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FuboTV temporarily won't count against Sprint data caps under a new promotion. (credit: FuboTV)

Sprint is now allowing some online video to be streamed without counting against customers' data caps, making it the fourth major wireless carrier in the US to implement data cap exemptions (or "zero-rating").

Sprint's first foray into zero-rating, announced last week, is for the Copa America Centenario soccer tournament being held in the US beginning June 3. Sprint has partnered with FuboTV, a soccer streaming service, to give customers access to every match if they sign up for a 60-day trial. (FuboTV costs $9.99 per month if customers keep it after the trial expires.) Data streamed from FuboTV will not count against data caps during the tournament, but the zero-rating will end on June 27 right after the Copa America is over.

Zero-rating plans are being scrutinized by the Federal Communications Commission. Net neutrality advocates argue that zero-rating gives an unfair advantage to services that don't count against data caps, thus allowing carriers to favor some content over others.

Unlike massive fan events like PAX or Blizzcon, the Electronic Entertainment Expo has always been an industry-only event that's never been open to the general public (though some gamers have found methods to weasel their way into a badge). That situation is set to change somewhat this year, as the Entertainment Software Association today announced E3 Live, a side show where the public will be able to see some of the same playable games and experiences as the real thing.

E3 Live will take place at Los Angeles' LA Live downtown promenade, just steps from the Convention Center that hosts the main E3 show, starting the evening of Tuesday June 14 and running through Thursday, June 16 (the same days as E3). Interested attendees 17 and older can register for limited, free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.

The side show "will give consumers the opportunity to play the latest games, interact with industry personalities, buy the most sought-after collectibles, and engage other gamers in their favorite games" according to the announcement. "For fans of video games, this will be an event like no other," ESA President and CEO Mike Gallagher promised.

As far as understanding developer Polyphony Digital's ambitions for Gran Turismo and its PlayStation 4 outing GT Sport goes, there's only one thing you need to know: players will be able to earn a digital license that's recognised by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) and is valid at real motorsport venues in 22 countries. In other words, you take your tests in game, drive a race car in real life.

That might sound a little crazy, maybe even a little dangerous, but let's not forget that airline pilots train for the real thing in simulators, at least in part—and they end up responsible for more than their own lives at the end of it. Perhaps this license was always the ambition for a series that has forever styled itself as "the real driving simulator." It's simply taken 19 years for the world to catch up and take that ambition seriously.

The problem is, the vast majority of Gran Turismo fans are, well, gamers. And at this point, they've little to be excited about. Far in advance of mentioning the FIA license scheme, Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi—on stage at an event in London—hurriedly glossed over single-player content in order to dedicate as much time as possible to explain the inclusion of tournaments aimed at professional-grade players drivers. Exactly what these tests will look like, how they're officially validated, and just how many doors a passing grade will open remain a mystery, however.