I love rumors, we talk about them all the time on The Blu Show (we call ‘em Roomahs™.) The funny thing about rumors is that if you follow them enough and pay attention, you start to develop a sense for when some of the weirder ones transform from off-the-wall nonsense to nearing fruition. It’s almost like the familiarity of it hanging around for so long, resurfacing, and coming at you from multiple directions usually points to some sign of legitimacy.
Something people don’t often take into account is that the final product doesn’t have to actually occur for a rumor to be true. For example, Harmonix really could be trying to secure the rights to a Star Wars Rock Band. That would make said rumor true… at the time. The reason it’s a rumor is that it’s not confirmed and not a done deal. While the deal may ultimately fall apart, the rumor could have been true the whole time. One such rumor is showing some signs of coming to fruition right now and if it does, I’m going to be pissed.
Keep reading to see which rumor I’m talking about, and why I’ll be pissed…
The rumor in question is that Netflix might be coming to the PS3. “Waitaminute!” you say, ”Isn’t that great?!” Well, the rumor in question states that the streaming would be handled by inserting a Netflix Streaming Disc. WTF?!?! I’ve talked about this before, but if you ask me, bringing Netflix to the PS3 in that fashion is a recipe for failure. I, for one, won’t partake in a streaming technology where I can download gigabytes of data in a seamless manner that requires me to get off my lazy ass and insert a disc just because some lawyer wrote a contract such that Netflix can’t have a fully digital distribution. F*** you Mr. Lawyerman. And you know what? If this comes to fruition, F*** you too, Netflix. If I get treated like a 2nd class citizen, you’ll be getting the just rewards for your treatment to me. Namely, nothing. Stupid arbitrary things like that would irritate the living crap out of me every time I’d use it so I would just avoid it like the plague, flipping the bird to all those Netflix commercials on TV knowing they’re wasting their marketing money on me. Do it right, or don’t do it at all. Releasing a half-assed solution because you were greedy and/or stupid and signed a binding exclusivity deal is YOUR problem, not mine. Bastardized solutions are not what the public wants. Sit on your contract until the exclusivity runs out and then release a proper solution on the PS3.
The fact that this rumor keeps resurfacing is lending more credit to at least the background information being rooted in reality. My hunch is that Microsoft’s deal with Netflix does include some section that blocks the competition. You see, success (when you’ve got bottomless pockets) isn’t always about getting everything on your platform and doing everything the best that it can be done. There’s a very real aspect of screwing everybody else OUT of doing the same thing. Think about that for a second. If your goal is to have the best implementation of Netflix streaming support on a console, which is easier — to make sure your implementation is better than the competition, or just BUY exclusivity and make sure your implementation is the ONLY option available, making it “the best” by default? I’ll answer that for you. Buy exclusivity. It’s not only easier, it’s instant.
I also hope a lot of the other companies out there are paying attention. Facebook and Twitter seem to be the current web app sluts of the moment, and for once… the notion of hooking up with anybody and everybody is a GOOD thing. The public doesn’t win in a monopoly and if everyone can’t compete on the same playing field, we’re losing out as consumers looking for the best products. I fear Hulu is also going to end up exclusive to Microsoft before this whole mess has sorted itself out.
Now before the Xbox fanboys (and even the multiplatform owners) out there start crying that I’m simply being a PS3 fanboy about this, why don’t you take off your fanboy caps for a minute and answer this question. Would you prefer the best possible implementation of software, fueled by competitive spirit to be better than the competition or would you prefer whatever they slop out there to fill in a feature-list bullet point knowing they’ve BOUGHT exclusivity? Whether you own an Xbox 360, PS3, or both… you SHOULD be pro-competition. You should want a cat-and-mouse game of one-upmanship to take place. You should… but you likely don’t care because again, it’s easier that way. Why get worked up when you already HAVE a Netflix streaming option? For fear of smacking you over the head with it, the “why” is because you might end up with an even BETTER one if they were forced to compete for quality and features!
