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No Sony Movies on NXE's Netflix?

"Not available on Xbox" notes hit the Netflix Instant Queue as the NXE prepares to roll.

Looks like you're watching this one on your PC.
Looks like you're watching this one on your PC.
Joystiq's James Ransom-Wiley did some investigating over some changes to Netflix's Xbox 360 streaming service and stumbled onto both a troubling change to availability and the probable reason for the change.

It seems that a chunk of movies that were previously set up for streaming via the Netflix Instant Queue service recently flipped the off switch on a pile of titles, but only for Xbox 360 users. I took a gander into my queue, and sure enough, a handful of titles now say "Not available on Xbox" on them. When you load up the Netflix app on the 360, the blocked titles simply don't appear.

So what's the deal? Well, all of the unavailable videos are from Sony-owned studios, like Columbia or Sony Pictures. It's not hard to imagine that Sony eventually realized that it didn't want any of its movies on Microsoft's shiny new video streaming partnership. In fact, they might not even be finished. Some titles listed as Sony Pictures releases, like Super Size Me, are still available. Others, like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story or An Evening With Kevin Smith, are not.

So if you're considering getting a Netflix account to prepare for tomorrow's Xbox 360 update, make sure you take this into account. Because this seems to have taken a noticeable chunk out of the Netflix offering.
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

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jeff

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Edited By jeff
Looks like you're watching this one on your PC.
Looks like you're watching this one on your PC.
Joystiq's James Ransom-Wiley did some investigating over some changes to Netflix's Xbox 360 streaming service and stumbled onto both a troubling change to availability and the probable reason for the change.

It seems that a chunk of movies that were previously set up for streaming via the Netflix Instant Queue service recently flipped the off switch on a pile of titles, but only for Xbox 360 users. I took a gander into my queue, and sure enough, a handful of titles now say "Not available on Xbox" on them. When you load up the Netflix app on the 360, the blocked titles simply don't appear.

So what's the deal? Well, all of the unavailable videos are from Sony-owned studios, like Columbia or Sony Pictures. It's not hard to imagine that Sony eventually realized that it didn't want any of its movies on Microsoft's shiny new video streaming partnership. In fact, they might not even be finished. Some titles listed as Sony Pictures releases, like Super Size Me, are still available. Others, like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story or An Evening With Kevin Smith, are not.

So if you're considering getting a Netflix account to prepare for tomorrow's Xbox 360 update, make sure you take this into account. Because this seems to have taken a noticeable chunk out of the Netflix offering.
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Snoopy

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Edited By Snoopy

bummer.

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zoozilla

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Edited By zoozilla

That sucks.

Though I can still watch Robocop, right?  Then it wouldn't totally suck.

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alexl86

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Edited By alexl86

Makes sense that Sony wouldn't let this happen. Too bad... Still, DVD is good enough for me at this point.

Edit: Especially considering that I live in Europe and probably don't have access to this service in the first place.

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fr0br0

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Edited By fr0br0

Ha that's a slap in the face.

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MasterSplinter

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Edited By MasterSplinter

Unfortunately not too surprising.

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FoolInjection

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Edited By FoolInjection

Well... this would probably be something I would take into consideration before applying for the whole Netflix for 360 thing as I have a Gold account already... however being that I live in the UK... we aren't getting this feature at all. 

Microsoft once again showing how much is loves it's brethren "across the pond".  Least they could have done is hooked us up with like the BBC iPlayer or something.

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Psynapse

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Edited By Psynapse

Lol... like it matters to the Aussies... we can't even GET Netflix... Oh well

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Killsone

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Edited By Killsone

Yup definitely sounds like something Sony would do good job at spotting it Jeff

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BawlZINmotion

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Edited By BawlZINmotion

Could Sony finally be gathering all its subsidiaries into a large unified system with a single focus? Or could it just be the PS3 now has a video store with an advantage? Or both? 

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Jaded

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Edited By Jaded

Ha, Sony is out-Microsofting Microsoft!  That's for all the exclusive DLC deals, MS!

