"Hundreds" of Netflix vids unavailable via Xbox Live

Online rental service confirms licensing issues are temporarily preventing many films from being viewable on updated 360s; online reports point to Sony.

It appears that the New Xbox Experience has hit a speed bump on the eve of its release. This afternoon, gaming blog Joystiq discovered that many Netflix films have been abruptly listed as being "not available on Xbox." The ability to stream content from the online rental service is a key feature of the Xbox Live revamp, which is set to launch Wednesday, November 19.

Your NXE movie queue just got shorter.

When contacted by GameSpot, Microsoft directed all inquiries on the matter to Netflix, the DVD rental and video streaming company based in Los Gatos, California. Steve Swasey, its vice president of corporate communications, was able to confirm that licensing issues are indeed preventing some video content from being available via the Xbox 360.

"Today, titles regularly come in and out of license and there is a natural ebb and flow to what we have on license at any given point in time," he explained. "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."

Swasey studiously avoided mention of any film studios which may have licensing issues solely with Microsoft. However, GameSpot has confirmed with sources with access to NXE preview software that many of the unavailable offerings are from Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of PlayStation 3 maker Sony. Curiously, though, Joystiq points out that some Sony Pictures films are still listed as being available for the Xbox, a condition that might change in the next few days.

Ironically, many classic films from Sony subsidiary MGM are currently available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace--for a price.

409 Comments

  • Desolator666789

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:12 pm PT

    That sucks hope it will be sorted out soon.

  • joopyme

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:15 pm PT

    sucks.
    now, join the DARK side.

  • Josepiphus

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:16 pm PT

    And they wonder why there's pirates.

  • KyoValdez

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:22 pm PT

    Jesus,robots and monkeys, will be disappointed.

  • Elite29

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:22 pm PT

    Just another reason for me to hate Sony.

  • SuperIntendent

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:24 pm PT

    ehh...seems like something netflix will be able to accomplish. no worries here.

  • The-Croix-Man

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:28 pm PT

    Just give someone a few bucks and this problem can go away.

  • kkkkknaruto posted Nov 18, 2008 9:29 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    kkkkknaruto

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:29 pm PT (hide)

    lol without sony their is nothing

  • mentalmarco

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:32 pm PT

    How'd they get Harold & Kumar, Doomsday, and those other movies on XBL? They aren't available on the Watch Instantly. That pic is misleading.

  • Gamerkat

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:34 pm PT

    Can the netflix servers even handle all the streaming?

  • WhiteSnake5000

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:35 pm PT

    I'm not really sure, but, wouldn't Sony make profits by allowing it anyway? Whatever floats their boat I guess...

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:37 pm PT

    oh sony...

  • yinyang3

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:39 pm PT

    Hmmm, I don't like it, but there is more than enough on my instant watch que to be enjoyed. If Sony is really behind it though, they suck.

  • bossyman15

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:42 pm PT

    gamerkat... if YouTube servers can handle all those streaming then Netflix should be able to do that.

  • dsman418

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:44 pm PT

    meh im in canada, we dont even get it, suck it up

  • dirtydishko2

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:46 pm PT

    the watch instantly library was already short enough as it was..

  • THE_PREZIDENT

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:47 pm PT

    You do know GS that Comcast also owns MGM, along with other private firms. So that may be the reason why many if not all MGM movies are still up.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:49 pm PT

    Thats to bad, but hey I dont have Nerflix

  • Tranceplant

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:51 pm PT

    WTF?! Jesus... Sony, just let Xbox 360 users watch your movies... for the love of god, come on! Will it seriously hurt you that bad?
    Get serious...

  • cvasquez311

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:54 pm PT

    i got both systems. hahhahaha

  • onthe_dl

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:54 pm PT

    meh, canadians don't even get the option of having netflix so i don't really care.

  • endocrine

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:56 pm PT

    As long as you directly pay sony, its fine. And I thought fanboyism was only for people and not for corporations.

  • Chico_Azteca

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:57 pm PT

    meh could care less i dont think it would be available in Mexico at all so

  • phase4illini

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 9:59 pm PT

    Ouch... glad I don't have Netflix.

