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How have streaming services altered the quality of modern entertainment?

In looking at how film entertainment has evolved over the years, an especially drastic shift can be seen in the boom of streaming services that followed the Covid-19 Pandemic. At first, these services appeared to be a saving grace of comfort and convenience–allowing one the ability to still bring the luxury of a movie theater into their own home, allowing one to catch up on the newest flicks with a subscription and a click. Though as the world now struggles to mesh the “New Normal” with the normal we all used to know, these streaming services show no signs of slowing down. According to CNBC, the U.S. has given up around 3,000 theater screens since 2019–and those that remain are now tasked with finding ways to remain relevant. In short, the public seems reluctant to dive fully back into the old movie magic of the theater. But what have these screens been traded for?

Each streaming service is a world tasked with populating itself full of movies and shows to keep its audience’s attention–but what do these services sacrifice in the process? Have streaming services begun to trade quality for content, pushing titles with big names and no stories just to fill their slots? What has been lost in the experience of seeing a movie for the first time in theaters now that everything can be watched from one’s couch? Are these changes beneficial, or a deficit to the quality of modern entertainment? This article could go in a number of directions–exploring particular movie franchises, or the evolution of certain streaming services overall. This just seems to be a relatively new phenomenon of the last decade, but one that has altered what and how we watch in extremely poignant ways.

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    The effect of streaming and let's plays on the video game industry

    The gaming community, from twitch streamers to youtube let's players, is synonymous with video games at large.
    This has had a number of effects, both on the way that games are made (with features like 'streamer mode' which substitute copyrighted songs so that streamers don't get copyright strikes) and the way games are marketed (with big streamers becoming just as important to get good reviews from as critics).
    This article would discuss these effects, and more, that streaming has had on the video game industry. Both in terms of the positive and negative sides – and perhaps what this may mean for the future of video games.

    • I think an interesting point to discuss in the article is the accessibility that streaming provides. For example, someone who may not have the ability to afford the latest console, game, DLC, etc. can watch someone play it for free (more or less) and still enjoy it, even if they're not the one playing it. – LeoPanasyuk 2 years ago
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    • You may want to mention how this contributes to a game's popularity. Millions of people have watched Let's Plays of, say, Undertale or Detroit: Become Human, but how many have actually bought and played those games? Likewise, a Let's Play can also damage a game's reputation or lock players into the idea that they can or should only play it a particular way, all of which might be worth exploring. – Petar 2 years ago
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    Netflix to release episodes weekly

    Netflix made binge watching a household phenomenon. In fact, it was one of their biggest selling points.

    But now they are going to release episodes weekly instead of releasing entire seasons at once. Why is television reverting back to cable formats? What are the possible cons of binge watching culture and is it sustainable? Is Netflix following HBO Max’s success in weekly releases? Is binge watching conducive to long term streaming revenue?
    Additionally, how do weekly releases impact viewers differently than entire seasons being released at once?

    • Besides all the topics on binge watching that we have, I forgot to mention that we also have at least one published article focused on this specific phenomenon. It may be a good idea to look into it to make sure one is not repeating ideas that have already been explored. – T. Palomino 2 years ago
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    • Binge-watching, as an extreme, can cause some health issues; one being a long period of constant physical inactivity. However, companies replicating the successes of other companies is pretty common. That phenomenon is seen in the addition of "stories" to many social media platforms, or the simplification of company logos. – lorem1psum 2 years ago
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    • There are many video essays on Youtube talking about the downfall of Netflix and the binge watch format definitely contributed to it. If all your fans are watching things that take at least a year to produce in a few days, you need to constantly pump out new content which will be of lesser quality. – sabrinaellis 2 years ago
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    What is the function of 'Trending' categories on streaming services.

    What is the function of these categories on streaming services:

    Disney – Trending
    Netflix – Popular on Netflix, trending now, Top 10 movies in Australia today
    Amazon prime – top movies, top tv
    Stan – trending on stan, popular now

    Psychologically why do we want to be watching what everyone else is? Or if not, why?

    How does this work on services such as Netflix, who have their own original content? Can we trust that they aren't bumping their own numbers?

    Also, how do they know what is being watched most? Do they get these numbers anonymously or can they see what each user/profile is watching? Netflix has a category based on the user's country, so they must be able to see at least some user info with what is being watched.

    I have seen writer's use eg. Bridgertons viewing stats in articles, where do they get these numbers?
    Are they released by the streaming services or are these inferred from their places in 'trending' categories?

    Having these lists and categories seems to guarantee that certain content will reach pop culture icon status (eg. Tiger King), which spurned trends on social media and spin-off shows.
    Perhaps this is why the services have these categories, so that everyone is talking about the show/movie that can be seen exclusively through their service.

    • I think FOMO, or the fear of missing out, plays a major role in why the 'trending' section works so well. Many want to be able to connect with others and fear that if they do not they will be left behind – Alex 2 years ago
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    The Impact of the Streaming Age

    I know for myself, I watch maybe two or three shows on cable. The majority of content I watch is either on Netflix or YouTube. With everyone gathering their own streaming services now (Disney working on its own, CBS All Access, YouTube Red etc), it is not hard to see that this is where the future is heading. My film professor once told me that soon, cable will be phased out and replaced with each individual television network having its own subscription service, which would essentially be more expensive than cable. How can that be combated when subscription based streaming is super popular? It is an interesting debate to have.

    • I would also widen this to the discussion of pirating and pirate streaming sites to comment on the international cost to American studios also. It is an interesting discussion to have especially when drawing in more unusual streaming services such as Amazon and Twitch. – SaraiMW 7 years ago
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    Is Online Streaming the 'New' Television?

    Analyze the upcoming success with Netflix and it's creation of TV shows. Is this a good move for 2015 and the generation at hand? Or is it a bad move and it's causing us to watch and be distracted by TV even more because we get these shows in the palm of our hand. We also can binge watch them and watch them over and over, which can be the plus side of this. Mainly want to talk about the millennials and how this is going in their favor or the opposite of it. The 21st century is important and it's talked about a lot, as far as other generations, so eventually I know Netflix and Hulu are going to be a HUGE thing and it's something to talk about. Even Amazon has a streaming service, Apple as well and it's something to just talk about all of these online streaming devices and how they are in favor or against us as a generation. Shows such as: Daredevil, could that be a show you see on regular TV, such as CW or was it better on Netflix. Bojack Horseman as well, it's raunchy and grim, something that wouldn't have been allowed on TV (I don't think), but in circumstances that it would be, can you see that on something like Adult Swim?

    • Online streaming is definitely gaining a lot of momentum in terms of how we access our favorite media, but I think an interesting way to look at it would be to assess what types of programs are making the transition to online streaming, and what's being left behind. For example, what happens to genres such as game shows, news reports, and live sporting events? Different types of media that were classically exclusively available on TV will react to this migration to online services in different ways, and that could be something worth looking at. – crpreble 9 years ago
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    • I believe after the second season of Legend of Korra it became a strictly online viewed show because it was cheaper and had more popularity there? This could say a lot to how things are changing. – Slaidey 9 years ago
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    • You can compare the two viewing platforms, television and online. Take shows from tv and compare the ratings and reviews with the ratings and reviews of those of online streaming. I do agree that online streaming has become more prominent that television, especially Netflix. – ADenkyirah 9 years ago
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    • The appreciation of TV shows has declined recently due to the influxuation of live streaming on programs like Netflix. Waiting for tv shows isn't something looked forward to since they are all easily accessible on live streaming networks. It's definitely an obsession of this generation since our expectations on quick access to things has become a necessity. – cwhittred 9 years ago
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