Netflix Subscribers Surge To 270 Million
In the streaming realm, Netflix is still the king of the mountain by a wide margin. But even Netflix didn’t predict that it would hit 270 million subscribers this financial quarter. Via Variety, Netflix has released its report for the first quarter of 2024, which reveals that the streamer added 9.33 million subscribers through March 31 to reach approximately 269.60. That’s well above the 3.93 million subscribers that Netflix was predicted to add in the same period.
How did Netflix so wildly exceed those expectations? Cracking down on accounts sharing passwords likely helped. Netflix’s early 2024 lineup also had some new breakout hits, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, 3 Body Problem, The Gentlemen, Fool Me Once, Griselda, and Damsel. Netflix’s consistent flow of original movies and TV series, as well as content on loan from other studios, is another one of the primary reasons why no other streamer has managed to catch up.
Additionally, Netflix revealed that it intends to stop reporting its quarterly subscription totals starting in 2025. This caught some industry observers by surprise, because the company’s subscriber numbers have been used to push Netflix’s stock prices even higher. However, Netflix has also seen its stock prices fall during quarters when its subscriber numbers have gone down. The decision to withhold those numbers suggests that Netflix anticipates another dip in subscribers at some point in the future, and the company wants to avoid another concurrent drop in its stock price.
This news comes after a report that Netflix wants to make original movies that are “better, cheaper, and less frequent” than in the past. Netflix is also reportedly moving away from massive upfront payments to established stars and creators. What that means for Netflix’s future as a movie and TV studio remains to be seen.
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Apple’s Gorgeous 5K Monitor Gets Big Discount At Amazon
If content creation is your bread and butter, there’s a good chance you’ll be looking for a display to help you create the best videos and images possible. There’s no shortage of these to pick from, but if you’re a fan of Apple, the company’s Apple Studio Display screens are probably very tempting. Like many other Apple products, they’re also expensive, but right now you can score a sweet and pretty uncommon deal on this powerful, 27-inch Apple monitor.
Apple Studio Display
- Apple Studio Display (standard glass) — $1,300 ($
1,599) - Apple Studio Display (Nano-Texture glass) — $1,600 ($
1,999) - Apple Studio Display (Standard glass, tilt, and heigh-adjustable stand) — $1,700 ($
1,999) - Apple Studio Display (Nano-Texture glass, tilt, and heigh-adjustable stand) — $2,000 ($
2,299)
Amazon has marked down the price of these high-quality displays by a significant amount, discounting them by $300-$400. There’s no getting around the fact that these are luxury purchases even with a reduced price, as these monitors are very much a perfect example of needing something and wanting something. After all, why have a 4K monitor when you can show off with a 5K display instead? When you see one in real life, it’ll probably be hard to go back to regular monitors. The Apple Studio Display has an exceptional build quality, accurate colors for any creative task, and surprisingly powerful built-in speakers. Pair it with a discounted Mac Mini running an M2 chipset, and you’ve got a stylish setup to help you power through tasks for years to come.
These are decently sized screens as well at 27 inches. Just be aware that the glass panel design of the base model, while offering phenomenal brightness and clarity, is more susceptible to glares than conventional monitors. If you work in a space with lots of natural light, you may want to spring for the Apple Studio Display with Nano-Texture glass. This technology disperses light to combat glares.
Apple Mac Mini Deals
For an all-in-one solution that’s compact and portable, you should also check out the 2024 MacBook Air with an M3 chip (on sale for $989, normally priced at $1,099), the MacBook Air with M2 for $849 (normally $999), or the M3 Pro chip MacBook Pro which has been discounted by $200.
Zelda Nendoroid From Breath Of The Wild Is Back In Stock And Discounted At Amazon
In the world of pocket-sized figures, Nendoroids have become popular collectibles for several reasons. These figures tend to look very cute, and they often come bundled with a bunch of swappable accessories. Manufacturer Good Smile Company has produced a ton of these figures, including a line focused on The Legend of Zelda. If you’re looking to add to your Legend of Zelda collection, you can grab this adorable figure of Zelda for only $48 (was $59). This particular Zelda figure is often sold out, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it disappear again. Like other Nendoroid figures, it has enough articulation to strike a cool pose and comes with a bunch of accessories.