    At the same time... Sony certainly has the legal right to limit their content so that it doesn't reach a rival system.

    All's fair in love, war, politics, business, and Scrabble (Deluxe Edition only).

  • killkill3 posted Nov 18, 2008 10:00 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    killkill3

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:00 pm PT (hide)

    Hah Xbox 360 Sucks, only americans get netflix (unfair) but it doesn't matter because my PS3 is better suited as an entertainment hub than that ugly white and green box ever will be, besides if I ever buy an xbox 360, which would be just for the couple of 360 exclusives worth buying, it will be for the arcade version with no HDD which I can literally buy with my pocket money (only 180$, may be expensive to you americans but where I'm from single games are 100$)

  • LANCESCHELL

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:02 pm PT

    Does anyone know if the update is releasing on midnight tonight or what's happening? what time can i download it?

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:02 pm PT

    So, they are temporarily offline... who cares.

  • _JPH_

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:09 pm PT

    Sony thinks by doing this, it will gain popularity and people wont stream from Netflix anymore. Now I am willing to use it more than ever.

  • Mike_Labeckio posted Nov 18, 2008 10:10 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Mike_Labeckio

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:10 pm PT (hide)

    GameSpot is rallying her troops once again. Come on you 360 fan-boys, unite and complain about SONY Pictures(which coincidentally doesn't get along with their gaming department). Gamespot I truly enjoy your dedication to publicly hate SONY computer entertainment. It's ok to prefer one company's offerings over another, but you should report that your opinion is biased.

  • _JPH_

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:10 pm PT

    Oh and btw, launch is at 2 am PST time.

  • respessz

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:11 pm PT

    killkill3
    "...PS3 is better suited as an entertainment hub than that ugly white and green box ever will be..."

    Dude I dont know what your talking about... My Xbox 360 is black and green and I paid the same price as you paid for your 20 gig in the begining... As for an Entertainment Hub I have my PC for that one lol and im sure its a little better than both the 360 and PS3.

  • frankfurter209

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:11 pm PT

    Mike Labeckio

    If you don't like them reporting the news, don't go here. You're making an ass of yourself

  • LimitedVert

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:12 pm PT

    @phase4illini

    haha great scrabble comment, lulz all around

  • remf18 posted Nov 18, 2008 10:14 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    remf18

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:14 pm PT (hide)

    "WTF?! Jesus... Sony, just let Xbox 360 users watch your movies... for the love of god, come on! Will it seriously hurt you that bad?
    Get serious..."

    Would it hurt McDonalds to let Burger King sell their dollar menu items while only taking a commision? The answer is yes, and very badly.

    Honestly, I hate that all the modern systems have functions beyond just playing video games. I have PS3, 360 (I despise it), PSP, and DS (no Wii - it's a piece of crap gimmick, and I learned not to buy Nintendo gimmicks with the power glove and silent scope). All these systems have dozens of functions I will never use and couldn't care less about. I pay for internet, so if I want to go online, I'll hop on my computer. If I want music, I'll hit my computer or buy an MP3 player. Movies - video store, theater, or free online. These companies need to drop the gimmicks and focus on the games and systems designed solely for gaming. There's a reason I buy consoles rather than use a PC for gaming. It's because I can't afford the cost or frustration of upgrading my PC to be more than an expensive word processor and web browser every month.

  • willfreshness posted Nov 18, 2008 10:18 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    willfreshness

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:18 pm PT (hide)

    killkill3, Ps3 sucks so bad, i mean c'mon it has absolutely no originality, psp sucked and Ps3 is nothing but a big version of a psp: same menus and same suckish games. and they were so cheap that they didnt even bother to change the controllers. i dont know if you realize but sony has lost billions on Ps3, so it must be something wrong with it. and 360 has so many good exclusives, and whats crazy is that the ones that we dont have, we always end up getting them any way. Ex. final fantasy 13, devil may cry 4, tekken 6, resident evil 5, virtua fighter 5, gta 4(not exclusive but we got the exclusive content coming) and we keep ours like halo 3, dead rising, left 4 dead, dead or alive 4, perfect dark, and the list could go on forever. so just be quiet killkill3

