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Youzee: Spain's streaming startup answer to Netflix
A new streaming service has shed its beta cloak, only this one isn't made for U.S. eyes. Youzee, a Madrid-based start-up, aims to offer Spaniards the best of both pay models, offering up a monthly subscription service alongside separate à la carte pricing. According to the company's site, its catalog of films and TV shows will be made available in a range of dubbed and subtitled versions to suite language and viewing preferences. You'll have to pony up 6.99 Euros (about $9 USD) monthly for access to those selections, but for any titles -- new releases or otherwise -- that reside outside of its collection, there's a one-time fee required, ranging from either 2.99 Euros (about $4 USD) for 480p DVD-quality or 4.99 Euros (about $7 USD) for 720p HD. Plans are also on deck to grow the outfit's content library of paid content with an assortment of free exclusives. So, if you call the Iberian peninsula home and the return of the Bluths on Netflix just isn't enough to tide you over, well, now you have an alternative online video fix.
GameFly to launch 'Unlimited PC Play' download service, offer less incentive to leave the house
GameFly hasn't wasted any time jumping into the digital download waters after acquiring IGN's Direct2Drive platform a little over two months ago. Set to launch September 8th in beta form, its new "Unlimited PC Play" service will offer subscribers access to 100-plus downloadable PC and Mac titles, with hundreds more expected in time for the official end of year launch. Fans of the video game rental outfit's snail mail subscription service don't have to worry about a shift to digital only, as the company has no plans to abandon its "unique combination of console and digital PC game offerings." Interested in getting an early peek at the new platform? If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can look forward to a planned beta launch party next month, where access codes for the new, invite-only service will be distributed. The rest of you PC gaming warriors will just have to settle for a sign-up page at the source.
GameFly expanding to Tampa, Florida
It's like the GameFly Austin, Texas post all over again, except now it's Tampa, FL. Heck, we'll just copy the first part of the post from last time with a few small edits: A very observant reader noticed while searching job listing website Monster.com that GameFly, the online game rental service, is looking for a manager in the Austin, Texas Tampa, Florida area. The job description clearly states: "GameFly, the leading subscription based video game rental company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA will be opening a satellite Distribution Center in Tampa. We have an outstanding opportunity for an OPERATIONS MANAGER." The listing looks completely legit and we're happy to see GameFly continuing to open distribution centers -- anything to cut down turnaround time is a good thing. We've contacted GameFly for confirmation.If our strange deja vu keeps up and this plays out exactly like last time GameFly will respond saying, "GameFly is definitely looking at a variety of locations for an additional distribution center, but we don't have anything firm to announce just yet." The simple fact of the matter is the Ops. Manager is one of the first pieces of the distribution center puzzle. We're not expecting the Austin or Tampa announcements for a little bit, but we're glad they're happening. For those keeping track, when Austin and Tampa open, GameFly will have four distribution points in the US. We're also happy to report the East Coast center has cut down our turnaround to a week.[Thanks Anonymous]
