Gamertell

Digital content distribution is the order of Games 3.0, the current era of gaming, and Microsoft was one of the earliest adopters of this model with its Xbox Live service. Microsoft is ensuring that there is no dearth of content on Live, be it games or any other media. It has signed a major $500 million deal with Viacom, which will make more downloadable games and movies available on Xbox Live and MSN.

A lot of content from Viacom’s media bouquet has already been available on Live for download, including content from Comedy Central, MTV Networks and Paramount. This 5-year deal will open the floodgates for more Viacom TV and movies on MSN.com, and Xbox Live users can soon expect to download BET Network content as well.

This fresh deal is not only about content but will go a long way in strengthening the relationship between the two companies. Under the agreement, Microsoft is going to provide its Atlas AdManager solution to Viacom, and it will heavily plug MTV and BET Network award shows. Viacom is also looking to become a more prominent casual games publisher across Microsoft’s game platforms.

Read [Next-Gen]