Pulp, a british indie “comedy about comics,” debuts today as the first-ever Xbox 360-exclusive film.

As streaming and downloading options continue to expand, this is a first for the popular console. The film’s creators cite the growing cost of theatrical distribution as a motivator for the unusual release strategy.

“Theatrical distribution, nowadays, costs on average about £2 million per movie for marketing, prints and advertising…For a film like Pulp, that doesn’t have bankable stars with a track record, it’s a challenge for any distributor to take that gamble,” says director Adam Hamdy.

Here’s your official summary:

Thunder Racers, Infinite Finity, Rat Warriors. Junk Comics’ titles have been referred to as ‘the worst printed material since Mein Kampf’. Tony Leary, the nice-guy owner of Junk Comics, is gearing up for one last roll of the dice. His new superhero title, The Sodomizer, launches at the British International Comic Show, and nothing will stop Tony from making it a success. Nothing except a gang of Geordie criminals who are using a comic company to launder their dirty money. Tony is drafted by the police to identify the culprits and bring them to justice. Aided by his trusty geek sidekicks, Rick and Keith, Tony must defy the odds if he is to become a real life hero.

Pulp is available today, March 4th, for 1120 Microsoft points or 1420 Microsoft points if you want to splurge and watch it in HD.

You can expect more films like this – Microsoft says that they will be distributing more films via the Xbox console in the future.

[BBC via The Verge]