Xbox Live goes anime mad

FUNimation and Geneon commit to Xbox Live Marketplace along with Country Music Television and Logo.

Two more anime channels will be joining ADV Films, which partnered with Xbox Live Video Marketplace in March, in putting up content on XBLM for US users to download: FUNimation and Geneon Entertainment.

FUNimation will be releasing episodes from the epic adventure series Samurai 7 onto the network, along with other titles including Trinity Blood, Gunslinger Girl, and Basilisk. Geneon Entertainment will be adding games including the US HD debut of classic Akira, along with Gun Sword, Last Exile, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, and Lupin the 3rd.

Also this month, country music fans will be getting a treat on June 6, when content from Country Music Television will start to become available on Marketplace, including shows Comedy Stage, Foxworthy's Big Night Out, and Prankville.

On June 11, Logo, the MTV network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, will also be making content available, including comedies Wisecrack, and The Big Gay Sketch Show, drama Noah's Arc, and other series Curl Girls and Real Momentum Documentaries.

Meanwhile, the first June movie was Team America: World Police, launched on June 1, and later this month Dreamgirls, Letters from Iwo Jima, Shooter, Black Snake Moan, and Pan's Labyrinth will also be coming to the service.

Xbox Live Video Marketplace provides a variety of on-demand TV shows and movies to own or rent, including episodes of South Park, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the original Star Trek. It was launched in November, and is currently available only to users in the US.

226 Comments

  • goku234

    Posted Jun 9, 2007 7:19 pm PT

    Jigen78
    Akira Owns lupin the 3rd God!!!
    Akira in HD Owns!!!!
    FM Sucks!!!!!
    We Want Samurai X and Bleach and Naruto in HD Screw !!!!!
    Lupin the 3rd

  • Poshkidney

    Posted Jun 6, 2007 11:38 am PT

    if full metal alchemist come out on it i must get my self an xbox

  • Snake329

    Posted Jun 6, 2007 11:25 am PT

    XBL kicks ass.

  • blackace

    Posted Jun 6, 2007 8:59 am PT

    Where have you been? The 1st two seasons of Dragon Ball Z is already out man. The first season had like 36 episodes and the 2nd season 29 episodes. Much better then the $20 for 3-4 episodes they had previously. I've already watch both of these seasons. It's great, as it's uncut (blood, nudity) and it has dolby digital. Pick it up.

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/105-7067821-8555627?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Dragon+Ball+Z&Go.x=10&Go.y=7

    As for XBox Live's anime download. It's cool if you can download T.V. anime and watch it in HD for FREE. If would do that if it's something I couldn't find on the Net. It's just another option for people. Pay a few bucks, download a newly released movie and watch it from your XBox. ______________________________________________________
    BILLNYE6983 KiLlA1991, "ok thats good and all with the anime but wher the freak is Dragon ball z the mother o all animes...and how bout sum pokemon..lol..na but seriously"

  • TTDog

    Posted Jun 6, 2007 8:35 am PT

    @ jpfondeur

    Lets hope not, Sony have screwed Europe just as much if not more than Microsoft... $800+ dollars for the PS3, no option to buy the 20Gb version, dumped the hardware backwards compatability for crappy software emulation and there is even less on the PSNetwork than the XBLMarketplace.

  • SteadyShark

    Posted Jun 6, 2007 4:27 am PT

    @ jpfondeur

    Probably.

  • cooljojosarkar

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 10:09 pm PT

    What about the rest of the world

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 8:15 pm PT

    @SteadyShark

    Yeah, that's why, even though everyone is mocking it right now, the PS3 will probably end up dominating Europe in the end.

  • SteadyShark

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 7:30 pm PT

    I love how us in the UK pay the equvilant of nearly $80 for xbox live on top of our increased console prices to find that all we get in terms of content is a tumbleweed. Well played Microsoft, you play fair. (It's painfully obvious that almost all licensing issues could easily be resolved by the money we pump into their company).

  • jahoousa

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 6:14 pm PT

    where's the hd porn?

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 6:00 pm PT

    @MrSickVisionz

    Yeah, that makes sense, if that channel doesn't show the "flamboyant side", then I can understand, haven't seen it though, and seeing as how it belongs to MTV I assumed the worse.

  • Lightchaos

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 5:28 pm PT

    more anime for everyone!

  • MrSickVisionz

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 3:01 pm PT

    Pioneer = Geneon. They changed names a few years back.
    I need a bigger HDD though. If they make alot of anime available I can see myself buying 2-5 episodes on a weekly basis. That'll fill up multiple drives in no time.

    Hawk456... LOL @ the clown talk. Thats like saying that shopping on the internet is a scam because you've already paid for a computer and for internet service.

    "A gay channel!? I didn't know such a thing existed, aren't they just alienating themselves from everyone, isn't that counterproductive to there goals against discrimination?? Its like BET all over again"

    I'm not gay but I can tell you the logic behind it. Outside of Will on "Will and Grace" gays are portrayed as flamboyant and overly whorish. You can sit around and happily take these roles or you can do your own thing and create roles that you feel accurately portray your people. Thats why you have to segment. Once you successfully segment, mainstream media will finally see that a show can be successful without portraying your group in a negative light and you'll see real change. WIthout it, the mainstream will never give you anything but what they want to give you.

  • Fire_of_Contee

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 12:30 pm PT

    When did Geneon get the rights to Akira? last i checked that was property of Pioneer's animation division (in america at least)

  • -The_plague-

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 12:13 pm PT

    Its not that Microsoft doesn't want to bring the service to more countries, its that fact that they cant because of legal and copyright issues.

  • NandoSupes

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 11:08 am PT

    please Microsoft make this available to all Xbx live users across the globe, the more variety the better.

