Halo TV series, this time with Ridley Scott on board. This may be the previously mentioned SPielberg series finally making it to the light of day. Alternatively it could be something completely different.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Via: Techradar UK