Just hours before the Xbox 360's newest
dashboard update hits tomorrow morning (10:00 a.m. GMT), our friends at Joystiq noticed the list of movies available for Netflix Watch Instantly
streaming has suddenly dropped. The culprit? Sony Pictures Home Entertainment subsidiary Columbia Pictures, flicking previously available titles like
Superbad,
Bad Boys, and
We Own the Night over to "Not available on Xbox" status (curiously, SPHE movies are still available to all.) Word from the official Netflix blog cites "the ebb and flow" of what is available on license at any given time causing a few hundred titles to be "temporarily" unavailable on the console, while still open for streaming for other devices, with an eye towards licensing them for the Xbox 360 soon. There's no way to know what movies won't work until adding them to your queue, so when you find your
Karate Kid trilogy watching time suddenly wide open for more
Gears of War 2 or
Left 4 Dead action, just remember you have Sony to thank.
[Via
Joystiq &
Multiplayer]
posted November 18th 2008 10:14PM
Is there any proof of motive in this? Or are we all just jumping to conclusions? I find it highly suspect that Columbia Picture's movies, but not any other Sony studios, are locked out. Maybe this is a temporary licensing issue with the contract they have with Columbia. Has anybody confirmed that Columbia movies are playable on other non-PC devices besides the 360? Maybe their contract limits them to PC screens only.
I'm not saying that this is definitely the case, but I don't see any sufficient proof here to just assume that Sony is trying to stick it to the Xbox. I have NEVER heard of this kind of cross-industry prejudice between companys before.
Microsoft releases software on Mac and Apple releases software on Windows. Microsoft licenses their IP to be published on Nintendo's handheld. Sony installs Microsoft operating systems on their computers. Microsoft made Silverlight for linux. Toshiba co-developed the cell processer that powers the machine that spelled the downfall of HD DVD.
This kind of thing just doesn't happen. Columbia Pictures makes money by selling Columbia movies. It is in their best interest to make those movies available in as many places as possible so they can collect the licensing fees for them. Columbia gains absolutely nothing by shunning Xbox 360 owners just for a laugh.
And even if they were dedicated to PS3 sales figures for some mysterious nonexistant reason, this wouldn't help them since the PS3 doesn't offer a competing service. The lack of instantly streaming Columbia Pictures movies on Xbox is not going to convince anyone to buy a PS3, because PS3 doesn't have them either.
That's exactly what was in my head.
Except the thing about Microsoft making Silverlight for linux. Because I know they don't make it, they just published documentation to help the guys who're going to have to make it (part of the Mono project, owned by Novell). Oh, and they promised they won't sue.
Reminds me of the Sony, Microsoft and Immersion deal where it basically forced Sony to stop using rumble. Companies that are competing do this type of stuff all the time if they can but most likely it could be a license issue.
I think you should get your facts strait before opening your mouth. Microsoft hasn't bought out one consul based gaming company, they've bought out PC gaming companies and had them start producing games exclusively on the Xbox, and now the 360, they have signed exclusive distribution deals also, but this is no different than what Sony did with the PS2 before the Xbox was even on the market. Those patents Microsoft also have very little effect on the PS3, Sony chose to develop their own OS and they have to deal with the fact that certain pieces of functionality which Microsoft worked out or purchased before the PS3 OS was developed are going to have to be worked around because Microsoft didn't make the same mistake Xerox did by allowing MS and Apple to rip off their user interface system. Face it the Sony development team dropped the ball on the PS3 and now they are playing catch-up and maybe by the time the next Xbox comes out the PS3 might actually have all these features you're complaining Microsoft is keeping from Sony, but in fact it is the Sony development team being lazy and complaining about all the programming they are having to do for their over priced, over powered, and under sold system.
"Microsoft hasn't bought out one consul based gaming company, they've bought out PC gaming companies and had them start producing games exclusively on the Xbox, and now the 360, "
And the darth of games suddenly not coming out on PC is explained. And how it's all the 'mysterious' 'pirates' fault. Didn't know MS had a boat.
Rare.
MSoft keeps buying up exclusivity to games and dlc, (i have both systems so not a fanboy), its about time sony hit back even if this is a pretty soft blow
HAHAHA....so much hate! I love it!
That's ol' Sony for ya. Remember their deal with mp3s? Who here remembers how much of a headache it was when you owned a Sony mp3 player or Minidisc and having to be stuck with Sony's Software?
You guy's just never learn at Sony. Sometimes sharing can help you gain some points. Instead of always trying to be greedy and exclusive.
