XBL Video Store skewing substantially to HD

The UK's Xbox Live Video Store, launched last December, has been performing "above expectations" since then, and Microsoft internal indications are that the high definition content on offer is more popular than the standard definition content.

That's according to the UK Xbox Live marketing manager, Robin Burrowes, talking to GamesIndustry.biz in an interview today.

"It's been performing very well indeed. We're just two months into the life cycle from a UK point of view, and from indicators we're already beginning to receive, firstly we're performing above expectations, secondly we're very much skewing towards HD content - which is something we thought would happen, but we're actually surprised by the extent of it - and thirdly we're very much veering towards the newer of the titles that we've had on board so far," he explained.

"Titles like 300, Ocean's 13, TMNT and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - they've done particularly well in terms of amounts of downloads."

Additionally the company's launch partner for the film content, Warner Bros, is said to be pleased with the performance so far - something which he hopes will be boosted with the announcement made yesterday that Paramount is also now on board.

Burrowes believes that the company has hit the nail on the head in terms of price points, and stated that while Microsoft would like to look at offering additional rental options in the future, he believed that the existing format was working well.

However, when asked about the possibility of offering full priced games for download via Xbox Live, he was quick to answer: "No, no plans."

Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Store is generally seen as a potential alternative to the Blu-ray vs HD DVD war that ended this morning, and while the company plays down talk of a pure digital distribution future, increasing broadband speeds could bring it a step closer to reality.

The full interview with Robin Burrowes is available on GamesIndustry.biz now.