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EA trying to win back our hearts?
EA's VP and chief visual officer Glenn Entis is ready to put the company's money where Montreal GM Alain Tascan's mouth was. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Entis outlines a new direction in which EA execs will begin to trust the efforts of developers seeking to create original IPs. No doubt EA will continue to farm its established franchises, but Entis describes an "aggressive" strategy whereby the Maddens, FIFAs, Need for Speeds, etc., will play equals to new "creative risks."A combination of relentless Pac-Man-style acquisitions -- striking again just yesterday with the buyout of Headgate Studios -- and a history of poor employee treatment has marred EA's image among informed gamers, but could a few refreshing attempts alter our opinions? Can EA be loved again?
Apple Support doc on Intel Macs and 3rd party routers: "just restart it"
Well this doesn't sound like any fun: enough Intel Macs running 10.4.8 must be having a problem connecting wirelessly to some 3rd party routers that Apple had to publish a support doc on the topic. As icing on the cake, Apple's solution isn't a pretty one either. If your Intel Mac is having this problem, here's Apple's solution: restart the router. If that doesn't fix the problem, Apple then recommends calling the router's manufacturer to spend 45 minutes on hold, getting tossed around between operators who probably dish out the same troubleshooting technique, just like the books taught 'em.Not exactly the most effective solution I've ever heard to a problem like this, but I guess one must take what one can get - at least until one can download Mac OS X 10.4.9.
Canon's EOS-1D an example of all-controlling IP?
There's no doubt that the matter of intellectual property has become more prominent in the age of the internet now that some products -- like music -- have begun to lose their physical properties entirely. This shift has led to an increase in use of licenses designed to protect the IP of certain goods; so when you buy a song from the majority of online music services, that purchase is often accompanied by an agreement between you and the creator of the music. Some argue that manufacturers of electronic products have gone too far with their licenses, an opinion aired over at an article in The New Republic. One particular example of outlandish licensing agreements is that of Canon's EOS-1D which includes a separate agreement related specifically to the software that runs on the camera -- effectively the consumer does not own the software that keeps the camera running; he or she is instead licensed the right to use it. One clause of the disclaimer actually removes Canon's obligation to service or repair the camera if the software fails. These kind of agreements aren't completely watertight: courts can invalidate licenses if the company tries to impose excessive limits, the problem is that often they choose to favor companies over the individuals because it is felt that protection is required for fast moving areas like software design. Ultimately though, the threat of aggressive IP will never overrule the consumer's killer wallet-closing combo move. If consumers are unfairly restricted by certain companies, isn't it logical to assume that people won't buy that company's products anymore?[Via Against Monopoly]
Klegg Electronics goes big with its 40-inch, MCE-infused LCD TV
Klegg seems to be kicking it up a notch from the wee LCDs it's accustomed to producing, as the 40-inch KLM-4010 is more suited for your living room than your front pocket. While it's certainly not the first LCD TV to stuff MCE functionality into its confines, this brushed aluminum beast packs quite a laundry list of impressive specs. It boasts a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 500cd/m2 of brightness, 1,366 x 768 resolution, HDMI, a pair of DVI ports, component, S-Video, composite, digital audio output, and a built-in Hauppauage PVR-150 MCE tuner. Additionally, it rocks an Intel Pentium 4 3GHz 630 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 6200 graphics card, dual-layer, slot-loading DVD burner, FireWire / USB 2.0 connectors, flash card reader, and dual seven-watt integrated speakers. This PC / TV hybrid touts the ability to download video directly from the internet and store it without the need for a separate HTPC, but unfortunately there's no (presumably high) pricetag or release details to ponder over.[Via CrunchGear]
Palm sez NTP patents are invalid, refuses to settle
Following yesterday's surprising announcement that patent troll firm NTP is taking portable computing pioneer Palm to court over alleged IP infringement, the PDA and smartphone manufacturer has fired back with a statement detailing its position on the matter. While Palm corroborates NTP's assertion that the latter company had previously approached it about licensing the patents in question, it points out that all seven of them are still undergoing re-examination by the US Patent and Trademark Office, and all signs point to them being ruled invalid once the inquiry is complete. Therefore, Sunnyvale-based Palm has promised to "defend itself vigorously against the attempted misuse of the patent and judicial systems," which is the diplomatic way of saying that NTP won't see one red cent unless they pry it from Palm's cold, dead hands. Since the RIM / NTP fiasco took quite some time to wind its way through the courts, it seems that Palm is making the smart move here by stringing this along until the USPTO makes its final decision, but there's one thing it needs to bear in mind: NTP's got half a billion dollars to blow on legal fees, and since it doesn't actually do anything besides sue people, it can focus all of its energy and resources on this amusing but unhealthy lawsuit addiction.
Interview reveals some secrets behind MGS: Portable Ops
1UP has chatted with the people behind the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and there are a few bullet points that are pretty juicy. [Andrew's note: I'm typing this while Sony continues to not say anything interesting in their press conference.]The classic Kurosawa film Seven Samurai is the inspiration behind your newfound ability to recruit friends in the game.The unique character generated through multiplayer is determined by the IP address of the hotspot you connect to.The characters obviously feature unique attributes. Unsurprisingly, Snake will not be the best character to play as in the game. He's very recognizable, as he's gained quite a bit of infamy by this point in this story.The game is being developed by the same team as Metal Gear Acid, for better or worse.
Sony steals motion idea, but not from Nintendo
Gamespot's Inside E3 blog points out that Sony didn't steal their motion-sensing PS3 controller from Nintendo-they stole it from Microsoft and Logitech:They didn't steal from Nintendo. They actually stole from Microsoft (and Logitech). The picture you're looking at here [follow link to see pic] is a picture I took of gyroscopic, motion sensing controllers that Logitech and Microsoft manufactured for the PC in 1999. Yes, 1999 as in more than seven years ago....I just wanted to point out that this idea was soooo 20th century, and immediately flamed out on the PC because they were honestly more of a novelty than they were practical.Of course, that would imply Nintendo stole their novel and impractical- exscuse me-innovative idea as well.[Thanks Elijah]
Yuji Naka confirmed to be leaving Sega to form Prope
Back in March, we heard rumblings that Sega stalwart Yuji Naka was planning to leave Sega to start his own studio. Today, that rumor's been confirmed. According to Next Generation, Naka's new company is called Prope, which means "'beside' and 'near' future." Prope's web site (not linked on Next Gen) apparently explains that the name was chosen "in the hopes of bringing game entertainment much closer to users, establishing closer ties between users and us, and creating near future entertainment." We're just happy that Naka is retaining some ties to his old corporate home thanks to a 10% contribution on Sega's part to prop up the emerging new independent studio (a concept which Sega seems to support with its developers). Unfortunately, as the firm "will commit to new IP," you shouldn't expect updates of Sega classic franchises from the old hand anytime soon. It will also be interesting to see who's guiding the new Sonic games as well. Prope will open for business on June 1st. [Thanks, Sense; via 8-bit Ninja] See also: Rumor: Yuji Naka set to leave Sega NiGHTS Into Dreams, onto Revolution? Next-gen Sonic to be "re-invented" for PS3 and Xbox 360
Rare to unleash Pinatas on 360s this holiday season
Rare's next project is apparently an original IP concerning living piñata animals that will be featured in a Saturday morning TV/3-D/CG show and then in an Xbox 360 game debuting this holiday season worldwide.
