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Line Walk, AT&T Store Union Square
Click To Play See the line at NYC's Union Square AT&T store as of 4:30 pm.
Engadget at Digital Experience New York
Digital Experience is a bi-annual press event wherein dozens of your favorite tech companies corral hundreds of your favorite tech journalists, fill them up with free food and booze, and attempt to squeeze a little more coverage out of already-announced products. The theme for this year's New York show -- held last night at the Metropolitan Pavilion -- was British Invasion, and while we certainly appreciated the Beatles cover band, darts competitions, and of course the Bass- and Boddingtons-serving HP Notebook Pub (pictured above, although we still prefer the Sun beer server), the choice to offer traditional English cuisine was, quite frankly, not that well thought out. Nonetheless, we braved numerous flying darts and sketchy-looking meat pies to photograph a few devices we thought you'd enjoy; click on to check out the highlights...
iPhone line forming in NYC
What would you do if you really wanted an iPhone, lived in a major city and had lots of free time (like, say, four whole days)? You'd line up outside the Apple Store, of course!New Yorkers started an iPhone queue last night - a full four days before the thing goes on sale. Now that's an example of desire. I want one, too, but I wouldn't sleep on the street for four days. Probably.Update: Now, if Greg Packer - the guy who is officially 1st in this line - had sold advertising on himself, he'd have a free iPhone by Friday night. Silly Greg.Thanks, Dan!
NY game bill awaits passage in July
Though two pieces of video game legislation passed in New York -- one in the Senate and one in the Assembly -- a compromise was not reached in time for a vote before the current session ended yesterday, reports Game Politics. The compromise was reached, however, and a unified bill is expected to pass when the legislature reconvenes in July.According to Lower Hudson Online, the agreement still makes it a felony to sell "violent and obscene video games to minors." The bill would also have manufacturers equip game consoles with parental control settings (already available in the newest consoles) and retailers would have to label violent and obscene games (already done with the ESRB, though this bill reportedly requires another sticker).If the bill, which Vicarious Visions called troubling in an Albany Times-Union op-ed, passes in July, expect the Entertainment Software Association to go after the bill with the First Amendment. And so far they have a pretty good track record.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Wiimbledon tomorrow, no sign of strawberries and cream
Where were we weeks ago? We so would have made a pilgrimmage to Brooklyn to get our Wii tennis on. Maybe next year we can get in on this, since we hope tomorrow's Wiimbledon Wii Sports tennis tournament is the beginning of a yearly event. And where are the other Grand Slams, people? Get to work!Unfortunately, Wiimbledon is closed to new entrants at this point -- the 128 player pool is full -- but hey, the tournament is being held in a bar, so if you're in the area, can you really lose if you head out to watch? We think not. Wiimbledon gets going at 11 am at Barcade in Brooklyn, New York, and entrants are encouraged to "dress with moxy" like our man Richie Tenenbaum here. We encourage spectators to do the same. Just leave the bird at home. [Thanks, Conor!]
Ad: New York loves the iPhone
Or so says this ad. Mac Rumors isn't sure what the deal is on this either, but this unofficial ad by Alec Sutherland, Anthony Hechanova, and Todd DosSantos is a neat little tribute to both New York and the gadget that's going to take over the world at the end of the month.And forgive me if I'm reading a little too much into this, but how cool is all of this? It's 2007, and we're going to be walking around carrying little multitouch screens with "no buttons." Say what you will about the whole "Sweet Solution" fiasco, but dude-- we're living the future.
Rumor: Marketers head for the hills, a fond farewell to Kaplan and Harrison
It's a wild week in the world of Nintendo's upper management in marketing ... we think. Recently, Nintendo's marketing department was told they'd need to ship off to either New York or San Francisco from their current homes in Redmond. According to Game Informer, as astounding 90% decided to remain in the area and take severance pay. What's even more shocking are that Beth Llewelyn (senior director of public relations), Perrin Kaplan (vice president of marketing and corporate affairs) and George Harrison (senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications) are among the dearly departed. From Nintendo, we mean.Those are some big names dropping from Nintendo's ivory towers, and we've got to sad we're sad to see them go. George was always a nice, candid fellow, and who can forget drunk Perrin (pictured above)? Now that was a classic. We would like to reiterate that Game Informer's claim has not yet been corroborated, so we'll post an update with confirmation or denial when we get it.[Thanks, Jensonb!]
