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UK orders Google to kill links to 'right to be forgotten' stories
The whole point of the European Union's "right to be forgotten" laws is to remove links to irrelevant or outdated data about a persons life from Google, but a vicious cycle of news about the removal of links to news is making that impossible. Think about it: Google removes links about your sordid past from its search engine, but then adds a news story about that link removal that still includes your name and the old misdemeanor. Yeah, it's kind of messy -- which is why a UK court is ordering Google to remove links to stories about removing links that can be found by searching for the original complainant's name.
Google got some 'right to be forgotten' decisions wrong, says UK
It's been almost a year since the European Union ruled in favour of the "right to be forgotten," giving anyone permission to request that specific links be removed from Google's search results. Since then, the company has dealt with over 250,000 applications from the public (and rejected 59 percent of them). Now, the BBC reports that the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is talking to Google about 48 cases it believes were ruled incorrectly. It's a small number, but one that highlights the difficulties that Google faces with interpreting the EU's ruling and judging individual requests.
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins leaving online storefronts soon
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is retiring from online storefronts later this year, in the hopes of living a normal life free from superpowers, arch-villains and all that fun stuff. Capcom announced the crossover compilation goes off sale from PSN on December 23 and XBLA on December 31. The publisher didn't explain why it's delisting the Xbox 360 and PS3 game, but expired licensing wouldn't be a giant leap of speculation.
After Burner Climax faces XBLA/PSN delisting this month
This month is your last chance to pick up Sega's arcade-ported shoot-'em-up After Burner Climax on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Digital storefront monitor lifelower reports that the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions of After Burner Climax will be permanently delisted on December 24. Buyers will be able to redownload purchased copies of After Burner Climax at a later date, but once the game is delisted, it can no longer be bought or added to a user's software library. Sega Nerds speculates that expired licensing agreements between Sega and the manufacturers of the real-world aircraft featured in After Burner Climax are to blame for the game's forthcoming removal. A similar issue resulted in the deletion of Sega's Ferrari-licensed racer OutRun Online Arcade from digital storefronts in 2011. Starting next year, if you want to legally play After Burner Climax and don't already own a digital copy, you'll need to track down an original arcade machine. Here's a tip: The GameWorks across the street from the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle hosts a pair of Climax cabinets, so you might want to make plans to visit the next time you're in town for PAX Prime. [Image: Sega]
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD delisted on Xbox 360
The Xbox Live Arcade version of Capcom's manga-based 2D fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has gone missing from the Xbox Live Marketplace, suggesting that a permanent delisting is imminent. "I can confirm that online play is not affected for existing owners," a Capcom representative told Joystiq earlier today. The publisher has not issued a comment regarding the game's marketplace status or availability. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD is still available for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network as of this writing. Many license-based games have disappeared from digital storefronts in the past due to expired licensing agreements and other rights-related issues, including TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled and BurgerTime World Tour. [Image: Capcom]
Good Old Games discounts 35 games, delistings imminent
At the time of this writing, there's about a day left to pick over Good Old Games' recent promotion for PC, the Last Chance Special. There's more urgency to this sale than the allure of a good deal however – after the sale's conclusion on Monday at 12:00 a.m. EST, the Last Chance Special's 35-game catalog will be removed from GOG. With Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within carrying the special's highest price at $7.49 and the average ranging closer to $2.49, at least it won't strain your savings if you decide to splurge. The first two entries from the Spellforce, Desperados, Red Faction, Aquanox and Dark Fall series are up for grabs, as are Chaser, Alien Nations, The Penumbra Collection and plenty more. Check to see if the Last Chance Special has anything for your tastes, and if not, there's always a less-urgent sale on classic Activision titles like the Quest For Glory and King's Quest series. [Image: GOG]
BurgerTime World Tour discounted ahead of delisting on April 30
Publisher MonkeyPaw Games is hosting a last-chance sale on BurgerTime: World Tour this month, discounting the game to just $5 before it disappears from digital storefronts forever on April 30. Starting today, amateur burger chefs can pick up the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare versions of the remade arcade classic for $4.99. Alas, even Peter Pepper himself is not immune from the harsh reality of expired licensing agreements, which MonkeyPaw cites as the culprit behind the game's delisting at the end of the month. Speculation from an anonymous source suggests that Peter Pepper was forced to close up shop by area health inspectors, who objected to his unsanitary burger-stomping ways. Pepper declined to comment when questioned regarding his cooking methods, claiming that the delisting is part of a conspiracy devised by giant sausages and human-sized eggs. [Image: MonkeyPaw Games]
