Today, Microsoft announced it is setting up a new branch of the Xbox business named XP. In a blog over at the Xbox Wire, Microsoft details what this new area of the business looks like - it consists of four branches: Xbox Places, Xbox Pictures, Xbox Partnerships, Xbox Products.

"[XP] brings together capabilities that have existed across various teams at Xbox for years and aligns them behind a shared mission: helping our franchises reach more people, create deeper connections with players and new fans, and unlock new opportunities for these fandoms to grow around the world," says a press release from Matthew Ball, chief strategy officer at Xbox. "Great games remain at the center of these franchises and at the heart of Xbox. XP will partner with the best creative minds across our studios, along with trusted partners, to build on that foundation and create more ways for people to experience the worlds they love."

A large focus of Microsoft's newest investment will be in cross-media partnerships, looking particularly at film and TV. It seems lots of publishers are eyeing up the film industry, no doubt buoyed by the massive success of titles like the Super Mario Bros. 36bn and $1bn, respectively ) and Sony's recently released Resident Evil movie (which is tracking at $280m+ at the time of writing). Xbox has had its own notable successes on the big screen, too: last year A Minecraft Movie amassed more than $550m (£415m) in two weeks , immediately setting up a sequel .

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