Xbox downloads booming – people really want it on TV
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Written by Atila on January 9, 2008 – 3:03 pm
More and more evidence is mounting that people are figuring out how to get online or downloaded content onto their TV screens and are willing to put up with a lot to get it there. The HD “South Park” has been downloaded onto Xbox360 consoles almost 400,000 times, according to reports.
Microsoft says downloads through XBox360 game consoles are “growing by double-digits every month.” But – it’s a big but – they are complaining at the time it takes for downloads – sometimes several hours for a single movie.
Commentator Phillip Swann says the criticism is not new. He says Video Business reported in March that a XBox 360 high-def download of Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” took 10 hours and 5.7 gigabytes in system space. In addition, the download shut off after six hours. (It started up again, but what a pain).
Pain or not, they’re working hard on pushing those downloads. Video Business also reports that “Austin Powers” will be available for free as a download – with commercials. That’s more significant than it sounds. A lot of people have predicted that the iTunes pay-per-view model (also a cable TV model, of course) would have a short lifespan. The success of the Austin Powers download with commercials will be carefully watched in Cupertino, I’m sure.
