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Edilma Howard

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Aug 2, 2024, 4:37:32 AM8/2/24

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If you're a Netflix fan and you owned an Xbox 360 back in 2009, you'll probably remember Netflix Party mode. It was a feature that allowed you to enjoy the Netflix library simultaneously with your friends and family, putting everyone together in a virtual cinema room, complete with Xbox Avatars and emoticons. It proved highly popular, but was disappointingly removed just two years later in 2011.

For those couple of years though, it was a fantastic feature. You could make suggestions for movies and TV shows to watch together, and then enjoy them all at once without having to queue videos separately. Sure, it wasn't exactly like being in the same room together, but it was the closest thing anyone had to a virtual moviegoing experience on the Xbox 360. And like the similarily unique Xbox 360 title 1 Vs. 100, its legacy has thrived over the years.

Even now, people are still replicating that idea of getting together and enjoying Netflix as a group. There's actually a website called Netflix Party that claims to have over 1 million users at the time of writing, but it's not a console thing (it's a Google Chrome extension), and doesn't work in quite the same way.

Subscribe to Pure Xbox on YouTube25kSo, what happened to Netflix Party on Xbox 360? It seems its demise was brought about due to the new Metro update that hit the system in 2011, with Microsoft admitting in a statement to Kotaku that the "new app platform" couldn't support the mode, and so the feature had been removed:

"The new app platform on Xbox does not support the video party mode feature at this time, so it will not be available in any existing app partners that have updated their app and any of the new Xbox app partners."

There were other issues that might have caused a few headaches as well though. Not all of the Netflix library was available to view via the feature, and former Netflix Vice President of Marketing Steve Swasey suggested in a 2009 interview with Engadget that some studios weren't willing to license their content for use with Party mode, perhaps hinting that it wasn't as simple to implement as it appeared.

Ultimately, whatever the reason for its demise, we're still longing for its return almost a decade later. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft and Netflix will ever work on a similar feature again, but we're hopeful we'll be gathering together once more in virtual cinemas during the next generation of Xbox.

When the Xbox 360 was making the rounds on the retail market, Microsoft innovated with a number of features to get people involved with online activities. Remember 1 vs. 100? There was nothing like that.

And then there was Netflix Party, a cool feature where you could prime up movies on the streaming service and watch them with your friends in real time on Xbox Live, interacting and having a field day while doing it. Even bad movies like Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus were a lot more fun with friends watching alongside you.

But then, in a flash, the feature was gone. Just as quickly as 1 vs. 100 was. It's as if Microsoft was experimenting with features and then, just when we were getting used to it, poof. Without a trace.

We haven't heard about Netflix Party for years now, but with Xbox One being as popular as it is and the Xbox One X picking up traction -- and both being prime receivers of the Netflix service -- I can't help but think they need to bring it back.

First, of course, it would help to see why the plug was pulled in the first place. Was it Netflix's doing? Possible, but not likely, especially considering it was popular. If anything, it sounds like Microsoft may have killed it, mainly because it was taking up too much space on Xbox Live at the time. (Keep in mind that it was a much younger service back in 2011 than it is nowadays.)

So after considering that, what would keep Netflix Party from coming back? If anything, probably Microsoft's dedication to games. After all, Xbox Live's primary feature is with its online multiplayer for a number of games, and if people are busy playing said games, they don't have time for a movie, right?

And Microsoft is trying to shy away from its multimedia image that it first presented with the Xbox One at its introduction. Why else would it have dropped the Kinect so quickly? Or for that matter, focus on movies and such?

It does make use of Xbox Live, and provides yet another reason for users to subscribe to the service. And it doesn't take away from the popularity of the games either, as it simply provides a secondary way to use the service when you need a break from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. I mean, we can't game all the time...er, right?

Then we have the Avatars. As you know, Microsoft re-introduced these virtual beings to the Xbox Live service for Xbox One, with a number of new features to make them better than ever. So why wouldn't you introduce a hub where you can put them in the action and have real-time behavior displayed during a movie, be it having a chuckle with a really bad joke (Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus was full of 'em, even though it wasn't entirely intentional) or reacting to something that happens.

