Bandersnatch being removed from Netflix - another victim of PACS?

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I know it's probably because maintaining the software in the client is probably an overhead that the bean counters want to remove, but both Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend are being removed from Netflix. As far as I know, there is no other way to watch these. I've seen Bandersnatch, but haven't explored all the pathways and didn't have the patience to find the Pearl ending. The other work, I hadn't heard of until yesterday.

Is the removal of Bandersnatch part of an effort to remove the concept of the program and control system from general awareness? As the properties are owned by Netflix, it's unlikely that we'll be access them elsewhere.

Is there no appetite for choose-your-own-adventure in this format? Perhaps LLMs are already able to create such stories.

Should I just pour my tea into my laptop and not submit this thread?

Netflix users left confused as two titles are removed for good

They will likely never be seen in their original form again

www.independent.co.uk

People think there's one reality but there's loads of them, all snaking off, like roots.

And what we do on one path affects what happens on the other paths.

Time is a construct.

People think you can't go back and change things, but you can, that's what flashbacks are, they're invitations to go back and make different choices.

When you make a decision, you think it's you doing it, but it's not.

It's the spirit out there that's connected to our world that decides what we do and we just have to go along for the ride.

Mirrors let you move through time.

The government monitors people, they pay people to pretend to be your relatives and they put drugs in your food and they film you.

There's messages in every game.

Like Pac-Man.

Do you know what PAC stands for?

P-A-C: "Program and Control".

He's Program and Control Man, the whole thing's a metaphor, he thinks he's got free will but really he's trapped in a maze, in a system, all he can do is consume, he's pursued by demons that are probably just in his own head, and even if he does manage to escape by slipping out one side of the maze, what happens?

He comes right back in the other side.

People think it's a happy game, it's not a happy game, it's a fucking nightmare world and the worst thing is it's real and we live in it.

It is all code.

If you listen closely, you can hear the numbers.

There's a cosmic flowchart that dictates where you can and where you can't go.

I've given you the knowledge.

I've set you free.

Do you understand?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yeah, heard this news just the other day with very little warning. A shame because I loved Bandersnatch and I would love to explore it again, but by the time I heard about it's departure, I didn't have any time to sit down and go through all of its paths (I can't even remember if I did the aforementioned Pearl ending). It especially sucks, as you said, there's no way to view the episode now with its removal.

What I found particularly strange about the reasoning for this decision is how Netflix has been leaning hard towards online gaming. I didn't even know they were going in that direction until my beloved Monuments Valley was releasing its long-anticipated sequel via exclusively with Netflix. I could go on forever how frustrating that decision is for many people (myself included even though I have access to Netflix). And now they're throwing out interactive episodes when their platform is already set up for interactive models? Does this foretell the possibility that they're already giving up on online gaming and does that mean we'll lose access to these games, too?

 

[Guy Gardener]

I know it's probably because maintaining the software in the client is probably an overhead that the bean counters want to remove, but both Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend are being removed from Netflix. As far as I know, there is no other way to watch these. I've seen Bandersnatch, but haven't explored all the pathways and didn't have the patience to find the Pearl ending. The other work, I hadn't heard of until yesterday.

Is the removal of Bandersnatch part of an effort to remove the concept of the program and control system from general awareness? As the properties are owned by Netflix, it's unlikely that we'll be access them elsewhere.

Is there no appetite for choose-your-own-adventure in this format? Perhaps LLMs are already able to create such stories.

Should I just pour my tea into my laptop and not submit this thread?

Netflix users left confused as two titles are removed for good

They will likely never be seen in their original form again

www.independent.co.uk

Have you heard about Life Selector?

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Have you heard about Life Selector?

Are you on commission for them or something? What does a porn site have to do with the Netflix decision?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Are you on commission for them or something? What does a porn site have to do with the Netflix decision?

It'll be a cold day in hell before I pay for pornography, but I am aware of this website that has blue/lewd pick-a-path adventures, where you make decisions on the seduction, and then performance, and I must assume that their is a possibility of failure, if you make the wrong decisions.

