Comcast’s live TV streaming service could launch by year’s end

Earlier this year, rumors circulated that Comcast was planning to launch Xfinity Instant TV, a live TV streaming service for Comcast internet customers that don’t have a cable package. During an earnings conference call today, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke said the service could be launched before the year’s end, though no official date was set.

Xfinity Instant TV will largely be a more widely released, rebranded version of Comcast Stream, which is available in select areas of the country now. Previous reports noted that the service would be priced around $15 per month, but Roberts and Burke said today that the company has been testing prices. So, it’s unclear what the official cost will be as of now.

Of course, Comcast is entering a market others have already been dabbling in. Time Warner began testing a similar service in 2015 with its internet customers and Hulu and YouTube have launched their own live TV services that aren’t internet provider-specific, something Sling TV has been doing for a while.

Comcast execs are still skeptical about live TV streaming though. In regards to existing services, Burke said, “[They’re] doing about as we expected they would do and that is they are not all that material to our business. It is a very tough business, and we, as before, we are skeptical it will be a very large business or profitable business, and they are off to a relatively slow start.”

Via: Hollywood Reporter

Source: Comcast (Seeking Alpha)

‘Wolfenstein II’ DLC adds three new Nazi-punching characters

You’ll be playing as more than just the broken-schmeckled B.J. Blazkowicz in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. That’s because the game’s three expansions will feature a different protagonist fighting for America by punching and murdering the Nazis standing in their way.

“The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe” centers on Joseph Stallion (yup, really) a former quarterback who will “smash through Nazi hordes from the ruins of Chicago to the vastness of space!” according to publisher Bethesda.

Then there’s “The Diaries of Agent Silver Death.” This one has you playing as Jessica Valiant, a one-time OSS agent and assassin trying to figure out what the National Socialist party is up to in California. It sounds like this could be more of a stealth-focused expansion.

“The Amazing Deeds of Captain Wilkins” takes players to Alaska and will task them to destroy the Nazi operation in former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s back yard.

Here’s where things get tricky: If you don’t want to plop down money in advance for these expansions, getting a feel for the characters is going to be tough. There will be a free mission, “Episode Zero,” that introduces the trio, but it’s locked behind pre-orders or season pass purchases.

The season pass is $25, while a pre-order will cost nothing if you grab it through Amazon, or $5 from other stores. But you still have to blindly commit money in advance. What I’ve played of the game left me incredibly impressed, but it’s really unfortunate that getting a preview for the expansions is tied to a financial commitment. That’s especially so when the public hasn’t gotten a chance to play anything yet. Unfortunately, this has become all too common.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will be released on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (with a 4K patch on Xbox One X) this October 27th.

Source: Bethesda