And these days, I can't help but think that Netflix Party doesn't take too much bandwidth. I mean, it can't. It's a simple interface, four Avatars (maybe more depending on the party) and the Netflix service. I don't think there's enough bandwidth there to even take up 100MB since it's all streaming.

And considering Netflix needs all the attention it can get right now -- with its original programming and Disney's service set to debut next year -- it wouldn't surprise me if they possibly made a suggestion to bring back Netflix Party. It would bring back Xbox Live users in droves, while making proper use of the service. And it would add another prime feature to the service, something that'd be an advantage over the PS4 and, when it eventually comes to it, the Nintendo Switch.

I just speak hopefully here. During the early days of the Xbox 360, I had such a great time with the Netflix Party service, only to see it killed off without reason. This is my plea to Microsoft to bring it back. It wouldn't slow down your Live service, it'd add another great benefit to your service, it'd make fine use of your Avatars and, most importantly, it would benefit both you and the streaming channel, and bring in a whole new cluster of revenue. It's a win all around.

Teleparty is a browser extension for watching TV remotely with friends, e.g., for movie nights with that long-distance special someone. It synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite streaming sites.Join over 20 million people and use Teleparty to link up with friends and host long distance movie nights and TV watch parties today!As of July 11 2024, version 5.0.1 of Teleparty is up and running with support for 6 services for free, including Netflix, Youtube, Disney Plus, Max and more. Premium users can also subscribe to unlock video chat, premium features like custom reactions, and 7 extra streaming services.Feel free to reach out to us at te...@teleparty.com if you have any questions or run into any issues. Our typical response time is within a few hours.For those users who may be confused and are looking for Netflix Party, you're at the right place! In version 2.0.0 of Netflix Party we added support for three streaming services, with many more on the way. As part of this update we renamed Netflix Party to Teleparty.Version 5.0.1 changes:-Quality improvements and bug fixes-Allow hosts to disable reactions-Fix intermittent disconnects-Improve joining user experience-Spotify search fixVersion 5.0.0 changes:-Manifest v3 support-Quality improvements for Disney+ and Prime VideoVersion 4.6.0 changes:-This month we're adding support for Spotify!-Disney+ next episode fix-PlutoTV and Apple TV+ fixesVersion 4.5.9 changes:-Fix for new Disney+ layoutVersion 4.5.8 changes:-Quality improvements for Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Sling, and Youtube-Improves GIFs in chat sidebarVersion 4.5.7 changes:-Fixes for Hulu and PlutoTV, and Amazon Prime Video's new ad-based plan-This month we're adding 1 new premium service: VikiVersion 4.5.6 changes:-This month we're adding 2 new premium services: Philo and Fubo-Quality improvements to fullscreen mode, Tubi's sidebar and Disney+ ad synchronizationVersion 4.5.5 changes:-Fix joining issues on select servicesVersion 4.5.4 changes:-This month we're adding 2 new services: Disney+ MENA (free) and Sling TV (premium)-Quality improvements to Disney+ partiesVersion 4.5.3 changes:-This month we're adding 3 new premium services: Mubi, Stan, and Crave-Fixes for Apple TV and Paramount+ partiesVersion 4.5.1 changes:-Fixes for Crunchyroll parties with ads Version 4.5.0 changes:-Tubi and PlutoTV parties as free services-JioCinema parties for free users-Fixes for Netflix and HBO MaxVersion 4.4.7 changes:-Fixed issues where some users could not log in or sync because of overloaded serversVersion 4.4.5 changes:-Add forgot password login page, and fixes a few typos-Added Premium support for Apple TV+Version 4.4.3 changes:-HBO Max and Paramount+ parties - Fixes Ad