New Netflix App Removes Parties, Causes Hoopla. [UPDATE 3]

Published on December 6, 2011, by - Posted in News 38

EyeTVSnapshot[1]

Update 3: No Fix Available anymore.

UPDATE 2: We’ve found a fix.

 

 

Microsoft pushed out it’s newest dashboard update today, bringing along with it a new Netflix app and a “Metro” design.

Many subscribers of Xbox Live use Netflix to watch movies with friends via the built in party system, in-fact our very own Snickelsox had a holiday movie marathon planned around the party system.

But to much debate Microsoft has removed the party functionality of it’s Netflix app, without providing a reason nonetheless. For users paying at least ~$100 a year for instant streaming access and $65 a year for Xbox Live, this is a very large problem. Does this effect you?

Many users of Twitter are up in arms about the update.

TehEmoPenguin says:

“So Netflix Parties are removed? There goes the majority of my Xbox usage. :\”

While user zZEBRAz says:

“Hating the new #netflix #xbox app. No more netflix parties? Really?”

And a rather mad TrueSaiyan21 tweets XboxSupport:

“Pssst relay a message to the Xbox team, The NewNetflix app is awful and many agree! We want our Parties and other stuff back.”

 

I myself am rather mad over this turn of events. I’ve started a petition to convince Microsoft to give us paying customers our parties back. (Hell, I’d even pay a one time fee for the party features.)

 

We’ll update with any word from Microsoft or Netflix as it becomes available.

 

[UPDATE]

Microsoft has reached out to us with a comment on the situation:

“The new app platform on Xbox does not support the video party mode feature at this time, so will not be available in any existing app partners that have updated their app, like Netflix, or any of the new Xbox app partners. The feature is still available in some of our international video apps, like BSkyB in the UK and will likely be included in the next version of the app dev kit.  For customers that would like to chat with their Xbox LIVE friends while gaming or watching videos the chat feature is still available via the Xbox Guide.” 

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Author: Austin Griffith View all posts by
Austin Griffith is LevelSave.com's Reviews Editor. He began gaming young with Pokemon Silver and Banjo-Tooie and hasn't stopped since. You can find him on Twitter @AustinG909 and on Xbox Live at iKarmakazi. You can email him directly at AustinGriffith@LevelSave.com

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  • Anonymous

    Is it just me or is it literally impossible for a movie/show to load in HD? I always had full bars HD before my movie started and now it says I’ve got all bars but no HD… I haven’t changed a single thing with my ISP. This update should’ve been labeled a downgrade.

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  • Coolardolino

    I WANT MY PARTYS BACK, I AM PAYING FOR XBOX LIVE AND THEY CANT GIVE PARTYS? PS3 DOESNT PAY, AND IF THEY GET IT I AM SWITCHING TP PS3

  • Bmxfreak33

    Why won’t they fix it? I don’t understand why they feel the need to”correct” something that seemed to work perfectly fine… If it ain’t broken don’t try to fix it!

  • Littlehood2

    im going to punnch the ppl that did that update for xbox in the face

  • bgl

    Fucking fix it….

  • DrDerpp

    i love thay they made it so you can only use netflix if you have kinect….. and by that i mean it fucking sucks. if this was some way to get more people to buy kinect then it failed. im not going to buy a kinect just to watch movies.

    • DrDerpp

      that*

  • Sicnic85

    I hate to think about all the money that we all pay monthly and where its all going. Its going to stupid people who thought it was an super awesome idea to make clustered, laggy, pixelated, garbage app. That on top off all the uncomfortable bogginess took away my favorite feature party. i dont get to see my brother barely ever because he lives a state away and that was such a great thing for us to get together and watch movies, and shows together and now i dont have it and its somebodies fault….. here a few other features they took away..
    -can’t skip
    -choosing an episode BEFORE you decide to watch it! (my god!)
    -display (they cut off the sides now which is super dumb for it waste the sides of my TV)
    -info pane (which is automatic when you press A, but i hope you can agree it was better when it was an option to turn off and on)

    XBOX that was a lame rebuttal. but there is really not a good one you could use. there is no possible way to explain ONE reason why this is a better app JUST ONE, its as if you really put a lot of thought into how you can make netflix suck!!!!!!! WHY would you do this to all your devoted paying customers…. WHY..

  • Mitchgraw

    This new update is incredibly stupid. I am incredibly pissed off. Im considering unsubscribing since i watched movies with my brother who lives hours away. I am outraged!!

  • Tyler Kenny

    Unbelievable how they seem to always make there customers this pissed off every time, Here’s business 101 for you Netflix, If people enjoy a feature, Don’t delete it from the App… I hope you go under and Hulu takes over the streaming because your company is FIRED.

  • tylerwayne

    I made a like page on facebook :) wanna like it? it’s to show how many people really used the feature! http://www.facebook.com/NetflixParty

  • Jackie

    UGH. what a shame, half of my xbox time is spent on netflix parties… they need to bring that feature back!

  • Jack Torborg

    I. AM. OUTRAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLAARHGHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!! i wanted to watch a movie with my friends, also i hate the new interface. its too picture based, hard to navigate, and doesn’t give you enough options. i liked the system where you clicked on a movie and just scrolled through all of the options. i miss the actual options, like PARTY VIEW too.

