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BT's broadband prices are going up this September
Stick with the same phone, broadband or TV provider for long enough and eventually your bills will go up. It's just a matter of when and by how much. BT is the latest in the UK to announce some price rises, which will be coming into effect on September 20th. Broadband packages are going up "by no more than 6.94 percent" -- you can check your own plan here, and BT is keen to stress that some won't be changing at all. Line rental, meanwhile, is going up by a pound -- making Standard Line Rental £17.99 and Line Rental Plus £19.99 per month -- and its call plans will be rising between 14 and 50 pence.
Netflix raises the price of its basic HD plan (again) in the UK
Netflix is investing heavily in new TV originals, and maintaining the standard set by House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Daredevil doesn't come cheap. With that in mind, it should come as little surprise to hear that Netflix is raising the price of its basic HD subscription from £6.99 to £7.49 per month in the UK. Subscribers are being notified via email, and it's worth noting that the increase only applies to new customers. When the rate was last changed in May 2014, Netflix promised a two-year price freeze for existing subscribers paying £5.99 per month. It's not yet clear, however, if those paying the £6.99 rate will be offered a similar deal. At least for now, it seems Netflix is keeping its cheapest plan (one device at a time, SD only) at £5.99 per month and its premium plan (four devices at a time, HD and 4K) at £8.99 per month. At face value the price rise is bad news, but maybe it'll give Netflix the money to hire Clarkson and friends for House of Cars.
BT details how much it'll charge for Champions League football
We knew it was coming, but now we've got confirmation: Next season, BT will start charging for full Champions League and Europa League coverage on BT Sport. When both tournaments start up again, BT broadband customers will need to pay an extra £5 to access the new games. If you're signed up for BT TV, however, you'll be able to watch the European fixtures at no added cost. BT Sport 1 will remain free for BT broadband customers, under a new package called "BT Sport Lite," but the company is yet to confirm whether BT Sport 2 and BT Sport ESPN are included. The broadcaster also hasn't explained how the new pricing structure will affect Virgin Media and Sky TV customers that currently pay for BT Sport, either as an optional extra or an inclusive TV bundle.
Oculus Rift and a VR-ready PC will cost $1,500, CEO says
The Oculus Rift is prepared to melt your perceived reality in early 2016 -- if you have the proper PC. If not, a new, Rift-ready PC plus the headset itself should cost around $1,500, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe said today at the Re/code conference. "We are looking at an all-in price, if you have to go out and actually need to buy a new computer and you're going to buy the Rift... at most you should be in that $1,500 range," he said (via Re/code). He didn't provide a standalone price for the Rift, but Oculus has already divulged its recommended PC specs and they're fairly hefty.
Virgin Media blames TV rights auction for rising Sky Sports prices
Virgin Media is still trying to persuade Ofcom to change the way Premier League TV rights are auctioned in the UK. The company filed a complaint with the regulator last September, complaining that the current system -- a limited number of match "bundles" which broadcasters bid for every few years -- is leading to higher prices for the consumer. Ofcom said it would look into the matter, but failed to draw any conclusions before the most recent TV rights auction finished earlier this year. The rivalry between Sky and BT meant that bidding increased to a record £5.1 billion -- £4.2 billion of which was spent by Sky. Now, Virgin Media is telling its TV customers that they'll soon need to pay more for Sky Sports and Sky Movies. From June 1st, these extras will go up by £2 per month and 50p per month respectively, due to increases in the amounts Sky is charging Virgin Media.
HTC One M9 to go on sale for $649 unlocked tonight
Never mind that M9+ thing in China. Back in the US, it's all about the M9 for local HTC fans, as the device is about to hit the official online store at midnight ET for $649 unlocked (it'll have the same bands as the AT&T model). This may not mean much for folks who are used to subsidized phones, but if you compare this contract-free price with those from other regions, it's actually rather attractive -- even when you include tax. In Hong Kong, you're looking at around $770. Not to mention that US buyers also get to enjoy HTC's "Uh Oh Protection" program, which replaces your device -- be it faulty or simply because you want to change networks -- one time for free within a year, and you get $100 credit towards your next HTC phone if you end up not requiring this service.
FTC accuses DirecTV of using deceptive advertising
In an awkward twist on AT&T's proposed purchase of DirecTV, now both companies are in hot water with the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission sued AT&T a few months ago over its data throttling, and today charged DirecTV with deceptive advertising -- an accusation DirecTV calls "flat-out wrong" and says it will fight. At issue are DirecTV's ads that prominently feature a discounted price that only applies for the first year of a two year contract -- in the second year, prices increase by $25 per month. DirecTV's promises of premium channels like HBO and Showtime are also cited, with the commission claiming they don't do enough to explain the channels cost extra after a trial period. The premium channel offer is set up as "negative option billing" (remember Columbia House?) and the FTC says DirecTV violated the Restore Online Shopper's Confidence Act (ROSCA) by not laying out the terms clearly on its website. Depending on how this goes, at least if DirecTV eventually needs any advice on how to restore trust with the public then it can just ask spokesman Rob Lowe.
