news Microsoft has added over 30 new films to the Xbox Live movies on demand service launched in Australia and New Zealand in late 2009, including fan favourites such as Lethal Weapon and Rocky II and III.

According to the AustralianIT, the local service featured an initial library of about 100 titles with prices generally comparable or slightly higher than those offered in traditional video stores — between $4 and $7.

In some other countries such as the US, Microsoft offers a broader video on demand service through the Xbox Live platform — a subscription offering for owners of the company’s flagship Xbox 360 platform.

For example, when Microsoft first launched a similar service in the US, it had partners including Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV Networks, UFC, NBC and Warner Bros Home Entertainment.

The full movies on demand service available in the US and a number of other countries is dubbed Video Store, whereas in Australia it’s a separate and more limited platform branded with Microsoft’s Zune media player.

Reaction has been mixed to the service in Australia so far from local users.

“Good to see some new content on the video marketplace, now if we could only get some TV I’d be happy,” wrote one commenter on an entry on Microsoft’s Australian InsiderX blog announcing the new movies late last week.

“Cool, but still cheaper (even with petrol etc) to drive to the vid shop by a long shot. There was one movie on there that work out to be around NZ$10,” wrote another.

The complete list of new movies is:

Australia

• Batman Forever
• Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever
• Batman Returns
• Beetlejuice
• Before Sunrise
• Blazing Saddles
• Blood Work
• Caddyshack II
• Dave
• Devil’s Advocate, The
• Executive Decision
• Falling Down
• Fugitive, The
• Hard to Kill
• Iron Giant, The
• Lethal Weapon
• Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
• MARS ATTACKS!
• Miss Congeniality
• My Blue Heaven
• National Lampoon’s Vacation
• Omega Man, The
• Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
• Purple Rain
• Shaft’s Big Score
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
• Troy: The Director’s Cut
• Unforgiven
• Alien Raiders
• Rocky II
• Rocky III

New Zealand

• Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever
• Before Sunrise
• Blood Work
• Cradle 2 the Grave
• Falling Down
• Hard to Kill
• Lethal Weapon
• National Lampoon’s Vacation
• Omega Man, The
• Purple Rain
• Rocky II
• Ronin
• Shaft’s Big Score
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
• Unforgiven

Related posts:

1. Telstra launches HD movies on demand
2. Australia gets Flash web video on demand service
3. Foxtel comes to Xbox 360
4. Xbox 360 slim to hit Australia 1 July
5. BigPond Movies baked into LG TVs

1. By Delimiter – Inside Xbox hits Australian consoles on 02/02/2010 at 10:46 am

   [...] has exhibited of gradually launching new Xbox 360 offerings in Australia — for example, it is gradually adding new films to its movies on demand service launched in Australia in late [...]