appeal
Latest
He Said, She Said: Tauren Females
He Said , She Said is a new feature at WoW Insider, which looks at the game from masculine and feminine points of view. This week David Bowers and Amanda Dean take a look at what it takes to play a female Tauren. We all chose our characters for different reasons, potential class and racial abilities should be primary among them. Many people play only characters of their real-life gender, while others chose their character's gender based on appearance or role-playing needs. For whatever reasons, Tauren females are a vast minority. Amanda believes that in most cases it takes a real girl to roll one of these femmes, what do you think?Read on for our discussion. In a world of gamers and gamer girls, let's take some time to examine what makes us the same and what makes us different. Here at WoW Insider we're discussing all kinds of in game issues through the lens of gender. Check out our inaugural post, we welcome all of your comments, and be sure to send in your ideas for our discussion.
More Manhunt 2 dramarama
If you're familiar with the Manhunt 2 saga, you'll know that things were looking good for Rockstar. The company recently won an appeal against the BBFC, meaning that the controversial game could finally be rated and sold in stores in the UK. The BBFC had one last trick up its sleeve, however. The board essentially appealed the appeal by bringing the Video Appeals Committee's decision under judicial review. That's where we last left off.Unfortunately for Rockstar, the High Court sided with the BBFC. The VAC must now reconsider its appeal, which for all intents and purposes probably means, "Change your decision to agree with the BBFC, or else."During the trial, the BBFC argued that the VAC's decision undermined the board's role as the watchdogs of entertainment. This may be true, but what is the point of having a Video Appeals Committee if it's not able to uphold appeals? This is also a huge blow to Rockstar, because it gives the company little hope of ever being able to sell the game in the UK.Rockstar is also currently dealing with criticism in the UK for its new rendition of Bully, which is coming to the Wii and Xbox 360 later this year.[Via Games Industry]
And the Manhunt 2 saga continues
Although Rockstar won the appeal to get the controversial Manhunt 2 rated in the UK, the battle is far from over. The BBFC is now challenging the verdict by applying for a judicial review of the Video Appeals Committee's decision. The BBFC is adamant about its course of action, stating, "The VAC judgment, if allowed to stand, would have fundamental implications with regard to all the Board's decisions, including those turning upon questions of unacceptable levels of violence." Won't someone think of the children?The BBFC is also trying to have the VAC's decision suspended, so that the Board doesn't have to rate the game until after the judicial review.While it seems no one cares about playing Manhunt 2 anymore, the final outcome is certain to have repercussions for rating games (in the UK, at least) in the future.[Via press release]
Rockstar fights Manhunt 2 ban in UK, wins (for now)
You may remember that Rockstar appealed the BBFC's decision to refuse to rate Manhunt 2. Well, things seem to be finally going Rockstar's way, for once, as the Video Appeals Committee ruled in favor of the publisher by four votes to three. So, does this mean that this whole fiasco is over and Manhunt 2 will finally get its 18 rating? Not exactly. The BBFC can still take the case to the High Court in order to try to keep the ban on the game. Whether you care about Manhunt 2 or not, we've already seen how the decision to ban the title in the UK has affected other games. At least this appeal is a step in the right direction regarding video game censorship.
German court says T-Mobile can sell iPhone exclusively -- Vodafone injunction dismissed
Surprise! The German courts have reversed the November decision and now say that T-Mobile has the right to sell the iPhone exclusively in Germany. As a result, the injunction granted to Vodafone has been dismissed. T-Mobile still has the right to seek damages. Ah well, there are still unlocked iPhones in France if anyone's looking.
T-Mobile vs. Vodafone: November 29th, Germany -- be there
The gloves are off and the court date is set: T-Mobile faces off with arch rival Vodafone on November 29th in Germany. Will T-Mobile's exclusivity on the iPhone continue unabated or will Germany's other carriers (and their consumers) still not reap the benefits of an unlocked iPhone due to its prohibitively high, €999 cost? Tune in next week to find out.Pssst, hey Germany... yeah you. Just in case T-Mobile wins and discontinues the unlocked offering, November 29th is the same date that your neighbors in France will start selling their iPhones. Chances are, an unlocked version will be sold too. Just saying is all.
Broadcom wins appeal against Qualcomm, both claim victory
Chip ban aside, Broadcom's still pursuing other avenues to hurt Qualcomm's bottom line in its ongoing battles over a handful of alleged intellectual property infringements (also known as "Qualcomm getting a taste of its own medicine"). The company has just succeeded in getting an appeals court to overturn an August 2006 ruling stating that Broadcom had no antitrust case against Qualcomm over its WCDMA licensing terms; the higher court figures that Qualcomm's failure to license WCDMA technology at "reasonable" rates is tantamount to "actionable anticompetitive conduct," giving Broadcom an in to resume the suit. Broadcom thinks that's swell, naturally, but Qualcomm is tooting its horn as well, noting that just two of Broadcom's eight original claims remain. We guess that's a victory for ya, Qualcomm, but it's a bit of a stretch.
Six weeks later: Rockstar fights back
Six weeks after Manhunt 2's ban from the BBFC (and subsequently, an AO rating from the ESRB), Rockstar has finally formulated an appeal. The Video Appeals Committee (VAC) will have to analyze both the BBFC and Rockstar's position on the game, and choose whether or not to uphold the ban.It's good to see Rockstar finally fighting back: hopefully, gamers will be able to see the version of Manhunt 2 Rockstar intended to make all along -- not an edited version created to satiate the meek.[Via 1UP]
"Obvious" patent laws could become relaxed, tech firms rejoice
Lawsuits in the technology biz certainly aren't uncommon, and it looks like we may have one more significant ruling about to hit just shortly after CSIRO won its own landmark case. The US Supreme Court justices seem to be viewing earlier, lower cases with a hint of skepticism in regard to decisions that have previously worked to safeguard patented products. While the trial at hand concerns two brake manufacturers -- KSR International and rival Teleflex -- the stipulations could be far reaching; the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit previously ruled that KSR failed to prove that Teleflex (the accuser) "did not encounter teaching, suggestion, or motivation in developing the product." The generally ambiguous test is a thorn in the side of major technology companies getting slapped around by frivolous lawsuits, and Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco Systems have all made time to "submit briefs supporting KSR's stand." Still, the final decision isn't expected for quite some time, so sue-happy firms still have time to submit their counter-briefs, but folks like Vonage and TomTom (just to name a couple) would obviously (ahem) love a victory here.[Via Slashdot]
Shocking DualShock case still not going Sony's way
Sony's attempt to overturn the 2004 ruling on Immersion's haptic technology patents and receive a new trial was denied in court recently.The Wall Street Journal tells quite a tale concerning another force-feedback inventor, originally a paid consultant of Immersion, who allegedly received advance royalties from Sony in exchange for testimony against his former client. There's enough drama in this case to fill a television soap opera--or, better yet, a police or crime-scene procedural.For the full contents of the article, you'll need to log in as a subscriber to the Journal through the picture above or the Read link below. We don't know to what extent this courtroom drama will affect the "boomerang" PS3 prototype controller design, future DualShock 2 availability and compatibility, or any possible delays to the new system itself, but Sony's separate appeal in federal court has yet to be ruled on, leaving the company one more crucial legal avenue to pursue in this matter.[Via Joystiq]