Apple buys itself some time with £59 Apple TV price cut
How long can the current Apple TV survive? The sleek streaming box has stayed the same, more or less, for just over three years now. Sure, there's been a steady stream of new apps and software features, but the components and basic experience have barely changed. Meanwhile, we've seen Roku, Amazon, Google and others bombard the market with rival hardware that offer new, modern takes on navigation and discovery. We're still waiting on a major Apple TV refresh, but in the meantime the company has dropped the price of its set-top box yet again; now, you can pick one up for £59 rather than £79 in the UK.
HTC One M9's leaked price and release date will give you deja vu
If you were still picking sides following the launch of HTC's One M9 and the Samsung Galaxy S6, there's now a bit more to work with. Retailer B&H Electronics has (accidentally?) revealed that a 32GB flavor of the HTC One M9 will start shipping on March 25th for $649, SIM-free. That's the exact same price (and release date) as last year's look-alike model and a bit less than an unlocked Galaxy S6 (non-Edge) is expected to cost. That said, you'll also need to weigh factors like Exynos versus Snapdragon CPUs and all-metal versus glass-and-metal designs. The listing could also be inaccurate or premature, so we wouldn't count on the pricing or date without official word from HTC.
The Elder Scrolls Online answers player questions on its buy-to-play model
Even if you were among the many players predicting a business model shift for The Elder Scrolls Online, a change in business models can be kind of disturbing. Suddenly the game doesn't behave according to all of the same rules you've been familiar with since launch. To help alleviate that confusion, the ESO dev team hosted a quick question-and-answer session with players over the weekend to help answer some of the major questions about the change, the next major patch, and balance issues moving forward in the game. To start with, if you've still got time cards for the game on your desk, fret not; you can still use them after the model transition to add the equivalent amount of subscription time to your account. You might want to use them ahead of time, though, since there are plans to add in a special veteran reward for players who stayed subscribed during the game's entire subscription lifespan. DLC prices are not finalized, but they are intended to be around the normal DLC price points for other games. Take a look through the whole of the answers for more details on balancing and issues like controller support.
Apple raises the minimum price of apps in Europe and Canada
If you live in Europe or Canada, you might find that some apps are now a little more expensive on your iPhone or iPad. Yesterday, Apple informed developers that it would be raising prices before the weekend to reflect changes in VAT and foreign exchange rates. Those increases are now starting to take effect, with a 10 pence rise for the cheapest premium apps in the UK, up from £0.69 to £0.79, and a new €0.99 starting price in EU countries. The minimum spend in Canada (beyond free apps, anyway) has risen from $0.99 to $1.19, and Norway, which uses its Norwegian krone, should see a similar rise in price. Apple is tinkering with app fees in Iceland and Russia too, so if you live in any of these countries it's probably worth opening up the App Store to assess the damage.
PlayStation 4, Vita launch in China next month
Sony is bringing the PlayStation 4 and Vita to the Chinese market on January 11, 2015, the company said today. Sony's console retails at 2,899 RMB (around $469), undercutting the Kinect-less Xbox One which launched in September 2014 at 3,699 RMB ($598). As for the Vita, the region's "Slim" PCH-2000 is priced at 1,299 RMB ($210). After China lifted its 14-year ban on consoles earlier this year, Sony partnered with the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group to bring PlayStation hardware and software to the country. Like Microsoft, Sony is following rules dictating it works with local businesses to produce the systems in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.
Redbox rentals will get a price hike on December 2nd
If you're looking to snag a DVD or Blu-ray from Redbox while out gathering holiday supplies, you'll soon be paying a bit more for the rental. On December 2nd, the red kiosks will increase rates from $1.20 to $1.50 for DVDs and from $1.50 to $2 for Blu-ray selections. While the allure of Redbox lies in its low prices, even after the increase, its rates will still hit the wallet for sums significantly lower than on-demand or streaming rentals from the likes of Amazon, iTunes and others. In addition to the cost increase, Redbox will launch a recommendation engine -- similar to Netflix -- that will serve up suggestions for your next rental based on previous titles that you enjoyed. Games aren't exempt either, as that nightly fee will increase from $2 to $3 in January.
WildStar slashes box prices by 33%
In a day after releasing its third major update to the game, WildStar has gone on sale by reducing the cost of both editions by 33% if purchased through the official website. This brings the standard edition down to $40 and the digital deluxe edition to $55. Both editions come with a month of game time included. Earlier today we reported on an interview in which the studio said that its publisher was standing behind the game and that it had strong though unspecific box sales. Yesterday, WildStar released Drop 3, Mystery of Genesis Prime, a content patch with over a hundred pages of bug fixes.