Out of the box, you’ll get three face plates to help change her expression–neutral, smiling, and angry–the Royal White Stallion, a Sheikah Slate, and the Hot-Footed Frog that appeared in the Captured Memories scene when she offered it to Link in Breath of the Wild.
If you’d like to grab a few more figures for your shelf, Amazon has quite the selection. You can pick up a highly posable Link Figma figure based on his look in Skyward Sword. Unlike the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom Link Figma, this one is available to buy at Amazon right now.
If you collect any of the wonderfully detailed First 4 Figures collectibles, several Breath of the Wild characters are available through that company. There’s even a mini Hylian shield replica available to order, perfect for those nights when you need to suddenly convince snooty people that you do indeed have a family coat of arms.
More Legend of Zelda figures
Beyond Zelda, you can also check out a few other Nintendo figures. Mario and Luigi figures are downright charming as Nendoroid figures, while this 30th anniversary edition of everyone’s favorite pink blob, Kirby, will bring a smile to your face. And the King Dedede Nendoroid will give Kirby a fitting foe to battle for premium shelf space.
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Amazon Prime Members Get 9 Free Games In May, Including A Trip To Fallout’s Wasteland
It’s the start of a new month, and like clockwork, new free games are available for Amazon Prime members starting today. Subscribers to the Amazon gaming service can pick up 10 PC games this month, and if you’re a fan of Prime Video’s Fallout series, you’re in for a treat in May. As usual, these titles will be released in waves, with each week bringing new games to add to your collection.
Kicking things off today is the release of Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition (GOG key). After years of dormancy, the Tomb Raider franchise made a huge comeback in 2013 with an adventure that showed how Lara Croft became the legendary hunter of relics. An action-packed blockbuster, the first game still holds up pretty well more than a decade after release, and this edition includes the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer expansion, six extra outfits for Lara, and four more characters to play as in multiplayer.
Also available today is Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars (GOG key). This all-ages game doesn’t stray away from the established Lego formula, as you can expect to smash and blast your way through stages, assemble gadgets to move forward, and have a good laugh at the Lego twist on the Star Wars story.
On May 9, you can test your observation skills with the hidden object game Dark City: International Intrigue, but the real draw next week will be Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition (GOG key). Bethesda’s first trip into the wastelands was a massive success, as it made big changes to the gameplay and delivered a fun adventure in a post-apocalyptic world. This meaty edition comes with five expansions, continuing the story of Fallout 3 in Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, and Mothership Zeta. Finally, you can grab old-school point-and-click mystery game Nine Witches: Family Disruption to round out the trio of May 9 arrivals.
May 16 will see two more games arrive. Critically acclaimed, The Forgotten City will see you travel 2,000 years into the past to prevent the destruction of an ancient Roman location and discover the mystery behind it. Once you’re done with your time travel, you can check out 100 Door Games: Escape from School, another hidden object game. May 23 will see one more game arrive, Spirits of Mystery: Song of the Phoenix, another mystery title where you’ll have to use your eyes to find hidden objects scattered across beautifully illustrated stages.
Once you claim Prime Gaming freebies, they are yours to keep forever–even if your subscription expires. So if you aren’t a member, signing up for Amazon Prime for even just one month could make sense for you, depending on your interest in these games.
Amazon Prime Gaming members can also get a few extra games to play through the Amazon Luna channel this month, as Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Fortnite, Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival, and Trackmania are being added to the library of that service. The Luna cloud streaming freebies are only available to stream in May.
