ESPN+ is raising the price of a monthly plan by $3 to $10

Disney is set to increase the price of ESPN+ plans once again. As of August 23rd, a monthly subscription will go up by $3 to $10 (a jump of 43 percent), while the annual option will be $100, up from $70, as first reported by Variety.

That’s a significant price increase at a time when the prices of many goods and services are rising sharply. It’s a far bigger jump than the previous ESPN+ monthly plan increases of $1 in August 2020 and again last year. ESPN+ cost just $5 per month when it debuted in 2019 and, at least at the time, it was a killer deal.

“While it is a significant change to the price, it’s reflective of the increased scope, scale and value of ESPN+ as we continue to add significantly to both live sports and original programs and series, and it is part of an established plan to ensure ESPN+ is a profitable and strong long-term business,” an ESPN spokesperson told The Wrap. “I think you’ll also find, if you look across the sports streaming landscape, ESPN+ clearly remains the best value — in virtually all other sports streaming, you pay this price or more, and get less.” 

For what it’s worth, rival sports streaming services DAZN and Bally Sports+ each cost $20 per month. ESPN+ includes PGA Tour Live, which cost $10 per month when it was a standalone service, and NHL’s Center Ice, which previously cost $25 per month. The platform also offers games from several major soccerleagues (though it’s losing MLS to Apple next year), the NFL, college football and other sports. It’s also home to ESPN original shows and docuseries, as well as various specials. As Bloomberg notes, in the first quarter of 2022, ESPN programming and production costs increased by 48 percent to $454 million.

At least for now, Disney does not plan to increase the price of the Disney Bundle. Along with ESPN+, that provides access to Disney+ and the ad-supported version of Hulu. The bundle costs $14 per month. Subscribing to all three services individually would add up to a monthly bill of $25 after the ESPN+ increase. In addition, there aren’t plans to increase the price of UFC pay-per-view events on ESPN+ at the minute either.

Amazon’s Prime Air drones will soon make deliveries in Texas

Amazon has revealed the second city where it plans to start making drone deliveries later this year. The company says it will start contacting customers in College Station, Texas, to gauge their interest in receiving orders via Prime Air.

Amazon says it was impressed by many elements of the city, including the research being conducted by Texas A&M University, such as work on drone technology. The US Census Bureau estimates the population of College Station was 120,000 as of last July, so while it isn’t the biggest city around, it seems like a decent size for the initially rollout of Prime Air.

“Amazon’s new facility presents a tremendous opportunity for College Station to be at the forefront of the development of drone delivery technology,” Karl Mooney, the mayor of College Station, said. “We look forward to partnering with Amazon and Texas A&M and are confident that Amazon will be a productive, conscientious, and accountable participant in our community.”

Amazon last month announced it will start making drone deliveries in Lockeford, California later this year. It plans to drop packages in customers’ backyards and thousands of products will be eligible for the program. Amazon will start the Prime Air service nine years (and more than two dozen prototypes) after it first revealed plans for drone deliveries.

Feline adventure game ‘Stray’ is getting a limited-edition cat backpack

The history of video games is littered with odd tie-in merchandise, from Resident Evil perfume and Xbox body wash to a Call of Duty-themed Jeep and the Xbox Mini Fridge. Annapurna Interactive is adding to that storied legacy with a branded cat carrier for new adventure game Stray.

The publisher teamed up with pet accessories brand Travel Cat for the limited-edition carrier, which it announced just a few days before the game hits PlayStation and PC on Tuesday. “We’ve hinted at it. It’s true. We’re happy to share that limited-edition Stray x Travel Cat merch for your feline companions is up for pre-order!” Annapurna wrote in a tweet spotted by Eurogamer.

