gameofthrones
Latest
HBO won't send out advance 'Game of Thrones' screeners to avoid piracy
The public's appetite for all things Games of Thrones has cemented its rank as the most pirated show year after year, but HBO's going to try and change that with season six set to premiere at the end of April. For the first time, the network isn't going to send out any advance screeners of the show to critics for review -- they'll have to watch on Sunday nights along with everyone else. HBO programming president Michael Lombardo unequivocally told Entertainment Weekly that "there will be no copies for review."
'Game of Thrones' is now a pinball machine
Stern Pinball, a regular at CES, usually bringing along its latest machines. The company has a history of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist and that explains why we're here playing Game Of Thrones through the medium of pinball. (Update: There are also, predictably, GoT slot machines somewhere in Vegas. So that's this evening sorted.) With a dragon to aim at, and red LED-reproduced animations from the TV series, the pro machine is fun enough for GoT and pinball dilettante alike. Take a closer look after the break.
'Game of Thrones' season six debuts on HBO April 24th
Is ____________ really dead? We might find out on April 24th when Game of Thrones' sixth season premieres on HBO. Aside from the dramatic fantasy series, the lovable slackers of Silicon Valley return that night as well as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the rest of the Veep gang. Just don't pirate any of this, okay?
Yet again, 'Game of Thrones' is the world's most pirated TV show
For the fourth year in a row, Game of Thrones has won the dubious honor of being the world's most pirated TV show. The annual study, carried out by TorrentFreak, reveals that an estimated 14.4 million people snaffled HBO's opus this year. By comparison, only 6.9 million people wanted to watch second-placed The Walking Dead and 4.4 million catching The Big Bang Theory. The easy explanation for all of this is that HBO is a pricey pay-cable channel where access is expensive, while AMC and CBS are far easier to access.
Telltale's 'Game of Thrones' first season ends next month
Beware, for the night is dark and full of terrors folks: Telltale Games is wrapping the first season of its Game of Thrones series, Iron from Ice soon. When the season finale, dubbed "The Ice Dragon," releases next month on the 17th, Telltale says it'll be the first time that an episode hits each platform simultaneously (Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Playstation and Xbox). What's more, the story-focused developer says that the finale will provide "a uniquely harrowing conclusion" for every player based on the decisions you've made thus far. If I know anything about Telltale and Game of Thrones that means a number of characters are going to die. Probably viciously. Need a place to start? Telltale's using a classic pusher move and is offering the first episode for free. Try not getting attached to anyone.
HBO is selling 'Game of Thrones' S5 downloads earlier than usual
In another sign that HBO is trying to convert some of the numerous Game of Thrones pirates into paying customers, the network announced that season five will be the first one available for downloaders to own before it hits DVD and Blu-ray. It's actually going on sale via download way before the discs, with a digital release of season five due August 31st, just two months after the finale aired. The Blu-ray version is still on deck for next March as usual, but you can pre-order the digital season pass (including extras, listed after the break) from outlets like Amazon, iTunes, Vudu and Google Play for $39 (HD) -- unless of course you live in another country like Australia, where season five has been on sale since it finished airing, or are already subscribing to HBO Now. Of course, you don't really need to hurry, as HBO announced during yesterday's TCA panel that it expects the series to last about eight seasons.
Recommended Reading: Why do we hate CGI so much?
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Why VFX Is Being Vilified by Raqi Syed & Sonya Teich Motherboard By now, you've heard someone complain about the prevalence of visual effects in movies. Perhaps you've groaned about it yourself. Sure, there are varying degrees of execution, and some of the results that made the final cut have been downright awful. Take Avengers: Age of Ultron for example. The film was a massive success at the box office, but critics griped about the role visual effects played in the bulk of the action. Is all the post-production to blame for ruining movies?
