this post was submitted on 14 May 2025
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[–] kadup@lemmy.world 140 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Companies that reach a certain critical mass really truly become incompetent. I don't mean just evil or profit first, I mean simply incompetent at the most basic aspects of running a business. There are marketing departments that behave as if the entire team is composed of interns frantically googling marketing slang.

Warner Bros, Hasbro, Apple, they're carried by the inertia of their gigantic size and the customers that were alive to have moulded their vision about the company during their good years.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 57 points 1 day ago

Companies that reach a certain critical mass really truly become incompetent

It's by design.

The guy who creates a game studio to make his own game understands everything about making it.

The AAA studio that buys them out kinda understands games but care more about profit than any individual IP, so the game suffers.

The giant corporation that buys the AAA studio doesn't give a fuck about games in general because it's a small slice of a giant pie. They use the CEO position there as a training spot for executives that don't understand anything about games.

It applies to any industry, but no one can out bid the giant corporations and they have to keep buying stuff up to maintain profit increases.

Eventually they'll cannabilze everything till there's 2-3 options then eventually just one.

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 20 points 1 day ago

They don't even need to reach critical mass. The last place I was at was a shitshow held together by a handful of overachievers. At every level there were idiots making decisions and protecting friendly mouth-breathers. And when we would contact the Big Players in the industry, it was much the same on their end. It got to the point where I had to remind people that just because you're calling Big Name Brand, the person you're talking to is you. And they report to Dave (the know-nothing manager we all worked under). Nobody has a fucking clue. So cut the person on the other end of the line some slack.

[–] regdog@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

Number must go up. Forever and ever.

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[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 85 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Can't wait for everyone to call it "HBO Max, formerly known as HBO Max".

[–] ZoopZeZoop@lemmy.world 14 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

The channel formerly formerly known as HBO MAX.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 11 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

The channel currently and formerly known as HBO Max

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[–] chunkystyles@sopuli.xyz 10 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

HBO Max formerly Max formerly HBO Max formerly HBO Now formerly HBO Go.

Edit: I forgot one.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 69 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Are they gonna bring back all the quality content they removed to replace it with reality TV?

Because that's what's dropping subscribers, no one cares about the name.

[–] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago

They also removed 4k from the standard package while continuing to boost prices multiple times, and also filling it with sports I have no interest in. Combined with the fact the app continued to run awfully on Android TV, it made it a really easy decision to cancel

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I agree with this statement but have to add The Pitt has been some of the best television I have seen in a few years. So i have hope that is the case.

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[–] termaxima@programming.dev 64 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Someone just re-discovered that brand recognition is important.

Now maybe they’ll eventually also realize that people would rather own than rent… but, baby steps, I suppose…

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 10 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

That last part has never been a part of the HBO business model.

[–] termaxima@programming.dev 9 points 19 hours ago

They used to sell DVDs of their series

[–] ninjabard@lemmy.world 62 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I had a survey from them where I answered that dropping HBO from their branding was the second stupidest fucking decision they've made since Zaslav became CEO. Second only to removing legacy content and canning complete movies for tax purposes. That was maybe a month and change ago.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 24 points 15 hours ago

Nice. You did it!!!

[–] SatyrSack@feddit.org 52 points 1 day ago

Somehow, HBO Max returned.

[–] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 43 points 1 day ago (3 children)

They canceled all the good shows and replaced them with "reality" tv slop. No one gives a fuck what you call a trash fire, it is still a trash fire.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 20 points 23 hours ago

Trash Fire MAX

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 42 points 21 hours ago

It never stopped being HBO Max to me.

/it's OK to deadname non-human entities

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 42 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

Inb4 it turns just to HBO and then a nameless entity. It has no name. It just exists. Like death.

[–] ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

A streaming service has no name.

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[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 11 points 13 hours ago

The streaming service formerly known as...

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[–] return2ozma@lemmy.world 40 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 6 points 10 hours ago

Logo designers without much talent not originality must make a living, too.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 28 points 22 hours ago

collapsed inline mediaNewsflash, asshole!

Everybody's been calling it HBO the entire god damned time!

[–] MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

HBO was the better name. And even Cinemax is a better name than Max.

I kept calling it HBO Max after the first change.

Most CEOs of entertainment companies are just people with business degrees who wish they were creative, but just aren't.

[–] SatanClaus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The problem is they don't ever stop paying the marketing team. Eventually you don't need more marketing and yet. Gestures around. Just hire a PR team for fucks sake.

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[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

HBO objected to HBO Max, so it was rebranded to Max. Now the top HBO execs have left so they’re changing it back.

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[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 24 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

If they really want customers back

  • Finish Westworld (they had one season left) and put it back on the service
  • Release the Batgirl movie
  • Release the Cyote movie (though I think they actually sold this one)
[–] PoopingCough@lemmy.world 23 points 20 hours ago (2 children)
  • Bring back all the adult swim/cartoon network content they axed
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[–] huppakee@lemm.ee 7 points 20 hours ago

More westworld yes please

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[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I think I only call it Max instead of HBO or HBO Max less than 25% of the time. This rebrand was goofy. Still not as bad as Twitter's.

[–] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 10 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

I've just always defaulted to HBO, especially considering much of their older content still has HBO pop up as a credit.

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[–] NONE_dc@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Please use a cw. I almost died laughing.

Damn, these companies are running around like headless chickens.

[–] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

We should laugh at David Zaslav every chance we can

[–] desmosthenes@lemmy.world 14 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

polygon about to be slop too https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/gaming-news-site-polygon-gutted-by-massive-layoffs-amid-sale-to-valnet/

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[–] Aganim@lemmy.world 11 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Ah, I almost forgot it was officially called Max, they kept the brand 'HBO Max' here. During the rebrand they found out we already had a public broadcaster called 'Omroep MAX', which is often shortened to just MAX in the names of their programs. Trying to claim that name would probably have not gone well for HBO.

[–] eager_eagle@lemmy.world 11 points 12 hours ago

Are they also renaming their plans? Can't wait to sign up to HBO Max Max

[–] LanguageIsCool@lemmy.world 10 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

2055: Coca Cola Nestle Max Monsanto HBO

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[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 9 points 1 day ago
[–] Koyaanisqatsi@lemm.ee 8 points 1 day ago

Somehow HBO Max returned.

[–] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 7 points 23 hours ago

This might be the funniest shit I've read.

[–] tauren@lemm.ee 6 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

subscribed to Max

found zero Max Verstappen race wins

cancelled

[–] LadyButterfly@lemmy.world 6 points 1 hour ago

Don't forget... people got paid huge amounts to make these decisions 🙄

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 6 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Why the fuck do they keep changing the name? What happened to HBO Go?

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[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Probably because "Max" sounds more like streaming service for cinemax than HBO. Just bad branding and arguably opens them up to copyright suit.

[–] m3t00@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago

subbed a long time ago on a cable deal. play a few movies to death on rotation. no thanks. i could rent what i wanted to see for less

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