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Twitch deleting past broadcasts, muting third-party audio
In-line with the reported Google acquisition, game streaming service Twitch is changing its rules to be more... YouTubey. The change that many shirtless, death-metal Hearthstone streamers will run afoul of is the newly implemented tech that'll mute archived videos that contain "unauthorized third-party audio." Also, past broadcasts will only be saved for a limited time (14-60 days), with highlights running under two hours "saved indefinitely" (for now). "In order to create a system that supports live and [video on demand] across the globe and on multiple platforms, we need to make significant changes to the way we're currently storing video," said Twitch CEO Emmet Shear.
Survey finds a quarter of top YouTubers taking cut from publishers
A recent survey conducted by Gamasutra found that a quarter of YouTubers (aka Let's Players) with over 5,000 subscribers participated in payola, receiving compensation for coverage. The established game press has gotten itself into a tizzy about the ethics of such actions. As someone who worked through the transition from print to blogs, I remember the day Gamasutra switched from referring to us as "consumer blog" to "news site," so I know better than most the fluidity of perception. Our rules (here's Joystiq's ethics policy) are pretty clear, and that's thanks to years of relentless scrutiny and near-daily accusations of being paid off.
Massively does Geek Week: Take a scenic tour of SWTOR
As MMO players, we know all about being geeks; we're the geekiest video gamers around! Join in the fun today as we celebrate Google's Geek Week with a series of MMO-flavored videos to introduce fellow geeks to our favorite games: Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, The Secret World, and more! Despite its struggles since launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic retains a mighty playerbase. In fact, its subscription numbers easily place it in the top five MMOs! No doubt many players stick with the game because of its incredible and iconic vistas and locations. So why not live vicariously through our SWTOR columnist and virtually visit some of those destinations in a humorous flythrough recorded especially for Geek Week? Visit the haunted halls of the Sith Dark Temple on Dromund Kaas, tour the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and explore the war-torn wastes of Ilum. But whatever you do, don't mention what happens on the Bounty Hunter's D5-Mantis starship. We're still trying to block that from our minds.
Video Time Machine for iOS (hands-on)
What's the first thing that comes to mind when the subject of time travel comes up? If you're like us, you probably think of flying DeLoreans or malfunctioning hot tubs; maybe even the HG Wells chair with a brobdingnagian spinning wheel on the back. Since these types of time machines (you know, the ones that actually go back in time) don't exist -- that we know of, anyway -- we need to find other methods of transporting ourselves to another time. That's where Video Time Machine comes in handy: it chronicles over a century of compiled movies, commercials, TV broadcasts, and other forms of moving pictures into one clever iOS app. We had an opportunity to get some hands-on time with both the iPhone and iPad apps and did some time travelling of our own. Did it satisfy our hunger for one hundred years of visual treats? Head past the break to find out.
YouTube Live now streams to iOS, courtesy of YTLive web app
Watching YouTube on an iOS device can be a pleasant experience, unless you're trying to view the service's Live content. YouTube Live -- its answer to Ustream, Livestream, and other streaming video services -- was recently launched after months of limited trials. Wonderful news, of course, but there is just one catch: it uses Flash to provide the streaming instead of HTML5. At first, this meant iOS users were left uninvited to the party, but a savvy developer sensed the coming frustration and built YTLive, a web app enabling YouTube Live streams on Safari. Find and copy the link to the live stream you want, go to the app, and paste it in the box provided. Then, let your hearts be gladdened as you delightfully devour as much video as you can handle. Head to our source link below to find the app.
