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Paul Tassi reports at Forbes that the first four episodes of the new season of Game of Thrones, nearly half of the ten total episodes, have been leaked online to various torrent sites. The four episodes appeared to come from a screener sent to reviewers with the digital watermark blurred out and are in 480p resolution, equivalent to standard-definition TV, not HD. The episodes have already been downloaded a million times, and that figure is expected to climb by the season 5 premiere. Game of Thrones has consistently set records for piracy, which has almost been a point of pride for HBO. "Our experience is [piracy] leads to more penetration, more paying subs, more health for HBO, less reliance on having to do paid advertising... If you go around the world, I think you're right, Game of Thrones is the most pirated show in the world. Well, you know, that's better than an Emmy."
How the leak happened isn't a mystery. Television critics typically receive the first four episodes of an HBO show before its season premiere, and Game of Thrones is no exception. HBO could not immediately say whether the leak could be traced to screener copies of the show. "I suspect HBO may be a bit more restrictive about handing out Game of Thrones screeners to press, given the event-like nature of the show and its reliance on keeping spoilers close to the chest," writes Tassi. "I really don't see why commentary like that needs to exist in the first place." The network can take solace in at least one thing, though. Episode four ends on a heck of a cliffhanger, and those who pirated the episodes will be in the same boat as those of us who received them legally — waiting until May to find out what happens next. "I would imagine it's more fun to just spend the next month watching week to week as nature intended, even if you are watching illegally," concludes Tassi. "Game of Thrones is one of the last true "event" shows where it's something you want to talk about Sunday night or Monday morning with friends and strangers alike."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tynin on Monday April 13 2015, @07:02PM
Sadly we are at a point now, where we've basically caught up to many of the plot points in the Song of Ice and Fire book series. The Game of Thrones TV show is actually going to start revealing what hasn't been released on paper yet. As someone who has read every book since he started the series, well before it was famous (even bought some shirts his wife made long long ago), I'm pretty pissed that the TV show is going to spoil the books for me. He has gotten so slow on releasing the books that there is no way he can catch up. Because of that, I'm done reading them, not buying them, and encouraging others to do the same. He's already given HBO everything they need to finish his story just in case he goes and Robert Jordans himself. I'll watch the show and let that be the end of it, I'm not going to have him spoil the books on me and expect me to later pay for that privilege.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by snick on Monday April 13 2015, @07:05PM
You are assuming that you will live long enough to see the next book.
(Score: 2) by tynin on Monday April 13 2015, @07:33PM
So true.