Streams – My Game Reviews

The most important reason why Netflix is not worth the money and Tubi is growing in popularity

Netflix just released its Stranger Things Season Five, Volume 1 and it is one of those rare TV events we have in our culture now.

In the past, shows such as the original Shogun were changing watching habits. Shogun in 1980 in particular seems to have reset American attitudes about Japan. My thoughts are that Shogun made people more appreciative of Japanese culture and history.

Now, TV shows are treated like content rather than as events.

However, in spite of its impact on our culture, I believe that Netflix is a waste of money. Here is why.

Netflix is taking away content which was “Original”

It is becoming more apparent to me that Netflix puts the “N” label on its content and then removes it without much ceremony. They do not even say which company owns the content or where you can watch that content, but it is just taken away without any context, and you have no idea when you are going to be watch it again.

This happens alot with content made in Spanish-Speaking countries. Juana Ines was taken away despite the fact that I had watched in 2017 and while I had issues with certain ideological viewpoints or framing of characters, it was an interesting series. The series was just removed from the site and now I cannot watch it without trying to get it through streaming through other channels.

I understand that not everything is an “Original” however, they are so deceptive putting that opening logo when you start an episode. Just show the original makers and that should be it.

This happens with many other series, especially period dramas, which is my favorite genre on Streaming services.

Netflix’s removal of its own content makes the service less valuable in comparison to the past here.

Here is my suggestion:

Try to subscribe only when there is something interesting on the site. When you are done watching those shows, you should unsubscribe,

TUBI: The next thing in Streaming

People should be paying attention to Tubi. There you can get tons of ad-supported content. They are also making their own content also and it is getting traction here. Netflix is providing ad-supported tiers but has less content.

I think I know which one users will want to use.

Will one want to use a service which makes you pay for a smaller library of content with ads?

Will you use a service that has ads and is free and actually has the big movies and shows as well as a growing library of their own originals?

There is a reason why Tubi has been growing quickly with consumers. It promises value with quality.

Netflix has too many reality tv shows and is not having the hits that it used to have.

Competition is needed and Tubi may be one of the few services that may be able to shake up the streaming industry in America. Right now, the industry is stagnant and Tubi is truly having innovative concepts in our age.

Streaming Empire Earth on Twitch

Twitch is an intriguing little site. While it isn’t little in its cultural impact on the internet, there is something to said about how “media” ignores it. There are so many users who spending time on Twitch who have audiences in the tens of thousands and yet because it is not something that the older generations understand, they are not picking up on it and trying to understand it. In some ways, I like how Twitch is popular yet hidden away. Unlike YouTube, there is no presence of the old brands trying to muscle their way onto the site. YouTube basically gave up on its own userbase in favor of propping up TV stations that had their start in the 1950s. Linear Television should remain where it is; YouTube is its own thing and that’s better for the internet as a whole. However, in the rush for ever greater profits over building the internet into something useful, they have flooded YouTube with all these useless recommendations and taken away its creativity. I still use it as there are redeeming qualities to it, but there needs to be more competition here.

Here are some screenshots of the session that I streamed on Twitch. I realized that I was playing without the right output at the time but I still count it as a stream.

The screenshot below is from a successful stream. I decided to test out whether my settings were correct and whether the video was playing back to any viewers. Sure enough, it was. I did a quick random match on a continental map. Empire Earth’s AI loves to cheat so I didn’t want a stream where it was a difficult game so I had an AI ally with me.

It was an enjoyable experience but I need to do more streams before I get a handle on this site.

Streaming and Netflix’s grip on it

It seems strange to consider that at one time, streaming was seen as a revolutionary idea. It was going to change the realm of entertainment. Instead what we got is basically the continuation of what we saw with Cable TV. Cable became the same as broadcast, lacking any sort of vitality to it.

Streaming is becoming the same thing. Who is to blame? It is Netflix of course.

Netflix was on top like a Monarch on this throne.

Now that it has been on top for so long, it feels little need for any innovation.

Streaming used to be interesting but now it is becoming more like the old television model. Such a state of affairs is a reason why people are starting to migrate to freemium streaming or even platforms with just ads on content which is offered with advertising to pay for the cost of running the servers.

Netflix’s grip on streaming has taken a toll on actors and people writing these stories. Until we have actual power shifting in this area, streaming will continue to be a wasteland of missed opportunities.

It is time for streaming services to start actually competing and innovating in this space.