Xbox 360's lack of Sony Pictures films streaming on Netflix "unrelated" to competition

by Laura June, posted Nov 20th 2008 at 9:35PM

You probably recall that two days ago, when the new Xbox Experience launched, sadly, about 300 Sony Pictures films were unavailable for Netflix Watch Instantly on NXE, thus quashing your hopes of streaming The Karate Kid series. At the time, it seemed possible that missing titles were due to the fact that Xbox 360 manufacturer Microsoft and Sony are direct competitors. Well, according to a Sony spokesperson, the problem isn't specific to the Xbox, nor is their beef competition-related in any way. Sony also says it is in talks with the several "relevant parties" to work out these vague licensing issues, though there was no word on when the issue would be resolved. We really do hope it's soon because we're dying to see how everything turns out with the Cobra Kai.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Media streamers, Other hardware

Tags: columbia, columbia pictures, ColumbiaPictures, microsoft, netflix, netflix watch instantly, NetflixWatchInstantly, nxe, sony, sony columbia, sony pictures, SonyColumbia, SonyPictures, xbox, xbox 360, xbox experience, Xbox360, XboxExperience

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highest Ranked

Greg @ Nov 20th 2008 10:42PM

I call bullshit.

Neutral

Big Wizz @ Nov 21st 2008 9:55AM

Sony call's your bullshit and raises you a Sony Connect gift card.

Highest Ranked

UnnDunn @ Nov 20th 2008 10:49PM

"Well, according to a Sony spokesperson, the problem isn't specific to the Xbox,"

So how come Netflix specifically says "this item cannot be streamed TO YOUR XBOX"???

Sounds specific to Xbox from where I'm sitting.

Highest Ranked

JBDragon @ Nov 20th 2008 11:16PM

Ya, sounds like huge load to me. What else do you expect Sony to say! "Darn you all figured it out! Your all right, we hate MS and didn't want the Xbox streaming Sony Movies cheaply."

Highest Ranked

Gus @ Nov 21st 2008 12:46AM

The problem for sony is they've told so many lies and sold so much corporate deception, that they are now starting to believe their own BS.

Highest Ranked

squiggleslash @ Nov 21st 2008 8:25AM

Yeah, it's a tad blatant. Sony would have been better off keeping their mouths shut. Even if there's a germ of truth to it, the fact that Sony is claiming its affecting other platforms when it isn't is enough to discredit them even further.

Bad enough they'd apparently throw a tantrum and refuse to make money from X-Box 360 owners. Worse that they'd then turn around and tell an obvious fib. If they weren't lying about their motives, they sure look like it now more than ever.

I'm very disappointed in Sony these days. First there was the whole Sony-BMG rootkit fiasco. Then there was Blu-ray, probably the biggest disaster to hit HD. And then there's just the little trickle of knocks and slights, this being just the latest. What a shame from a once great company that has been responsible for some of the best innovations in the business.

Highly Ranked

daaper @ Nov 21st 2008 8:34AM

Haha, no kidding. They just happened to have a licensing dispute with Netflix about streaming specifically to the xbox a week before NXE comes out. Uh...

Neutral

drphil7 @ Nov 21st 2008 7:34AM

Its way more respectable to come out and say, its business, and they are the competition, period.

Highest Ranked

Multi-format-mayhem @ Nov 21st 2008 11:39AM

But it's not just 'business'.

It's clearly an anti-competitive practice

(tho done on a small scale via an arms-length member of the Sony group
= chickensh!t as well as sly & nasty).

Could you imagine if Microsoft were able to & they went ahead (right on the eve of Sony launching a connected product & just stopped their software operating on Sony PCs/Laptops/notepads?!

It's absurd, pathetic & frankly just laughable.

Score another, highly visible & self-harming, own-goal Sony.

Way to go. Not.

Tossers.

Highest Ranked

Multi-format-mayhem @ Nov 21st 2008 1:51PM

I'd bet it's also part of an FUD campaign just to plant a few seeds about the XBox strreaming format.

But there can only be one outcome if they persist with this stupidity, eventually MS will respond in a way that hurts the Sony user and it'll end up with everyone losing.

Like I said, way to go Sony. Not. Idiots.

Hopefully they just back down quietly and forget about this line of attack.

Neutral

Jimmy @ Nov 21st 2008 11:49AM

Can someone please explain to me without injecting fanboi rants into the response?

If this is a blatant attempt to harm the 360 then why did Sony not pull the movies from the other 11 movie studios they own? The timing is very suspect obviously; however, if this were actually a Sony versus MS related event then why not pull all of their movies? These studios combined represent a substantial portion of all Hollywood movies available. Pulling all of them would carry a lot more weight than just pulling one studio.

Highest Ranked

Multi-format-mayhem @ Nov 21st 2008 12:05PM

Testing the water to see what they can get away with?

.....and you don't need any "fanboi rants" and there haven't been any in responding to this.

The most objectve person in the world could see plain as day how they are acting like obvious petulant ar$eholes over this.

As you said they didn't pull every one, just enough to take a swipe and land a dig.

It's an interesting precedent tho and one that will not have gone unnoticed by all concerned.

During the old high def disc format war mentions were made about how Sony used it's movie business and whether Microsoft would make moves into the movie business (either directly or through partnerships) to ensure they could never be undercut like that again, I wonder if this will now force a Microsoft response?

Maybe Sony just opened a can of worms that can do nothing but spoil it for everyone with the prospect of endless move and counter-move in future with you left requiring all formats or left high & dry depending on which format(s) you own.

Can you say short-sighted, anti-consumer & really f*cking stupid?

Highest Ranked

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