Whats with the insane amount of flame going on, do the people who comment on this even think before they post? If you read the article, only columbia pictures is currently blocking anything, SPHE is still available. If you know anything about how Sony likes to run their company, every part is it's own subsidiary and negotiates independently of the larger company. So, it appears to me that columbia pictures needs to get their shit together and renegotiate their licensing with netflix. Nothing to do with sony other than they are the parent company. Thats like boycotting Viviendi because actiblizz delayed a WoW expansion...
this argument has nothing to do with sony! bitch at microsoft and netflix for not doing their jobs making sure all their issues were resolved before selling something they had no right to sell. apple made same mistake several times and have slowly learned their lessons except they are still ripping off Europeans daily illegally!
Not sure why everybody is complaining. The streaming of all the movies has been able to be done for a long time now using the windows media center plugin " vmcnetflix" and then using your xbox 360 as an extender. I have been doing this for months now and Sony pictures can't do anything about it since as far as netflix can tell it is just a windows media connection to their servers.
Ok well I was about to buy a sony TV, but this is just dirty and pathetic, Sony you have lost one customer for life you sad and sorry company, you're a joke....
I find it funny that everyone is pissed off. Netlfix streaming is crap to begin with and its crap on the 360. HD streaming? Yeah if you call it that. Just wait the extra couple days to get the DVD in the mail that has better PQ and audio. No Brainer!
Sony hits a new low.. oh wait.. they're already at the bottom!
SCREW YOU SONY!!!
P.S.; PS3 still sucks ass.
Actually, Sony sells more than Microsoft. Sony is still selling PS2s like crazy... and don't forget about PSPs.
From last month:
PS3 = 190k
PS2 = 136k
PSP = 193k
That's over 500k, while MS sold 371k units. Even though MS dropped the price on XBoxes, Sony is still outselling them. A few months ago the PS3 and XBox units sold were almost neck and neck.
None of this really matters since both the PS3 and 360 got outsold by the Nintendo DS. I won't even talk about wii.
Further proof that media companies are just plain evil.
http://www.babes2babes.net/
I'm from the Uk so--as much as I would love to be able to have a service like Netflix--this hasn't affected. I do however feel very disapointed by Sony for doing this. I think if you read between the lines though it is revealing of their own uncertainty of Blu-Ray's future in the fight against Movies On Demand services such as these. A big corporation like Sony shouldn't be making dicisions like this, for the consumers sake. Sony is dying, slowly perhaps, but it is dying.
HAHAHA!! xbox fanboys are crying,they forget that Microsoft is the most anti competitive company in the history of the world.Good job Sony
Interesting, Sony is purposely being a pain in the balls for Microsoft.
I guess when the PS3's main selling point is its blu-ray now, with no killer app games (except for MGS4)
they are having a tough time against 10+ rated games like, GoW2, Halo3, and a list of other super awesome games.
The 360 may have RRoD issues for some, but at least its got a ton of excellent 1st and 3rd party games to play on it.
Aside from Blu-Ray and Metal Gear, what does the Sony PS3 have ???
So with these facts, its sad and petty of Sony to "cockblock" Microsoft like this.
They're so doing it on purpose just to be jerky a-holes.
well, sony just burned any remaining bridges with people considering adding a PS3 to the stable for playing blu-ray. This is a really scummy move sony.
Sony sucks ass, everything has failed from them in some way.
PS2 and Walkman say hi.
If Sony is going to prevent me from watching their movies on my 360 using netflix they can at least release a client on the PS3 so I can watch them over there.
why not just ban people with non VAIO PCs from streaming from Netflix online as well
Are video stores going to stop renting you Sony dvd's if you say your going to play them on your XBOX360 now to? This is total crapola, Sony gets a cut from Netflix for my subscription fee if I watch a Sony movie period. Thier just being jerks and not letting me watch a movie while sitting my on my couch and having it streamed my big screen tv conveniently.
This is simply bad planning/contract review on Netflix part. They have distribution contracts with Columbia pictures, which operates INDEPENDENTLY from Sony Computer Entertainment, LTD. However, it's likely the terms of the distribution contract did not adequately cover digital streaming to a device other than a PC as a valid means of distribution covered in their licensing fees, and as they ran up to the launch date Columbia's lawyers reviewed their contract and said, "Hold on there Cowboy, you need to amend your contract to cover new methods of distribution, and your rate is about to go up for us allowing you to provide more services and access more revenue." at which point the contract went into negotiation, and the unlicensed content was pulled. Netflix then probably contacted Microsoft to tell them their going to need some "financial assistance" to negotiate the new licensing costs and will opt for a short-term "emergency" distribution contract to get the content in place in time for launch and take their time at the negotiation table settling a long-term licensing fee. In teh end Netflix didn't do their homework, Microsoft is going to pay, and Columbia is making some extra change this year.
All the rabid fanboys need to give up trying to come off like they were going to buy anything from Sony. You're not fooling anyone. Sony had absolutely nothing to do with this, yet your immediate reaction was how evil and childish Sony was, and how you were on the edge of making a $10,000 home entertainment purchase that while yesterday were ready to commit those monies to Sony, but today you've been swayed away from Sony for life because of a licensing issue with Netflix. If that's how you honestly make your consumer decisions than you're an even bigger idiot than I thought.
