[acemanwise]

This thread is dedicated to all topics related to gaming in an online world. It's purpose is to cover topics related to the effects of online and software control so that we may become informed about how this affects today's online gamer.

[acemanwise]

How video game corporations are taking away your rights
source:gamingvault.com

Quote

If you don’t already know, Microsoft has inserted a clause in their latest revision of their terms of use that prevents consumers from participating in a class action lawsuit against the company. This makes me angry, obviously, but I should have been angry before today. Why?

‘Cause this has already happened months ago with Sony and Electronic Arts, but since I rarely purchase EA games (and never through Origin) and I do not own any Sony Products made in the past decade, I didn’t care.

Full Story... http://www.thegaming...ay-your-rights/

[acemanwise]

Jaffe hopes to avoid Twisted Metal online pass
source:eurogamer.net

Quote

Twisted Metal co-creator David Jaffe is hoping to avoid implementing an online pass in the forthcoming PlayStation 3 car combat title.

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer this week, the Eat Sleep Play boss explained that not including one could help build the title's potential fanbase.

"I know that we have been asked to look into some code work for it but I don't believe that a decision has been made at this point. Or if it has been made it has not been shared with me yet," he said.

"I'd actually prefer that we don't do it, even though it's probably good business, only because we have such a mountain to climb in terms of gaining people's good faith, especially in Europe, and really letting people know that this is a title that's worth getting excited about."

Full Story... http://www.eurogamer...tal-online-pass

[acemanwise]

How game hacking became an industry
source:next-gen.biz

Quote

“You see, here’s the trick,” Hsu says. “If you steal credit cards, it becomes international crime. They’re owned by big companies such as Visa and MasterCard, who have powers in every country, even in China. But the gaming industry doesn’t. The second thing is that most game companies claim the items belong to the company, not the user. You have the right to use it, but you don’t own it. It’s just a record in your computer that you own. So the hackers are actually stealing nothing! And then there’s the political situation with China – we don’t have cooperation between the police departments. [If] we track the IPs and then we find out they originate in China [then] sorry that’s not even going to work. They don’t even want to care about this. Legally, it’s not a crime. Some countries do have a very strict law that prevents people from stealing anything from a computer. But the point of that is from the perspective of personal identity or privacy – it’s not for valuables. So for the gaming industry, even now we cannot solve this threat.”

Full Story... http://www.next-gen....industry?page=2

[Fatbot]

Hey ACE, I showed that updated Terms and Conditions form to my Contracts professor (she used to be the lead contracts person for government procurement in Indiana, so she knows contracts in and out) and was really quite stunned at the "you can't sue us" provisions in the contract. She asked me for the link to it and I gave it to her and she's forwarding it around her department to see what everyone thinks. From first glance it seems pretty unenforceable, but we'll see. Anyway, when I get more comments from them I'll make sure to share them here.

[acemanwise]

Fatbot, on 07 December 2011 - 11:55 PM, said:

Hey ACE, I showed that updated Terms and Conditions form to my Contracts professor (she used to be the lead contracts person for government procurement in Indiana, so she knows contracts in and out) and was really quite stunned at the "you can't sue us" provisions in the contract. She asked me for the link to it and I gave it to her and she's forwarding it around her department to see what everyone thinks. From first glance it seems pretty unenforceable, but we'll see. Anyway, when I get more comments from them I'll make sure to share them here.

I'm glad to see that people are beginning to see the seriousness of online control. It's something I've seen happen for a long time with PC gaming and the main reason why I don't play on that platform. I believe it is these practices that nearly destroyed PC gaming. It will be worse on the consoles if something isn't done immediately. Consoles just aren't designed to be a console/PC hybrid business models. Consoles need stability and were designed that way. The reason a console is affordable is partly due to the fact it's parts are quickly outdated and not interchangeable. The business model is to use the same parts and optimize the performance over the years.

I agree some things are just not law binding. What matters is that people pay attention.

[acemanwise]

So You’ve Lost All Your Games, Now What?
source:gameblurb.net

Quote

Being the victim of a burglary, fire, flood, or any other event that leaves you starting from square one can really wreak havoc on your mental stability. Of course, when times get rough gaming is a great way to remove yourself from the immediate problems and try to bring yourself back down to level ground…but what happens when all of your games are gone too? What are the first steps to amassing a shiny new set of stress relievers?