synchronization on ad-based plans-Crunchyroll parties - Fixes playback "unclickable video" issue experienced by some usersVersion 4.4.2 changes:-Improvements to Max and Paramount+ partiesVersion 4.4.1 changes:Fix breaking change that caused users to be unable to join Amazon and Hulu partiesVersion 4.4.0 changes:-Added Premium support for Funimation-Fixes for Max and Paramount+Version 4.3.0 changes: -Added Premium support for Hotstar and Star+-Add Max Support in the US (Free)Version 4.2.1 changes:-Peacock TV improvements-Fix Amazon Prime Video links in popupVersion 4.2.0 changes: Peacock Parties and quality improvements-Added Premium support for Peacock-Fix bug where Paramount+ parties would not work for some titles-Fix synchronization issues on Disney+Version 4.1.0 changes: Upgrade your parties with Video and Voice Chat!- Premium Video / Voice chat support for the extension- Youtube + Paramount bug fixesVersion 4.0.3 changes:-Added Free support for Youtube TV-Crunchyroll FixesVersion 4.0.2 changes:-HBO improvements-Fix confusing wording on Select a video screen in extension popup-Fix bug where changing your premium reactions would log a message in chatVersion 4.0.1 changes: Launching Teleparty Premium!-Added Teleparty Premium support for Paramount+, Crunchyroll, and ESPN+-Show off with premium badges, customize your reactions and personalize your chat experience-Save 43% when you sign up this month!Version 3.9.7 changes:-Added support for Netflix Basic with Ads plansVersion 3.9.6 changes:-Netflix improvements-Disconnection notificationsVersion 3.9.5 changes:-Hulu seeking & synchronization improvements-Fix for breaking Hulu buffering bug on Hulu ad based plans-Fix bug on Netflix where some users could not automatically join partiesVersion 3.9.4 changes:-Hulu Fix for video restart issues for users on ad-based plansVersion 3.9.3 changes:-Youtube join improvements-HBO updateVersion 3.9.2 changes:-Youtube sidebar improvements-HBO Max disconnect fixVersion 3.9.1 changes:-HBO next episode improvements-Youtube full screen bugfix-Reduced extension download sizeVersion 3.9.0 changes:-New streaming service: Youtube support!-HBO fix for breaking changes from HBO Max's new layoutVersion 3.7.0 changes:-Airpod sync improvements so you can take your Airpods off and stay in sync-Automatically rejoin your party when you run into errors-Add supported services to Teleparty popup when you click on the Tp icon-Amazon Prime video id improvements-HBO Max chat formatting fixes-HBO Max fix to autoplay when you navigate to a next episode-Hulu sidebar stays closed when you play/pause with the chat off-Hulu full screen formatting fixVersion 3.6.3 changes:-Fix for Stranger things recap bug on NetflixVersion 3.6.2 changes:-Fix "unexpected error" bug that crash Teleparties on old Chrome versions v91 or lower-Improvements to HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video reconnectionsVersion 3.6.1 changes:We're going through each of our streaming services to fix any synchronization bugs & quality issues. This week the focus is Hulu.-Fix jumpiness when seeking on Hulu-Keep user in session on Hulu on mini-player view-Fix bug where Gifs disappear in full-screen on Hulu-Fix bug where Hulu overlay shows up in the middle of video-Auto-reconnect if you fail to switch episodes in a multi-episode party-Sync quality improvements for users with firewalls on Chrome-Fix chat bug where reaction container disappears when user icon is changedPlease email us at te...@teleparty.com if you have any suggestions for improvements to Teleparty.Version 3.6.0 changes:-Share gifs from your movie/tv show by default-Interactive chat messages that you can hover over-HBO Max fix for multi-episode parties-Sync quality improvements for users with firewallsVersion 3.5.2 changes:-WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) emojis in input chat container-Increased max message length to 1500 characters-Fix uppercase gif_icon bug from v3.5.0 (believe to cause corrupted extension)Version 3.5.1 changes:-Fix for small subset of users unable to start/join parties-Added licensesVersion 3.5.0 changes:Teleparty now supports reactions, emojis, and GIFs!