Also, the headline to this article would be considered libelous.
this is really pathetic for sony to do since they both had the same chance of getting netflix...
Hahahahaha, what good news this is ! Sony has all the right to do this ! looks like the table has turned. Microsoft will do what they usualy do pay off a ridiculousy large amount of money to Sony.
Nobody likes to hang around ugly losers but when one happens to be a billionaire & pays you a vast amount of money to stick around, you pretend to be his best friends & you try to convincing every one that he is the best. That is how I see things with Microsoft & their exclusive title with game developers.
Yet they still let my Xbox 360 display content on my Sony TV? Insane! Why isn't Sony creating chips that block the 360's video yet?
And still the Roku Netflix Player remains the best way to stream Watch Now content in your living room!
* Smaller
* Lighter
* Uses FAR less power
* Makes A LOT less noise (like, none)
* No licensing issues with Sony
* Doesn't tie up your gaming console
* Doesn't tie up your PC or require Media Center
* Costs a lot less than any other alternative
* Doesn't require a subscription to Xbox Live Gold or anything else outside of Netflix
* Has one of the best remotes ever made for such a device
* Always on, always ready
* Will support any new features Netflix adds to Watch Now (HD, Dolby, etc.)
Anybody waiting around to use their Xbox for Watch Now was a chump who bought into Microsoft's "No, Wait, Don't Leave Us!" ad campaign. Sure, you can use Netflix on your Xbox, but only if you're willing to pay more than other Netflix subscribers for that Xbox Gold subscription on top of Netflix... And then you STILL don't get all the content! Oh, yeah, and if you want to use it wirelessly you need to get Microsoft's proprietary WiFi adapter that costs almost as much as the Roku box does on its own.
Do yourselves a favor: Keep the Xbox as a gaming console, and pick up a $99 Roku box for your living room. Tell MS to take a flying leap with their add-ons, mark-ups, and poor customer service.
Stop your whining, if you owned a company, why in the hell would you want to provide your content to your competition. It is kinda how Halo is only for the xbox, if Microsoft wanted to license it out there exclusive games to there competition they would, but why dont they? because it give people a reason to buy there system. So Sony has ever right to not license there movies out to there competition. Think of it as an exclusive game.
Its all corporate politics, quite your whining, you people act as if this si the only way you can watch the movies.
Are you serious!? This is the dumbest thing ever if they are really blocking the 360 because it's not a $ony product. I thought you were in business to make money not find a way to NOT make money.
With all the money problems $ony has you would thing getting money from ANYWHERE would trump foolish pride.
Thanks for alerting us to this one, though I have to seriously question whether this was malicious on the part of Sony. I say as much in my post: http://omnivideo.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/did-sony-block-its-movies-from-netflixs-xbox-360-player/
If this were Sony's official strategy, we would see all Sony Pictures Home Entertainment pulled from the service. It may just be that Columbia Pictures seized the launch of the new Xbox 360 UI as a way to get leverage against Netflix for a better deal. I could easily see that. Of course Columbia would not have realized what a firestorm of vitriol it would be igniting. Just reading my fellow commenters' views shows what a misestimation that was.
im not sure if its just me or not but yesterday i was having a look on the dashboard and all this new stuff popped up....for example an inside xbox section with videos for tips on gears of war 2 and various other games...also a page showing community game night dates and so on...also noticed that netflix was there aswell...now getting to my point...i watched the first few mins of robot chicken to see how the loading times were and it seemed good but after a few mins i quit so i could check out everything else and it all just dissapered...now i just have the same old marketplace with game demos and game movies....so what i want to know is can anyone else here access netflix and all the other stuff...please help
I'll add to the tl;dr I guess...
Sony needs to keep their SPE out of SCEA's battles
I'm all for Microsoft pulling Software from Vaio computers, if they had the thought to. (Anarchists dream...)
Then Sony could have fun running OSX (psystar vaio) or ____-Linux.
Point being is its not game related. So both PS3 and Xbox should keep their exclusives game titles. But movies?
FFFFFFFFFFF *NERD RAGE*
I think this is just fair for business perspective. Sony might want it public so everybody will be aware that that Xbox 360 has no big advantage when it comes to this movie streaming feature. The only way is that Netflix has to develop a program for PS3 to open up, and that would be fair in my own opinion.
PS: I have a PS3 but recently I'm thinking of getting Xbox this holiday because of Netflix feature. But when I read this article it would affect my buying decision.
What if MS just decided to take all Windows OP's off of all of Sonys Laptops/ Computers.
Now that would be funny.
Laughs, as I type this comment on a Sony Viao laptop running Microsoft Windows Vista!