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Netflix Coming To Sony PS3

Posted by Soulskill on from the inclusively-exclusive dept.

itwbennett writes "'Microsoft has always seemed rather enthusiastic when it comes to throwing around the word 'exclusive,' and here is another case in point,' says blogger Peter Smith. Netflix and Sony have announced that Netflix streaming is coming to the Sony PlayStation 3 as early as next month. Back in August, when Microsoft was rolling out its new dashboard update, one of the features it was talking up was Netflix streaming, says Smith, and it said, 'This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience...' Apparently, in Microsoft parlance, 'exclusive partnership' means 'we launched it first' and not 'we inked a deal with Netflix preventing this feature from appearing on the competition's hardware.' All this is good news for PS3 owners who can now sign up to be notified of Netflix availability for their system."

9 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Re:exclusive partnership by XPeter · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Until it became popular and Netflix wanted more cash.

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  2. It was by Luthair · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is a non-story, it was exclusive to the X360 at the time. There is no difference than the umpteen movies (some of which Sony is undoubtedly behind) which exclaim 'only in theatres!' in their trailers.

  3. Inclusive by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apparently, in Microsoft parlance, 'exclusive partnership' means 'we launched it first' and not 'we inked a deal with Netflix preventing this feature from appearing on the competition's hardware.

    Isn't that what exclusive usually means? It makes a statement about the present, not the future. Exclusive interviews, for example, are seldom exclusive for very long. iPhones are exclusive to AT&T (in the US, for now). Some vehicle has exclusive feature X, until next year when they all do. Etc., etc...

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    1. Re:Inclusive by registrar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Isn't that what exclusive usually means?

      No. Exclusive has some sense of "to the exclusion of others" even though that exclusion might not exist forever. In the case of interviews, "exclusive" means that the interview was carried out with only our interviewer---as opposed to a press conference or similar, where the competition is not excluded. "Exclusive" hotels and cars purport to cater only to the good and great, excluding others. Exclusive features in cars or phones? rot---unless they are, by contract, not provided to competitors.

      In the case of partnerships, if it doesn't mean "to the exclusion of others" then the word is being used deceptively. Put it this way: I have an exclusive partnership with my wife, and will be sorely disappointed if it means anything other than "to the exclusion of others."

  4. In Canada, Movies come in Bags by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Or at the very least NOT on consoles. It's a safe bet that Canadian PS3 / XBOX owners will not have streaming movies before 2011.

  5. Re:exclusive partnership by maharb · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You also might want to note we live in a world that has time and exclusivity doesn't necessarily include all times past and present. Microsoft may have been told that for X period of time the service would not appear on any other consoles thus their statement, at that point, was true.

    I think it is fairly standard human behavior to judge statements based on when they occurred and not the present situation. That is why newton is considered 'genius' despite getting lots of physics wrong.

  6. Re:exclusive partnership by nacturation · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think you're getting a bit worked up because some marketing guy spun this in a way favorable to Microsoft.

    Bizdev guy: "Hey, we just signed a deal to get Netflix streaming on the XBox 360!"
    Marketing guy: "Do any other consoles have this functionality?"
    Bizdev guy: "Nope, just the XBox."

    [Two hours later]

    Press release: "This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience..."

    Next thing you know, someone will try and claim IBM is going exclusively Linux...

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  7. Re:exclusive partnership by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I thought Slashdotters hated marketer-speak. Why is everybody debating this? Who cares?

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  8. Re:exclusive partnership by Toonol · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's not being an MS apologist, you paranoid git. It's being cognizant of the meaning of words. Limited exclusitivity is common, particularly in the gaming field, and typically referred to as, yes, "exclusive". If you had asked MS if "They could guarantee that NetFlix could never, ever, offer a movie on any other console ever", of course they would say there was no such agreement. Fallout 3 was touted as an MS exclusive; it's now made its way onto the PS3. There's been similar Sony exclusives that are now on the 360. They were exclusives, now they're not.

    I don't own a 360; but I don't twist words to try to find excuses to hate. The summary is guilty of that. Geez. Unreasonable hate directed at MS just makes the REASONABLE hate directed at MS seem less valid. I'd tone it down.