Microsoft Xbox scores console exclusivity deal for Verizon’s Redbox Instant

Malanthius · 02-05-2013, 05:20 PM

Microsoft Xbox scores console exclusivity deal for Verizon’s Redbox Instant

Great news for Xbox users: You’ll soon have yet another video streaming service competing for your dollars. Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox Live programming director Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb announced on his website Tuesday that “Redbox Instant by Verizon (VZ) will be coming to Xbox 360 in the very near future” and that Redbox Instant beta participants will soon receive an access code that will let them use the Redbox app on their Xbox consoles. Hryb also said that the Xbox will be “the exclusive gaming and entertainment console launch partner for Redbox Instant,” so don’t expect to get Redbox on your PlayStation 3 or Wii U in the near future. Verizon plans to launch Redbox Instant in March, when it will initially offer users 7,500 “streaming and transactional movie titles” for $8 a month.

http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-xbox...210415729.html

GizmoDVD · 02-05-2013, 09:11 PM

Another loss for Sony.

**bruceames** · 02-05-2013, 10:02 PM

Well it can't be good, if it turns out a hit and the exclusivity deal lasts a few years.

jkkyler · 02-06-2013, 07:01 AM

Wonder if Redbox offerings will be any better than netflix? I assume a Gold membership will be required as well. If they have more recent releases and not all catalog titles this may be a great thing.

GLOW · 02-06-2013, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

Another loss for Sony.

Another loss for every Xbox owner who doesn't own a dedicated BD player or a PS3 (A win for Sony in both) if they want to watch BDs. As for the Redbox Instant selection, take Netflix or Amazon Prime's selection, take away 90% of the movies (and TV seasons) and you have Redbox Instant's current selection. I'm one of the testers currently, I know. They are going to need to make BIG, HUGE moves to even get close to Netflix or Amazon Prime.

**bruceames** · 02-06-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLOW

Another loss for every Xbox owner who doesn't own a dedicated BD player or a PS3 (A win for Sony in both) if they want to watch BDs. As for the Redbox Instant selection, take Netflix or Amazon Prime's selection, take away 90% of the movies (and TV seasons) and you have Redbox Instant's current selection. I'm one of the testers currently, I know. They are going to need to make BIG, HUGE moves to even get close to Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Love that avatar Glow. Like old times.

Honestly I think having Blu-ray playback in the PS3 has hurt sales more than it helped, and I don't think xbox owners as a whole feel any loss for not having it in their gaming console. If they want Blu-ray, they'll just pick up a $50 player at Walmart. They won't be forced to pay extra for that like Sony did with the PS3.

GLOW · 02-06-2013, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceames

Love that avatar Glow. Like old times.

Honestly I think having Blu-ray playback in the PS3 has hurt sales more than it helped, and I don't think xbox owners as a whole feel any loss for not having it in their gaming console. If they want Blu-ray, they'll just pick up a $50 player at Walmart. They won't be forced to pay extra for that like Sony did with the PS3.

I'm glad someone remembered it.

strawberry was a good guy.

I agree with you re: BD players. Redbox Instant is nice extra for Xbox owners but I really can't see the service taking off... reminds me of the old Blockbuster by mail service w/ in-store rentals only updated for the modern broadband era. We'll see... It's going to be hard to compete with Netflix in the streaming area, but people who want to rent movies on their release date might find RBI appealing.

morriscroy · 02-07-2013, 07:48 AM

(On a tangent).

Microsoft's former VP of Windows Sales makes the assertion that Microsoft did XBox, largely to spite Sony.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/...nsole-business

Quote:

Microsoft only entered the console market because Sony refused to work with them, according to a former Microsoft exec.

Joachim Kempin, who was VP of Windows Sales at Microsoft for 20 years starting in 1983, made the claim in an interview with IGN that will be published in full on Friday.

When asked why Microsoft decided to enter the console space, he asserted that, "The main reason was to stop Sony. You see, Sony and Microsoft…they never had a very friendly relationship, okay? And this wasn’t because Microsoft didn’t want that.

"Sony was always very arm’s length with Microsoft. Yeah, they bought Windows for their PCs but when you really take a hard look at that, they were never Microsoft’s friend. And Microsoft in a way wanted them to be a friend because they knew they had a lot of things we could have co-operated on because they are, in a way, an entertainment company, you know? I mean, at least a portion of Sony is and they had some really good things going there, but as soon as they came out with a video console, Microsoft just looked at that and said 'well, we have to beat them, so let’s do our own.'”

This decision supposedly came right from the top of the company, with Bill Gates himself even chipping in. Despite initial reservations, Kempin claims that Gates always had qualms that the living room computer would, at some stage, metamorphosise into an alternative PC that could threaten Microsoft's dominance of the traditional market. As a result, it was eventually felt the company had to try and tackle Sony head-on.

02-05-2013, 05:20 PM	#1
Malanthius High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 804	Microsoft Xbox scores console exclusivity deal for Verizon’s Redbox Instant Microsoft Xbox scores console exclusivity deal for Verizon’s Redbox Instant Great news for Xbox users: You’ll soon have yet another video streaming service competing for your dollars. Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox Live programming director Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb announced on his website Tuesday that “Redbox Instant by Verizon (VZ) will be coming to Xbox 360 in the very near future” and that Redbox Instant beta participants will soon receive an access code that will let them use the Redbox app on their Xbox consoles. Hryb also said that the Xbox will be “the exclusive gaming and entertainment console launch partner for Redbox Instant,” so don’t expect to get Redbox on your PlayStation 3 or Wii U in the near future. Verizon plans to launch Redbox Instant in March, when it will initially offer users 7,500 “streaming and transactional movie titles” for $8 a month. http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-xbox...210415729.html

02-05-2013, 09:11 PM	#2
GizmoDVD High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,034	Another loss for Sony. __________________ Kosty

02-05-2013, 10:02 PM	#3
bruceames Super Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Novato, CA Posts: 15,360	Well it can't be good, if it turns out a hit and the exclusivity deal lasts a few years. __________________ RIP Kosty.

02-06-2013, 07:01 AM	#4
jkkyler I bleed for HD Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,339	Wonder if Redbox offerings will be any better than netflix? I assume a Gold membership will be required as well. If they have more recent releases and not all catalog titles this may be a great thing. __________________ HT- Panasonic TH-50PZ800U 1080p plasma, Panasonic PT-AX200u LCD projector, Elite Vmax Electric 100' screen, Onkyo TX-NR905 AVR, Paradigm Titan Monitor v5 fronts, Paradigm CC-190 v6 center, Paradigm Atom Monitors v5 surrounds(x4), HSU research VTF-2 sub, xbox360+hd-dvd player ,Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray, D*tv H21 HD-DVR Bedroom: Insignia NS-lcd26, Samsung BDP-1400 blu-ray Den - Vizio 20" 1080p LCD + Samsung BD-p1600 Don't believe everything you read on the internet - Albert Einstein