The Select and Start News Report 03.31.08
Posted by Vincent Chiucchi on 03.31.2008
50 Cent getting yet another game, Gibson sues over Rock Band, what the Byron report says about game ratings, the latest in the EA/Take-Two buyout, and more.
Welcome to the Select and Start News Report. I'm writing this before Wrestlemania 24 begins in the hopes that I can submit it before the site will eventually crash from record traffic.
Big News
50 CENT GETTING ANOTHER VIDEO GAME; NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE [credit: 1UP, GameSpot, Gamasutra, Joystiq]
Some gamers are just fucking stupid. That's the only explanation I can come up with as to why shit like 50 Cent: Bulletproof sold so well that Sierra studios as announced that 50 Cent will be in another video game, titled "50 Cent: Blood in the Sand." This time it will be created by Swordfish Studios, the people behind Cold Winter. The game will be using the Unreal Engine 3 and will also feature G Unit's Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and DJ Whoo Kid as selectable partners. The supposed plot of the game is that 50 Cent is hunting a "diamond encrusted skull" in the Middle East.
Since I already have little hope for this game, I'm going to complain about something else that bothers me about 50 Cent:
That damn cross he wears. He wears that thing like he's a Christian, and yet from what I've read about him he seems like anything but.
MTV AND HARMONIX? YEAH, THEY'RE GETTING SUED AS WELL [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily, GameSpot]
Over the past couple of weeks we've learned that Gibson has decided to sue Activision (and retailers selling the game) over the patent of "technology used to simulate a musical performance." Why Gibson decided to wait about 2 1/2 years to sue Activision over this is suspicious, and more suspicious was why only Activision and not Harmonix over the controller for Rock Band. Well, as it turns out, they'll be suing Harmonix and MTV Games as well.
The thing I hate about these lawsuits is that why do people like Gibson wait years to sue over stuff like this? Did Gibson just NOW remember they had a patent over peripherals like this, or are they really trying to cash in while the music game craze is big?
THE EA TAKE-TWO BUYOUT SAGA [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra, Joystiq]
Here's the latest in the saga of EA trying to be the biggest game company in America again:
-Take-Two has rejected EA's latest offer in buying the company's outstanding stock, basically said the same thing they've been saying before: EA is trying to cash in on GTA4, but Take-Two is willing to negotiate after the game's release in order to maximize stockholder value. The company also announced that it has adopted a Stockholders Rights Agreement to protect stockholders against unsolicited attempts to acquire control of the company at an inadequate price or which is otherwise deemed not to be in the best interests of Take-Two and its stockholders.
-Wedbush Morgan's Analyst Michael Pachter thinks Take-Two is making a mistake rejecting the offer, because Take-Two is never going to find a better offer then what EA is currently giving them, even if the offers aren't exactly "friendly."
-After recieving the rejection from Take-Two, EA is now extending the deadline of their tender offer to April 18, and added a new conditions in the deal as a result of Take-Two's stockholdier rights: That Take-Two's Board of Directors redeem the preferred stock purchase rights issued as a result of Take-Two's adoption on March 24, 2008 of the stockholder rights plan, or that EA be satisfied that such rights have been invalidated or are otherwise inapplicable to its acquisition of Take-Two.
My Prediction: EA will buy Take-Two through hostile force, and Grand Theft Auto will be the only good game that company will ever make again.
BYRON REVIEW ON GAME RATINGS [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
The Byron Review, a study about children and technology safety led by child psychologist Tanya Byron, has recently been published and is available to download on their main website. When it comes to video game ratings, the report calls for a new legally enforced, cinema style classification system, making it illegal to sell games to children below the recommended age. Currently, the UK uses the European PEGI ratings, where mature games are rated by the BBFC. It suggests lowering the statutory requirement to classify video games to 12+, just like with films. Other suggestions include having the game industry increase parents understanding of age ratings and starting an online council for child safety for regulating online content. The review has recieved praise from UK government ministers, the BBFC, and the trade association ELSPA.
It may be only for the UK, but this review might also aoply to us considering the criticisms against the ESRB lately. Unfortunately, I don't think the cinema style system would work since the ESRB is working like that now and people are calling for entirely different ratings. We can't have a universal system because the MPAA will sue anybody that copies their ratings.
