Netflix job posting hints at movie streaming for other consoles

by Alexander Sliwinski { Apr 13th 2009 at 12:44PM }

A curious new job listing for Netflix seeks an "Engineering Leader -- Gaming Platforms," reports Gamasutra. The applicant is expected to have experience developing and testing media rich applications, and should be prepared to "rapidly prototype and iterate on a variety of platforms."

Either Netflix is getting into the game streaming space, or this may be another sign that Netflix streaming is coming to other consoles. Considering the relative success of Netflix on Xbox 360, it's not surprising that the company would like to expand its service and branding to other consoles -- that is, if this "Engineering Leader" can figure it out.

Update: A Netflix spokesperson got back to us and said, "We're always looking to grow. For now our game console is Xbox 360."

[Via Gamasutra]

Tags: netflix

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

hunter2223 @ Apr 13th 2009 12:48PM

Hopefully! I switched to NetFlix from Blockbuster Online specifically because of the 360 streaming. I'm very glad I did!

MystileArmor @ Apr 13th 2009 12:49PM

This has got "success" written all over it.

Markez @ Apr 13th 2009 12:50PM

Netflix on 360 is hi-technical schweet, would be great if more people were able to experience that goodness. Man, time to get on board and buy up some NFLX, spendy but will probably be stable and valuable in the long haul.

j.howlett @ Apr 13th 2009 12:52PM

are you spamming stock picks?

Markez @ Apr 13th 2009 12:59PM

I've sung the company's praises before, although I don't know if it amounts to spamming :) Go take a look over what its done in the last 6 months. I love Netflix, I do not love that I watched Eraserhead on instantwatch :x

j.howlett @ Apr 13th 2009 1:05PM

i was kidding. so what are your thoughts about this onlive thing, should i dump my phatom stock?

Markez @ Apr 13th 2009 1:19PM

Eh, I dunno, OnLive still seems kind of halfbaked to me right now, and I think it'll be awhile before we'll be able to see how viable it might be. Haven't heard of Phatom...

DeoWulf @ Apr 13th 2009 1:34PM

@Markez- then you missed the joke xD

Markez @ Apr 13th 2009 1:40PM

:*(

Cellien @ Apr 13th 2009 1:54PM

Stock gonna plummet when millions of Time Warner customers can't do Netflix streaming because of the bandwidth caps therefore causing them to cancel their Netflix membership? Maybe. I'm one of the millions that will be effected with TW having a monopoly in my area. I can't even get DSL. My Netflix membership will be canceled.

Lone Starr @ Apr 13th 2009 12:56PM

If true, this is great news for everybody. If 360 loses Netflix exclusivity, Microsoft would have an incentive to offer some compensatory exclusive.

Innovation + competition = massive win

why not the LS2LS7? @ Apr 13th 2009 1:43PM

Exclusives are the opposite of competition.

eNrique @ Apr 13th 2009 2:08PM

Of course exclusives are not the oposite of competition, are you deaf?
Competition starts when you have 2+ companies that try to offer better things / services to the consumer so they can secure their loyalty and bussines.
Exclusives keep competition alive, that's why every console has exclusives franchises and console-specific benefits (360 = live, Ps3 = Free online and Blu Ray, Wii = ???, is it Wii music?)

Got it?

Drauglim @ Apr 13th 2009 5:23PM

You can already watch netflix on a PS3, I don't remember what the site was that let's you do it. google it.

DeathroW @ Apr 13th 2009 12:59PM

I hope they get some sort of film streaming service for either the 360 or PS3 here in the UK.

Lovefilm asked me to fill out a questionnaire asking me what i thought about them offering a service like that.

They did ask about consoles too, so i really hope they open it up and bring it to consoles here in the UK.

Boff @ Apr 14th 2009 5:58AM

Yeah I'll second that. I don't care who will offer the service in the UK but they need to get something sorted out for us all.

ice~ @ Apr 13th 2009 12:59PM

Netflix - Zune integration?!

DeoWulf @ Apr 13th 2009 1:16PM

So they say.

ice~ @ Apr 13th 2009 2:23PM

So I wish...Especially with the new Zune HD allegedly coming out :]

bulletsmakepeace @ Apr 13th 2009 1:02PM

Sounds good either way unless your one of the people who use Time Warner's broadband services can afford the bandwidth in those test markets.

Anyone who is in a Time Warner area ditch your service if they go cell phone plans on you before the rest of the companies try to do it also!

http://www.betanews.com/article/Time-Warner-Cable-responds-to-bandwidth-cap-complaints-with-price-cap-plan/1239384075

75$ for 100gb, 10 mbs down and only 1 mbs up.. BS!! Premium price and sh!t service, hurray! Out of system =)

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 1:13PM

oh God dont bring up that TWC shit again....I'm still pissed off of that

GiggMan @ Apr 13th 2009 1:50PM

Just curious Aggie, are you in Greensboro N.C?