Indie dev Radiangames faces multiplatform delisting over trademark dispute
Indie developer Radiangames (Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville) has been forced to remove one of its games from multiple online storefronts in the wake of a recent trademark dispute from an online games publisher. The disputed title is Crossfire, a retro-styled shoot-'em-up originally released for the Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG) service in 2010. Following the release of an XBLIG sequel, the series later made its way to PC and iOS devices under the name Super Crossfire. Developer Luke Schneider researched the title before releasing his game, but didn't notice that online games publisher G4Box launched the similarly-titled free-to-play military FPS Cross Fire for PC platforms in 2009. After recently announcing Cross Fire 2, G4Box filed a trademark dispute against Schneider's game, resulting in its upcoming removal from all available platforms. "[Super Crossfire] barely makes any money these days, and I'm not spending thousands of dollars to try to fight the issue when I just want to make games," Schneider explains. "I can't say too many bad things about someone who's enforcing the trademark according to the law, though I do think it's completely obvious Super Crossfire is not an attempt in any way to infringe on their trademark, and I also don't think there's any confusion over the two games (arcade shooter vs. online F2P FPS)." Schneider's game has already been removed from iTunes, and will be delisted from Desura, GamersGate, and XBLIG this Friday. Schneider has considered renaming the game for a future PC re-release, and is currently polling fans for suggestions. [Image: Radiangames]
Majesco cooking up stock split to avoid delisting
Majesco will once again appeal its Nasdaq stock delisting expected next week and seek a reverse stock split to regain compliance. The Cooking Mama and former Zumba publisher has been out of compliance with the stock exchange since March 1, 2013, which requires a $1 minimum share price. The company is currently trading at $0.53/share. Majesco Chief Financial Officer Michael Vesey informed Joystiq earlier today the company will seek a reverse stock split between 1-for-3 and 1-for-10 with shareholders in April. This will shift the stock's price between $1.09 and $5.30 (based on today's value), depending if shareholders approve. What happens if shareholders don't approve? "Plenty of companies trade 'over the counter' without affiliation to a major exchange," Jeff Reeves, editor at InvestorPlace explains. "While there's admittedly less legitimacy or prestige for stocks that trade off the NYSE or Nasdaq in the eyes of some investors here, it's not an unmanageable situation. In fact, European consumer giant Nestle actually doesn't affiliate with the NYSE or Nasdaq and chooses to list OTC." "Majesco's biggest problems are that revenue has been pressured in 2013 and the company is running at a significant loss without a lot of wiggle room," Reeve continued. "Over-the-counter stocks can trade for years and NYSE listed companies can still go bankrupt tomorrow. Sales and profits determine what's next for Majesco, not the specifics of what exchange it trades on." A reverse stock split is how THQ tried to rescue itself in mid 2012, but six months later it became clear there was no salvation and the company entered bankruptcy and eventually liquidated.
Zombie Driver HD publisher bankruptcy causes PSN Japan, XBLA delisting
Add the Exor Studios-developed Zombie Driver HD to the growing list of delisted downloadable titles. According to the developer, the XBLA and PSN Japan versions of Zombie Driver will soon be taken down due to the bankruptcy of its publisher Cyberfront Corporation. "We are currently working on getting the game re-published on XBLA however we can not confirm at this time when or if this will happen. EXOR Studios owns the IP, but we can not publish the game ourselves due to Microsoft's policies," Exor COO Pawel Lekki tells Joystiq. Though the vehicular combat game will also be pulled from the PlayStation Network in Japan due to its publisher's closure, Lekki says the company is already solving the issue with Sony, assuring the game will be back online "at a later time." Perhaps ensuring a similar situation will be avoided in the future, Microsoft's Xbox One console allows for self-publishing in its digital storefront. Currently, Microsoft's policy on Xbox 360 only allows for titles to be submitted to its Xbox Live Arcade marketplace under the banner of an approved publisher. Zombie Driver versions on Steam, PSN in the Americas and Europe, Windows Store and on Ouya are not affected by the game's publisher woes.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 delisted from Xbox Live
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has officially disappeared from Xbox Live. The news doesn't come as a surprise, given that the final date to purchase DLC on the platform announced by Capcom is today. The game is still available on PSN for Vita, along with its collection of DLC, but there's no available download for the PS3 version of the game. Conversely, the other game set for delisting, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, is still available on Xbox Live but is nowhere to be found on PSN. It's unknown just how long the game will still be available on Microsoft's service. It arrived on XBLA in late July 2009 and is priced at $14.99.
