The Lannisters always pay their debts…until the commoners discover that they can cut the cord and use borrowed credentials to short-change the crown on cable taxes.
Then that revenue stream will cool down faster than winter is coming -and once that happens, they’ll be defenseless against the Targaryens, sweeping in through the (WiFi) airwaves like stealthy cyber dragons (of DOOM!), spewing borrowed usernames and passwords all over the place and burning everything to the ground.
By the time they’re through, there might be less left behind than Ramsey Bolton — by comparison it could make a Stark/Fray wedding look like a walk in the rose garden.
But then, just when you thought all your favorite characters were about to die (again):
BEHOLD the POWER of PassKey Lite — a.k.a. dragon glass! Fear not, it’s not dark magic: no human sacrifices to the lord of the light are required — it’s free for anyone, willing to play the ultimate game for power.
Not only will it save you from the searing plethora of usernames and passwords, it’ll keep the white walkers north of the wall, in the deep web where they belong, with only the Wildlings to keep them company.
Will the realm adopt this technology before it’s too late?
Only HBO knows this answer: They’re the keepers of the secret script, the wielders of fate. Let’s just hope for their sake and ours that they don’t choose to protect their subscription service by trying to pay the iron price.
Game of Thrones has led the pack in most pirated views of a television show, setting new records of bandits making off with television gold. Considering it’s one of the most universally popular shows out there, it’s fascinating that it’s still easy to signup and cancel an HBO account or download it outright. It’s simply too easy to watch it for free. While HBO feels that ANY viewer can potentially become a paying customer, there’s reluctance to crack down on free viewings from sharing an account with a friend to abusing free trial periods. After all, why damage the goodwill between TV producers and viewers? Getting them hooked enough to come back for more is the whole point. And HBO can benefit from more control over free trials when a user is signing up. There’s not enough to learn about what users want if they take advantage of the free trial scheme.Think about what the show could do with a ridiculous amount of funding that comes with 100% legit users adding to the revenue. It’s a direct correlation: If you view the show without paying for it, you just aren’t contributing to the development of actual content you want to see.
So here are three fantastic ways Game of Thrones could improve if only paying customers could view it.
1. HBO could develop much better effects, environments and even ways we watch it.
Some great technological achievements have happened in CG animation, but come ON. It’s not like the CG of the white walkers wasn’t noticeable and distracting. Maybe the next Westeros experience could include some Westworld-style robots to boost the realism factor.
Maybe that’s a little too far in the future, but it there’s still plenty of “what if” factors. How about a full Game of Thrones VR experience that’s currently a bit cost prohibitive.
2. You aren’t just funding Game of Thrones; you’re funding the next great show, spinoff, or Tyrion Lannister-based miniseries.
There’s no denying that HBO makes quality television. Even less-watched shows that get canceled are a cut above the rest that most networks have to offer. Now imagine giving them an accurate assessment of what YOU the viewer wants to see next. That just doesn’t happen when you take a friends credentials or pirate it off a torrent.
It’s an old cliche, but you DO vote with your dollar. Skipping out on paying is a missed vote which leads to inaccurate results. If showrunners don’t receive the funding from their viewership, then it’s a missed opportunity to explore further creativity. Sure, Game of Thrones will probably finish at some point, but what happens after? The creators should be allowed the capital to continue making the next hit series. Each episode of GoT costs about six million dollars to make. Imagine what other shows could do with that kind of budget
3. It would eventually be cheaper for paying customers — I know, crazy right?
What a catch-22: “I just want to watch this one show, so I don’t think I should have to pay for a whole HBO account. It’s too expensive, so I’m just going to watch this show for free.”
Ouch. To the viewer’s credit, this was a huge problem for a time. You couldn’t exactly just buy what you wanted: HBO required upgrades to a cable package, or required purchase of a cable package if you didn’t have one already. Why do that?
Here’s the problem: If 100 million users are watching the show, but only 25 million are paying for it, then those people are paying 4x as much as they should. It’s pretty much the basics of supply and demand.
With the efficiency and proliferation of streaming media, it’s remarkable how much access there already is to quality television. Sure GoT stands out from the pack, but when we can instantly watch any movie or television show past and current, there’s almost too much to watch. The cost of accessing would actually be LESS overall. The total supply of digital media could exceed demand and the price would ultimately reflect that.
We still wrestle with the problems of legitimate customers having access. At least until now…
True Authentication Could be HBO’s Dragon Glass.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but there is a genuine want to compensate creators, but now it’s a simple task of creating a new email and HBO account just to get a free viewing out of them. And borrowing a friend’s password is an all too common practice as well. Maybe PassKey Lite could be to strongest weapon to combat this. A login method that’s linked to the viewer and impossible to share with others isn’t a fantasy weapon. It’s right here.
The many-faced-god is a plague, which vile followers use to steal from the crown. Until the kingdom of HBO adopts WWPass, they will continue to be under attack from the “faceless men” who borrow someone else’s account.