World of Warcraft addresses upgrading to the Warlords of Draenor CE
Were you one of the people who pre-purchased Warlords of Draenor as soon as the digital option was open? Do you have a mighty need to pick up the physical collector's edition but no clear process for upgrading from the digital copy? The good news is that Blizzard Entertainment has World of Warcraft fans covered with a new post detailing how you can upgrade to a physical collector's edition. Just buy another copy, contact Blizzard's customer support, and then give a friend the code from the digital upgrade that you no longer need! Yes, that's what it says. Just buy another one. Which is a system that works out pretty well for your friend, at least. If you were hoping for a simpler way to use the level 90 character boost and still get the physical doodads, however, you are apparently out of luck. The Collector's Edition is priced at $89.99 and includes both digital items and physical bonuses.
Dropbox Pro plan now offers 10x the storage for the same price
Beefing up your free Dropbox account with extra space isn't hard if you know what to look for, but the company just smartly streamlined its Pro plans in case you need even more cloud action. Kiss those tricky tiered plans goodbye: all that's left now is a 1TB option that'll set you back $9.99 a month (or $99 a year). Not a bad deal considering that's how much you would've paid Dropbox monthly for 100GB of cloud storage just a few days ago, and the company is sweetening the pot with some neat new sharing and security features too. Left your laptop at that seedy diner over in Toledo? A few clicks is all it takes to remotely wipe all the synced files that were still on it. You can exercise a bit more caution with your shared links too by slapping password protection and expiration dates on them, too. Really, it's those features that Dropbox hopes will give it an edge over some larger rivals -- Google Drive's monthly rate plans dipped to similar levels earlier this year, while Amazon still costs a ton compared to both.
Carbine Studios explains WildStar housing prices for music
If you'd like to change the music on your housing plot in WildStar, you'll be able to do so with the next major update. But it's going to cost you a pretty penny. Players have been a little upset about this for understandable reason, so Social Systems Lead Victoria Dollbaum took to the forums to explain why the prices for this feature -- as well as wallpaper options, atmosphere, and similar points -- were being set so high. Dollbaum explains that rather than simple changes, these purchases unlock the feature forever, rather than incurring another cost each time you decide to change. While the current system is less expensive, it also requires you to buy changes to wallpaper, sky, and so forth every time you change; with the new system, once you've bought it once, you'll never have to do so again. It doesn't fully ameliorate the issue, but understanding the reason might make it a bit more palatable.
RIFT addresses player auction house concerns
RIFT brought some major changes to its live servers yesterday, but one change wasn't mentioned in the patch notes and produced more than a little player irritation. Along with all of the other auction house changes, helpfully compiled by RIFTJunkies, the transaction cost was changed from a flat fee to a 5% scaling tax. That's kind of a big change if you're used to only having a minor hit whether the auction sells or not. According to the development team, this change will not be reversed, but modifications will be made to help make the shift feel less punishing to players. The goal is to both recover some money from the economy and cut down on unnecessary auctions for trivial sums. Players can expect to see a hotfix next week to make the taxes both lower and dependent upon the length of the auction; read the full auction house breakdown for more details as well as an in-depth look at the other changes.
Europe gets long-detained Shin Megami Tensei 4 at cut price
Shin Megami Tensei 4 is priced just £18 or 20 euros in Europe, around half the region's typical asking price for 3DS games. The Atlus RPG cost $50 when it launched stateside last year, so it seems the lower price is a proverbial olive branch to fans frustrated by the wait. Atlus also revealed that all the DLC - minus the pre-order bonus armors offered by various North American retailers - will be available when the game hit Europe this September. At the reduced price and going by our four-star review, Shin Megami Tensei 4 looks a steal for European JRPG fans. As Joystiq's Susan Arendt put it, "It eases you into the gameplay without babying you, giving you the tools you need to succeed and enjoy your adventure while still providing a hefty challenge. It's not the prettiest thing you'll ever pop into your 3DS, and the story isn't the series' strongest, but Shin Megami Tensei 4 will demand your full attention every step of the way."
Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs
This question was posed to me recently by a few different readers and stream viewers: Are The Secret World's DLCs a good value? As I pondered the question, I decided that instead of answering each query personally, it would be a good topic to explore here in Chaos Theory. Besides, the answer is definitely not a short one! (It can't even fit in a single column!) So why can't I just fire off a simple yes or no to this question? The biggest problem is trying to provide an objective answer to a very subjective situation. While the meaning of value itself is clearly defined, said definition emphasizes that the judgment is individual to whoever is involved. How each player defines value is very personal, so I can't really answer for anyone except myself. What I can do, however, is provide as much of the objective information that I can so you can make your own subjective judgment on the value. Are TSW's issues and sidestories packs worth it? Let's look at the value from various viewpoints and you decide!
