Speaking with MCV after E3, Microsoft exec John Schappert revealed some interesting things regarding Xbox Live, specifically, about how video downloads now comprise a significant portion of content downloaded from Xbox Live.

Schappert notes that of all of Xbox Live's paid downloads, videos comprise a third of the whole. While the service is still relatively new, it's a good sign, and Microsoft wants to cultivate the idea that the 360 can be a user's overall entertainment hub.

Says Schappert,

We would like nothing more than have everyone pick up an Xbox for these services on Live and turn them into gamers. We’ve sold 20 million hardware units to date and we’re very proud of that, but there’s a lot more to sell and there are a lot of people who enjoyed other consoles last generation who have not upgraded yet.

Maybe they’re still sitting on the sidelines because of content choices. They want different games that are not being offered yet, or maybe they haven’t upgraded yet because of price. Hopefully they’ll say it’s now time to get an Xbox 360 because it’s a great, approachable machine.

With the Xbox 360 getting a 60 GB hard drive for US$ 349 and short films and Netflix streaming making their way to the console in the fall, Microsoft is really pushing for the console to become an full-fledged entertainment center for the home. Time will tell if the media center initiative will become a strong one, but for now, we're just happy that "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" is a downloadable title.

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