Apple discussed Verizon switch 'at least half a dozen times,' and other stories about its AT&T relationship
"An iPhone, an iPhone, my carrier's reputation for an iPhone." Grab a cup of coffee and get yourself comfortable, fans of behind-the-scenes industry drama. Wired has published an exhaustive and fascinating expose on the "loveless celebrity marriage" that is Apple and AT&T -- all from sources familiar with the matters but who cannot (or will not) be named, of course. In other words, don't take this as gospel, but frankly, none of this sounds too crazy or outside the realm of what we've already surmised ourselves. In brief, the two companies have been contentious towards one another since just after the iPhone was unveiled. For AT&T's part, the carrier was reportedly taken aback when its requests (delivered by Senior VP Kris Rinne) to restrict YouTube's bandwidth usage (or make it WiFi-only) while the network infrastructure was built up fell on deaf ears in Cupertino. Word has it Apple also refused to allow its devices to be used in campaigns to combat Verizon's Map for That ads: "It was [effective] because of AT&T's network. We would have been letting them use the iPhone to put lipstick on a pig," remarked one anonymous Apple exec. What's most interesting to us here is the ongoing reported discussion to drop AT&T in favor for Verizon. That chapter apparently begins just months after the original's launch, with an investigative team (including Scott Forstall) ultimately concluding that Qualcomm's CDMA (or CDMA / GSM hybrid) chips would require a complete redesign of the device, not to mention a nasty lawsuit with AT&T over its exclusive contract (perhaps a minor issue, knowing Apple). Back then, Verizon wasn't seen as a guaranteed improvement, and according to one executive privy to such meetings, the carrier switch has been discussed at least a half dozen times, with the general consensus always being that it would "cause as many problems as it solved." We can't imagine this is gonna help stem the perpetual VZW iPhone rumor mill. Hit up the source link for the full tale, which does hit on a fundamental issue of the mobile industry going forward: as smartphone makers continue to push their devices' capabilities, bandwidth concerns will continue to grow and carriers are likely to take the majority of the blame. If you ask us, David Fincher has just found his ideal follow-up to The Social Network -- we'd especially love to see someone film the part where AT&T asks Steve Jobs to ditch the turtleneck and wear a suit when meeting with its board of directors.
YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video)
Looks like YouTube's having quite the day. The site has officially rolled out Leanback, its television-friendly interface first espied during Google TV's big unveiling. The interface works via keyboard arrow keys -- sorry, no option to use the mouse -- letting you scroll through your feeds / recommendations, categories, playback options, and search bar. Videos encompass the entire browser menu and will crank up the HD when available. So far, we're seeing snappy response with navigation, and some utter embarrassment at the (unfortunately accurate) suggestions YouTube is throwing our way. Meanwhile on the handheld front, YouTube's also pushed live a new mobile site. New touted features include a more touch-friendly UI, further incorporation of the main site's elements such as favorites and ratings, and a generally speedier existence. YouTube also promises to work at bringing update parity across its desktop and portable kin, "unlike native apps which are not updated as frequently" (come on, tell us how you really feel, guys). Since the TV season is in a bit of a lull anyway, might as well grab your iPhone, Android device, HTPC remote, laptop, or whatever other screen you have and play catchup with your viral videos. Promotional footage after the break.
YouTube: Viacom would demand removal of videos it covertly uploaded itself
As you may have heard, Viacom and YouTube have been having a little tift lately, in the form of a major lawsuit by the former over copyrighted material posted on the video portal. It's a lawsuit that, according to YouTube, will cause such video sites to "cease to exist in the current form" -- but more importantly, it's a lawsuit that leads to some rather hilarious behind-the-scenes details. Here's a really juicy one that the official YT blog published today by Chief Counsel Zahavah Levine. Word has it that Viacom had hired over the years at least 18 different marketing firms to inconspicuously upload content. We can't really say it better than the posting: "[Viacom] deliberately "roughed up" the videos to make them look stolen or leaked. It opened YouTube accounts using phony email addresses. It even sent employees to Kinko's to upload clips from computers that couldn't be traced to Viacom." Wait, it gets better. According to Levine, Viacom's tactics were so good that the company itself didn't even know which videos it had uploaded, prompting multiple occasions where it would demand a clip removed, only to later ask for its reinstatement. "In fact," she claims, "some of the very clips that Viacom is suing us over were actually uploaded by Viacom itself." Hit up the source link for all the details. Honestly, we can't wait to see what else is dug up in these proceedings. Update: Of course, that's not the whole story. Also revealed in court documents today was discussions by Viacom to -- get this -- purchase YouTube before News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch got the chance to do it himself. Let's be thankful for that judge's decision to unseal all court documents, shall we?
YouTube looking to enter rental movies on demand business, says WSJ
Sounds like Google has found the best way to monetize YouTube yet, and it puts itself in a pretty competitive spot versus the likes of Netflix, Amazon VOD, and Apple's iTunes movie store. According to Wall Street Journal, the company's currently in talks with Lions Gate, Sony, and Warner Bros. studios over putting their content on YouTube for a rental fee, likely $3.99 -- the same price as Apple's SD movie rentals. Even more interesting is talk of getting some titles online day and date with the DVD releases. Some options could still be free with advertising, but as for paid content, Google's enticing studios over to their way of thinking with a proposed minimum fee of "just under $3 per title viewed." A three-month beta testing is apparently scheduled to begin soon among 10,000 Google employees, and after that? Well, here's hoping the G-Man manages to sign on some more studios and offer us the films in streaming HD.
