Sony withholds films from New Xbox Experience

  • Posted November 19th, 2008 at 06:22 EDT by
  • 45 Comments

According to MTV, Sony has refused to allow films published by Sony Pictures Entertainment subsidiary Columbia Pictures to be watched via the Netflix streaming service on Microsoft's New Xbox Experience (NXE). The restriction applies only to Xbox 360 users - you can still stream SPE products from your Mac, PC or other Netflix-enabled devices.

As MTV points out, this could be attributed to the mere expiration of Microsoft's license, but the timing of the withdrawal - NXE goes live today - feels a bit too good to be true. The phrase "throwing a spanner in the works" comes to mind.

“In the case of Xbox 360, a few hundred titles are temporarily unavailable to be streamed via the Xbox game console,” Netflix Vice President of Corporate Communications Steve Swasey told MTV in an email. “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.”

"As watching instantly becomes a more prominent part of the Netflix service, our goal is to have all of our streaming content licensed for all of our partner devices,” he went on. “We’re doing well in this area, but it will take some time before we fully achieve that goal. 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.”

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  1. GINGI500

    • 6:26am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    wow....

  2. a_stray_bullet10

    • 6:27am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    cop that microsoft.

  3. Infernoz0 | Oblivian_92

    • 6:36am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    lol

  4. zakruz | zakruz

    • 6:37am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    It's on now! Let the fight begin!

  5. Odium_Generis_Humani

    • 6:39am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Took them long enough.  Columbia pictures is the top studio now, making record-breaking grosses in 2002 (fueled by Spider-Man), then breaking that record a just few years after that (can't remember which off the top of my head).  And of course, Columbia is more than just Spider-Man.

  6. sense | X-Noize

    • 6:49am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    maybe sony and ms can 'trade' some licenses lol

    ... like for stuff sony wants for ps that ms don't allow...

  7. Fijiandoce | Fijiandoce

    • 6:53am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    lol

  8. Vlaun | Vlaun

    • 6:55am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    I'm guessing Sony does not want their movies on NXE Netflix because of their own PS Video Store. Are Sony's movies still available on Xbox Live's video store?

  9. benstevens

    • 6:59am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    yeah and there is no way they will let them use blu-ray in their new console either!!!!!!!  LOL

  10. SOLWAY

    • 7:46am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    oooooo bet their real scared that they cant get a few old films on their console, perhaps a few good games on the ps3 would be a start if they want to affect m/$ but motorstorm and lbp?????? well m/s must be quakeing in there boots.

  11. XxVvIcToRxX

    • 7:56am GMT - November 19th, 2008

     ok.. as u know sony has a lot of movies it is one of the biggest movie producers this is gonna be a bad hit on x360 users

  12. Dangerzone

    • 8:21am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    hurry up we need our E3 update 2 like right now

  13. richkaos | richkaos

    • 9:04am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    yay how funny, stick that up your rip off Mii

  14. ultramega

    • 9:06am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Haha.

  15. ironflag55555 | ironflag555

    • 9:13am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    it just goes to show you that MS might have the biggest guns, but SONY has the ammunition 8D

  16. HalfOfZero | HalfOfZero

    • 9:25am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Tactics. Microsoft pay developers and advertisers to put they're console at the end of every game advert, and not show any other systems support, I'm quite sure it's fair enough for Sony to do this, even if it is a mistake of sorts.

    So what can Microsoft do? Not much, in my opinion. Cry and complain, or threaten to buy another company? Pay more developers for EggBox exclusivity?

     

    Whatever.

  17. lightcloud | lightcloud

    • 9:41am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    I got the new Xbox thing today, it works so well and they managed to get it out on the day they promised, I've been wanting Home for so long and its delay after delay.

  18. Solrac | Solrac7688

    • 9:42am GMT - November 19th, 2008

     Finally SONY is Flexing their muscles showing Crapbox whose boss. Microsoft can never come up with anything original stealing ideas from Nintendo  is a bad call.  I'm still wondering when are we gonna see HOME it was suppose to come out the same day as NXE

  19. rblover69 | rblover69

    • 9:46am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    hahaahahahahah,  thats what im talking about!!!! i like sony ....i like ..hard ball! .always said PSN store video content way better then NXE glad there finally playing ball.

  20. markwesker

    • 9:57am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    yeh and when will sony stop sony made films going multiplat like spiderman,james bond games etc,that would be a massive blow to billy.

  21. killahki | killahki

    • 10:12am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    @ Solway STFU and stay on topic, as well as in school because your spelling is terrible. But anyway why would they let them stream their movies, it's only smart being rivals. 

  22. ironflag55555 | ironflag555

    • 10:20am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    i just think sony just wanted to pull there leg a little bit, dont think they wanted to cann nxe or ms the money is to good

  23. Staticneuron | Staticneuron

    • 10:21am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    "this could be attributed to the mere expiration of Microsoft's license"

     

    oh, just the "mere" expiration...........................

     

    idiots.

  24. Alpha2

    • 10:32am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    I'm glad to see there's atlease SOMETHING M$ cant buy. Heck concidering how many titles the PS3 store has been denied because of the M$ & NBC partnership It seems only natural, I mean can you imagine how embarassing that'd be fore Sony to have their movies show up on the NXE the first day?

