Netflix rolled out Max today, its own virtual assistant designed to help users pick out content and keep them glued to their TV screens for even longer than before. The digital guide launched on PS3, which Netflix says is where the majority of people use its service, and will likely land on the iPad next, though not for at least six months, a spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Max, which Netflix jokes is the “child of Siri and HAL 9000,” helps the user decide what to watch, walking them through a number of different games and methods, all the while filing away preferences and taste. The service will pop up at the top of the Netflix home screen, click on it to let Max take the reigns. Ignore him and the icon will shrink and slide down to the bottom of the page on future visits.
The most straightforward content-finding game asks you to choose between several popular genres. You’ll then be asked to rate a few different shows and movies on the spot before Max serves up a suggestion. In “Celebrity Mood Ring” you can choose between two different actors to help guide Max’s suggestions. There’s also “Max’s Mystery Call,” where the service simply picks a movie or show based on your past preferences.
Max is expected to land on all PS3s in the U.S. by the end of the day. An update for iPad won’t come until late 2013 at the at the earliest, and will likely roll out across the rest of Netflix’s platforms throughout 2014.