Okay, I’m done ranting. Sound off, let me hear why I’m right or wrong (and check your fanboyism at the door — I own a 360 and a PS3 myself.)
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well, Im all for it, and have no problem throwing in a disc…… IF:
1. by the time it comes out 1080p downloads are available.
2. the movie selection between the 360 and ps3 are the same + the Sony picture movies.
3. as with # 2, prices are the same.
Im a multi-platform user who refused to look at netflix via my 360 after the trial period, as I am not fond of running a vacuum while watching movies. Sorry xbots…. but the PS3 is silent.
Rothbart, throwing a disc in may be the only way to utilize the service in XMB, or it may be a 1 time only disc download? either way, I welcome the “rumor”
With many BR-players having an internal hard drive, and BR-Live connectivity, this disc could possibly mean that they are making all those BR-players Netflix-machines.
And for the PS3? The disc can maybe be a one-time install, spawning into another stupid “omg, PS3 needs Netflix install, 360 doesn’t roflrofl” discussion among fanboys.
Let’s hope for the best, I don’t think (but there is always a chance) Sony says “whether it’s disc only or not, we don’t care, they are both equally great!”, and they do what they with this deal.
The PS3 is ’silent’ dependent on the room temperature. The only room I current can use my PS3 in is at minimum 80 and maxes around 90, the average is around 85. With the 50′ on the temp usually gets to 88 in about 1-2 hours and at that point the second heavy duty fan on the PS3 starts up. With this second fan running the PS3 is louder than even launch 360’s.
So depending on the user your statement on volume level is false. This won’t effect me either way, the selection for streaming is crap except for the tv series. Most movies worth watching I own and the rest is crap I would never want to watch.
Man i feel for sony, im a 360 fan but like most 360 owners, i was never an xbox guy until the new generation consoles. Supported the PS2 all the way and man the ps2 blew any competition away without trying.
I do hope they pop back up. Im not sure whos fault it may be that the ps3 isnt as successful. Maybe someone at sony slacking? Lazy developers? (im not trying to bash sony, these are what if’s).
In response to JohnDG, netflix on the 360 isnt so great cuz of the bad quality and limited selection, personally if i owned a ps3, I’d be pissed because it looks like after xbox is done eating the main course, the ps3 gets the leftovers. And in the end with the high price of the system, the small line up of good games, and microsoft’s monopoly with its exclusive software and how it gets third party games mostly sooner then the ps3 ( i think), would we see the end of competition?
freakin skynet.
? 90 degrees in your house? well in the 2 years of owning my ps3, ive never heard it louder then its normal electronic hum. But then again I live in America and have air conditioning…..
Use of word “xbots”, I think there’s a Sony Pony in the house.
Exclusivity is a part of the industry. Don’t get mad at microsoft for doing something all the players do. It also doesn’t last forever so quit your whining you big baby.
@Jeff: I can get mad at the practice of buying exclusivity if I want. If everyone beat you over the head with a stick, would you stop complaining? LOL.
I respect (and support) companies that let their WORK speak for itself rather than buying the playing field. That doesn’t automatically mean they put out crap, but the incentive to bust their asses is pretty much gone.
i completly argree with you rothbert, before it used to be about who could create the most imaginative games and software for the gaming market but now microsoft’s turned it into whoever has the most money it’s as fair as when you were younger and played gun games with your brother only to have him state “you can’t kill me becasue i’m invincibly”, nobody can beat microsoft becasue we all know they’ll just throw money around and secure exclusivty rights,
one moment Sony has a PS3 exclusive, the next it’s also on 360 with exclusive DLC and the annocement of a brand new game only for the 360. Phill harris must cry himself to sleep everytime he has to read another game he’s company had exclusive rights to has been stolen from him. Also it makes sense that if the compeition has something better then the company behind your console makes something better,
maybe microsoft want to help sony but sony forgot the part where they actually start making something better….