latest
Pluto TV founder wants to give you a free TV littered with ads
How does a free television set with a secondary screen always showing ads sound?
Content consumption has changed drastically in the last decade. The best streaming services have now eclipsed cable TV, DVD video, and other forms of broadcast media. Ads have been a constant throughout, though, even as recently as with Netflix’s ad-supported streaming tier. However, the co-founder of Pluto TV believes ads should take up more time in our content enjoyment experience — all of it.
Disney Plus ad-supported tier may not let you use SharePlay and GroupWatch
Binge in solitude, with ads for company
Streaming platforms want two things: as big an audience as possible, and to collect as much money from that audience as they can. When people stop wanting to sign up and pay, introducing an ad-supported tier can be one way to continue fueling growth. That's exactly why Hulu and HBO Max have their own such tiers, Netflix is just about to follow up with one of its own, and Disney Plus is due to launch its offering before the year's out. Early details about that new Disney Plus tier are trickling in, and it looks like ad-supported viewers might end up missing out on some features.
Amazon's new streaming video service is totally free, but there's a catch
miniTV is only available in India, and only on your phone screen
The streaming wars have never been more heated, and Amazon isn't backing down in securing exclusive content for Prime Video. But it's also working on another video streaming service, and this one's totally free and supported by ads. Unfortunately, it's also limited to India.
HBO Max has made an impressive splash in the extremely competitive streaming video market. But at $15 a month, it's among the most expensive choices that don't include extras like live broadcast TV. Today parent company AT&T announced that as of June, it's going to start offering an ad-supported (and presumably less expensive) version of HBO Max.
Dadish 2 is the much-awaited sequel to 2020's hit platformer, out now
Radish-based platforming has never been better
Early last year, we saw Thomas Young's radish-based platformer Dadish hit it big on the Play Store, and it's easy to see why. The game is simply adorable thanks to its charming 2D graphics, and better yet, it's a quality platformer that offers the fun and simplicity of the classics. This is most likely why the game was a breakout success, so it's hardly a surprise to see that the follow-up has been released in quick succession. That's right, Dadish 2 is here, and much like the original title, it's a free ad-supported game where you can remove its advertisements through a single in-app purchase, making for a premium release.
One of the perks of YouTube's paid tier, YouTube Premium, is access to YouTube Originals — scripted programming more similar to traditional TV shows than most of the other content you'd find on YouTube. It seems the streaming platform is changing tack, though, as it's announced that Originals will be available without a subscription by 2020.
Amazon is cooking up a new streaming video service exclusively for its Fire TV devices, according to a report from The Information. The app, tentatively called Free Dive, won't cost a subscription fee, instead generating revenue for Amazon by showing viewers targeted advertisements.
The SEGA Forever program has seen better days. Back at the beginning of March Sega announced that they would be focusing on direct ports to mobile, instead of ROMs that use their wonky in-house emulator. There are still some new titles planned for the program though, and the recently released Dynamite Headdy is one of them.
According to AdAge, Amazon may be making an ad-driven "complement" to its Prime Video streaming service. This could be huge news, as a video service that's free in any form could be a significant disruption to the current streaming status quo. That is, if it's true. Amazon has told other outlets that it isn't working on an "ad-supported version of Prime Video." However, based on the details reported by AdAge, that might not be a denial. Currently, Amazon provides its Prime subscribers with streaming movies and shows as part of the $99 Prime yearly subscription fee—alternatively, .99 a month for Prime or .99 for Prime Video, among other less expensive student options. That makes it one of the cheapest streaming services out there. Even so, an ad-driven service would probably have a huge audience and spur further cord-cutting.For the full details, you should probably read AdAge's coverage, but the short version is that they believe Amazon is working on what they call a "compliment" to the existing video streaming service. This new service will include back-catalogs from TV and movie studios, including things like children's, travel, lifestyle, and cooking shows. In addition to directly monetizing via ads, they claim that Amazon may consider sharing both audience data and that ad revenue with content creators/studios.For sources, AdAge claims "people familiar with [Amazon's] plans" and "executives familiar with the conversations," meaning this can't be independently verified. So far the only statement Amazon has provided is that it has "no plans to create a free, ad-supported version of Prime Video." According to some, that statement doesn't actually refute AdAge's claims, since they believe it will be a "compliment" to Prime Video.It's tough to say, what might be a carefully crafted not-quite-denial on Amazon's part could also just be a punctilious splitting of hairs. Amazon has experimented with advertisements for streaming video before. While we wait and see, at least Prime Video is back on Google Play in the meantime.[EMBED_APP]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.avod.thirdpartyclient[/EMBED_APP]Source: AdAgeVia: Engadget, Cnet
When it comes to ad placements inside applications and games, the more you know the better it is before you make a plunge and decide to check something out. Maybe you're willing to pay $5 or $10 for a good app or game, but you're appalled by the idea of also having to endure ads on top of that, or maybe you're just the kind of person who prefers free and ad-free software. Knowing beforehand if the app or game you're about to download contains ads can go a long way in setting the right expectations, that's the point David argued many years ago, and Google in all its wisdom decided to follow his advice (or you know, common sense).
Look, I've got nothing against the pixelated graphical style, sometimes erroneously referred to as "8-bit." But for the last few years it's often been used as a crutch for developers who can't be bothered to make truly good 2D graphics. That doesn't apply to Sword of Xolan, the latest game from developer Alper Sarikaya of Manuganu fame. The environments, enemies, and main character have enough definition that you can actually see what's happening on screen, and the excellent animations make the world come to life in ways that developers could only dream of back in the old SNES days.
