Qwikster is the new name for Netflix’s DVD by mail service. Streaming, the side of the business they actually want to have succeed, will go by Netflix.
Netflix wants you to stop getting DVDs by mail. They want to take that money they spend on postage, millions and millions of dollars, and use it to write checks to studios for better movies and TV so that more people stream and it all works better. Why? Because that’s the wise bet on the future. And if you don’t believe me, try to order new release movies on VHS.
Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings apologized to customers in announcing this service, saying he communicated changes to the pricing plan. Qwikster will also rent video games, which has been a requested feature for years.
It will also require setting up and managing a completely different account on a totally different site, which has not been a requested feature for years.
People are already upset about this, of course, because they have to go to a DIFFERENT WEBSITE and TYPE SOMETHING IN in exchange for all this entertainment.
Oddly enough, the 1990s version of me just time traveled in and can’t believe anyone would complain about Netflix. He asked if it worked directly through his AOL account. He’s sitting there now catching up on The X-Files.
And now on to the conspiracy theory:
Qwikster is a stupid name. That’s just a fact. And on Twitter, it’s owned by a pothead named Jason Castillo who swears a lot.
Did Netflix really not know this? REALLY? The company that built an empire would not do a Google/Twitter search on its own proposed name? REALLY?
How about this: they knew the name stank and they knew about Jason and those things are enough to contribute to people not wanting to bother using it anymore.
It’s like The Producers! Qwikster is the Springtime for Hitler of tech companies!
https://twitter.com/#!/qwikster
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