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Rupert Murdoch staying out of the e-reader business, Red Eye sadly still on the air
With the news biz in obvious (and some might say terminal) disarray, of course folks in the industry will be seeking out ways to stay afloat in the age of the e-reader -- and it's long been rumored that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is looking to launch a device of its own (if by "long" you mean "since early April or thereabouts"). When asked yesterday if this was the case, Murdoch answered: "I don't think that's likely. We're looking and talking to a lot of laboratories and big companies around the world like Sony, Fujitsu, Samsung. We're all working on wireless readers for books or for newspapers or for magazines. I think they're a year or two away, being marketed in a mass way, high quality ones. And we will be absolutely neutral. We're very happy to have our products distributed over any device provided it's only going to subscribers who are paying for it." Of course, the man may have some sort of diabolical scheme up his sleeve (when doesn't he, really?), but for the time being, he says, the Wall Street Journal is doing "very well... you've got the wallstreetjournal.com and you pay for it. And there is 1.25 million people nearly who are doing that. And we get a lot of advertising with it. It's a big business for us." So it's more likely that we'll see more News Corp papers adopting an online subscription model before the advent of any Fox News e-ink device. But if it does get in the hardware business, we'll gladly shell out for a Glenn Beck signature model. But only if it's ironic. [Via GigaOM]
News apps! Get your News apps!
MSNBC recently added an iPhone app to the store, so we thought it was a good time to take a look at a few news apps.The gold standard for news on the iPhone is the USA Today app. Love them or hate them, the USA Today punchy writing style feels right at home on the iPhone. News can be received from a wide range of mobile sources, and it's the design of this app that makes it stand out. I would love to have the authors pack my suitcase the next time I travel, since they have found a way to cram an incredible amount of information into a very small package. Using persistent buttons on the bottom of each screen, you can get to Headlines, Sports Scores, Weather, Photo Galleries, and Snapshots (which are a set of insta-polls), from anywhere. What makes it special is that, along with the local weather, at the top of most category screens there is a sliding set of sub-categories allowing you to get to just what you want in no time. For example, if you wanted to get the score of the Yankees' game, just tap Scores, and the sub-categories of NFL, MBL, NBA, NCAAF and NCAAB appear at the top of the screen. Tap MLB and there it is. Two taps total. Similarly, tapping Headlines brings up sub-categories of: Top News, News, Money, Sports, Life Tech and Travel. When in any category, tap Top Stories and you can set a default for the type of story you would like to see first. For example, under the sub-category of Money, you can choose to set the default to: Top Stories, Markets, Economy, Cars, Personal Finance or Industry. Set it up once and you'll be able to drill down to specific results in a universe of information with just a few taps.Tap on Share Article and you can Email, Text, Twitter (your Twitter client can be chosen in the setup pane), or log into Facebook. in all the apps covered here, you can share, but this has the most robust feature set of the lot. The fit, finish and depth of the app is, okay I'll say it -- awesome. Weather is location enabled, the Picture Galleries are extensive and under Snapshots there are nine running polls in each of the four sub-categories of News, Sports, Money and Life. USA Today is not just for hotel rooms anymore.
Atomic Games' Peter Tamte says Six Days in Fallujah 'about two-thirds' complete
We know, we know: For us to approach video game coverage on Fox News and expect anything more than "fair and balanced" reporting (with a heavy dose of bias and spin) is, to say the least, simply asking too much. Things get much worse when a game with as controversial a setting/plot as Six Days in Fallujah falls into the mix. Atomic Games prez Peter Tamte appeared alongside the game's consultant, Capt. Read Omohundro (a gentleman who fought in the actual battle of Fallujah), and Tracey Miller, a woman who lost her son to the fight, on the channel's "Fox & Friends" program (found after the break) recently, to talk about the game and the controversy surrounding it. Tamte reveals to the show's host that "about two-thirds of the game is complete at this point ... we only have about a third left to go." Atomic Games' challenge now, he says, is to find a new publisher for the game after Konami pulled out of the project in late April. The show ends with a totally fair and balanced comment from the show's host, who says, "Obviously you knew that you might get some blowback on it, 'cause, uh, some people lost their chidren in that battle," before cutting off any more comments and excusing all the show's guests. Anyone want to place bets on this game never being released? We've got $20 on "Never. Ever ever ever."[Via Big Download]
Report: Rupert Murdoch forms global team, looks into hardware for content revenue stream
In case you didn't think Rupert Murdoch was serious about e-book readers before, The Daily Beast has it from its sources that the News Corp mogul has assembled a global team, with members hailing form London, New York, and Sydney, to find some way to better monetize / charge for online content. Unsurprisingly, that leads to hardware and possibly creating a more "user-friendly way" to deliver content that'll incentivize consumers to pay -- Kindle does it, Hearst wants to do it, so why not the world's biggest media conglomerate? As for the mythical device itself, let's recap what we've heard so far, from the man himself: a bigger screen than Amazon's now-antiquated models, a four-color pallette, and"you can get everything there." Now how about putting a name to the manufacturer, hm? [Via Electronista]
FOX News HD joins the HD lineup in Seattle, WA
Not much to say outside of the headline here, but FOX News HD is now available on Comcast in Seattle, Washington. Curiously, this seems to be the only addition for now, but hopefully it's just testing the water before it unloads a whole gaggle of 'em before the holidays. Hopefully.