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Vacancy009

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Edited By Vacancy009

I'm sure this is a big response to quality streaming media being viable way before Sony thought it would and they  will have trouble recouping dev costs on Blu-Ray.  The bad thing is you can still use TVersity to stream Netflix from your PC to the Xbox so your just adding a step.  They should just remove  their movies completely or allow it all, There will be other competing devices that stream content from netfilx to your TV that isn't Sony, it just wont be a console.  This move just comes accross as bad PR in my opinion.

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BinaryDragon

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Edited By BinaryDragon

Is there going to be a similar service in the UK? Hmm, seems like a missed opportunity to me.

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VegaDemonLord

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Edited By VegaDemonLord

Evening With Kevin Smith titles are so funny. No lie.

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SilverArrows

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Edited By SilverArrows

HAHA, makes sense ......... Sony should be ashamed though, not because they had to remove the Movies, because MSFT has managed to be ahead of them in delivering media, especially when so much of Sony's business revolves around media (movies and music).
Its a case of sour grapes.

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CodeMunki

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Edited By CodeMunki

They're still available through PlayOn (themediamall.com), which has great video quality, and hulu.com and YouTube support. :)

Even so...total dick move by Sony.  They've been using Sony Studios content to push around too many other markets.  
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LordAndrew

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Edited By LordAndrew

Thanks for being a jerk, Sony.

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Double0hFor

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Edited By Double0hFor

id rather buy the dvd anyways and wtach it anywhere any time

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j_meyer_13

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Edited By j_meyer_13

Well, that's lame as hell...why should Sony care what their movie is watched on?  They still make money off of it being rented, don't they?  Then again, maybe Netflix just keeps all the money...either way, it's a dick move on Sony's part

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Pudge

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Edited By Pudge

That's gay, Walk Hard was #1 on my list to watch in the NXE, and It's been on there for WEEKS. Now I might just have to spend 5 bucks on the DVD on Black Friday...

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dsplayer1010

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Edited By dsplayer1010

Makes sense.

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meteora

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Edited By meteora

Now Sony is just being desperate.

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AndrewB

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Edited By AndrewB

It may make perfect sense for Sony to be such assholes in this case, but that doesn't make them any less assholes.

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Lilarcor

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Edited By Lilarcor

That's a seriously lame thing for Sony to do. I mean, it makes sense from a business standpoint, but it's dirty as hell.

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JDM006

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Edited By JDM006

SCREW YOU SONY!!!

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AnEternalEnigma

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Edited By AnEternalEnigma

So that explains why "The Cable Guy" magically disappeared from my Xbox queue today.

Sony just loves making consumers happy.

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FoolInjection

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Edited By FoolInjection

There is like an official Netflix blog up about this... Major Nelson had a link in his Twitter.  You can find it here :-    

http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/titles-available-to-watch-instantly.html

They are hoping to have the titles licensed and back up for 360 users shortly... I'm guessing that shortly is when Microsoft fork over a couple of million to Sony for the privilege.

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StaticFalconar

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Edited By StaticFalconar

Makes sense, I mean you can still get these movies from Netflix in the regular DVD format and play those on the 360, so I don't see all the bitching at Sony when people could be bitching at MS for advertising that they offered all of nextflix movies on demand, streamed.

Sony never promised that, MS did.

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RenegadeSaint

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Edited By RenegadeSaint

Oh man, that kinda... sucks.  Oh well, the update is still adding value to my already awesome NetFlix subscription.

I love NetFlix.

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AimingWandersly

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Edited By AimingWandersly

shacknews is reporting that this is a temporary situation and that all that's required is xbox 360 licensing for columbia pictures movies:

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55987

no idea as to the validity of that but check out the story.

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Edited By killdave

Im still shocked that the gaming system (xbox 360) managed to beat the home multi-media player (ps3) to actually steaming a large amount of HD content.

Sony screwed up again? Ah well back to watching my awesome blurays on my bluray player (ps3) I'll keep my xbox for gaming!