  • Luker123

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 10:49 am PT

    It's too bad that its not available in Canada, but I wonder if I would actually spend my points on that stuff instead of on game stuff...

  • Hawk456

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 10:40 am PT

    Not a fan of paying money (buying an XBox 360) to pay money (subscribing to XBL) to pay money (buying content through XBLVM) to watch TV shows that I already paid for (cable service). But then again... that's how a scam works, right?

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 8:50 am PT

    @ venus577

    Wow, 150...
    Not impressed, sorry.

  • venus577

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 7:13 am PT

    @ jpfondeur

    Quite a few actually, if the Gay Gamers Union is any indication.

  • Gorilla97

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 7:11 am PT

    love the xbox live service.. not a fan of spending microsoft points on movies and tv shows - that's what cable and blockbuster video is for. i'd rather save my microsoft points on a new gamer picture, theme, or live arcade game.

  • prioritymail

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 6:28 am PT

    Not a fan of this xbox live service, but im sure plenty are thrilled with this addition...

  • Reetesh

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 6:07 am PT

    Nothing beats subs though.. thats where all the fun is!

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 6:05 am PT

    Samurai 7 is a great anime. Glad more people will be exposed to it.

  • rodimus_prime85

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 5:31 am PT

    And what about UK and the rest of Europe?? We're as anime mad as America.

    C'mon M$, sort out European Live.

  • Jigen78

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 4:45 am PT

    Lupin the 3rd owns all others.
    That is all.

  • Jigen78

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 4:45 am PT

    Lupin the 3rd owns all others.
    That is all.

  • hieverybody123

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 4:21 am PT

    FUNimation!?!?! excellent! now i want to see some full metal alchemist ^_^

  • twinbladeace

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 2:37 am PT

    Where the heck is canadas?! I dont want to have to go across the border getting strip serched just to watch the next episode of 30 Rock or get a new movie. Its just annoying that there capping this part to US only.
    Bad call M$ bad call. The world loves movies to so M$ give the world there movies or the world just might start burning things down....
    -T.B.A.

  • Brad2theBone237

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 1:47 am PT

    I wish Samurai Champloo was on there..

  • Lewpy79

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 1:31 am PT

    This is Bull!! Where the hell is the Europe video marketplace?? This has been going since November in the US, but we still get left out in the cold. Microsoft gets more revenue from our Xboxlive subscriptions, but we still get treated like an afterthought. I wanna watch Team America and Pan's Labyrinth, but instead we get Robbie Williams music videos. I don't want to watch that crap. Microsoft! Fix up and sort out our video service!!

  • NeoNavarro

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 12:27 am PT

    I'm liking the direction Microsoft is taking the 360 it looks like a promising future for us 360 gamers.

  • Dreski83

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 12:23 am PT

    awwwww sh!t son!! this is nothing but good news for animation freaks like myself (who already own most of what they will provide) and Microsoft. variety is a powerful thing... look at how Sony did so well with the ps2. even with mounds of crap you can still impress the unaware with sheer mass and numbers ^_^
    I'm with ol' boy tho, if they bring all these shows and movies it would be mighty nice if they had some themes and pics to add to reasons why I hate spending money thru Xlive... i'm just saying... samurai 7 avatars, eeeeeasy money!!

  • ImSwordMan

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 10:00 pm PT

    GIMME ANIME GAMER PICS AND THEMES TO DOWNLOAD AS WELL PLEASE!!!!!

  • N15PCA

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 9:16 pm PT

    Now we just need Bandai, Manga, Central Park Media, Media Blasters and Tokyopop to jump on the X-box 360 Marketplace band wagon.

  • jackle2071

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:58 pm PT

    does that really surpise any one?

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:57 pm PT

    A gay channel!? I didn't know such a thing existed, aren't they just alienating themselves from everyone, isn't that counterproductive to there goals against discrimination?? It's like B.E.T. all over again...
    I'm not a homophobe, I just find it stupid.
    Besides, how many gay people own an x-box, I mean really...?

  • robfield

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:52 pm PT

    Yes, more Lupin

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:45 pm PT

    Juggernaut140 by full metal, do you mean Alchemist, or Panic ?? anyway, I'll assume alchemist, yeah Trigun and FMA are two of the best anime out there, and they don't follow many anime stereotypes, which is good, I suggest you check out Last Exile, you'll problably like it...

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:40 pm PT

    Those are all EXCELLENT anime, except for GunSword, which is, meh, ok.

  • dn3datomiced

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:32 pm PT

    That's a lot of good content...and the anime isn't that cookie-cutter crap, which makes me quite happy. The world needs less Inuyasha and Bleach, and more Ghost in the Shell and Hellsing.

  • BOSSMAN_2004

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:03 pm PT

    I don't like anime but I will be downloading EVERY SINGLE GAY episode!!! I think I'll wear my purple fuzzy hat and purple pj's and watch them with my partner. Now he finally has a reason to like my 360. He used to be jealous of it because I spent so much time with it late at night.

  • Juggernaut140

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 7:34 pm PT

    Well seeing as how I hate anime (except Trigun and Full Metal) this is useless to me.

  • gnbfd

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 7:24 pm PT

    what. no dragonball? Ah well I don't even have a 360

  • KillerFPS

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 7:04 pm PT

    Now if I could only download Cowboy Bebop episodes...

  • nickbakopoulos

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 6:29 pm PT

    when the hell is australia gonn aget this?

  • okassar

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 6:21 pm PT

    Wow.Xbox Live opened up to a diversity of movies,shows, and videos pretty quick.Nice job Microsoft.

  • eViL_kA

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 6:19 pm PT

    About time they added some Anime. Thanks.

  • thestickman

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 6:10 pm PT

    AWWWWW yeah.

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 5:56 pm PT

    I've never been into getting movies from the Marketplace.

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