Microsoft has struck a deal with producer Peter Safran to bring original shows and movies to Xbox Live this fall.

In an interview with the New York Times, Safran revealed

his first round of programs would all be scripted, as opposed to reality shows, and would probably run under 10 minutes. He said he planned initially to focus on genres, like comedy and horror, that appeal to the Xbox 360 audience, which is heavily concentrated from the ages of 14 to 34, and tends to be more male than female.

No word on how much these shows would cost, but the article does mention that at least some of them will be supported by advertising. With current TV shows on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace running between $2.00 and $3.00, we can expect this new original programming to cost about the same.

Scott Nocas, global marketing manager for programming of the Xbox Live entertainment service, said he “definitely looks at this [deal] as the first of many.” Microsoft has been trying to create gaming’s YouTube for a long while now through XNA and other initiatives. Who would have thought they would be so literal about it?

Hollywood Producer Set to Make Shows for Xbox [New York Times via Evil Avatar]