There’s always the option of starting big. Going out and grabbing a new PlayStation 3, or Xbox 360, or Wii, or whatever your poison may be is usually a first thought, but this isn’t always a viable option considering the amount of money likely needed to be spent on more important items (new furniture maybe, or a computer). Starting with a retro gaming system or simply focusing on mobile options (assuming a smartphone is still intact) is the more economic way to approach rebuilding, but what other options are there?

With the ever-increasingly popular internet-based game distributors (Steam, XBLA, PSN, GOG) a lot of these choices can be made much simpler. By purchasing games through these digital dealers, there’s never a concern about losing what’s rightfully yours (with the exception of hardware) as the games are attached to your account. That still leaves the issue of new hardware, but that’s unfortunately unavoidable. My advice is to put more stock in these services. Having your games stored externally is among the best ways to protect your investment of a purchase as long as the source is reliable; and none of the services I’ve mentioned will be going away anytime soon.

http://www.gameblurb...games-now-what/

[acemanwise]

Cloud Computing: The Future of Gaming in Its Earliest Stage
source:thegameraccess.com

Quote

December 2011 should be remembered as a seminal month in cloud computing and console gaming, but you can blame the fast pace of internet and mobile technology for that not being the case. An Internet startup and a software giant are making it easy for hardcore gamers to step out of their living rooms and into the streets while staying connected to their favorite video game titles. Read more to see how these companies are making it happen.

Most of the gaming options for smartphone and tablet users are somewhat limited by hardware requirements. While there are tons of fun, casual games that can be enjoyed on Apple’s iDevices and Android-powered handhelds, those offerings tend to be simplistic and underwhelming; hardly the kind of games that appeal to hardcore gamers who enjoy multiplayer shooters such as Unreal Tournament or engrossing cinematic sandbox games like Rockstar’s L.A. Noire. Cloud computing and gaming startup OnLive wants gamers to continue playing their favorite titles on their mobile devices. Thanks to OnLive’s powerful cloud computing platform servers, gamers are now able to access their favorite console-based games from Internet-connected mobile devices.

Providing connectivity and social networking features to console gamers are two important goals for Microsoft. The software giant recently announced three key software releases that are truly “game changers” for members of the Xbox 360 community. Microsoft’s crucial update of its Xbox 360 Dashboard has been coupled with two new mobile gaming apps that take advantage of the cloud computing paradigm to augment gamers’ experiences while on the go.

The new Xbox 360 Dashboard allows gamers to save game content to the cloud and share it across consoles. This means that someone playing Halo at a friend’s living room can simply save his game progress and score to Xbox Live and resume playing the game at home exactly where he or she left off. Microsoft’s new Companion app for Android allow gamers to be notified when their friends are online and what games they are playing. Mobile gamers can also message their friends to let them know when they will be able to join in. My Xbox Live is the name of the corresponding app for the iPhone and the iPad.

http://www.thegamera...-earliest-stage

[acemanwise]

WTF is SOPA? TotalBiscuit Explains
source:gameranx.com

Quote

John "TotalBiscuit" Bain is a UK Law graduate and professional gaming commentator and journalist.

http://www.gameranx....lains/vtype/sd/

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 18 December 2011 - 03:59 PM

[LiveBrianD]

acemanwise, on 18 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

WTF is SOPA? TotalBiscuit Explains
source:gameranx.com

SOPA is the worst idea ever. It's 2 things: censorship, and a (yet AGAIN), failure to stop piracy. Gee, they'll take down sites they don't like (or by accident, and take a while to reinstate them), and people WILL PIRATE! It doesn't matter what you do, you CANNOT stop piracy. PERIOD. That's something that big corporations just don't understand.

[coastie65]

LiveBrianD, on 18 December 2011 - 05:12 PM, said:

acemanwise, on 18 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

WTF is SOPA? TotalBiscuit Explains
source:gameranx.com

SOPA is the worst idea ever. It's 2 things: censorship, and a (yet AGAIN), failure to stop piracy. Gee, they'll take down sites they don't like (or by accident, and take a while to reinstate them), and people WILL PIRATE! It doesn't matter what you do, you CANNOT stop piracy. PERIOD. That's something that big corporations just don't understand.

Sure you can, don't buy the stuff.

[LiveBrianD]

coastie65, on 18 December 2011 - 06:10 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 18 December 2011 - 05:12 PM, said:

acemanwise, on 18 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

WTF is SOPA? TotalBiscuit Explains
source:gameranx.com

SOPA is the worst idea ever. It's 2 things: censorship, and a (yet AGAIN), failure to stop piracy. Gee, they'll take down sites they don't like (or by accident, and take a while to reinstate them), and people WILL PIRATE! It doesn't matter what you do, you CANNOT stop piracy. PERIOD. That's something that big corporations just don't understand.

