Max Just Pulled a Sneaky Netflix! Are Your Free Streams Gone Forever?!

By Hylia's Grace Not Another One!

Hylians listen up! Your Princess Zelda here reporting on a development that has me more worried than Ganondorf at a fairy fountain. It seems Warner Bros. Discovery the folks behind Max (not to be confused with my pal Malon's cow) are taking a page straight out of Netflix's playbook of… well let's just say 'fiscal responsibility.' They're cracking down on password sharing! I swear it's like they learned about teamwork from the Stalfos – perfectly coordinated to ruin our day.

The 'Extra Member Add On' A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?

Apparently they've launched something called 'Extra Member Add On.' For the princely sum of $7.99 a month (that's almost enough rupees for a blue potion!) you can add an extra person outside your household to your Max subscription. Sounds generous right? It's like giving a cucco a Bombchu – explosive and probably not a good idea. This add on gives your freeloading friend their own little account. JB Perrette CEO of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery claims it will give you flexibility. More like it will give them more rupees wouldn't you say?

A Profile Transferred is a Stream Confirmed!

The so called “Profile Transfer” can move all existing profiles linked to a user living outside your main household to the new account type which means their watch history and recommendations will follow them to the new account. At least for now you can only have one add on profile per subscription. One. Just one. Talk about stingy! It's as if they expect us to share a single Lon Lon Milk with the entire Royal Guard.

First Netflix Then Disney Now Max?!

Netflix started all this nonsense last year and Disney+ jumped on the bandwagon faster than Epona heading for Lon Lon Ranch. Now Max is joining the parade! 'Extra Member Add On and Profile Transfer are two key Max advancements' says JB Perrette. Oh yes it’s an advancement alright the kind that makes you advance straight into debt! I'm starting to think they're all taking lessons from Ganondorf on how to bleed Hyrule (or in this case our wallets) dry. At least with Ganon you get a cool final boss fight out of it.

A Scheme to Boost Revenue?

Warner Bros. Discovery apparently let this cat out of the bag way back in December. The goal is simple: more rupees! Apparently these streaming platforms need to 'sustain profitability.' Oh the horror! It's like saying the Great Deku Tree needs more sunlight. This whole thing is about squeezing every last rupee out of us loyal viewers. It's enough to make even a stoic Hylian warrior shed a tear… or maybe just binge watch some old shows on a friend's account before they get caught.

What does it all mean?

So fellow Hylians what does all this mean? It means the era of free streaming is slowly fading away like the last rays of sunlight over Hyrule Field. It means we might have to start paying for our entertainment… or get really good at hiding our password sharing shenanigans. 'Well excuuuuuse me Princess!' If you happen to have a spare fairy in a bottle maybe use it to conjure up some extra rupees. We're going to need them.