Xbox forms XP, a new division for film, TV, merchandise and live events

[SilverRider]

Xbox has created a new division called XP to reach fans beyond the games themselves, Kotaku reports. It brings four areas together. Xbox Pictures covers film, television and other forms of linear storytelling, while Xbox Products handles fan merchandise. Xbox Places covers live events, immersive experiences, attractions, broadcasts and destinations, and Xbox Partnerships handles work with creators, brands and communities

Kayleen Walters, currently president of Mojang, will lead it. She has spent eight years on Minecraft, including as an executive producer on A Minecraft Movie, and previously worked at Lucasfilm, MGM and Universal. Maria Angelidou-Smith, formerly Reddit's chief product officer, replaces her as head of Mojang. Both report to Xbox head Asha Sharma

The slate XP will oversee is impressive. It includes the A Minecraft Movie sequel and Minecraft Squared, the Fallout TV series, an upcoming Call of Duty film and the Diablo animated series. It also includes Kojima's Physint, which Xbox picked up after Sony dropped it. That last one is a fascinating detail all on its own

XP will also run events such as BlizzCon and Minecraft Live, along with partnerships such as theme parks. Microsoft now owns a huge range of franchises after buying Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. Turning those into films, shows and attractions is the obvious way to squeeze more value out of them. Nintendo and Sony have both done very well from adaptations recently

Picking the person behind A Minecraft Movie makes sense, because that film was a huge box office hit. The Fallout series also did very well, so there is a clear track record to build on. What worries me slightly is timing. Xbox has been going through layoffs, and fans may ask why money is going into films while studios are being cut

Which Xbox franchise would you most like to see adapted next? And is Xbox right to put this much effort into film and TV?

Xbox Is Building A Film Division, And It's Putting Minecraft In The Driver's Seatkotaku.com

[Based80]

A Call of Duty film has been talked about for over a decade. Maybe this is the push it needs. War films are hard to get right, though, and the games' tone does not translate easily

I am not holding my breath. Modern Warfare's characters could carry a film, maybe