Xbox Live users are about to get a whole lot more bang for their buck, as Microsoft announces a new partnership with News Corporation at CES.
The partnership means that the media powerhouse will launch a range of apps for the Xbox 360, bringing all kinds of content to the console.
News Corporation will launch several apps giving users access to TV shows, news programmes and video content from the likes of Fox and the Wall Street Journal.
Apps for Xbox 360 Gold members
The apps will only be available for users who have an Xbox Live Gold subscription package, which costs £39.99.
But before all you Xbox Live Gold members get too excited, the content will only be available for those who already have some kind of cable or satellite TV package.
So if you’re an Xbox Live Gold member, and you have something like a Sky or Virgin Media TV package, get ready for access to a load of News Corp’s best content.
The new apps will include ones from the Fox Channel, as well as Fox News, bringing users popular TV shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, Glee and House.
News content for Xbox 360 users
And for all you news lovers out there, News Corp’s Wall Street Journal will be given its own app – WSJ Live. This will give users up to four hours of live video content every day, from all areas of the paper.
Content from the across the paper’s network of websites will be available, including Dow Jones Newswires, Marketwatch, Smartmoney, and Barron’s. On top of this, there will also be an app for the popular gaming website IGN – which will feature reviews, videos and live streaming.
It was an exciting announcement by Microsoft, in what was an otherwise fairly uneventful showing at CES by the American computer giant.
Having said that, we did get one other juicy morsel of information. In its keynote speech at CES, Microsoft announced it will be bringing Kinect to Windows laptops and PCs later this year – something which we can’t wait for.