'Game of Thrones' pirated 3.5 million times despite HBO Now
HBO seemed certain that offering customers the option to watch without a cable subscription through its $15/month "HBO Now" app would help curb the rampant piracy afflicting its most popular shows. Nope! Variety reports that the latest episode of HBO's megahit "Game of Thrones" has been illegally downloaded 3.5 million times, in a single 24-hour period. That's a new record. Per Danish piracy tracking site Excipio, this season's episode six edged out last week's record-setting 3.22 million downloads. And given that Excipio only really covers P2P piracy, not direct download websites, those numbers are probably a little light. This, of course, comes after the first four episodes of the season were leaked online a full day before the HBO premiere in April. It's enough to make one to just up and start murdering popular lead characters. [Image Credit: Getty]
HBO switches to streaming-only review policy starting right now
HBO is trying super hard to dislodge Game of Thrones' crown as the "most pirated TV show" of modern times. It recently launched HBO Now, a non-cable-based streaming service, and today the company announced it would stop providing reviewers with DVDs containing episodes of its shows prior to their air dates. Instead, HBO will give reviewers early access to these episodes via a secure streaming service. The streaming policy starts this week with three new episodes of Veep, but it was spurred by a recent Thronesian leak: In April, four unaired Game of Thrones episodes found their way online, all of them reportedly linked to a review DVD. "Amazingly enough, it wasn't until just recently that a DVD was leaked online," HBO EVP of Corporate Communications Quentin Schaffer said in an email to reviewers.
You can now listen to the 'Game of Thrones' audiobooks on Scribd
At this point, it's almost illegal if you don't describe Scribd as the Netflix of reading, which has just signed a new audiobook deal with Penguin Random House. The agreement gives the service access to 9,000 of the super publisher's library, including blockbuster titles like the Game of Thro... A Song of Ice and Fire series. If your inner goddess prefers something more sensual, however, you can enjoy Fifty Shades of Grey on a train before jumping on transport-based thriller Girl on the Train. The titles are available to everyone who pays the $8.99 monthly fee, but we should warn you that it's not likely that you'll finish all of George R.R. Martin's books before the fifth season of Game of Thrones ends.
Xbox Live members get the 'Game of Thrones' premiere for free
If you've resisted piracy's siren call, you now have another way to catch the season premiere of Game of Thrones. Xbox Live members with an Xbox One or 360 can now stream the Season 5 premiere gratis until April 16th, including extra content like trailers, on-set tours and blooper reels. The episode debuted on HBO -- available to many with cable or satellite thanks to a conveniently timed weekend preview event -- and its just-launched $15/month streaming HBO Now service, to largely solid reviews (spoilers at that link). It looks like the extra is only available in the US due to HBO's complex foreign syndication deals, but it's good news if you didn't want to sign up with HBO just for GoT.
Four 'Game of Thrones' episodes leak, good luck avoiding spoilers
Just a day before season five premiered on HBO, copies of the next four episodes of Game of Thrones leaked onto the internet. According to TorrentFreak, the leaks are in standard definition and may originate from a review screener given to the press. The Daily Dot points out that their low resolution has fans pausing more than ever before seeking out links and torrents, but the sheer amount of content included in four episodes being out there makes it hard for some to resist. While GoT is typically among the most-pirated shows, HBO has made some changes to make it more accessible to fans who said they want to pay. The premiere will air simultaneously in many countries and, for the first time, HBO is available in the US widely without a cable subscription, whether through HBO Now with Apple and Cablevision, or live and on-demand with Sling TV. We'll be watching in HD through legit means tonight (even if it's just to see if those internet streams can hold up to the strain), but for the most dedicated, staying spoiler-free could mean taking a month-long internet detox.
HBO Now is live on Apple devices
HBO's cable-free streaming service, HBO Now, is available right this very second on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, HBO says in a press release. Interested cable-cutters can see sign-up instructions and access HBO Now on desktops here. The service is exclusive to Apple devices for now -- Cablevision is offering its internet customers subscriptions too -- and costs $15 a month. Remember, the new season of Game of Thrones launches in just five days, so if HBO Now's exclusivity deal with Apple sounds as restrictive as a Dothraki barber shop, that's only because it is. The FAQ says an Android app is "coming soon" (probably outside Apple's 90-day exclusive window), and content-wise it should match what we've seen from HBO Go.