Top 5: Get Up, Stand Up
Coming off perhaps the longest election of all eternity, one aspect that stands out for me is the relentless demand for voting. Particularly for young people, the act of voting transcended the realm of obligation and became more of a societal requirement. 2004's "Vote or Die" campaign resurrected itself as "Don't Vote": a series of videos where celebrities tell us to be apathetic about voting ... and then hit us with a psych! You just got sarcasm'd! In reality, the "Don't Vote" videos are giving the viewer a wink which nonverbally says "we're messin' around; go vote, you moron!" Inarguably, such campaigns have been successful. The youth turnout was very large in 2004 and even larger this year. 24 million of them, in fact, aged 18 to 29 showed up, which is an increase of 2.2 million from 2004. While it's great to see participation in our political process, one wonders about the old newspaper to voting question, which goes something like this: "About half the population vote and about half read the newspaper. Let's hope it's the same half." Indeed, I question who is the better person: an uninformed voter, or an informed abstainer. On the other hand, perhaps pressuring us into the voting booth is justified: by voting for or against a candidate, we're investing ourselves in those individuals. Thus, we follow their progress and learn as we go. Whether the ends justify the means is for someone wiser than me to decide. Which leads me to gaming. Gaming is both entertainment and an art-form. It's evolved from an experiment by college researchers to a hobby for electronic enthusiasts to a distraction for bar patrons to a culture for children before finally reaching its final stage of metamorphosis: a global juggernaut larger than film and music which appeals to an incredibly diverse group of folks. And as it becomes more relevant in our society, those of us who follow it closely should feel a responsibility to stay informed and take action when appropriate and/or necessary. Last week I presented a list of items that divides gamers. Here's the Top 5 issues that should leave you standing shoulder to shoulder with your gaming comrades. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
The best of WoW Insider: October 28-November 4, 2008
It's almost here. While Election Day is surely going to be exciting, and yes, we're also waiting for Gears of War 2, the biggest game release for WoW fans comes next week: the Wrath of the Lich King is finally upon us. And Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider is on top of things as usual -- stay tuned to the site all this week for pre-expansion news, and next week, at T minus zero to launch, we'll have more updates than Arthas has zombies. It'll be great! News Fox News covers WoW's Zombie InvasionSurprise! Someone in the mainstream media treats WoW like a game played by adults, and it's Fox News. The Bro Squad 3-mans KarazhanOh how the mighty (formerly 10-man instance) have fallen. Invincible Vengeance no moreNothing encourages the crying and whining quite like Paladin nerfs. Official class forums get new role forums addedOriginally, Blizzard was going to delete the class forums entirely, but they soon came to their senses. World of Warcraft 3.0.3 patch notesThere's a new patch in town, with lots more updates and fixes before the expansion release next week. Features Ask a Beta Tester: Questions I wish we'd been askedOur beta tester (one of them, actually) sits down and answers questions that haven't been asked yet. Ask a Beta Tester: Tradeskills, training and rep gainsBut of course we're also answering your questions, too, while the beta is still active. Know Your Lore: Preparing for Wrath of the Lich KingEverything you need to know to get the story straight before the expansion. Preview of the new minimap mod SexyMapYour minimap has never looked so good. Insider Trader: Inscription from 1-100Our professions column hits on the new profession, and tells you how to roll through the first 100 points.
