Xbox teams with MySpace and Channel 4 for TV show

Microsoft has told MCV that its 360 marketing will get ‘louder and louder’ over the next month, culminating in a partnership with MySpace and Channel 4 to host a special prime-time music show airing on TV at Christmas.

Xbox Presents Campfire Sessions will be supported by the
social networking site and 4 Music, and is to be filmed in mid-December featuring a selection of 2008’s headline music acts.

A competition will offer a select number of Xbox owners the chance to attend the filming, with the final show getting a Channel 4 airing on December 28th at 10pm.

The partnership is just one part of Microsoft’s ongoing bid to crank up the message that the Xbox 360 is a music and movies devices as well as a games one, and is an
extension of Microsoft’s wide-reaching ‘Live Your Moment’ TV campaign.

With the New Xbox Experience we’re not only creating a more intuitive experience with a very rich set of features for core gamers, but also drawing in lots of options when it comes to movies and music,” Microsoft’s head of gaming and entertainment Stephen McGill told MCV.

We’re proving that we still have games for gamers, such as Gears of War 2 and
Fable II – but also changing people’s perceptions, and proving that Xbox 360 makes a great present for friends or for family.”

The partnership is also a key example of how important TV ads have become to the games industry, he added: TV has become really significant for us. People are staying in more rather than going out given the current climate, which makes TV and radio a great medium to reach people.”