Microsoft's plans to make the Xbox platform a destination for original TV shows will finally kick off early next year. The first round of series will include the Halo series produced by Steven Spielberg, among others. The shows will be available on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

"We're hoping we will be able to put something up in the first quarter, at minimum second quarter," entertainment president Nancy Tellem told Variety. She says that despite the large Xbox userbase, it's been difficult to explain to TV executives just what to think of original programming on a game console.

"We aren't Netflix, we aren't Amazon, we're a different animal," she said. “We're neither or we're a little like them. It all depends. The lack of black and white and this is the template and this is what we're following is very difficult."

Halo is the headline series, but we've also heard reports that Microsoft was looking to revive Heroes or create a soccer series. The original programming is also said to have an interactive component, to take advantage of the platform.