Vicarious Visions pens op-ed on troubling NY game bill
The Albany Times-Union today ran an op-ed piece by the CEO and president of Vicarious Visions (Marvel Ultimate Alliance), a New York based development company, about the New York video game bill legislation going down. They discuss being "deeply troubled" by the legislation currently being fast-tracked making games different from other protected speech. The disturbing nature of the bills apparently can't be stressed properly at this point. The key feature sending chills up many game advocates' spines is that selling a game considered "depraved" to a minor would be considered a felony, with a minimum sentence of one to four years according to the New York penal code.Vicarious Visions' CEO, Kathik Bala, and president, Guha Bala, write, "Just like movies, books, photographs, music and other forms of art and entertainment, video games are fully protected speech under the U.S. Constitution. In fact, nine federal courts in the last six years have ruled that legislation in other states substantially similar to what is being proposed in New York violates free speech protections. States have wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend these statutes. Several states and municipalities have been ordered to pay more than $1.7 million to the video game industry for legal fees. Given New York's pressing economic needs, it can ill afford to spend money enacting and then having to defend this proposal."And therein lies the rub. In the end, these bills fail in court. The states involved are forced to pay the ESA for the cost of defending the industry from unconstitutional legislation. How many times do they need to play out the same plot line over and over again? The outcome remains the same. But it looks like state after state will pop in another quarter and try again.[Via GamePolitics]
NY game retail bills pass; retailers could face felony charges
Two bills from the New York state legislature -- one backed by Republicans in the Senate and one by Democrats in the Assembly -- have been passed. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R) and Governor Eliot Spitzer have both made comments leaning toward an agreement being made between the two houses, but no further details are known.The Assembly measure, A08696, has some strong words for game retailers who sell games with "depraved violence and indecent images," defined as "rape, dismemberment, physical torture, mutilation or evisceration of a human being." Those caught selling such games to minors will be charged with a class E felony and could be sentenced for up to four years in prison. GamePolitics reports that "it is believed this is the bill favored by [Spitzer]." The Entertainment Merchants Association have already condemned the Assembly bill, and we expect the industry-led lawsuit against the legislation be inevitable. The current session ends June 21, so both houses will have to act pretty quickly to reach a compromise.[Via Law of the Game]
New York tests limits of game legislation with felony bill
The latest bill proposed in New York would actually make selling or renting a game to a minor which has "depraved violence and indecent images" a class E felony. What is that exactly in prison time? According to New York penal law, "For a class E felony, the term shall be fixed by the court, and shall not exceed four years." However, it must be over one year imprisonment to be considered class E. But wait, it gets better. "Depraved" is defined by the bill as anything showing "rape, dismemberment, physical torture, mutilation or evisceration of a human being." So, many M rated games would fall under this category. Boiled all the way down, this new law would have a kid working at Gamestop, Best Buy, or the local Blockbuster potentially get sent to OZ for 1 - 4 years because he sold or rented a minor an M rated video game. With politicians like these, who needs Jack Thompson?This bill, A08696 by Democrat Assemblyman Joseph Lentol will have to share the spotlight with a similar bill proposed by Sen. Andrew Lanza (R), which is backed by Senate Republicans. All of this is about Gov. Eliot Spitzer's promise to legislate video games. According to GamePolitics, the enforceable parts (the Class E felony) would go into effect 120 days after the bill passes. The State Assembly goes into recess on June 21, so this bill needs to be on the fast track to make it. New York is getting really creepy with this game legislation.
All New York taxis to be hybrids by 2012
It wasn't too long ago that next-generation taxis were being demoed at the NY International Automobile Show, but unless those roadsters sport gas sipping hybrid engines, they won't survive past 2012 in the Big Apple. Reportedly, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered that every last one of NY's taxis operate on hybrid engines by 2012 as a part of an obvious plan to reduce emissions in the state. Once the transition is complete, Bloomberg noted that it would be the "largest, cleanest fleet of taxis anywhere on the planet," but considering that only 375 of the approximate 13,000 licensed taxis are currently in compliance, we'd say they've got a long ways to go. Currently, NYC has approved nine gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles for use as taxis, and while it has yet to be set in stone, officials are purportedly looking into extending the hybrid initiative to encompass garbage trucks and buses.[Via CNET, photo courtesy of MashedPeas]
New York Attorney General files Dell deception lawsuit
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed a lawsuit against Dell, accusing the company of false advertising, failure to honor rebates and warranties, and several other fraudulent acts (including the specific, legally defined crime of "fraud" in New York). Dell is quite unsurprisingly contesting the suit, saying that "we are confident that our practices will be found to be fair and appropriate," and that the number of customers named in the Attorney General's filing "are based upon a small fraction of Dell's consumer transactions." Dell spokesman Bob Pearson makes sure to say that "even one dissatisfied customer is too many," which sorta makes his earlier statement about the number of affected customers being small meaningless: especially since if the claimants are successful, this'll make at least two dissatisfied Dell customers. As one of America's largest corporations, Dell has been the subject of many lawsuits, although not all are filed by Attorneys General. That said, Pearson has made certain that this recent suit is not related to the Security and Exchange Commission's ongoing investigations into Dell's accounting practices. Well, that's a relief then.
First footage of Driver 76
Driver 76 is heading to PSP soon, and IGN seems to have an early build in their hands. They take the game for a spin, and it looks a lot like Grand Theft Auto. What it doesn't look like, though, is New York. Having lived in NYC all my life, I can't say the low-level buildings and the general lack of life in the game create an authentic facsimile of the city I love. Maybe you can judge for yourself by reading IGN's preview and checking out all of their videos.
Apple plans a third NYC store
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you New Yorkers get everything.* During this afternoon's financial conference call, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer announced that a third Big Apple store is being planned. It's been suggested that this building at 401 West 14th Street will be the third store's location. At 52,000 square-feet, it would house one heck of a store.*Except when my Red Sox hand you three losses in a row. You're welcome.
