According to Larry Hryb — who is Microsoft’s Major Nelson and not the guy that performed “Pants on the Ground” on American Idol — Hulu Plus for Xbox 360 will be different from its counterparts. It will also be for Xbox Live Gold subscribers only. Here’s the deal:
We’re working hard on creating customized experience for Xbox Live members, which means that Hulu Plus will be coming to Xbox 360 in early 2011. We are taking the time to ensure that the Hulu Plus experience for Xbox 360 is the best on TV and like our other entertainment experiences it will not be a port, but rather a custom experience that leverages the Xbox Live community features.
Hulu Plus will be available for US Xbox Live Gold Members only.
Some of you are probably disappointed that Hulu Plus will be Gold only, but you shouldn’t be surprised. Microsoft needs to increase the value of Xbox Live Gold in light of Sony’s PlayStation Plus service.
How do you feel about this tidbit from the fake Major? Bummed? Indifferent?
So on top of the 9.99 fee from hulu; id also have to have xbl gold. Wow, thats a lot of money.
@ Tokz;
Why do you pay $9.99? I go on Hulu's site at least a few times a month and I watch TV shows and maybe a few crappy movies for free.
-M
@Iceman
i wouldn't pay but if you get Hulu plus the service is 9.99. (rpad's previous article)
https://rpad.tv/2010/06/29/hulu-plus-available-of-…
Pay MS to be able to pay for HULU? Why won't they let the silver members have access to HULU, hell, and all of the other free features for that matter.
So you pay for Gold and HULU Plus? Or is Hulu Plus included with Gold? One is a good deal..the other not so much.
@smartguy I'm sure it's the former and not the latter.
@Ray
it just seems so blatantly horrible that way lol. you are paying the ISP for the bandwidth, and then you are paying MS for the privilege of using your paid for service on YOUR machine. Reminiscent of the Iphone tethering.
@smartguy Yeah, would you be surprise if it ended up that way? I wouldn't be.
It would be frickin' brilliant if Hulu Plus was included as part of Xbox Live Gold, but it sounds like a revenue-sharing nightmare.
@ Smartguy
People pay for both Xbox Live Gold and Netflix.
I bet you are gonna have to pay for both unless they plan on canning the Zune Video Marketplace… which I don't see happening.
@N8R
Netflix is different. I can use netflix on my bluray player or dvd player free of charge. I can also stream Netflix on my Wii, PS3, and Televisions free of charge. I just don't see the value in this, at least for me.
@Hulu
Perhaps I am mistaken, because I do not pay that much attention to Hulu, but if you purchased Hulu Plus then wouldn't you be able to play it on your 360, ipod touch/iphone/ipad, and internet? That is not as many options as Netflix, but it is a few.
As far as the PS3, there has never been a charge for any online services, until PSN +, and perhaps in the future they will start to migrate features from being free to being a part of the PSN + package, making it more similar to XBL gold and also paying for Netflix. I could at least see that as a possibility as something that Sony could do to get people to pay for the online service.
Im with the Smart Guy….again lol.
I just noticed this on my Alexa toolbar from yesterday to today, under 100,000 now!!! Mine says it is at 98,999!!!!
@bsu
those are good points. I think that since hulu + will only be available using gold. The 9.99 service fee for hulu plus will be in addition to. The same way Netflix is used on the 360 seems pretty and is proving that people will pay for a service like Netflix why should it be different for Hulu. I don't see Sony charging or migrating any service, besides Qore ( too bad Slicky), to the plus. it would alienate a lot of the gamers on the PSN if they do that. whatever services are for the PSN now will probably stay but PSN + will probably get the hulu service, neflix w/out the bluray disc, and whatever other services they get from here on out.
@Tokz
I also think Netflix did a great job of showing that people will pay multiple places for a service they want. I'm not really sure if moving Netflix to PSN + is something that Sony would do, it would be nice if they didn't and were loyal to their consumers, but they are still a business who has to make money. They can see that people are willing to pay for XBL gold, so why shouldn't people also pay for a premium service on a Playstation? That is simply lost profits for Sony. Also, I could see some complaints if Netflix was still free to use for PSN users, but Hulu was only on the PSN +. You would be paying extra for both of them already, but then if you didn't pay extra to Sony then you would only get one of those services on your PS3. It seems a little skewed to me.
@bsu
I see what you mean. My way of thinking about Netflix on PSN is that if you want to use it with the disc it's still free but if you use it using whatever via PSN + then you would be charged of course. Then it will be a matter of do you want the convenience of PSN+ or are you okay with switching out the discs.
@Tokz
Also, the added inconvenience of not only changing discs, but getting up from your seat, and having to exchange dvd's in the mail and waiting for more to arrive. And who wants to walk all the way to the mailbox just to watch a movie? HAHA.
That does make sense that it is more of a convenience charge to use the instant que on the PS3 if it were on PSN +. But if they left Netflix off of PSN + (did not migrate it from regular PSN) and if they added Hulu to PSN + only, then it would seem a little skewed to me. I would think that both of those services should just be kept together, whether they are on PSN or PSN +.
However, like I said earlier Sony is a company that wants /needs to make money, therefore it would seem beneficial to move features that they know users want to use on to the PSN + network so that Sony can be profiting off of an online service as well just like Microsoft is with XBL gold. *breath*
@ Smartguy
Actually, you pay for the subscription to Netflix to stream it all those places.
If you went to Hulu and read their plans, you'll be able to stream it to all those places as well. It is quite comparable with the only difference being that Hulu is still building their library and they haven't said much about HD content yet, but I guarantee that's in the works.
I suppose out of the gate they will be behind Netflix, but give them time. Hulu has much bigger corporate backing (Viacom).
@N8R
Specifically I was talking about the fact Sony doesn't charge me to use my pay service on my tv or BD player. Nor does Apple charge me to use a 3rd party pay service.
I don't mind paying Netflix
@ Smartguy
And neither of those exact services will charge you for Hulu either.
You're basically arguing from the side that if you bought the Hulu service, you would only use it on 360… which wouldn't be the case as it is not with Netflix.
The main difference being, Hulu has the potential to blow up bigger and badder then Netflix simply because of what Hulu is. Christ, Disney has a 27% stake in Hulu.
@N8R
I getcha. I misread you earlier. I apologize. We are on the same page now lol.