MS Delays Casual-centric Xbox Live Primetime

Xbox Live Primetime, the game show-centric channel set to debut with the New Xbox Experience--Microsoft's software overhaul of the Xbox 360--has been delayed until the spring.

The project, which was announced alongside the New Xbox Experience back at E3, was shelved to assure a smooth launch of the dashboard update coming November 19, according to Chris Morris at Forbes.

"Because the relaunch of Xbox Live is the biggest gaming project the company has undertaken since getting the 360 onto store shelves, things have slipped," explained Morris after talking to Microsoft reps about the situation.

"That's too bad," lamented Morris. "Xbox Live Primetime is a provocative concept and could represent the gaming industry's first serious foray into the turf dominated by TV." The channel is set to feature online versions of popular game shows only playable at certain times--presumably, weekday evenings--with the possibility of winning physical prizes.

Primetime isn't the first feature cut in order for Microsoft to make its self-set deadline. Last week, streaming movie sharing was also dropped from the launch and promised only as "coming soon."