Joystiq at the Pokemon launch party in NYC
Thousands of Pokemon fans stormed the Nintendo World Store for their incredible Pokemon Diamond & Pearl launch party. Getting into the event was no easy task, as the line stretched across a New York avenue. Once inside, fans were treated to equally long lines to purchase the game, and a myriad of activities to partake in. A scavenger hunt had Pokemaniacs survive the heat and go through all the stations set up for fans.Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori from Game Freak stopped by to answer fan's questions and sign autographs. In spite of the surprising success of the Pokemon franchise, the two were incredibly humble and seemed jovial in the presence of their adoring fans. Children (of all ages) crowded the plaza for a chance to meet some of the people responsible for this global phenomenon.To end the festivities, Nintendo made an incredible donation to Earth Day NY: a giant check (is there any other kind?) for $10,000 was presented to the eco-friendly charity. The event was a blast, and everyone appeared to be in high spirits. Considering the thousands of people in attendance, it's safe to say that the Pokemon phenomenon is still going strong.%Gallery-2731%
Nokia unloads N95 on US flagships
In the plus column, Nokia's gotten consistently better and better about keeping the US -- or its two US flagship stores, at least -- in the loop on its hottest releases, and as "hot releases" go, it really doesn't get much hotter than the GPS-sportin', HSDPA-havin' dual slide N95. In the minus column, though, the guts inside the American N95 are identical to its European counterparts, meaning we still have to go without any 3G data (let alone HSDPA, a Nokia first). Is it just us, or is EDGE no longer cool? Anyway, yeah, grab yours next time you're in New York or Chicago for a stout $750.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Caption Contest: NYC taxis turn 100, have midlife crisis
Apparently the New York taxi cab, a staple for fare-based "horseless carriage" rides, turns 100 this year. To celebrate, the NY International Auto Show is holding the Taxi 07 Exhibit, a showcase of radical re-conceptions of what the yellow and checkers can look like and do. Take, for example, the Standard, a natural gas powered vehicle with extended range; or Antenna Design's interactive signage, which offers up destinations and ride-sharing availability; or, possibly our favorite, Rides Magazine's Crown Vic (above). CNET's got the full scoop, check it out. Or, you know, leave a funny caption. As always we won't pick a winner, but perhaps your Engadget-reading peers will raise you on their shoulders, raise you high enough to get in that pimped out cab you see above.Peter: "I can't take you to JFK, but we could go cruising for a couple of hours"Ryan: "See BigFoot, this is what happens when you get freaky with the taxi groupies after the monster truck rally."Evan: "After 20 thankless years on the job, Joe finally got cut off one too many times and decided to take action."Paul: "Look out pedestrians... oh wait, it's a taxi, you already do."
Square Enix brings lifestyle titles to DS
Continuing its praiseworthy support for the Nintendo DS, Square Enix has announced DS Style, a new line of software for the casual gaming audience. According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the company is venturing away from its RPG franchises for a moment, focusing instead on leisure activities like yoga, classical music, and gardening. It might not sound as exciting as SRPG battles or Chocobo mini-games, but different strokes for different folks.Square Enix will also be releasing DS travel guides based on the popular World Walking tour book series in Japan. These guides will provide maps and other useful information for sightseers visiting countries like France or Thailand. Check past the post break for the full list of destination guides and verbose titles from Square Enix's DS Style lineup. [Via NeoGAF]
The Game Boy musical teaches addict a lesson
So long as there are fanboys roaming the streets (and electronics aisles), weird fetishes and unashamed overkill will still have their places, but it's not too often that a gaming addiction finds a home on Broadway. In The Game Boy, Matthew Gandolfo and Robin Rothstein's family-friendly musical, a well-taught lad dubbed Chase purportedly falls a bit too head over heels for his dear Game Boy, which presumably leads to all kinds of childhood development issues. According to the production notes, the kiddo is simply consumed in the pixelated universe, and strives to "always being the best," regardless of the real folks he ignores in the process. As predicted, this behavior eventually results in a life of loneliness and dread, probably forcing poor Chase to switch off the Nintendo handheld and seek out his long lost friends. Of course, his parents could have just shipped him over Amsterdam to remedy the issue, but if you're interested in seeing the outcome yourself, be sure to hit up the Vital Theater Company in New York City from now until April 22nd.
New York may confiscate unrated games
New York has a few game laws attempting to pass which are retail-oriented at the moment. However, the latest bill by Rep. Brian Kolb goes a little above and beyond the others. Bill A02787 seeks to provide the courts with the power to confiscate any games that do not have a rating label. When does any game going through standard retail channels not have an ESRB rating?The bill also encompasses any game that "glamorizes the commission of a violent crime, suicide, sodomy, rape, incest, bestiality, or sado-masochism ... [and] directs sellers of such video games to restrict access to such recordings by storage in a sealed and locked container behind a service counter or in an area inaccessible by the general public." It's another games as porn law. Not to mention we can't think of the last game "glamorizing" suicide, sodomy, rape, incest and/or bestiality.
