Xbox is setting up a new entertainment division, titled XP, which will focus on broadening the studio’s biggest franchises beyond video games themselves, such as movies, TV, merchandise, and live experiences.
Announced via a post on Xbox Wire, XP, which stems from the gaming term “Experience Points”, will be a new Xbox division headed by Lucasfilm veteran Kayleen Walters, who was previously president of Minecraft studio Mojang. Spanning film and television, consumer products, strategic partnerships, and live experiences, XP’s core mission is to help Xbox franchises “reach more people, create deeper connections with players and new fans, and unlock new opportunities for these fandoms to grow around the world”.
XP will also bring together four key investment areas – Xbox Pictures, Xbox Products, Xbox Partnerships, and Xbox Places – which will handle film and television adaptations, licensing and merchandise, sponsors and brand partners, and in-person events, theme parks, and other location-based experiences, respectively. The new division will centralise efforts around these ventures, but it will not be a production company, instead serving as the bridge between Xbox and potential partners.
Xbox had previously tried something similar back in 2012, when the studio debuted Xbox Entertainment Studios with the goals of producing TV shows which would air directly on Xbox consoles. Plans were made to develop shows based on Halo, Gears of War, and Forza, although these would later fall through two years later when Xbox Entertainment Studios shut down due to the firing of president Nancy Tellem and executive vice president Jordan Levin.
XP, on the other hand, might not face the same hurdles, as it is meant to co-exist with Xbox and Microsoft’s main gaming endeavours. The studio has already seen success when it comes to its non-gaming projects, such as Warner Bros’ A Minecraft Movie and Amazon’s Fallout TV series, alongside various live experiences and merchandise collaborations such as Blizzard’s BlizzCon or IKEA’s recent Xbox furniture launch, so having a new division to handle such non-gaming efforts will certainly make things easier to manage.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
