Oof, when did streaming movies, games, and music get so expensive?

Cable used to be the only game in town for wide entertainment. Sure, if you wanted to subscribe to a game like EverQuest or World of Warcraft, you could (and well, guess the rest of us were never seeing you again). But for variety, cable is what you had—and it wasn’t cheap. So when streaming services came along, they seemed like an answer to everyone’s budget prayers. These days there’s a digital subscription available for most interests, including gaming. And individually, they’re affordable. Or at least, they were. Xbox Game Pass just went up in cost. (Even if you use the conversion hack to get it cheaper.) So did PlayStation Plus. GeForce Now so far is exempt, but PC gamers haven’t been able to sit assured about much these days. Meanwhile, on the TV and movies side of things, Netflix is rumored to be raising prices yet again. Disney+ and Discovery+ have already announced hikes. And in an extremely annoying variation of shrinkflation, Amazon Prime Video and multiple services are adding adverts to their basic streaming plans (or have already done so). As for music, Spotify also got more expensive, sending notice to subscribers with little fanfare. Streaming was great when you were paying less than $25 per month for all the content you could want. But now subscribing to even three services ad-free runs almost $50 per month. Let’s say you want regular access to Game Pass, Netflix, and Disney Plus—that’s already $40 to start with, if you’re only a PC... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2023-10-04 14:10:27 UTC ]

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Wearables Present a Huge Challenge to News Publishers, and That’s a Good Thing

In the early 90s people balked at the idea of reading the news on a computer, yet if you looked at online services of the day (Compuserve and AOL), user demand would say otherwise. News was consistently among the top activity. Eventually that same demand drove Web 1.0 and by the time Web 2.0... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Global Publishing Leaders 2014: Kyowon

Kyowon, founded in 1985, is one of the biggest publishing companies in Korea. They produce various educational programs, picture books, fairy tales, DVD and online services. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Louisiana residents choose libraries over jail to receive funds

Residents of Lafourche Parish in Louisiana recently voted down a proposal that would have used money currently going to local libraries to build a new prison. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chegg Looks to Raise $172.5 Million

Chegg, which offers textbooks for rent and other online services to college students, is looking to raise $172.5 million in its Initial Public Offering. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AOL CEO Says Scalability Is Needed in Native Advertising

For all the good native advertising does for brands, a big roadblock the digital ad form faces is its ability to scale, said AOL CEO Tim Armstrong at a breakfast event this morning in New York. "I think it's beneficial, overall, for brands. I think there's a danger, though, that native... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries 'fundamental' says Hurd, as TRA celebrates Reading Challenge rise

More young people than ever are getting involved in reading schemes at their local libraries,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble reports Q2 2013 earnings: digital content sales up 38%, Nook unit rakes $160 million

Barnes & Noble's Nook unit didn't have its greatest quarter. The $160 million in revenue the new Microsoft-backed spin off raked in was slightly better than last year's $152 million, but still a significant drop from $220 million. In a sign of the growing ubiquity of e-readers however,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Elf Heads to TV For the Holidays

It may be increasingly common for first-time authors who can’t place their book with a trade house to publish themselves. But it’s pretty rare for a self-published book to sell more than 1.5 million copies—or move to the small screen as an animated film to be aired on CBS in prime time on Black... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stonewall from government on library closures

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 22/06/2011 - 16:03 Campaigners desperate to save their local libraries from closure have been left none the wiser about the circumstances in which culture minister Ed Vaizey would intervene, after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers begin "buddying" schemes

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 20/05/2011 - 08:34 Random House and Bloomsbury have begun "buddying" programmes to support their local libraries and library authorities. More than 20 Random House staff have volunteered to be part of a pilot scheme pioneered by deputy group... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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