-Implemented Gifs-Implemented Video Reactions-Chat formatting Improvements-Close Netflix Tabs Automatically when you run into a "too many tabs" error joining a party-Hbo Max ImprovementsVersion 3.4.0 changes:At long last Teleparty now has support for emojis. More fun chat features coming soon!-Adds an Emoji Picker to Teleparty-Chat formatting ImprovementsVersion 3.3.2 changes:-Fixed Teleparty "long" party synchronization on Netflix across multiple episodes-Improved Teleparty overlay transparency-Adjusted Teleparty overlay on Chrome to only be visible in active parties-Added unread message counts to Teleparty overlayVersion 3.3.1 changes:-Hide the Teleparty video overlay on HuluVersion 3.3.0 changes:-HBO Max improvements-Move skip button from behind the chat on HBO Max-Fix bug where video plays after skip button is pressed on HBO MAX-Fix bug where video isn't synchronized across HBO MAX w/without ads.-Slight improvements to HBO MAX Synchronization-Fix bug on HBO Max where extension clicks the trailer button instead of the play button-Chat interface improvements-Enable the Teleparty video overlay to create parties for users on chromeVersion 3.2.6 changes:-Fix for chat and cursor issues on NetflixVersion 3.2.5 changes:-Updated internal packages-Fix for HBO Max Language Selection bug where users could not change their language settings for HBO videos on TelepartyVersion 3.2.4.changes:-Fix for Netflix play/pause synchronization-Improvements to user icon selectorVersion 3.2.3 changes:-Quality improvements for Netflix-Added support for Teleparties on ad-based HBO Max plansVersion 3.2.2 changes:-Bug fixes and quality improvements-Bug fix for starting/joining parties on HBO Max on ad-free planVersion 3.2 & 3.2.1 changes:-Increased idle activity timeouts-Bug fixes and quality improvementsVersion 3.1.6 changes:-Bug fixes and quality improvementsVersion 3.1.5 changes:-Fix for Netflix double next episode bug-Fix for HBO Max Full screen issues-Increased Idle Timeout to 45 Minutes-Added mobile launch promotion to top of chat sidebarVersion 3.1.4 changes:-Bug fixes and quality improvements-Fix for HBO fullscreen issuesVersion 3.1.3.2 changes:-Adds auto-join feature to all supported streaming services-Fixes bug where parties would join on HBO Max profile page instead of video player-Fixes chat issues related to new Netflix video player layout-Fixes Netflix experimental video player next episode issuesVersion 3.1.2 changes:-Users who opt in to extra permissions can conveniently join parties without clicking the browser extension iconVersion 3.1.1 changes:-HBO Max bug fixes-Typing indicator improvements-Idle tab fixesVersions 3.0.5-3.1:-Numerous quality improvements and fixes-Improved sync quality on Netflix-Support for experimental Netflix player-Playback rate improvements on Netflix-Fix for an Issue where extension icons would be different after reconnectingVersion 3.0.2 changes:-Added support for Amazon Prime Video-New feature for massive parties with 10000s of viewers (update 2/2)Version 3.0.1 changes:-Fix video playback issues for HBO Max-New feature for massive parties with 10000s of viewers (update 1/2)Version 2.0.5 changes:-Typing fix for Disney+Version 2.0.3/4 changes:-New holiday icons for Christmas & winter holidaysVersion 2.0.2 changes:-Adding 50 new servers for Christmas & winter holidays-Fix for new HBO Max video layout-Quality improvements for Netflix & HuluVersion 2.0.1 changes:-Fixes for the Teleparty update-Fix for Netflix video player experiments breaking chat sidebar for a small subset of users-Fix Disney+ for international users-Fix Hulu sync issues when typingVersion 2.0.0 changes:-Added 3 new services - Disney+, Hulu and HBO-Long parties for binge-watching consecutive episodes in sync-Ad sync for watching along with friends with Hulu ads-Works for HBO Max & HBO Now viewers-Works for Hulu ad-based & ad-free viewers