Download YouTube videos with Tooble
There's plenty of YouTube applications out there, but walking around the Macworld show floor a mere ten days ago, I came across Tooble: another (free) application that allows you to download your favourite YouTube videos to your Mac. Now, before people shout-off that Google could feasibly break the app by changing URLs, the developers were quick to point out that the application uses the fully-supported and entirely-ToS-valid YouTube and gData APIs to grab the videos.The software, written (incredibly) by high-school students is going to remain free for the YouTube version. There's also mention of a paid-for version supporting other sites currently slated to appear later this year (Metacafé being one site mentioned) along with a Windows version too. I've been playing with Tooble since the show, and I've found it incredibly reliable. Testing it both when downloading 40-minute epics such as the Steve Jobs Macworld Boston 1997 Keynote, or the truly insane -- don't try this at home -- skiing down Europe's longest escalator, the application handled them both with aplomb.
CoX Issue 11 videos: Samuraiko Productions
Professionally-made trailers and videos are designed to dazzle and to glow. More and more, however, fan-made videos are achieving the same level of quality and professionalism, and are shaping up into astounding works of art in their own right. As our own Moo Money noted, machinima artists such as Baron Soosdon are looked up to because their work is incredibly evocative and remarkably well-crafted.In that vein, the head of Samuraiko Productions has been striving for -- and, from what I've seen, achieving -- top-notch quality in all of her work. Her latest piece, an homage to NCsoft's Issue 11 expansion for the City of Heroes/City of Villains properties, continues her path in the quest for perfection. The music is well-chosen, the transitions are seamless, the text and graphic overlays are layered perfectly ... my only complaint is that it wasn't long enough. Although I'm unable to embed the video here due to the artist's request, it is available for viewing on both You Tube and the Samuraiko Productions web site. Be prepared for buffering the first time you play it off the web site, but the level of detail in the non-compressed production is well worth the wait.
LG's KE850 Prada struts its stuff for YouTube
We think there are a lot of people out there that still can't make up their mind on whether or not to wait it out for the iPhone or to save themselves the aggravation and buy its distant cousin, the LG KE850 Prada. Hopefully our friends over at YouTube can convince you one way or another with the latest video of the KE850 running through the motions. By the looks of it, the LG runs the Macromedia Flash-based UI effortlessly. If you finally made up your mind to buy the LG, lets make sure you won't need any GSM 850 coverage in your neck of the woods first.
Today's hacking-est video: Wii Bottle
Is the sight of some guy rotating a bottle with a Wii remote that exciting? Apparently so, because it ranked as the top gaming video on YouTube today. We don't have much to say about this, it's pretty boring to us. In fact, we enjoyed more the overused Wiimote / penis jokes in the comments section. Video embedded after the break.
Today's hottest game video: New Wii promo trailer
Nintendo fanboys gushed all over YouTube (and their pants!) today at a new promotional trailer for the Wii. For those who have yet to pick up on the console maker's subtle formula for making commercials, we'll guide you through the process: Find a group of people of varying age, ethnic background, gender, and height. Give them all Wiimotes. Have them stare into the camera and smile while they wave their arms maniacally. If need be, splice footage as a means to explain why people may be shaking their arms maniacally at the screen (else the audience might think these Wiimotes are magically controlling us -- you, sir, will not make a marionette out of me). The video manages to splice footage of most of the high-profile launch titles, including the how-is-it-not-ready-for-launch Wario Ware Smooth Moves -- apparently the developers are taking some extra time fine tune the game's complex graphics.You might notice a dichotomy between the groups playing certain games. Wii Sports had a family of players, Excite Truck attracted a teenage audience of male and female. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Twilight Princess, however, were both played by the loner twenty-something male sitting in a dark room. Are you trying to tell us that our 80-year-old Irish albino grandmothers won't get a kick out of wielding two samurai swords in a Yakuza-inspired environment?Check out the video after the jump.
Panasonic joins up with YouTube - Giving away a 50-inch plasma
So while YouTube might not be in high-def, Panasonic has joined up with them to award the funniest video submitted a 50-inch plasma. Oh and you can win a digital camera by reviewing the videos too. It seems like you just need to join the group and add your funniest video to the site. Once that is done, jump over to Panasonic's site to fill out the on-line form. That's it. They are going to select a finalist once a week and then they are going to compete against each others for the plasma.Good luck everyone![Thanks for the tip Marc]
