There's a new member of the "Not Ready for Primetime Players": The Xbox 360.
Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) has delayed the launch of "Xbox Live Primetime," its programmed series of interactive games with real-world prizes, until the spring. Microsoft managers say the delay is necessary in order to ensure a smooth launch of the system's new user interface (or, if you prefer the terminology of Microsoft's PR department, the "new Xbox experience").
That's too bad. Xbox Live Primetime is a provocative concept and could represent the gaming industry's first serious foray into the turf dominated by TV. By waiting until the spring, Microsoft's offering will likely go up against a more compelling lineup of television shows--and put its chances of instant success at risk.
The Xbox's new dashboard is scheduled to launch Nov. 19 and will mark Microsoft's biggest grab yet for a mainstream audience. In addition to making new content easier to find, the upgrade will allow Xbox 360 owners to customize avatars that can be shared among friends as well as stream movies from Netflix (nasdaq: NFLX - news - people ) through their system.
But this relaunch was supposed to be even bigger.
When it was announced in July at E3, "Xbox Live Primetime" was described as a major component of the Xbox relaunch. Virtual game shows, which would only be playable at regularly scheduled times, would let members of the Xbox Live community members compete against one another for physical prizes rather than virtual ones (like digital trophies or gamer points).
The first show that was slated to debut on the service was an online version of "1 vs. 100."
The Microsoft approach certainly sounded bold: TV networks are already flailing, losing viewers to online games, the Internet or even just cable television. "We believe this is the natural extension of games on the 360," Shane Kim, vice president of strategy and business development for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment business, told me immediately following the unveiling of the new dashboard.
The engineering challenges proved formidable--perhaps even more than the company anticipated. Because the relaunch of Xbox Live is the biggest gaming project the company has undertaken since getting the 360 onto store shelves, things have slipped. Rather than postponing the launch until next year, when all touted features will be ready, the company has opted to cut. (Microsoft said recently that it would delay launching the feature that would allow members in different locations to simultaneously watch a streaming Netflix movie together.)
Aaron Greenberg, group marketing manager for Microsoft, said the company is still very dedicated to the concept of Primetime and continues to work on it. And, to be honest, the Redmond, Wash., team could find a way to make the delay a good move ultimately. If nothing else, the company will have more time to polish "Primetime" and possibly launch with games beyond "1 vs. 100."
Yet the weakness of the fall television season had left the TV networks particularly vulnerable. Many returning "new" shows, such as ABC's Pushing Daisies and NBC's Life--which had good momentum last year before the writer's strike--have seen viewership fall off considerably this season. Bored viewers might have been especially tempted to give Microsoft's offering a try.
NBC had adequate--though not breakout--results for "1 vs. 100" when it was airing regularly. The promise of known properties (where rules don't have to be explained at length) and prizes that have real value might have helped "Primetime" win over an audience that had had enough of Gary Unmarried and Knight Rider.
When the new year dawns, however, television's big guns, including 24, Lost" and the American Idol juggernaut, will return. That potentially puts "Primetime" up against a sweeps period, when networks work even harder to woo audiences (and viewership spikes).
And if Microsoft thought it was hard to break people of their day-to-day couch surfing habits, just wait until it goes toe-to-toe with Simon Cowell.
The new Dashboard is commonly referred to as "The New Xbox Experience". Live Primetime is but one of the many new features promised in it.
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