Microsoft: “Discussions” with BBC over iPlayer for 360 “going on”

By Johnny Cullen

BBC iPlayer

Xbox UK boss Stephen McGill has told EG that Microsoft is still having “discussions” with the BBC over iPlayer for 360.

“There are conversations going on,” he said ahead of Kinect’s UK and European launch today.

“The thing for us is, how do we add some magic sauce to that so that it’s different? A lot of people are watching that on their PC. How many people are going to watch it on the console unless we add something different?

“That’s one of the things we talked about when Sky came out – how we could make it more intuitive, the social side of things, party mode environments… We put those together with Sky and launched our service. So you should talk to the BBC.”

Last year, a BBC source said iPlayer for 360 was suspended indefinitely due to Microsoft wanting it to be a Gold-only service. The BBC keeps it free to everyone as part of the TV licence.

And at E3, Microsoft UK boss Neil Thompson the service wasn’t exactly on the list.

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