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Ironknight

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Edited By Ironknight

well ps3 does have a video store its just the fact you  pay to rent each video maybe something like play tv will hit the US and ease the pain but  if you were in Sony's shoes there is no way you would let Microsoft stream your movies

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mackgyver

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Edited By mackgyver

Here we have a conflict of interest. Sony isn't just in the gaming dept. It's also a movie distributor etc. Therefore Sony has a lot more to lose with this. It's called competition my friends. Since video games and movies are two different things, you would think that Sony went too far with this. But since Microsoft is introducing the new NXE with Netflix feature, it starts to make sense.

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radion_null

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Edited By radion_null

I was expecting this yet I am still surprised. it may not make sense to us but it is a good business move. It's like NBC/universal offering their content exclusively through Hulu and other associated venues.

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GodzillaVsJapan

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Edited By GodzillaVsJapan

I thought the whole idea behind this was to get access to Sony films through a 3rd party provider. Guess that backfired. Too bad Sony is being uptight about it

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Crono

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Edited By Crono

None of the titles mentioned in this news post would stop me from trying the service... however I think I'd still like to probe deeper into the titles blacklisted before I go any further

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Pibo47

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Edited By Pibo47

Yeah. Im not surprised. But then again, sony is kinda losing so they have to resort to these tatics.

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Edited By jakob187

Man, An Evening With Kevin Smith Part 1 and 2 are hilarious!!!  That's damn sad...

By the way, I'm curious for anyone who might know this (as I don't have a Netflix account and won't be finding out anytime in the near future):  do the streamed movies off subtitles?  For guys like me, we can't hear the movie without 'em.  = D
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PXAbstraction

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Edited By PXAbstraction

I find it funny how many people are holding this against Sony specifically as if this is something only they are capable of.  It sucks to be sure but anyone who thinks Microsoft wouldn't be doing the same thing if it was in the movie business and this was on the PS3 instead is kidding themselves.  This is the way companies do business in the US and has nothing to do with Sony specifically.

My guess is that the reason some titles are available while others aren't is that Sony is only able to restrict the rights on titles it owns.  Like in the games industry, often the publisher (in this case, the big movie studio) often owns the rights to the work but sometimes, the producer of that works owns it while the publisher just distributes it.  In those cases, it would be up to the producer who gets to view it how and when.  I believe Super Size Me was owned by the indie company who made it which is why its up there.

Don't get me wrong, I think this kind of this is stupid and only hurts consumers.  But the fact is the console makers don't care about consumers, they care about money and they'll do whatever they need to do to ensure they make the most of it that they can.  Sony is doing it now, Microsoft does it in other ways (lousy DRM and poor build quality) and Nintendo does it in other ways (also DRM and things like restricting resale of Wii Speak.)  They're all guilty of it in some way.

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Valke

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Edited By Valke

Like PXAbstraction said, I really can't see why people are all too surprised at this move. From a business standpoint, this is only a logical thing to do. I don't see this move as being anything different than Microsoft saying they want nothing to do with Blu-ray. You can bet that if Blu-ray were not a Sony product, an external if not internal 360 player would already be available.

EDIT: @jakob187 - Looks like you are out of luck on this one unfortunately, here's the official word from the Netflix website:

"Foreign-language titles always display subtitles in English. English language titles do not have subtitle options. None of the movies & TV episodes that you can watch instantly offer closed captioning."

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Milkman

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Edited By Milkman

Ugh, lame. But I guess it makes sense for Sony in a business stand point.

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Ruisu

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Edited By Ruisu

thars Uber messed up but I can't help LMFAO.

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KTM4444

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Edited By KTM4444

What a cunt move.

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deactivated-6071c19eec72a

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That sucks :( 

But to be honest, if things were reversed, Microsoft would of done the exact same thing. 
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Origina1Penguin

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Edited By Origina1Penguin

That's a dick move, but that's business for ya.

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Henry

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Edited By Henry

wow, that is such a dick move. watch, now Microsoft stops making operating systems for the Sony VIAO laptops

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John1912

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Edited By John1912
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landon

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Edited By landon

Ya know, this is such an obvious move that I'm mad that I didn't think of it before.

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jangofett88

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Edited By jangofett88

I would have been more suprised if Microsoft got away with it and used Netflix as a backdoor to get the Sony-owned movies on the 360. Oh well.