Microsoft inks Paramount download deal

Microsoft has unveiled a fancy deal with Paramount to offer its old and new films on the Live Video Store in the UK, kicking off with a host of movies - including Transformers - from February 19.

They will be joined over the coming weeks and throughout the rest of Spring by other existing titles and new releases from the studio, including 1408 and Naked Gun, as well as new titles from Warner Bros, with Beowulf, and The Assassination of Jesse James among them.

"We're very excited to announce this new relationship," Paramount's Alex Carlos told Eurogamer.net. "We have lots of great content that fits this demographic. We're excited about digital distribution, especially being on a platform as elegant as Xbox 360."

And Robin Burrowes, Xbox Live UK marketing manager, added in a statement: "This announcement gives our Video Store customers in the UK an even greater choice of entertainment, with a great level of HD movie quality, as always."

The Live Video Store launched in Europe last December and allows you to download films in either standard or high-definition.

Once on your hard drive you have two weeks to watch the content, and it will auto-delete 24 hours after viewing begins.

Titles will cost from 250 Microsoft Points (GBP 2.13 / EUR 3) for standard definition movies and from 380 Microsoft Points (GBP 3.23 / EUR 4.56) for high definition movies.

The full list of Paramount titles planned for release this Spring is as follows:

Transformers (SD and HD)
Goodbye Bafana (SD and HD)
Intersection (SD only)
Primal Fear (SD only)
Clear and Present Danger (SD only)
Naked Gun 2 & 1/2: The Smell of Fear (SD only)
Naked Gun 33 & 1/3 (SD only)
Top Secret! (SD only)
Bug (SD only)
Hardball (SD only)
The Phantom (SD only)
Orange County (SD only)
1408 (SD and HD)
Disturbia (SD and HD)
Hot Rod (SD and HD)
A Mighty Heart (SD and HD)
Heartbreak Kid (SD and HD)
Stardust (SD and HD)
In to the Wild (SD and HD)

Additional titles available from Warner Bros this Spring:

The Assassination of Jesse James (SD and HD)
Beowulf (SD and HD)
License to Wed (SD and HD)
No Reservations (SD and HD)
The December Boys (SD and HD)
Nancy Drew (SD and HD)