12 years after Xbox One’s ‘all-in-one’ vision, Microsoft will no longer sell films or TV shows
No refunds will be offered for previously purchased content
Microsoft has abruptly ceased selling digital films and TV on its Xbox and PC stores.
The change happened on July 18, when Microsoft confirmed that it will no longer sell movies or TV, and that no refunds would be available for any previously purchased content.
Microsoft has claimed that already purchased shows will be able to be redownloaded going forward.
A statement on the Microsoft support site reads: “Microsoft no longer offers new entertainment content for purchase, including movies and TV shows, on Microsoft.com, Microsoft Store on Windows, and the Microsoft Store on Xbox. However, you can continue to access your purchased content in the Movies & TV app on Xbox or Windows device.”
This move seemingly marks a complete shift away from offering video content, 12 years after the disastrous Xbox One launch, which positioned the console as an “all-in-one home entertainment device”.
Xbox One’s reveal event focused almost entirely on television content, in fact – something that current gaming boss Phil Spencer has since said, with hindsight, he would’ve changed.
“If you go back and watch [the reveal], what you’ll see is an event that was very much focused on Xbox as a TV platform,” Spencer said in 2019. “We showed things like The Price is Right, for instance. In fact, I think the first piece of content that we ever showed on an Xbox One was a TV show.”
The Microsoft support site now recommends that customers use third-party services available on the Microsoft Store, such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and more. Microsoft has not announced what has sparked the change.
Microsoft announced sweeping layoffs earlier this month, which could result in over 9,000 staff members losing their jobs.
In the company’s gaming sector, the troubled reboot of Perfect Dark has been cancelled, and The Initiative has been closed. Rare’s Everwild has also been cancelled, and several senior developers have left the historic studio.
ZeniMax Online Studios boss Matt Firor has also announced that he is leaving the studio amid the cancellation of Project Blackbird, a long-in-development project at the studio.
