Monday, July 21, 2008


More on Xbox360 Netflix “Exclusive”


I complained about Netflix streaming to video game consoles being a Microsoft exclusive. The Hacking Netflix blog talked to Netflix’s CEO, Reed Hastings.

Why the Xbox 360 instead of Sony’s PS3? It includes a Blu-ray player. The Xbox 360 is outselling the PS3 domestically about 2 - 1.

For all I know Microsoft waved fat stacks of cash under Netflix’s corporate nose for the exclusive. OK, whatever, that’s what companies do. Please don’t try to insult the intelligence of your audience by spinning it as a market share thing, or else you’d be on the Wii first.


:: Dave Walker 16:30 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

:: [/entertainment/tv]
:: tags:

:: Comments (4)

Comments:

dbt wrote:

Title:

Date: 7/21/2008 17:22:12

Response:
I like my Wii but the things dont have any internal storage.
d.w. wrote:

Title:

Date: 7/22/2008 09:45:28

Response:
Good point -- another reason to argue that the Wii isn't really direct competition for the Xbox and PS3 -- it's... something else. That said, I'd still argue that Netflix's president is being highly deceptive (and even provably incorrect) when citing market share as a reason to go exclusively with Microsoft.
DeanG wrote:

Title:

Date: 7/22/2008 13:59:45

Response:
Exlusive? The Roku box is the cheapest set-top-box streaming option. http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer/ I expected it also had to do with the the game platform most closely matches their current streaming medium. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070116-8627.html
d.w. wrote:

Title:

Date: 7/22/2008 17:17:09

Response:
I don't want the Roku. Why should I pay for another blinking box to connect to the television when I already have a net-connected device with heavyweight video decoding hardware plugged into the TV? Because Netflix got paid off? Bah.



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