FOX news covers WoW's Zombie Invasion
FOX news picked up the story of the big zombie invasion, citing that the plague came to an end on Tuesday. They covered the event as a deliberate contagion that, if left "untreated," would turn you into one of the "flesh-eating zombies." Like our own Mike Schramm, FOX parallels this purposeful in-game disease with the previous accidental "Corrupted Blood" plague. I love it when WoW is in the news. I love it even more when the media's not talking about us being game-addicted fiends smashing the buttons for our Pavlovian treat. While FOX's story isn't exactly ground-breaking info for those of us toiling against the continuing Scourge invasion, it might reach a few of our friends and coworkers and convince them to give WoW a try. Or, this coverage could just be another sign of the impact Blizzard's game is having on the mainstream, while that 11 million subscriber base just keeps growing. And, yup, FOX's article does mention the upcoming Wrath release, so it's certainly possible Blizzard will see a few more players from the coverage. Every time WoW has an event like this which has mainstream interest, there'll be a few more people logging for the first time to see what the buzz is about. And, hey, it certainly lines up with the Holiday theme.
FOX News turns HD on DirecTV
Without any official word from DirecTV, users across the nation are now reporting that after six months of waiting the HD version of FOX News has finally been added to the satcaster's lineup. Yeah, we wish there were a few others being introduced right alongside of it, but we suppose we're okay with baby steps. Enjoy![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ATMC Cable grows its HD lineup by adding Fox News HD
Another month, another high-def station for the relatively diminutive amount of ATMC Cable subscribers. The small, North Carolina-based carrier has a knack for making the big fellows look awfully bad, and it's doing so once more by adding Fox News HD to its HD lineup. The newcomer can be found on slot 905, and if this one really isn't your bag, don't worry -- history says ATMC will be adding more in just a bit.
MediaFLO now serving MSNBC, CNBC and FOX News
Just in time for the run-up to the 2008 Presidential election, MediaFLO has added in a trio of news sources to give you your fix wherever you are. CNBC, MSNBC and FOX News have all been added to the lineup in order to give you varying views on the same topics at hand. Available to Verizon Wireless and AT&T subscribers, the channels will offer simulcast programming in line with what's happening on the tele, though we'd caution you not to watch too much coverage during your morning board meeting.[Via phonescoop]
Fox News loves Fat Princess
So Fox News decides to discuss Fat Princess. Not because it falls in line with their "women exploited in gaming" line of stories, but rather quite the opposite. In fact, they seemingly love it despite the feminist outrage, which they mildly go over. "She has chunk ... I love it," a Fox News anchorwoman chimes in. It is nice to hear that not all women are insecure about their bodies as to take offense towards Fat Princess, and at least more mainstream media and possibly casual audiences might like the game. Best quote of the day: "She's a fat princess. It happens."To watch the footage, just follow this link. Or, if you can get the trailer after the break to play for you, then just watch it here.[Via Destructoid]
Fox News does a Metal Gear Solid retrospective
GameTrailers isn't the only place where you can find a Metal Gear retrospective to get you pumped up for Metal Gear Solid 4. You can watch another one of those compilations of nostalgic memories at Fox News. Yes, that's right, Fox News. It looks like the hype surrounding the final tale of Solid Snake is slithering into mainstream press coverage; albeit, Fox News' take on the series is rather dry and flavorless compared to GameTrailers. All in all, it's still good to see that gaming is grabbing the attention of a major news network ... and more importantly, in a good way.
Fox News Channel launches HD simulcast this week
Thanks to a little TWC slippage, we already knew good and well that Fox News HD was on the way, but now it seems that the channel will be launching in more places than just Brooklyn and Queens. Starting on May 1st, Time Warner Cable subscribers in "select areas" will be graced with the station, and not surprisingly, the metro New York systems will be the first to pick it up. We're also told that agreements are in place to bring Fox News HD to San Antonio, but it seems that other cities (and those on other carriers) will be forced to wait for an indefinite amount of time. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Chicago Transit Authority caves to minimal pressure, pulls Grand Theft Auto IV ads
According to a report on Monday from GamePolitics, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has caved to minimal pressure from FOX News regarding the use of advertisements promoting the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto IV on public transportation throughout the city. The local Chicago affiliate of the controversial news desk questioned the city's use of the ads, stating, "With so much focus on kids and violence these days, we wondered why ads for a violent video game have begun popping up again on CTA buses and train stations." Days later the ads were pulled.This isn't the first time public Grand Theft Auto ads have been pulled, previously similar instances have occurred in Portland, Denver and Boston, the latter of which saw Massachusetts transit chief justify the decision by issuing a policy which equated M-rated games to pornographic films.While the title is known for liberal helpings of violence the ads themselves have never depicted the content of the game (as seen above). We're used to certain politicians, lawyers and family groups blaming our industry for every violent incident that happens, but when an entire city sides with the issue we can't help but feel a little shafted.[via Joystiq]
