Xbox 360 Netflix queues missing Columbia Pictures films

An apparent licensing issue has rendered Columbia Pictures movies unwatchable through New Xbox Experience's Netflix instant queue, for reasons Netflix is describing as a "natural ebb and flow" of licensing.

AOL gaming blog Joystiq reported that Instant queues in their advance access to the New Xbox Experience had been updated with a "Notes" column, where many movies were listed as "Not available on Xbox."

Netflix VP of Corporate Communications spoke to MTV's Multiplayer yesterday, and explained the situation.

"A few hundred titles are temporarily unavailable to be streamed via the Xbox game console, those titles are still available to be watched on subscribers' computers and on TVs via other partner devices, and we hope they'll be licensed for Xbox 360 shortly...As watching instantly becomes a more prominent part of the Netflix service, our goal is to have all of our streaming content licensed for all of our partner devices. We're doing well in this area, but it will take some time before we fully achieve that goal. Today, titles regularly come in and out of license and there is a natural ebb and flow to what we have on license at any given point in time."

However, the this is the first instance of a widespread licensing problem with Netflix's streaming service, and it just so happens to be between the Xbox 360 and Columbia Pictures, which is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Sony Pictures films remain available to 360 users.

Among the films in Columbia's repertoire not available are recent additions to the Netflix streaming service like Superbad and We Own the Night.