Sure you can, don't buy the stuff.

What do you mean, don't buy stuff from companies that do that? (did you see this about the a-holes over at Universal? http://www.maximumpc...r_youtube_video )

[waldojim]

coastie65, on 18 December 2011 - 06:10 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 18 December 2011 - 05:12 PM, said:

acemanwise, on 18 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

WTF is SOPA? TotalBiscuit Explains
source:gameranx.com

SOPA is the worst idea ever. It's 2 things: censorship, and a (yet AGAIN), failure to stop piracy. Gee, they'll take down sites they don't like (or by accident, and take a while to reinstate them), and people WILL PIRATE! It doesn't matter what you do, you CANNOT stop piracy. PERIOD. That's something that big corporations just don't understand.

Sure you can, don't buy the stuff.

Not sure how this stops piracy...

Brian, there are two real problems with this. The first, is that the US is taking a GUILTY until proven innocent stance. The second, is that once more, the government is extending itself beyond what the constitution has stated is the federal governments boundaries in an attempt to control something it was never meant to control.

[LiveBrianD]

waldojim, on 18 December 2011 - 08:41 PM, said:

Brian, there are two real problems with this. The first, is that the US is taking a GUILTY until proven innocent stance. The second, is that once more, the government is extending itself beyond what the constitution has stated is the federal governments boundaries in an attempt to control something it was never meant to control.

And from what I've heard, they've already taken down sites and then only later found that they were innocent and given them their domains back, though damage has already been caused. And the worst part? As I said, it still WILL NOT STOP ONLINE PIRACY! Gee, it's a game of whack-a-mole. Shut down one torrent site, another will pop up in its' place. Totally ineffective.

[coastie65]

LiveBrianD, on 18 December 2011 - 06:16 PM, said:

coastie65, on 18 December 2011 - 06:10 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 18 December 2011 - 05:12 PM, said:

acemanwise, on 18 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

WTF is SOPA? TotalBiscuit Explains
source:gameranx.com

SOPA is the worst idea ever. It's 2 things: censorship, and a (yet AGAIN), failure to stop piracy. Gee, they'll take down sites they don't like (or by accident, and take a while to reinstate them), and people WILL PIRATE! It doesn't matter what you do, you CANNOT stop piracy. PERIOD. That's something that big corporations just don't understand.

Sure you can, don't buy the stuff.

What do you mean, don't buy stuff from companies that do that? (did you see this about the a-holes over at Universal? http://www.maximumpc...r_youtube_video )

Well in that case, if it is posted on YouTube, it is pretty much fair game for download. I was thinking more in terms of buying pirated Games, Movies, and that sort of thing. If it is already out there in the public domaine, such as YouTube, then that is a whole other thing in my opinion.

[acemanwise]

Sony sued over terms of service update
source:gamespot.com

Quote

New PSN terms intended to limit class-action lawsuits result in a class-action lawsuit alleging unfair business practices.

Quote

In September, Sony updated its PlayStation Network terms of service to prevent class-action lawsuits. Now that change has itself instigated a class-action lawsuit.

According to court documents obtained by GameSpot, a Northern California man filed suit against Sony late last month on behalf of all customers who purchased a PlayStation 3 and signed up for PSN access before the September change to Sony's terms of service. The suit alleges that Sony engaged in unfair business practices by forcing consumers to either give up their right to file a class-action lawsuit or give up access to the online gaming network they effectively paid for when they purchased the hardware.

The suit says Sony buried the clause section describing the changes near the bottom of a 21-page form viewable through the PS3 and neglected to post an easily accessible version of the form online, even though it had done so with past user agreement updates. While the suit notes that Sony allowed an opt out from the class-action provision, the only way for consumers to do that was to contact the company in writing (no emails, phone calls, or online forms accepted) within 30 days.

Sony had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.

http://uk.gamespot.c...-update-6347852

[Fatbot]

acemanwise, on 19 December 2011 - 09:56 PM, said:

Sony sued over terms of service update
source:gamespot.com

Quote

New PSN terms intended to limit class-action lawsuits result in a class-action lawsuit alleging unfair business practices.

Quote

In September, Sony updated its PlayStation Network terms of service to prevent class-action lawsuits. Now that change has itself instigated a class-action lawsuit.

