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Netflix Still Undecided On Game Rentals
Netflix Still Undecided On Game Rentals
October 24, 2011 | By Frank Cifaldi
October 24, 2011 | By Frank Cifaldi
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    10 comments
More: Console/PC, Business/Marketing

When Netflix canceled its plans earlier this month to separate its DVD-by-mail business into a separate brand called Qwikster, its announced plans to integrate console games into that business remained in question.

The company was still unclear on those plans when it updated its investors on Monday.

"We have yet to decide whether or not to offer video game discs," CEO Reed Hastings said. "The decision will have little financial impact either way."

When the company announced Qwikster last month, it said the service would include game discs for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

"Members have been asking for video games for many years, and now that DVD by mail has its own team, we are finally getting it done," Hastings said at the time.

The move, should it go through, would provide substantial competition to games-by-mail rental service Gamefly.

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Comments

Alan Rimkeit
24 Oct 2011 at 5:34 pm PST
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Netflix should under cut OnLive and do steaming games. They have the user/customer base all ready built in. They should hire a mess load of back end devs to build a cloud streaming network system right now. The opportunity is there. They just need to grab it head on.



I am also sure that Netflix could have the clout to help streaming gamers with data caps. All they have to do is partner up with the ISP's somehow to give streaming gamers a break. I don't know how it would work exactly, but I am sure that it could be done and would be a workable solution to the data cap issue.
Ali Afshari
25 Oct 2011 at 9:46 am PST
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Alan, I like this idea. However, considering how management has botched up many of Netflix's moves lately, I don't have the confidence that they can recognize and react to this opportunity within an acceptable window. Perhaps they should hire you as a consultant to get them back in shape :)
Jonathan Jennings
24 Oct 2011 at 6:23 pm PST
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well as we can see as of late Netflix management currently doesn't have their heads in a particularly good place so While i think this is a good idea i doubt it's going to happen .
Daniel Martinez
25 Oct 2011 at 12:07 am PST
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So long as they don't take the Konami approach and jump on the bandwagon all late. Rock Revolution anyone?
Russell Carroll
25 Oct 2011 at 9:36 am PST
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The Konami approach? What a strange example and saying, what about when Konami was early on that same bandwagon you mention (creators of?) with GuitarFreaks?



I'm a little perplexed by your example, but agree with the point :).
Daniel Martinez
25 Oct 2011 at 2:08 pm PST
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Well, consider Guitar Freaks. The game first released in 1998. Drum Mania first appeared in 1999. Even Beatmania came out in 1997, 10 years before Rockband. Konami had these IP's already available on Arcades, several years before Guitar Hero or Rockband emerged in late 2005. All Konami had to do was port its IP's over to home, make the peripherals more ergonomic, and unify them in some coherent way and they would have been ages ahead of the game. But they didn't. Then, for some reason, Rock Revolution came out in 2008-2009 and... yeah. So Netflix, strike while the iron's hot, or get out of the kitchen if you're not gonna cook, or something.
[User Banned]
25 Oct 2011 at 2:28 am PST
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This user violated Gamasutra’s Comment Guidelines and has been banned.
Robert Boyd
25 Oct 2011 at 8:05 am PST
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They also made more revenue that quarter than they had ever made before ($822 million in revenue.). It wasn't all bad.
Jeffrey Barnes
25 Oct 2011 at 6:29 am PST
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"would include game discs for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360." There's only one Xbox 360...
Daniel Martinez
25 Oct 2011 at 2:11 pm PST
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Someone's neurons misfired when they thought of the Wii.

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