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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: 2) by tathra on Tuesday April 14 2015, @04:40AM
there's pretty much nothing supernatural or magic in Game of Thrones. there's plenty in A Song of Ice and Fire, but it was pretty much all taken out for the show. i don't think the show even explained that seasons on that world literally last years, like the summer where the show/books is taking place has lasted a decade or two (thats why "winter is coming" is so chilling a saying - winter lasts years, the upcoming one, with the long night coming with it, will probably last decades); this is very much due to something supernatural and will be a key plot point in the next 2 books and the resolution of the series (the show will probably dumb it all down to some stupid action scenes between r'hllor and the great other). the return of magic to the world is also a key plot point in the books (along with the reasons why it vanished and why its returning), but the show hasn't really shown any magic at all or even really shown that it ever existed in the world. they even took out a magic sword or two that are key to the plot.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday April 14 2015, @10:34PM
Seen the show, not yet read the books, and I have to disagree:
Spoilers....
The long season thing is made clear. In terms of magic you have the frost zombie guys north of the wall, which are showcased form episode 1 iirc. Then there's the dragons and Dragon woman's impervious to fire, the voodoo used on drogo, and of course that disturbing scene
where crazy fire priestess lady gives birth to some kind of ninja smoke demon. oh, and that guy who keeps coming back from the dead. And the enigmatic face-changing assassin dude. Magic isn't overused in GoT (tv) by any means, but it leaves no doubt that it is set in a magical realm.
(Score: 2) by tathra on Wednesday April 15 2015, @12:51AM
ah, yeah, there is just a little bit. it'll be this season or next when they should cover why magic is returning and the reason it vanished in the first place. Thoros of Myr (the red priest of the capital, the one who keeps reviving that one guy) specifically makes a comment in the books about how he had no powers as a priest of r'hllor until just recently, and even though mellisandre can create shadows and cast glamours, most of her "magic" is just alchemy tricks; i don't remember if she said she was powerless before like Thoros. its not clear that the faceless men use magic to change their face, they should show that in another episode or 2 (beyond the leaked ones).