Konami requests Skullgirls takedown from XBLA, PSN
Following Skullgirls publisher Autumn Games' announced plans to knock out their business deal with Konami, Konami has requested the removal of Skullgirls from the PlayStation Network by December 17 and from Xbox Live Arcade by December 31. After likening the move to Final Fantasy 6's Magic Master casting Ultima before he dies, Skullgirls Design Director Mike Zaimont announced the impending delisting on the Skullgirls Weekly Stream channel. During the broadcast, Zaimont explained that Konami submitted the request to Sony without telling Autumn Games, leaving Sony to deliver the bad news. Zaimont explained that if the team finishes the new, self-published build of Skullgirls before Sony's QA team goes home for the winter break, Squigly and the improvements from the PC update's beta will be available "pretty immediately soon." If the deadline is not made, then Skullgirls will be removed from every regional PSN store other than Japan's, since that version was not published by Konami. Zaimont's requests to push back Konami's delisting date for the PSN until December 31 have been unsuccessful. Zaimont also explained that the new Xbox Live version of Skullgirls will be published by Marvelous AQL. However, since ownership of the property won't transfer from Konami to Marvelous until December 31, the same day as Konami's delisting deadline, Zaimont doesn't "know if Marvelous can submit a build before that or not, but I'm making one on the off chance that they'll be able to." If the new submissions to PSN and XBLA don't make it through each store's respective certification process before the winter break, Skullgirls may disappear from digial storefronts until the QA teams return and clear the builds. Zaimont also noted that it was unclear whether those who have purchased the Konami-published version of Skullgirls will be able to play online after that version is delisted. On a positive note, Zaimont said that that the PC beta for the new update is "going well" and the involved changes will be put into the retail version "right after [the North Eastern Championships]."
Yoshi's Cookie being yanked from Wii's Virtual Console this week
Nintendo's 1993 NES puzzler Yoshi's Cookie will be delisted from the Wii's Virtual Console service on October 18, after which it will no longer be available for purchase or redownload. Though it stars Nintendo's franchise characters, Yoshi's Cookie was developed by Bullet Proof Software, the studio who brought Tetris to the Game Boy in 1989. It's likely that an expired license is the cause of the removal; several games have been removed from the Virtual Console service in recent years due to licensing issues, including Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Irem's R-Type, and the Donkey Kong Country trilogy. Currently, the Wii does not offer a way for users to recover delisted digital titles after loss or deletion. Yoshi's Cookie was removed from the Virtual Console service in Europe and Japan on October 11.
Majesco receives another Nasdaq delisting notice
Majesco is once again out of compliance with the Nasdaq stock exchange for having a stock price under $1 for over 30 days. The company now has 180 days (about six months) to raise its common stock to at least $1 for ten consecutive business days.The publisher's shares took a dive in January when it announced it'd no longer provide quantitative guidance for the rest of the year. Pssst, defunct publisher THQ did the same thing.Majesco has survived similar delisting warnings in the past. At least two that we can remember.[Thanks, Michael]
Majesco stock closes day at under $1
Majesco closed the trading day at $0.75/share, down 29 percent from yesterday. The publisher now has 30 days to bring its stock price above a dollar before it receives a delisting notice from the NASDAQ stock exchange. Stocks valued at under a dollar are against the NASDAQ rules.The Cooking Mama company finds itself in this situation after announcing yesterday it would no longer provide quantitative guidance for the rest of the year. A recent example of a company making a similar declaration was THQ.If Majesco receives a delisting notice, it has 90 days to regain compliance, but must maintain the stock price for over 10 days. Majesco has survived similar situations before.
