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UMDs killed at Target
The UMD movies keep on coming but it appears that Target stores simply don't care. GamePro recently got the scoop that UMDs are now discontinued in all Target stores, as of last week. Could this be the beginning of the end of yet another one of Sony's proprietary formats? What will the death of UMD mean for Sony's other format baby, Blu-ray? And more importantly, if UMD does ultimately fail, what lessons will Sony learn? (none?)I know I haven't bought a UMD movie in ages. Personally, I prefer not to pay an extra $10 for a movie that doesn't come with extras and only plays on a single device. I think a majority of Target customers PSP owners share the same opinion.
Download-and-Burn movies getting closer
Download-and-Burn might just become the new mantra of the MPAA yet. Recently, the studios dropped their asinine controversial demands to retrofit set-top DVD players and DVD-ROM drives with expensive watermark detection technology. Instead, the demand is now limited to new devices with enhanced features such as the ability to burn downloaded movies or support managed copy; not to your run-of-the mill living room DVD player. Under the proposal, these so-called "enhanced devices" would also have to incorporate HDCP on all digital outputs as well as CGMS-A on analog outs in an effort to curb piracy. Something to keep in mind with your next TV purchase, eh? Sure, the watermark technology must still be chosen along with a new method for CSS authentication. But this clears the way for an overall download-and-burn agreement for standard-definition DVDs (not Blu-ray or HD DVD folks) which would allow the likes of Walmart, Target, and Best Buy to implement their download kiosks and enable the good peeps at Netflix to finally stream their flix into our homes for that sweet, sweet burn. [Via Digital Media Thoughts]
DS Lite US street date broken, now available!
Whoa Nelly! We're getting reports that Walmart and Target have jumped the gun on the June 11 DS Lite launch date and are selling DS Lites ahead of schedule. Forum jockeys over at Cheap Ass Gamer and elsewhere are declaring mixed success after febrile trips to their local big-boxes across the nation. So check it, skip the Trix this AM and go trolling the aisles -- you might just get lucky. [Via Joystiq, thanks stisev1]
Give NRA Gun Club a shot
Video games have been teaching kids about the right to bear arms (as in blow away anything that moves) for years, but it still seems odd to find a target shooting game sponsored by the National Rifle Association. Developer Crave stresses the "non-violence" of NRA Gun Club -- but you don't have to be Sarah Brady to find that ironic given the "100 faithfully recreated firearms," including everybody's favorite plinko pistol, the Intratec Tec-9. With a graphical upgrade and perhaps a voice-over by Charlton Heston, Gun Club would be a great Xbox Live Arcade title, but instead its shot-to-hell visuals are likely to be forgotten during the PS2's waning summer. Too bad. You can never be too careful with that virtual shotgun.
