Late last year when Microsoft shut down its Xbox TV production unit, it was working on a project with the UK’s Channel 4, called “Humans”. Since the closure, the production went on to AMC and they now have a hit show on their hands. The show is an English language adaptation of the Swedish science fiction TV show “Real Humans”. It was the first project purchased by the Xbox Entertainment Studio and was to be shown on Xbox devices.
As Neowin describes, the show stars Oscar winner William Hurt and follows the progress of human-like robots. They do tasks around the home of the family that purchased them. It seems like a perfect vehicle for Microsoft to develop, but they couldn’t generate enough money from the project. It was the proverbial chicken and egg problem. Microsoft intended for the show to appear on Xbox to encourage people to buy the device. But with only a limited number of them sold, Microsoft wouldn’t make enough advertising revenue to pay for the show. Reportedly it costs $1 million per episode.
It would have been great to see the show on Xbox. The show was due to incorporate interactive elements which would have enhanced the experience. But Microsoft didn’t lose out totally as it helped with the show’s advertisement. The tech giant used a Kinect to control images of robots in a store front. Have you seen the show Humans? Check out the trailer below.