THQ retains NASDAQ listing as board approves reverse stock split
THQ will keep its NASDAQ listing following the approval of a reverse stock split by its controlling board. Last week, stockholders met and approved a 10-to-one reverse stock split, effectively consolidating THQ's nearly 70 million stock units to around 7 million, and bringing their value from around $0.62 to $6.20 apiece. THQ risked delisting from NASDAQ due to shares trading below $1 for nearly 30 days, the cutoff for retaining NASDAQ listing status.The reverse split is set to go into effect on July 9 (next Monday). Initially, it will increase THQ's stock price well above the minimum $1 required, but it's unknown if that stock price will stay above $1 per share for 10 consecutive days – if it doesn't, THQ once again faces delisting.The next game THQ plans to launch is Darksiders 2 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on August 14.
THQ planning reverse stock split to avoid NASDAQ delisting
THQ filed plans with the SEC Friday for a June 29 stockholders meeting, where the company will propose a reverse stock split to avoid delisting from NASDAQ.In the filing, the company describes the need for the stock split to maintain the $1 per share minimum that NASDAQ requires for listing. THQ outlined three options in the process: 1:3, 1:5, and 1:10 reverse stock split ratios. Exercising any of these options results in fewer outstanding shares with an increased apparent value per share. For instance, should THQ perform a 1:3 reverse stock split, each stockholder would own one stock for every three owned prior to the split, even though the total value of the company's stock would not change.The company's stock is currently trading at 61 cents per share.THQ first received a delisting warning from Nasdaq on January 31, noting that the company's stock was trading below $1 per share. It has until July 23 to meet-and-maintain that closing standard for ten consecutive business days in order to be eligible for continued listing. THQ recently reported a net loss of $239.9 million for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2012.
THQ receives stock delisting notice
THQ's woes continue as the troubled publisher receives a delisting warning from the Nasdaq stock exchange. The company's stock has been trading below the minimum of $1 for the past 30 days.The publisher has 180 calendar days (until July 23, 2012) to make its stock regain compliance for 10 consecutive business days. If the company can't comply, well, let's just say these things don't end happy. There are examples of game companies coming back from the brink. Heck, Majesco has done it twice.THQ is hurting bad, as it works through a realignment and sets off waves of layoffs to stabilize the company. The publisher is expected to explain its current financial issues during an investor call this Thursday, February 2. THQ's stock price is trading at $0.70 as of 8AM ET today.
Marble Blast Ultra rolls right off of XBLA
Marble Blast Ultra, one of the earliest Xbox Live Arcade games, has been removed from the service. The game is no longer listed on the Xbox Live Marketplace, though its DLC packs are still currently available. The delisting, according to XBLA Fans, is the result of developer GarageGames' recent and rocky history. Between the closure of GarageGames' InstantAction service in 2010 and the company's revival earlier this year, it seems the IP rights to Marble Blast Ultra have been lost in the shuffle. GarageGames, now a subsidiary of Graham Software Development, only owns the rights to the Torque game engine, which powers Marble Blast Ultra. Rights to its games are still property of InstantAction Holdings. As such, GarageGames stopped offering its old titles after its transition to new ownership in February. In a February forum post, GarageGames CEO Eric Preisz said that it was "unlikely" that the studio would reacquire the rights to its games.
OutRun Online Arcade removed from PSN; XBLA version coming down Dec. 2011
Sega's OutRun Online Arcade has apparently been pulled from the PlayStation Network and will be taken off Xbox Live Arcade in December 2011. That's according to a statement the publisher gave Eurogamer after the site noticed OutRun had seemingly run off PSN. Sega explained that the reason for the game's demise was "due to the expiry of the contract with Ferrari." This change apparently doesn't affect those who already own the game, merely those looking to purchase it. Future reference for aspiring attorneys: don't let a licensing deal like this happen to you. We're currently following up with Sega for North American confirmation and some more details.