     

    Eff that noise.

  25. kidkotic2001 | hotshot2001

    • 10:33am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    no they didint ha ha ha ha ha ha

  26. lordAlucard | Sympozium_666

    • 10:53am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Why does everyone think that the ps3 hasn't got that much good games? " cough SOLWAY ps ha ha microsoft good update though

  27. Righteous

    • 11:01am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    @10, few old films? lol, the new james bond films are from Columbia/Sony, Hanco*k...to name a few of the hard hitters

  28. hush404 | hush404

    • 11:04am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Ha. Bout time Sony fight with fire. Taking out their own Sony pictures stuff along with their Columbia branded goods.

  29. gingo | gingo

    • 11:30am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    psn id: gingo... really cant see sony allowing these to be streamed until home is up and fully functional and they have released a worldwide tv/movie download service

  30. ryuken

    • 11:30am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    keep it up Sony.... dont drop the ball,  shoot the j  shoot it!

  31. dirigiblebill

    • 11:35am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    @ Staticneuron

    Elaborate.

  32. terminator12259 | tacitassassin25

    • 11:45am GMT - November 19th, 2008

    good for them stick it to the man, and that sucks for xbox netflix people, sony has a lot of movies. 007 films, spider-man, and a lot of others. you cant mess with the king of eletronics

  33. mixpix7212 | tacitassassin25

    • 12:49pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    hahahahahahaha that is freaking awesome i hope they never let them watch that take that microsoft and all your dumb fanboys. LOL AWESOME. GO SONY. STICK IT TO THEM HARD!!!!!!!

  34. Nucleus

    • 12:58pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Im sure Microsoft would have done the same to Sony so Xbox owners shouldn't complain. Its a business.

  35. Denali2 | NEJI64

    • 1:14pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    this is why i said 360 getting netflix isnt a big deal its a lot of big name moive titles thats made by Sony production. M$ thought they found a loop hole

  36. Staticneuron | Staticneuron

    • 2:51pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    @dirigiblebill

     

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

     

    Since SPH filma are still up there it is obvious the licenses lapsed. How else does SP get paid? This has nothing to do with the xbox 360. This is just sensationalistic spin and it is amazing how many people are suckered into this. It doesn't surprise me though how some people were quick to pull the spin though....... FTA:  "Joystiq broke word this evening"  Why am I not surprised.

     

    Things just bottom out when things get regurgitated across the net from Kotaku, joystiq, or Destructoid.  And engadget (bed felloys with joystiq) just stir up the pot by bringing it to greater amount of readers. Soon it will hit digg and/or slashdot and the the flame wars by the 360's finest defence force will begin.

  37. MercRecon | MercRecon

    • 3:16pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    lol...with MS stealing all of those exclusives from Sony, it was just a matter of time before it caught-up to them.

  38. C0SM0NECR0

    • 3:28pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Bwahh hahhh hah harrrr!!!

  39. GunTeng

    • 3:44pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    @Staticneuron

    Well spotted .

  40. Pudgieluv

    • 7:12pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    I really don't think this is over. I would love it to be that way but sony doesnt hate microsoft. They work together on alot of things. The PS3 has the WMV plug for God sakes. I think this is just licensing ... thats all, once Netflix talks to sony and says Microsoft gave us this much money to give to you for a new license plus royalitys which means for every sony movie watched on a xbox 360 sony would be making $$$$$. I dont get why we all thing sony is on our side or mIcrosoft on there side or whatever. its all about the greenbacks. If Sony was on our side, we would still have exclusives locked down. Due to the blueray player in the ps3 Sony doesnt want to go deeper in there pockets to lock exclusive. Instead, There gonna make new ones with lbp and other games coming out soon. ...... I hate saying it. Cuzz im a hardcore PS3 fan, but its true.

  41. Lp47PS3 | Lp47

    • 7:45pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Good job Sony!

  42. Chiem

    • 8:16pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    Oh my god...some of the replies are so funny. Did you guys even think about how much money MS is making out of Sony? Viao latops come installed with XP/Vista, mobile phones by Sony Ericsson...errr windows mobile or CE and not to mention about 90%, if not 100%, of HD codecs used on BluRay is from MS as well.

    I dont think Sony is that stupid, prolly some hick-up or whatever. I wouldnt be surprised if the service is up within a few days.

     

    You guys are funny though

  43. Hyourinmaru | DAT1AZNPAN

    • 9:56pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    when is home ever gonna come out i'm offically sick and tired of waiting since NXE has came out and good 4 sony by withholdin all the sony picture movies lol

  44. inphi | Mindplague

    • 11:36pm GMT - November 19th, 2008

    lol.. I bit one exec nudges the other sony exec and said "watch this".. classic.

  45. Pablo0620 | Pablo0620

    • 12:03am GMT - November 20th, 2008

    Just sit back and laugh as the X-bots can't find their fav movies cause they are Sony. But but we have Halo. And then red ring of death. Why call it the Red Ring of Death. We shouldve called it the Red Halo of Death

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