SyFy launching new series on Xbox Live

Microsoft is taking another step towards making Xbox a general entertainment unit, with a newly announced deal to offer a digital series first on its online service. SyFy Digital has produced a show called Nuclear Family, which will premiere on the 360's SyFy App two weeks before it hits any other video-on-demand services.

IGN reports that the series is about a family searching for their missing child in a post-apocalyptic setting. The family has to contend with a group led by "The Man," and will no doubt learn the cause of the mysterious explosion that led to their kid's disappearance.

Yes, it sounds kind of awful, but the cast is decent. It stars Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1), Kinsey Packard (Sleeper Cell), Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Mad Men, and Sharon Lawrence (Desperate Housewives). You could marathon through all 20 episodes on October 1 through Xbox Live, or wait until October 15 to check it out on SyFy, Hulu, VOD, and Roku. And whatever the quality of the series, it's certainly another telling sign of Microsoft's goals to turn the Xbox into a less game-centric brand.