It’s a version of a Travel Cat backpack called The Fat Cat with neon and charcoal colors inspired by the cyberpunk setting of Stray. The pet accessory company says the $140 carrier is sturdy and breathable, while there’s space for more than one cat. There’s a bubble attachment so your curious furry friends can look at the outside world, as well as a leash clip (a Stray leash and harness are also available)

You don’t have to limit the contents to cats either. “You could also use the harness and backpack for small/mediumish dogs if you really wanted to,” Annapurna said. “And you can use the backpack for carrying stuff in general too.” Travel Cat will ship the carrier in two batches, one on August 31st and another on September 21st.

There’s been a sizable buzz around puzzle platformer Stray since it first emerged a couple of years ago. You’ll play as a stray cat that has been separated from its family. You’ll make your way home through a dystopian cybercity with the help of a companion drone, all the while knocking over as many things as you can. PlayStation Plus subscribers on the Extra and Premium tiers can play the game at no extra cost.

EA’s new ‘Skate’ is a free-to-play live service game

It’s been just over two years since we learned that EA was working on the first entry in the Skate series since 2010’s Skate 3. Although the publisher isn’t quite ready to announce the release window, it revealed some more details, including the fact the game is just called Skate.

It’s a free-to-play live service title with microtransactions, though there will not be any pay-to-win elements or loot boxes. You won’t need to fork over cash to unlock areas of the map (the action is set in a new location called San Vansterdam) and there are no paid gameplay advantages. “We are taking inspiration from games like Apex Legends or other popular titles that are free to play, where spending money is totally optional, and it’s mostly about cosmetics and convenience,” Isabelle Mocquard, head of product management at EA, said in a video update. 

EA plans to support Skate for years to come with additional gameplay features, balance changes, more content and seasonal events. “We’re in this for the long haul. That means we’re not an iterative title,” creative director Chris “Cuz” Parry said. “There won’t be a Skate 5 through 10. We won’t be pumping them out all the time.”

The publisher invited fans to playtest “pre-, pre-, pre-alpha software” and provide feedback to help make the game as good as it possibly can be. It will soon welcome more players to try early versions of the game through an insider program.

EA opened a new studio in Vancouver called Full Circle to take the reins on Skate, though it’s a mostly remote team with developers based all over North America. Some veterans of the Skate franchise are on board too, including Parry.

Skate will be available on PlayStation and Xbox (including the last-gen consoles), and the series will make its debut on PC. Full Circle is also working on a mobile version, which is in the early stages of development. There will be cross-play and cross-progression across all platforms as well.

Instagram creators can now lock photos and Reels behind a paywall

Instagram has been building out its creator subscription program this year and now it’s slotting a couple of key pieces into place. Creators can now share subscriber-only feed posts. Those Reels and photos will have a purple badge with a crown symbol t…

A single-player Aliens game is in the works for PC, consoles and VR

Between Alien: Isolation, Aliens: Fireteam Elite and the upcoming Aliens: Dark Descent, fans of Aliens games already have a number of titles to enjoy or look forward to. Now, Survios is adding another one to the mix. 

The studio is working with 20th Century Games on an untitled Aliens game for PC, consoles and virtual reality. It will be a single-player, action-horror game. The developer will reveal more details at a San Diego Comic-Con panel on July 21st.

To date, Survios’ games have mostly been for VR, including a racing title called Sprint Vector and a licensed The Walking Dead offering. It has made one non-VR game so far, a boxing title based on the Rocky/Creed franchise. The studio’s Aliens game is likely some time away — Survios is still putting together a team to work on it. However, VR is typically a good fit for horror games. Alien: Isolation’s VR mode alone might be enough to convince you of that.

Sony’s first PlayStation loyalty program rewards you for earning trophies

Sony has announced its first PlayStation loyalty program. PlayStation Stars will be free to join and you can earn points by playing games and making purchases on the PlayStation Store. You’ll be able to redeem those points for things like PSN wallet funds and certain products from the store.

There will be a “Monthly Check-in” program that will enable you to earn a reward by playing any game. Sony plans to offer rewards to those who win tournaments and earn certain trophies. The first player to earn a platinum trophy for a certain game in their time zone will earn a reward too.

