Xbox Made a Short Mockumentary About Its Revolutionary Console Without a Disc Drive

Microsoft’s introduction of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, a console without a disc drive, is a pretty big deal in the gaming world. But the company pokes a little fun at those who say it’s revolutionary—in a short mockumentary about how easy, and obvious, the move actually is.

215 McCann made “The Digital Age,” a 90-second spot that tells the story of the designers and engineers who came up with the idea of the disc drive-less console. They’re amusingly clueless, though faux-serious in the vein of other “How we did it” style documentary videos.

“The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is based on an appetite for more digital content and experiences,” says Craig McNary, director of Xbox integrated marketing. “Just removing the disc drive might seem simple, but creating an all-digital console can be transformative to fans who are looking to access our portfolio of games. To launch the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, we created a film that celebrates an all-digital experience with an appropriate amount of humor and gravitas.”

CREDITS

Client: Microsoft Xbox
Product: Xbox One S All-Digital Edition Launch
Title: “The Digital Age”

Client: Microsoft Xbox
Director, Integrated Marketing: Craig McNary
Sr. Marketing Manager: Michael Rivera-Dirks

Agency: 215 McCann
Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon
Creative Director: Brad Meyers
ACD/Art Director: Sharon Chow Kaye
ACD/Copywriter: Guy Lemberg
Director of Integrated Production: Alex Spahr / Mandi Holdorf
Producer: Nina Ulbrich
Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney
Business Director: Peter Goldstein
Management Supervisor:  Devina Hardatt
Account Supervisor: Harold McKeon
Assistant Account Executive: Paige Kane
Director of Strategy: Brian Wakabayashi
Strategy Director: Cassidy Wilber
Strategist: Christian Stewart

Production Company: Tool
Director: Shawn Z.
DP: Tim Hudson
Managing Director: Nancy Hacohen
Executive Producer: Rob Sexton
Line Producer: Kelly Christensen

Editorial Company:
Editor: Andy Green
3D Disc Animation: Matt Taylor

Sound Mix: One Union
Mixer: Joaby Deal and Matt Wood

Telecine: MPC
Colorist: Ricky Gausis
Colorist EP: Meghan Lang
Colorist Producer: Rebecca Boorsma
Colorist AP: Damian Winterbottom

Visual Effects: MPC
2D Supervisor: Jim Spratling
2D Lead: Rajesh Kaushik
3D Supervisor: Tim Kafka
3D Animator: Samir Patel
3D Lighter: Matt Maude
Executive Producer: Elexis Stearn
Producer: Ciaran Birks