  • killkill3 posted Nov 18, 2008 10:20 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    killkill3

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:20 pm PT (hide)

    Live users are strange, they pay 50 bucks a year (250$ every 5 years; add that to the price of your xbox 360) for something that should be free yet like sheep they refuse to complain about it whereas users of the wii, the ps3 and PC have no payments of any sort. You people argue, yeah but we got the best online experience... Right, anyone with a PC knows that Windows LIVE is a joke, their market share is non-existent and that xbox live is pretty much the same (design and quality wise)... If I wanted to stream videos and watch them on my TV, I would probably just use iTunes for cheaper... Xbox LIVE is a major ripoff, Microsoft is making so much money out of you people (plus look at all the ads that they have added in the NXE lol)

  • Heffe2020

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:21 pm PT

    This doesn't bother me at all, I just want to stream the office in HD. Thank you XBOX!

  • 360player_eq12

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:22 pm PT

    eh who cares i play my 360 for games not movies.

  • RobWil

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:23 pm PT

    Maybe Microsoft should limit their OS's to all Sony VAIO PC's out in the world if they wanna play this little game.

  • phase4illini

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:23 pm PT

    LimitedVert... just thought I'd like to add how utterly impressive it is to see all the pro/con peoples flocking everywhere there is a 360/PS3 news story. I mean, from the other story about PSN to here... I it's hard to believe that this many people out there are like me and have nothing better to do on a Tuesday night...

  • willfreshness posted Nov 18, 2008 10:24 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    willfreshness

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:24 pm PT (hide)

    and dont even get me started on that stupid ps home garbage, you'd be lucky if you get it by christmas 2015, our update may have some problems but atleast its not taking 3 years to get it. i'd rather go back to my gameboy color than play a ps3.

  • killkill3 posted Nov 18, 2008 10:26 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    killkill3

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:26 pm PT (hide)

    "Maybe Microsoft should limit their OS's to all Sony VAIO PC's out in the world if they wanna play this little game." -RobWil (retard)
    Maybe Microsoft should stop monopolising on the OS industry by conducting ANTI COMPETITION POLICIES so that OSes that don't actually suck could have a better chance at competing

  • Battlehead90

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:29 pm PT

    lol @ willfreshness: I understand your anger, when you have to dish up $50 year for a FREE service, you stupid little 13 year old racist xbot. I bet you can't name 5 x360 exclusives coming out in the next year!

  • Battlehead90

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:31 pm PT

    Also @ willfreshness, why change the controller when there is nothing wrong with it, it is impressive that it is gone on sooooo long where the cbox controller had some flaws that they had to change it

  • CorruptGamerGX

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:31 pm PT

    I agree Mike Labeckio. Game$pot is going too far these days with all the Sony hate. It's only right for Sony to protect the property they own. With all the bribing Microsoft has done lately, it's only fair Sony plays dirty once in a while.

    Also, Sony is divided into many divisions so stop trying to cause another pointless PS3 vs. 360 flamewar for more hits. The movie division is responsible, not the gaming division.

  • Battlehead90

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:32 pm PT

    couldn't agree more CorruptGamerGX

  • Gaijen

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:33 pm PT

    meh, its bad when fanbois(and girls) ruin gaming experiences, but its even worse when companies do petty stuff like this. I don't own a 360 and have a PS3, but even I think this is sorta stupid. Hope it gets settled for all of you 360 owners who will be using netflix.

  • yboucher

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:34 pm PT

    Nice. It only makes sense for Sony.

  • kobebryantyanic posted Nov 18, 2008 10:34 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    kobebryantyanic

    Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:34 pm PT (hide)

    haha, sony has a say in the new xbox dashboard? Sony clearly has the advantage when it comes down to movies, not only do they have bluray, they have their own movie studios. Man, i was planning to go watch casino royal at my friend's crib tomorrow on his new elite and 50 in tv. Btw, i'm wondering how many netflix subscribers there are on 360.

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