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 2:32PM

@Gigg: sure am.....

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 1:03PM

Well Duh...

I mean think about it...

the MAIN reason they went 360 first was most likely because of way they Stream using MS technology anyways(Silverlight, etc.), well maybe that and MS cut them a check.

Once they figure oout a way to stream other than using that MS code then they will be able to bring it to other consoles AND devices. I would be willing to bet that by 2011 Netflix will be streaming to iPhones & Blackberry's etc...

BxGT @ Apr 13th 2009 1:13PM

As surreal as that sound that would be pretty cool.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 1:18PM

you dont think it would happen??? I mean the only thing limiting it now is the code they use and they would have to make the movies smaller as to not eat up data plans and bandwidth

BxGT @ Apr 13th 2009 1:31PM

I think it's very real but my only concern is just what you said, bandwidth issues with whiny isp's.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 1:56PM

ooh ok I gotcha....yea they gotta work on that...but encoding at lower bitrates and making the movies screen dimensions smaller should do enough to help that

deanb @ Apr 13th 2009 2:18PM

But then you have whinny customer's who complain about the crappy compression if it end's up with artefact's everywhere.
You could never win.
Unless the ISP's ditched their retarded capping idea's. Broadband is now a utility, it's like getting 500Watt/hr "connection" with a cap of 10Kwatt a month. People would think you are crazy.

JuanDHexen @ Apr 13th 2009 1:05PM

So is possible the ps2 can get this?

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 1:14PM

PS2?? ummm no

MystileArmor @ Apr 13th 2009 1:59PM

Can I get this on my Nintendo 64?
....
?

Patrick @ Apr 13th 2009 2:01PM

I'm still waiting for Netflix streaming on my Commodore 64.

JuanDHexen @ Apr 13th 2009 2:14PM

yeah you people are hilarious /s I wanted to know cause one of my friends is still on the ps2 days and wants a service like this.

Popfrogs @ Apr 13th 2009 2:22PM

You have a valid question, and I don't see what's so tricky about it. With a special Netflix disc and a network adapter on the PS2, there's really nothing holding you back.

Playing streaming videos isn't really that hard from a processing standpoint. However, I would assume that the public doesn't go online with the PS2 coz it wasn't built from the ground up with networking in mind.

Still a valid idea, and with market penetration it could be a major force for streaming Netflix.

dnl2ba @ Apr 13th 2009 11:52PM

The PS2 has 32MB RAM, 4MB VRAM, and no hard drive. Even if you wrote a super-lightweight movie streaming application with decent video quality on its archaic hardware, you could buffer at most a few seconds of content.

j.howlett @ Apr 14th 2009 12:15AM

if you have the phat ps2 with network adapter and HDD it would probably work. i was thinking of finding a ff11 bundle to upgrade my ps2 and run games of the hdd

p.flynn2 @ Apr 13th 2009 1:08PM

this is inevitable, honestly. $3-$5 for renting movies on psn? compared to $10/month for netflix streaming. i love my ps3 but xbox360 wins on this front (although psn selection is relatively better)

linebeginstoblur @ Apr 13th 2009 1:17PM

Yeah, I love the PlayStation Network and I think the video service is a step in the right direction, but it still has a ways to go before it can compete with other services.

jarhead906 @ Apr 13th 2009 1:11PM

Guys don't forget that Sony has it's own movie/video service. I don't know how well this Netflix service will mix if it comes to fruition.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 1:15PM

so did MS when it launch Netflix. that means nothing

Markez @ Apr 13th 2009 1:18PM

Sure, but same was true for 360. I wonder how much NetFlix really affected revenue for the 360's existing marketplace for TV/movies. I use to 'rent' plenty of those movies prior to NetFlix being available. So frakkin irritating to always be able to still see the movies on your HDD and not having the rights to watch them again. Still a proud owner of 3 seasons of Tim & Eric which I can watch whenever I please, so I suppose the service still has some value...

LilTmac2003 @ Apr 13th 2009 2:20PM

Don't forget though, that for every Netflix subscriber, is an Xbox LIVE GOLD subscriber as well.

Sure, Microsoft might be losing a bit with some of it's customers going Netflix only, but they got them secured with a Gold account.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 13th 2009 3:03PM

That Gold account means nothing. as people have said before Netflix has mostly older titles. MS & Sony have NEW Releases and often times in HD. that in itself if enough to keep their sales going.

agq0105 @ Apr 13th 2009 1:18PM

This would be great.... Streaming Jericho all over again would make this worth it!

freddy @ Apr 13th 2009 1:23PM

This at a time when ISP's like TWC are capping peoples usage at 5gb before you get hit with trumped up overage charges.

1 full movie on netflix w/ there silverlight player can reach up to 1gb per movie.

This would have been nice before ISP's started to be jack asses to protect there other "video" services.