It's similar tech.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

It'll be a cold day in hell before I pay for pornography, but I am aware of this website that has blue/lewd pick-a-path adventures, where you make decisions on the seduction, and then performance, and I must assume that their is a possibility of failure, if you make the wrong decisions.

It's similar tech.

Honestly, I've never been interested in watching pornography when there are some many other options. The use of seamless branching doesn't make it any more appealing to me.

 

[Owain Taggart]

What I found particularly strange about the reasoning for this decision is how Netflix has been leaning hard towards online gaming. I didn't even know they were going in that direction until my beloved Monuments Valley was releasing its long-anticipated sequel via exclusively with Netflix. I could go on forever how frustrating that decision is for many people (myself included even though I have access to Netflix). And now they're throwing out interactive episodes when their platform is already set up for interactive models? Does this foretell the possibility that they're already giving up on online gaming and does that mean we'll lose access to these games, too?

It's definitely a weird decision as these types of things would be perfect crossover material to help them bridge the gap with their gaming. At the same time, I feel Netflix has really done a poor job marketing their gaming as the games are only accessible and discoverable via their mobile app.

What I've heard is that rather than completely give up on gaming, and instead of putting money into developing new properties, that they're instead planning on just obtaining popular properties such as the GTA trilogy.

I'm actually surprised they didn't go further into expanding their interactive content to other popular franchises such as Stranger Things and Cobra Kai. The only other one I knew about was their version of Minecraft Story Mode.

 

[Tosk]

Honestly, I've never been interested in watching pornography when there are some many other options. The use of seamless branching doesn't make it any more appealing to me.

That's how I feel about choose your own path shows in general.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'm actually surprised they didn't go further into expanding their interactive content to other popular franchises such as Stranger Things and Cobra Kai. The only other one I knew about was their version of Minecraft Story Mode.

Yeah, I'm shocked they didn't do one for Stranger Things especially since they did an official Chose Your Own Adventure book, which was fantastic.

 

[bdub76]

This is the problem with less physical media these days. There are shows that never made it to physical media, so they disappear when removed from streaming services leaving no legal way to watch.

And Disney is really bad about this. Doctor Who is finally in 4K, but it hasn't received a 4K release. Likewise, all of the old Netflix Marvel shows have been put onto Disney+ in 4K, but you can't buy any of them.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Yeah, I'm shocked they didn't do one for Stranger Things especially since they did an official Chose Your Own Adventure book, which was fantastic.

Yeah, what the hell? Netflix had the technology to make it happen. They didn't really do enough with it. If I were Netflix, I would have leveraged the hell out of it for some of their more popular IPs, instead of just the handful we did get. Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, or even The Witcher would have all made for some fun interactive content.

This is the problem with less physical media these days. There are shows that never made it to physical media, so they disappear when removed from streaming services leaving no legal way to watch.

Or if you're in Canada, you'd be lucky some were digitized in the first place as a lot of older domestic shows haven't been made available and many haven't had a physical media release. It's been difficult to watch anything from the 60's through the 80's as a result. 90's onwards seem a little easier.

At one point, I was looking into watching Canada's longest running series (from 70's-90's) and I was disappointed to find that even from its official network, it only had a handful of selected episodes available to watch, and these eventually disappeared from being available.

Other shows are distant memories now and and clips can only be found via Youtube.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I just remembered: Netflix did an interactive episode for Carmen Santiago, which was a natural fit. The result was a lot of fun with a cool Easter egg: The cast rapping the theme song from the 90s game show.

 

[UssGlenn]

Is there no appetite for choose-your-own-adventure in this format?

I always tried to watch on the Apple TV and it wasn't compatible, and that's a major platform.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I always tried to watch on the Apple TV and it wasn't compatible, and that's a major platform.

Yes, apparently Netflix never fixed that problem. I watched it on my PC. It's not really something that needs to be viewed in 4K UHD.

That's how I feel about choose your own path shows in general.

I tired of the novelty and found only a few of the endings in Bandersnatch. The story just wasn't engaging enough to persist. I'm not very fond of video games either as I soon get bored in most of them. I'm more annoyed that access was taken away without any notice seemingly being given on the site when I last looked on Sunday 11th May - one day before removal.