  • William

    I hate this new app. Why does Netflix keep messing with things? All year long they have been shooting themselves in the foot. Leave it alone. It was fine as it was.

  • Taylor

    Screw that, the New “Netflix App” doesn’t even have a “Play” button. VCR’s come standard with it, as well as 99.9% of all media playing devices and applications.

  • Mk

    This is the worst update to a perfectly good app I’ve ever seen. When you want to watch a specific tv episode, why would it start buffering some other random episode, forcing me to scurry to the little “more episodes” button which is SUPER laggy and difficult to use. SUPER ANNOYING.

    The new Netflix update is awful.

  • Valerie

    Im mad >:[ my bf and i live in different states at the moment. The netflix party was the only way we could really feel like we were watching a movie together. I dont even know how to use the damn thing! Its just so disorganized and the fact that they changed everything about it is stupid. Good job ruining netflix >.< if they keep screwing up, netflix isnt gonna have anymore customers. This sucks.

  • Sseno

    Maybe I’m just stupid, but I can’t even figure out how to fucking play anything on this new Netflix interface

    I’ll select something and it just shows a screenshot of what you selected; more episodes, rate this show, and audio and subtitles.

    How the hell do you play something -.-

  • katsuragi

    In the meantime folks..use this work around to use the old. Netflix app The update only added a new netflix it did not erase the old one. To use the old “not broken” netflix complete with party support Do this… I just did and i as you did not delete any files off your hard drive.

    1. Go to http://netflix.com

    2. Sign in and click “Your Account” in the top right corner

    3. Scroll down and click “Manage Netflix ready devices and computers”

    4. Click the “Disconnect Devices” button. Confirm decision when asked

    5. Push the guide button on your 360 controller then go left and click the “Quickplay” option

    6. Go two spaces to the right and it will list all of click Netflix

    Always use quickplay netflix after this to use the old app with party support

    If you choose it off of the dashboard it will load the new one again)

    Spread this around to your friends and families…

    • Shelight

      That shit worked! I am watching with friends as I write this! Try this guys to watch with old app. I started the party and my friends were able to join.

    • Sicnic85

      didnt work for me. it says ” game not found. Insert the game disc or storage device, then try again”

      • Sicnic85

        the part im stuck on is it step 4 it only has a option to activate device when i got to “manage netflix ready devices and computers”

  • cog frosti

    wow thnx alot, gj for removing parties fags. random episode too, bugs and more, old netflix 1/5 canceled subscription, i payed for the parties and enjoyment gj~

  • Kaitlyn

    Stupid, want to cancel my Netflix subscription, annoying and hard to navigate. FUCK YOU.

  • ChefSledg

    I just love how people have access to the internet but can’t do their own research.

    http://netflix.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=428

    But I’ll take the quote out for the lazy people:
    “For the first time, the Netflix interface on Xbox has been created entirely by Netflix, offering a unique member experience,” said Neil Hunt, chief product officer at Netflix. “The new Netflix interface provides the best experience for watching TV shows and movies on Xbox, with significant improvements in browsing titles and a richer playback experience together with voice and gesture interactions.”

    • http://www.levelsave.com Austin Griffith

      This is true, Netflix did create the app, but Microsoft didn’t give them permission to add party watching. It isn’t supported in this iteration of the dashboard.

    • No Panda

      Apparently Mr. Research should research everything before being a douche.

  • Jrp1234657

    WHAT THE FUUUUCK!!!! Fuck you microsoft and fuck you netflix! why the hell would you remove something so many people use god damn it.

  • DarkWulf

    No episode select? No parties? I spend much of my time at night watching things on Netflix with my gf. Now I have to do the same thing I did with Hulu Plus. Start the show, pause it, and count down for us to both press the play button at the same time. Thank you, Netflix, for making everything more difficult. And there are certain shows where I just want to watch a certain episode, why take that liberty away from me? Second huge mistake you’ve made this year, Netflix! Huge mistake, indeed!

  • http://www.windowsobserver.com Richard Hay

    Maybe Netflix wanted the functionality removed form the app and not Microsoft?

    Netflix has certainly made other decisions in this past year that makes no sense – this could be another one of those.

  • luke rodgers

    man that’s was a mistake because i was watching netflix with a party of friends.then update came and i cant watch movies with them now great. Stupid Microsoft don’t try to copy play station

  • Metiphisto

    The removed it from Zune as well, I can’t believe no one is even touching on the subject. The new design requires more clicks to get where you need to go, and removed features that from the looks of it that was highly used.

  • jkap

    Contact Netflix customer service and let them know that you want this feature back. I just got off the phone with them and the rep I spoke to said he had been getting calls all night about this. Keep the calls rolling in and let them know how you feel about this.

  • BlackCanary007

    Everyone should tweet this article and the petition to @majornelson . This was a HUGE mistake on there part. This is the one thing netflix had over hulu!

  • Clifton

    Forget parties – thats just gravy. They made it so that you can’t pick your episode when you want to watch a TV show until a random episode is already playing. wtf!? Epic fail.

  • http://www.levelsave.com Chris Lock

    Never fear, the Movie Marathon moves onward though!