Xbox Live could host digital midnight launch events

Microsoft has said it wants to introduce digital midnight launch events for games on Xbox Live.

Consumers are accustomed to glitzy High Street retail midnight launches, but it’s a different story online – although perhaps not for long.

A Twitter user said the following to Microsoft Studios VP Phil Spencer: Xbox one should do midnight launches on Xbox live and release the game digitally and while it’s downloading we watch the event.”

To which the Microsoft exec replied: That’s the future we are building towards.”

Services like PSN (in Europe, at least) and Steam already allow customers to pre-load some games and have them unlocked and available at the moment of launch at midnight.

Microsoft, however, has until recently resisted day-and-date parity between digital and physical releases, although it finally introduced such a policy when the Xbox One arrived in November.

@Tyler_Martin1 That's the future we are building towards.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 11, 2014