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Sony Movies Vanish From 360's Netflix Service
Multiple reports are claiming that the 360’s new Netflix package, a movie and TV streaming service that has launched as part of NXE in the US, has removed a range of movies on offer from Sony Pictures Entertainment subsidiary Columbia Pictures. It is understood that the withdrawal is not a technical issue, but a licensing one.
News of Columbia Pictures’ sudden departure from the 360’s Netflix service broke yesterday as NXE users in the US quickly discovered that all the films unavailable for the service belong to the same picture company. Columbia Pictures’ movies, it was discovered, were still available on the Mac and PC’s Netflix streaming services.
In an email sent to MTV Multiplayer, Netflix VP of corporate communications Steve Swasey explained that “in the case of Xbox 360, a few hundred titles are temporarily unavailable to be streamed via the Xbox game console. Those titles are still available to be watched on subscribers’ computers and on TVs via other partner devices, and we hope they’ll be licensed for Xbox 360 shortly.”
It is still uncertain why these movies were removed and which company instigated the removal. Despite the disappearance of Columbia Pictures' content, movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment are still currently available for the service.
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
I read about this on Joystiq last night and they concluded that the problem is due to many of these movies being available from the Xbox download service. By having the movies available from netflix, it would cut into the profits of the download service.
Well that makes perfect sense. That probably should have been in the original article so there wouldn't be unnecessary confusion and speculation.
(edit) If in fact those movies were pulled from Netflix on the 360 due to those particular movies already being available on the 360's own video marketplace I find it very irresponsible of this site (among others) that they would feature such a misleading article. I've checked about 4 other sites and they all say about the same thing. Do people not realize that the 360 has been having SD and HD movie downloads now for a very long time? I would think a follow up on this story would be appropriate after research that should have been accomplished prior is actually accomplished.
Ken,
That's what I thought too until I read the entire article. Sony pictures movies are still available. I think if it had to do with Sony not wanting Sony movies viewable on the 360, they would have pulled all Sony affiliates (especially Sony Pictures itself). It is interesting though...
Can't help but think that this was a bitch move by a very bitter Sony! They certainly have the right to do it... but me thinks it was more so out of spite than anything else.
As stated if that was the case all Sony pictures would be pulled, even from the marketplace and I would deem it be payback for the Immersion deal BUT I don't believe that is the real reason. As stated it could be a licensing issue.