NEW YORK (AP) — Google will start its Stadia streaming service to challenge the video game industry in November — but initially only as part of a $130 bundle that includes hardware and a pass for a friend. Google announced the game service in March with few details. On Thursday, Google said it will start […]
Streaming to Subscriptions: Video Games Enter New Frontiers
NEW YORK (AP) — The video game industry is entering new frontiers. In the past, you plunked down $60 at GameStop for a copy of Grand Theft Auto or Madden NFL and played it out — after which you could trade it in or let it gather dust. Now, you’ll increasingly have the choice of […]
Goodbye Console? Google Launches Game-streaming Platform
NEW YORK (AP) — Google on Tuesday unveiled a video-game streaming platform called Stadia, positioning itself to take on the traditional video-game business. The platform will store a game-playing session in the cloud and lets players jump across devices operating on Google’s Chrome browser and Chrome OS, such as Pixel phones and Chromebooks. Google didn’t […]
Disney Closes $71B Deal for Fox Entertainment Assets
Disney has closed its $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment business, putting “Cinderella,” ”The Simpsons,” ”Star Wars” and “Dr. Strange” under one corporate roof. The deal is likely to shake up the media landscape. Among other things, it paves the way for Disney to launch its streaming service, Disney Plus, due out later this year. […]
WarnerMedia Hires Former NBC Exec in Reorganization
WarnerMedia is hiring former NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt as chairman of its entertainment and direct-to-consumer divisions in a reorganization. Greenblatt will run the company’s marquee HBO property as well as Turner cable networks TNT, TBS and truTV, among other properties that were previously run separately. The moves come after HBO’s longtime chief executive Richard […]
Remember Virtual Reality? Its Buzz Has Faded at CES 2019
Just a few years ago, virtual reality was poised to take over the world. After decades of near misses, the revolution finally seemed imminent, with slick consumer headsets about to hit the market and industries from gaming and entertainment to social media ready to hop on the bandwagon. But the buzz over VR has faded […]
Netflix and Chill No More – Streaming is Getting Complicated
Streaming TV may never again be as simple, or as affordable, as it is now. Disney and WarnerMedia are each launching their own streaming services in 2019 in a challenge to Netflix’s dominance. Netflix viewers will no longer be able to watch hit movies such as “Black Panther” or “Moana,” which will soon reside on […]
How ‘Net Neutrality’ Became a Hot-button Issue
For a fundamentally nerdy subject, net neutrality is pushing a lot of political buttons. The latest salvo is over a California law that restores a ban on cable, wireless and other broadband providers from impeding people’s ability to use their favorite apps and services. The federal government had rescinded that ban, and the Trump administration […]
How ‘Net Neutrality’ Became a Hot-button Issue
For a fundamentally nerdy subject, net neutrality is pushing a lot of political buttons. The latest salvo is over a California law that restores a ban on cable, wireless and other broadband providers from impeding people’s ability to use their favorite apps and services. The federal government had rescinded that ban, and the Trump administration […]
Risk of Streaming Fatigue as Walmart, AT&T, Disney Join Fray
As Walmart, AT&T and Disney join stalwarts such as Netflix in streaming video and creating original shows, a reality sets in: Not all will survive. Over the past week, Walmart announced plans to partner with MGM Studios on original shows for Walmart’s video-on-demand service, Vudu, while AT&T’s WarnerMedia said it would create its own streaming […]