What's on your HDTV: 'Game of Thrones', 'Daredevil', 'Silicon Valley'
March is over, and in a few hours March Madness will be too. As the NCAA Men's basketball tournament wraps up -- as well as the first season Better Call Saul -- we're eyeing another championship series with intrigue and plenty at stake: HBO's Game of Thrones, now returning for its fifth season. It's accompanied by Silicon Valley, while on FX the season premiere of Louie comes along with The Comedians, starring Josh Gad and Billy Crystal. Last but not least is Netflix, premiering its first team-up with Marvel, Daredevil. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
'Game of Thrones' at SXSW: creating digital art with a Braavosi blade
HBO has made a habit of bringing a bit of Westeros to SXSW attendees. Last year, a virtual reality experience took folks to the top of the 700-foot ice wall defended by Jon Snow and the Night's Watch. This year, Game of Thrones fans get to turn a photo of themselves into a digital collage of swords, crow feathers and stag antlers by swinging Arya Stark's wooden practice sword given to her by Syrio Forel.
New 'Game of Thrones' episodes will air worldwide simultaneously
It looks like HBO has caught wind of those "most pirated show in the world" stats Game of Thrones keeps racking up, and it's making a change. Besides launching HBO Now streaming that anyone in the US with internet (and an Apple device) can sign up for, its distribution is changing up worldwide. This season, every new episode of Game of Thrones will be simulcast with the US premiere in 170 countries -- check after the break for a list, and the new season five trailer that debuted during yesterday's Apple event.
What's on your HDTV: Oscars, 'Sneakers' and 'Game of Thrones'
This week the other big awards show comes home, as we find out the winners of the 2015 Academy Awards but there's much more to see. Birdman is up for several trophies and it arrives on Blu-ray this week, but we're equally looking forward to season four of Game of Thrones, the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself. Of course, Sneakers finally getting a Blu-ray disc release in the US (nearly eight years after it shipped on HD-DVD, and it's only available at Best Buy for now), is a big one, and The Interview is wrapping up its release tour at long last. For gamers there's Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, plus PS4 exclusives The Order: 1886 and Resogun: Defenders. this week we have the series finales of Two and a Half Men and The Mentalist, series premiere of The Odd Couple, season premiere of Vikings, and a season finale for Downton Abbey. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
HBO tries using Blu-ray to hook cord-cutters on new shows
Remember BD-Live? Other than being the reason so many Blu-ray discs take forever to load, it's a way for them to pull in continuously updated content from the internet and HBO's using it to reach people who only watch its shows on disc. The new feature is called "HBO Sampler" and it unlocks full episodes of some of the network's other shows for streaming. Currently that list includes the season one premiere episodes of Girls, Looking, Banshee and Togetherness, while in the future Veep, Silicon Valley, Game of Thrones and True Detective premieres will pop up too. It's only a single episode so it's no HBO Go or even Amazon Prime, but if you already own some of the boxed sets in the last year or so (Game of Thrones S3, True Detective S1, etc.) or will buy any of the ones coming out in 2015 then you can get a peek at what HBO subscribers are watching.
'Game of Thrones' will be the first TV series to hit IMAX theaters
If you think that some TV shows are so grandiose that they deserve a full-fledged theatrical release, you're not alone. HBO is drumming up attention for the fifth season of Game of Thrones by screening the last two episodes of season four (plus a special season five trailer) in IMAX theaters -- the first time that any TV series has been remastered for the large-scale visuals and sounds of the IMAX format. Should you be eager to see those big fantasy battles on the big screen, roughly 150 theaters across the US will play the episodes between January 23rd and January 29th. It's hard to know if fans will pay to watch GoT content they've almost certainly seen at home. However, HBO and IMAX are really just testing the waters. They want to know if special theatrical runs can both draw attention to a TV series (especially important with HBO's stand-alone internet service on the way) and fill seats that might otherwise stay empty.
'Game of Thrones' crowned as 'most pirated' show for third-year running
Interactive apps, multiple theme-tune remixes, constant recommendations, memes or trans-Atlantic and server-collapsing debuts are but mild indicators of Game of Thrones' public success. What's the real measure of a show's popularity? It's how many people pilfer it from the internet. In this regard, our friends in Westeros have no need for a drawbridge, an army or one single drop of wildfire -- its crown as the "most pirated" program continues for the third year running. Torrentfreak estimates the show peaked at over 8 million downloads, nearly double that of the second place series: The Walking Dead. Despite increasing ways to legitimately watch TV online, the number of shows being downloaded suggests there's still an appetite for free -- or an unwillingness to wait for shows to legitimately arrive in your territory. We've got a hunch that waiting isn't something GoT fans are particularly good at.