According to court documents obtained by GameSpot, a Northern California man filed suit against Sony late last month on behalf of all customers who purchased a PlayStation 3 and signed up for PSN access before the September change to Sony's terms of service. The suit alleges that Sony engaged in unfair business practices by forcing consumers to either give up their right to file a class-action lawsuit or give up access to the online gaming network they effectively paid for when they purchased the hardware.

The suit says Sony buried the clause section describing the changes near the bottom of a 21-page form viewable through the PS3 and neglected to post an easily accessible version of the form online, even though it had done so with past user agreement updates. While the suit notes that Sony allowed an opt out from the class-action provision, the only way for consumers to do that was to contact the company in writing (no emails, phone calls, or online forms accepted) within 30 days.

Sony had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.

http://uk.gamespot.c...-update-6347852

Thanks for the update dude, I'm forwarding this story to my profs.

[acemanwise]

What is SOPA and Why it is a Ridiculous Piece of Crap
source:tbreak.com

Quote

Why is it a ridiculous piece of crap?
I must admit, the bill does sound reasonable. For anyone who has put hard work into creating a piece of entertainment – be it a movie, a video game, or even an online web series that is sellable, to see your work appearing on different, questionable channels, for free for anyone, can be quite disheartening and discouraging. The SOPA bill, then, enables you to protect yourself, and your work, from such sites that distributes your work for free, without actually compensating you in anyway.

However, the SOPA is so incredibly dubiously and vaguely written, it gives unconditional, unprecedented power to the copyright-holding company, to block any website, without actually going to a judge, if it finds, upon its own judgment, the site to be promoting its property “illegally”, i.e., ‘encouraging copyright infringement’.

For example , and this is an extreme case however completely plausible – if I were to launch a video game, and found out about a website that is streaming the entire game (there are actual websites that does this), I can claim copyright infringement and shut it down immediately. This could be applied to any website that showcases my games in their video review, or their feature shows. As said in sec. 201 titled ‘Streaming of Copyrighted Works in Violation of Criminal Law’: “by the distribution or public performance of a work being prepared for commercial dissemination, by making it available on a computer network accessible to members of the public, if such person knew or should have known that the work was intended for commercial dissemination.” So if Gamespot ran a gameplay piece of my video game in their video review, I can shut down the entire freakin’ Gamespot for doing so.

http://tbreak.com/me...-piece-of-crap/

[acemanwise]

20 Ways SOPA Can Affect The Internet
source:infocarnivore.com

http://www.infocarni...2/stop-sopa.png

Quote

1. Death Penalty For Online Businesses: SOPA authorizes sites that are reported for copyright infringement to be cut off from their domain name. ISPs can force advertisers and payment processors to suspend their services to the site.
2. Sites Blocked And Sued For User Content: Sites which host copyright content uploaded by users can be blacklisted and blocked via ISPs, search engines and payment processors. This can be done without the benefit of a court hearing.
3. Copyright Holders Can Sue Sites: Sites hosting copyrighted material uploaded unknowingly by users can be sued now and held accountable. Such sites have to comply within 5 days or risk total loss.
4. Social Media Held Accountable: Social Media sites such as FaceBook will be held accountable for every copyright violation that their users commit. These sites will now be forced to proactively censor user content.
5. Small Tech Companies To Suffer: Recently started tech startup companies may not have the resources to comply with SOPA standards and may have to close down as a result.
6. Free Speech Rights Will Be Censored: Online businesses, user-generated content sites and social media sites will try to play it safe and start heavily censoring user content. This can stifle users’ free speech rights, making the internet a risky place to say anything at all.
7. Downloading Free Content Will Become Risky: Users may not know which materials are still under copyright. This makes it risky to download content that is actually free or perceived to be free, as the site will be penalized.
8. Legitimate Business Will Be Held Liable: The radical restructuring of internet laws may expose legitimate innovators and businesses to liability. This will only give rise to lawsuits, fewer jobs and lesser venture capital investment.
9. Open Source Sites May Shut Down: Sites that operate open source software such as browsers may be shut down under SOPA. This is because several websites use the open source code for their copyrighted businesses, which in turn targets sites providing the same technology as open source.
10. DNS System Will Be Undermined: SOPA requires internet service providers to filter DNS queries for websites that contain copyright infringed content. This act will undermine the DNS system integrity and also heavily tax websites that may unknowingly contain copyrighted material.

http://www.infocarni...t-the-internet/

[LiveBrianD]

Well said - SOPA is terrible. If only our lawmakers knew what the hell they were doing...