Amazon Prime Gaming lineup for May 2024
May 2
- Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition
- Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
May 9
- Dark City: International Intrigue
- Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
- Nine Witches: Family Disruption
- Electrician Simulator
May 16
- The Forgotten City
- 100 Door Games: Escape from School
May 23
- Spirits of Mystery: Song of the Phoenix
Cobra Kai’s Final Season: Netflix Unveils Premiere Dates and Teaser
Cobra Kai, the series continuation of the iconic The Karate Kid film franchise, will return for its sixth and final season on Netflix with 15 episodes and a finale event to be released across three dates. Part 1 of the highly anticipated Season 6 kicks off on July 18, followed by Part 2 premiering on November 28. The finale event is set to wrap up the epic saga in 2025.
Netflix’s synopsis for these final episodes reads: “Picking up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, our senseis and students must decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai–the world championships of karate.” Along with this announcement, Netflix has also shared a new teaser marking the beginning of the end, which you can check out below.
With production initially delayed due to the WGA strike, anticipation has only mounted. Season 5’s conclusion left loose ends aplenty, from Kreese’s vengeful schemes to the potential romance brewing between Chozen and Kumiko. All that’s really known about the episodes ahead is that the stage is set for a grand finale.
Ralph Macchio, who plays Daniel LaRusso, hinted to Deadline in 2023 that while he still had not seen a script for the sixth and final season, he knew the overall story arc and that it does the franchise justice. Gianni Decenzo, who portrays Demetri, echoed this sentiment, telling Digital Spy in 2022 that “the creators want a great resolution… They don’t want to leave the fans hanging.”
Call Of Duty File Text Might, Maybe, Possibly Point To New Game Reveal This Month
Activision Blizzard might be aiming to unveil the next Call of Duty game this month. That’s because dataminers uncovered references to a reveal in the latest update for Call of Duty Warzone.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), CharlieIntel highlighted that “s3_cerberus_reveal” was discovered in the files for the Season 3 Reloaded update that dropped earlier this week. What’s especially notable is that the Xbox Games Showcase in June will be followed by a mysterious direct that has a Cerberus image attached to it.
Call of Duty 2024 teasers/reveal could happen this month
Data miners have found references to “s3_cerberus_reveal” in the game files after today’s update pic.twitter.com/UHuaE6FZlW— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) May 1, 2024
Insider Gaming reports this is all, in fact, leading up to the official announcement of the new Black Ops this month, followed by the Call of Duty Direct in June. Dataminers have apparently found a Frank Woods operator, too, who might be a preorder bonus for the upcoming FPS. This report also claims that Microsoft will have new info on the franchise coming to Xbox Game Pass.
Late last year, it was believed that Call of Duty 2024 would be a new installment in the Black Ops franchise and developed by Treyarch. In addition, it’s been reported that the upcoming FPS will feature old multiplayer maps similar to what Modern Warfare 3 did. Supposedly, WMD from Black Ops and Grind from Black Ops 2 will show up in the rumored Black Ops 6 later this year.
This new Call of Duty might also offer open-world missions, as it’s been reported the franchise will explore this structure for the next couple of entries. Activision Blizzard has the FPS series mapped out through 2027, with 3,000 people working on the brand.
Amazon Picks Up Live-Action Masters Of The Universe Movie After Netflix Drops It
A live-action reboot of Masters of the Universe has been stuck in development hell for the better part of two decades, with stops at Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and most recently, Netflix. Now, the long-stalled project may finally have some momentum. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has dropped out of the film, and Amazon MGM Studios has stepped in to team with Mattel Films to give Masters of the Universe a theatrical release in 2026.
Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee director Travis Knight will helm the Masters of the Universe movie from a script by Chris Butler. However, the official synopsis for the film suggests that the story will take several liberties with the source material and the origins of He-Man.
“10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword–the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”
It seems as if the filmmakers haven’t learned one of the biggest lessons from the 1987 Masters of the Universe, which was set largely on Earth and far from a faithful adaptation of either the Mattel toys or the 1983 animated series. He-Man’s mother, Queen Marlena, is canonically from Earth. But He-Man himself has never lived there, and placing part of his story there seems like an unnecessary change.
Although no cast members have yet been revealed, Amazon is set to release Masters of the Universe in theaters on June 5, 2026.