Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) plans to offer streaming digital content and original programming in its bid to capture the living room. In addition to a Halo series produced by Stephen Spielberg, rumors have been circling since April that the company may seek to resurrect NBC’s superhero drama “Heroes” in an attempt to mimic Netflix’s success with the resurrection of “Arrested Development.” This wouldn’t be Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s first foray into original content, either; the company offered a few exclusives on MSN during the 90’s and developed a program starring Craig Robinson as part of a deal with “The Office” producer Reveille. None of its previous efforts were major hits, however, so it remains to be seen whether Microsoft can succeed with its latest content ventures.
Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) has been a bit more coy about its plans to bring original content to the PlayStation 4, though the company did announce that it was planning to offer new original content from Sony Pictures Entertainment through the console. The content will supposedly be “tailored for gamers,” though this could range from game-inspired projects similar to Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) Pictures’ Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children to gaming-themed talk shows and competitions. Provided that it keeps this focus on gaming, it’s unlikely that Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)’s programming will overlap significantly with that which is offered by Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX).
Conclusion
Netflix provides a service that has to constantly evolve in order to draw in new subscriptions. With some of its original programming ventures costing $100 million or more to produce, the company has to rely on more than just big-name actors and producers to lure those subscribers with. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) Max has the potential to make the service more fun to use, allowing users to enjoy Netflix itself and not just the entertainment options that it provides. If the new feature succeeds, the company could receive a boost as more users start discovering some of the hidden gems buried in the Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) streaming library.
John Casteele owns shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft, and Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX).
The article Will Netflix Max out its User Experience? originally appeared on Fool.com.
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