One aspect of the program ruffled some feathers on social media after the announcement. Sony says it will offer digital collectibles as rewards. These are “digital representations of things that PlayStation fans enjoy, including figurines of beloved and iconic characters from games and other forms of entertainment, as well as cherished devices that tap into Sony’s history of innovation.” It said fans will always have collectibles to earn and there will be “ultra rare” ones.

Calling them “digital collectibles” certainly makes them sound like NFTs, but that’s not the case. “It’s definitely not NFTs. Definitely not,” Grace Chen, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s vice president of network advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, told The Washington Post. “You can’t trade them or sell them. It is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs.” If only Sony had clarified that in its own blog post to avoid confusion.

PlayStation Stars follows similar reward offerings from Microsoft and Nintendo. Microsoft’s program, which is now called Microsoft Points, has been around for many years. Along with earning points by playing Xbox, users can accrue them by searching on Bing and buying products.

Similarly, folks can snag My Nintendo Gold Points by making purchases from the eShop and performing well in tournaments. They can be used for discounts on Switch games. For completing various tasks, you can also earn platinum points which are redeemable for rewards.

Sony says it will build out PlayStation Stars over time. It’s currently testing the program and it’s planning a phased rollout later this year. More details will be revealed in the coming months.

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ returns for its third season on August 25th

If you’re missing your weekly dose of Star Trek since the first season of Strange New Worlds wrapped up, you won’t have to wait much longer for another fix. Animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks will return on August 25th.

The third season has 10 episodes, with a new one arriving every Thursday. Paramount+ is promising a “shocking resolution” for the cliffhanger that capped off season two last October. The crew of the USS Cerritos will be tested “in (hilarious) ways they could never imagine,” which may or may not have something to do with the consequences of stealing the ship.

The imminent return of Lower Decks should come as good news for its fans. Trekkers who prefer the live-action shows will need to remain patient, though, as the likes of Star Trek: Picard and Discovery aren’t expected to return until 2023.

PS Plus Extra and Premium games for July include ‘Stray’ and ‘Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade’

Sony has announced the first new batch of games for its higher PlayStation Plus tiers since it revamped the service. Along with the three titles that are available for PS Plus Essential members and those in the current Extra and Premium libraries, subscribers will have access to a bunch more games as of July 19th.

One of those is Stray, a cyberpunk adventure game in which you play as a cat with a drone companion. It’s the first time that a third-party title will be available on a higher PS Plus tier on its release date. You’ll have access to the PS4 and PS5 versions. 

Members will also be able to check out PS5 blockbuster Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. The PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake was previously available to claim through PS Plus. However, for a while, those who snagged it were unable to get Intergrade without paying for the full game. Square Enix eventually relented and offered an upgrade path.

Also on July 19th, Extra and Premium members can play Marvel’s Avengers on PS4 and PS5 at no extra cost. Things haven’t exactly goneincrediblywell for that but the gameplay is solid. Crystal Dynamics just added the latest playable character, The Mighty Thor (Jane Foster), a few weeks ago.

On top of those, you’ll have access to a bunch more Assassin’s Creed games, Saints Row entries and some other games:

  • Assassin’s Creed Unity (PS4)

  • Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (PS4)

  • Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (PS4)

  • Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry (PS4)

  • Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection (PS4)

  • Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (PS4)

  • Saints Row Gat out of Hell (PS4)

  • Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5)

  • Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure (PS4)

  • Jumanji The Video Game (PS4)

  • Paw Patrol on a Roll! (PS4)

  • ReadySet Heroes (PS4)

Premium members will be able to dive into a couple more PlayStation Portable titles in the form of No Heroes Allowed! and LocoRoco Midnight Carnival as well. That’s a fairly solid slate of additions overall, with something for just about everyone.

Sony says it will continue to shakeup the PS Plus lineups on a monthly basis. It will refresh the Essential library at the start of each month and add new games to Extra and Essential a couple of weeks later. Bear in mind that games will cycle in and out of the Extra and Essential tiers, but you’ll have access to Essential titles you claim as long as you maintain a PS Plus subscription.