Cinemassively: Persephone Milk interview
In real life, Tim O'Connor plays his keyboard, hoping to catch a break someday as a musician. In Second Life, however, he is Persephone Milk, a piano crafter. A local Fox station in Florida interviewed Tim to find out why he was in SL and whether it pays off emotionally and financially. While we applaud the news station for highlighting entrepreneurial residents, we do take issue with how easy they make it sound.Ever since the Anshe Chung press release announcing that she was a millionaire from SL profits, we've faced a barrage of sensational news reports about people making money. Sure, there are some residents who actually make a nice living off of the virtual world, but that's not even one percent of the population right now. The rest just scrape by, if they make anything at all. Of course, I'm sure most have realized that by now and continue to log in for the social interaction. We can only hope!If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
Warning: Be wary of offensive Wii games
If you frequent video game blogs or boards, you've probably heard about the Fox News debacle that was sparked by the "pornography" in the game Mass Effect. Wired decided to poke fun (or jab sarcasm) at the alarmist network, pointing out a few other games that should raise hysteria among the stick-up-their-butt crowd.And no, we're not talking Manhunt 2 or the newly announced Saw games. We're talking about the really dangerous games, like Super Mario Galaxy, Endless Ocean, and Geometry Wars (as well as some games from other consoles).We won't spoil the whole feature, but to steal an excerpt, this is why Fox News should fear Geometry Wars: "Geometry is math. Math leads to science. Science leads to lies. Thus, Geometry Wars directly indoctrinates our children into the evolutionary lie that we're all descended from homosexual monkeys. Naked homosexual monkeys. We recommend instead the game Intelligent Design Wars, which is just like Geometry Wars, except that the credits read, "We don't know who made this. (But it was probably God.)"We couldn't agree more. Won't someone think of the children?
Today's most satirical video: Loading.Ready.Run tackles 'Max Effect'
It's been a week since Fox News ran a largely ignorant news segment on the the brief, minor and optional sex scene found in Mass Effect. The crew of Loading.Ready.Run have produced a satire of the news segment for our enjoyment. All the important interview tactics are present, from the gaming supporter being frequently cut off mid-sentence, having his mic turned off, and the host giving loaded questions and descriptions ("full on hardcore porn sex ... with freaky alien chicks"). The acting may not be top-notch, but the snark is. For a summary of events surrounding Mass Effect so far, including head-turning comments by Jack Thompson, check out this post. Video embedded after the break.[Thanks, Pattmyn]
Jack Thompson: Mass Effect controversy 'ridiculous'
Perhaps the most well-versed individual on gaming controversy (by merit of instigating many of them), Jack Thompson has found a way to make the Mass Effect Fox News report more ridiculous by defending the game. Unfortunately, weather.com has not updated the current temperature in Hell, but we'll let you know when we find out.Responding to the latest press release, Kotaku's Brian Crecente asked Thompson what he thought about the Mass Effect story. Thompson responded, "The guy who shot his mouth off about it had no idea what the Hell he was talking about." (We assume he meant conservative columnist Kevin McCullough and isn't confusing Fox News guest Cooper Lawrence's gender.) Thompson later added, "This contrived controversy is absolutely ridiculous."To catch you up to speed: just after McCullough apologized for writing about Mass Effect's "virtual orgasmic rape," Fox News' Live Desk with Martha MacCollum ran a similar, ignorant segment on the "Sexbox" (so clever) title that pitted Geoff Keighley against a child care author who openly admitted she never played the game. Publisher Electronic Arts demanded a correction, Fox countered, and Lawrence apologized after gamers review-bombed her book on Amazon.
Mass Drama: Lawrence is sorry and Sessler speaks
The Mass Effect versus FOX News drama continues and gets juicier and juicier by the moment. So juicy, we're required to wear raincoats when blogging about it. No joke.First on the docket is news that Cooper Lawrence, the psychiatrist/author who participated in the on-air Mass Effect bashing, has surprisingly apologized for her remarks. Lawrence admits that she never played the game prior to the discussion and was told before going on air that Mass Effect was like pornography. Now, after being given a demo of the game, she admits that "it's not like pornography. I've seen episodes of 'Lost' that are more sexually explicit" and is sorry for her statements. It should also be noted that her apologetic words come at a ripe time as angry gamers flooded Amazon.com's listing of her self-help book with negative reviews and negative press. Damage control much?Finally, you must watch the video embedded above. The vid comes from our favorite G4 personality Adam Sessler as he stands on his soapbox and gives us his two cents about the Mass Drama. Not only does Sessler make some damn great points, but his rant should expand your use of the English language. That Sessler, what an energetic and articulate dude.[Thanks, SirUrza and Trekster_Gamer]Read - Sessler's SoapboxRead - Lawrence's apology
