This summer, expect MoviePass to come back from the ashes with ads and eye-tracking technology
MoviePass, the service that, before its bankruptcy, let its subscribers watch movies in theaters each month for a fixed fee, is officially coming back to life this summer (via Engadget). But this time, the MoviePass 2.0 app will have a few changes from the original MoviePass.
At a press conference, the CEO of MoviePass, Stacy Spike, stated that MoviePass will have subscription plans just like before the bankruptcy and that the app will now feature a virtual currency.
Stacy Spikes didn't mention any pricing for the subscription plans, but he did throw some light on this new virtual currency. MoviePass subscribers will have credits, which they can use to buy tickets to watch movies in cinemas. Those credits that haven't been used yet will be transferred towards the next month, and you will also be able to send credits to your friends.
Through the MoviePass app, subscribers will be able to track how many credits they have left and how many screenings they can attend. Watching movies may cost different amounts of credits depending on if it is peak time or not.
So far, so good, but here it gets a little troubling. MoviePass will use Stacy Spike's PreShow service, which shows ads in apps. But with PreShow, it won't be enough to start the ad and then get your credits without even watching it. With the PreShow technology, you have to really watch the ad in order to get your credits. The MoviePass app will use your phone's camera to track your eyes if you are indeed watching the ad, and only if you have really watched the ad will you get your credits to buy movie tickets.
MoviePass was founded in 2011 by Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt. Although MoviePass was a very popular service for some time, it had financial difficulties, and after a long and desperate fight to stay alive, it declared bankruptcy in January 2020.
At a press conference, the CEO of MoviePass, Stacy Spike, stated that MoviePass will have subscription plans just like before the bankruptcy and that the app will now feature a virtual currency.
Through the MoviePass app, subscribers will be able to track how many credits they have left and how many screenings they can attend. Watching movies may cost different amounts of credits depending on if it is peak time or not.
Stacy Spikes also said that subscribers would be able to gain more credits for free by watching ads in the MoviePass app. It's similar to how you may watch ads in exchange for virtual currency in mobile games.
So far, so good, but here it gets a little troubling. MoviePass will use Stacy Spike's PreShow service, which shows ads in apps. But with PreShow, it won't be enough to start the ad and then get your credits without even watching it. With the PreShow technology, you have to really watch the ad in order to get your credits. The MoviePass app will use your phone's camera to track your eyes if you are indeed watching the ad, and only if you have really watched the ad will you get your credits to buy movie tickets.
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