Tidbit News
-The TNA Video Game which is taking for-f'n-ever to finally come out now has an official website. Head on over here to check it out. [credit: Destructoid]
-Achievements are extremely popular for Xbox 360 gamers. Unfortunately, some gamers seem to take it way too seriously and resort to cheating just so they can claim that number 1 spot. Well, Microsoft has cracked down on cheaters by resetting their gamerscore to 0, labeling them a cheater on XBL, and making sure they can't get back the points from the games they cheated their way through. When it comes to catching cheaters and/or crooks, Microsoft does not fuck around. [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
-Sony has recently stated that there may have been a security breach in it's PlayStation Store through the PC and that a small percentage of PSN users may have had their personal accounts viewed and used. Since the store does not display entire Credit Card numbers it should not affect your credit. [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
-Atari is facing a NASDAQ delisting (again) if they can't show it's public shares equaled $15 million by March 20th. Hey Phil, can you tell Atari to just take Infogrames deal about being bought out already? [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
-Add NCsoft to the long list of people using the Unreal Engine 3. They'll be using the engine for "two unannounced, top-tier massively multiplayer online games." [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
-Majesco has announced a deal with Humongous (the company behind the backyard sports games) to publish three of it's properites, Freddi Fish, Pajama Sam and SPY Fox for the Wii. Pcredit: GameDaily, Gamasutra, GameSpot]
-NetFlix recently polled its users about whether or not they would like to see the service used on the Xbox 360. This does not confirm that they will actually do it, though it's been rumored they would do something like this (along with the PS3) since October. [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
-MASTER CHIEF IS ON PS3! Well, sort of. Someone created a Master Chief model for Unreal Tournament 3 on the PS3 and PC. Some people thought this would lead to a lawsuit, but according to an Xbox lawyer, this is allowed under the Game Content Usage Rules since the mod is for free. [credit: GameDaily]
-Bethesda claims that Fallout 3 is going to have 200 different endings. 200?! Seriously? Sorry, but I'm thinking those "200" endings will only vary slightly. Kind of like how those handheld game devices claim they got 100 or so games, but 20 of them are basically Tetris. [credit: Kotaku]
-With Ubisoft now exclusively having the Tom Clancy license, stocks have gone up 12% to $86.48 per share. [credit: GameDaily]
-Remember the Sega Master System? Of course you don't, but luckily Sega will be bringing Master System games to the Wii's Virual Console in the future for 400 points ($4) each. Two of the first titles to be coming out will be Wonder Boy and Fantasy Zone. [credit: GameSpot]
-Still not sure whether or not you should get Army of Two? EA will be releasing a demo of the game for the Xbox 360 through XBL on April 1st. [credit: GameSpot]
-Sandy Duncan, the former VP of Xbox Europe, thinks that video game consoles (and handhelds) will cease to exist in 5 to 10 years as the industry will see a radical change in it's business. No consoles at all? One console to rule them all? All I want to know is will the next generation not have so many asinine problems like this generation does. [credit: GameDaily]
-Rockstar announced that along with GTA4, they'll be launching the Rockstar Social Club, a new website to track multi- and single-player experiences for players on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. In addition to multiplayer leaderboards, the site will included a police blotter, which will map and track all criminal activity from all aggregated single player games, and the first ten people to reach 100% in the game will recieve a "key to the city". Accusations of people cheating to reach this goal in 3...2...1... [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
Gran Turismo 5 Prolouge Soundtrack
Check out the full soundtrack that'll be in the game:
Exclusive Tracks to North America
Weezer - Automatic (LA Riots remix)
The Mars Volta - Goliath (EL-P remix)
Justice - Let There Be Light
SebastiAn - Dolami
Kavinsky - Testarossa Autodrive (SebastiAn remix)
DJ Shadow - LOVE LOVE
Does it Offend You, Yeah? - With a Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You)
The Earaches - Not the Kind of Man I Am
Thin Lizzy - The Rocker (Richard Evans Mix)
The Klaxons - Golden Skans
Friendly Fires - On Board
Pride Tiger - Let 'Em Go
International Tracks also on the North American Soundtrack
Masahiro Andoh - Moon Over The Castle (Gran Turismo 5 Prologue version)
Nittoku Inoue - Road Star
Nittoku Inoue - 100,000 R.P.M.
Nittoku Inoue - Get Away
Nittoku Inoue - V12
Nittoku Inoue - Kill Switch
naomee - Vanish From Angel
naomee - Sky High Mountain Breeze
naomee - Twieky 4
Daiki Kasho - Surv1v3
Daiki Kasho - Edge of the World
Daiki Kasho - Flow
Goose - Check
Goose - 3T4
Goose - Everybody
Backdraft ft Tor - Off The Wall
Alloy Mental - We have Control
Reverend & The Makers - The Machine
Gaming Calendar
April 4th - Myst Online to be discontinued
April 9th - Games from "The Orange Box" to be available separately
April 15th - Okami gets ported to the Wii
April 20th - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games to be released
April 22nd - The World Ends With You to be released
April 27th - Mario Kart Wii to be released
April 29th - Grand Theft Auto IV to be released
May 12th - WiiWare Service to be launched
May 19th - Wii Fit to be released
May 2008
-Mass Effect gets ported to the PC
-R-Type Command to be released
-Haze to be released
June 3rd - Ninja Gaiden II to be released
June 12th - Metal Gear Solid 4 to be released
June 28-29 - Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational convention to be held
June 2008 - Guitar Hero: Aerosmith to be released
Spring 2008:
-Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms to be released
-Death Jr.: Root of Evil to be released
September 7th - Spore to be released
September 2008 - LittleBigPlanet to be released
October 3-5 - E for All 2008 to be held
October 9-13 - The Tokyo Game Show 2008 to be held
November 2008 - Gears of War 2 to be released
Fall 2008 - Resistance: Fall of Man 2 to be released
Videos of the Day
King of Power Four Billion%: The most random seizure-inducing sprite movie I've ever seen:
Car commercial with Spy Hunter:
Parental Street Cred: A new series of commercials from Xbox 360 that are well...stupid.
Can't really call gamers stupid just because they like something that you don't. LOL then you bitch about a cross. WOW does anybody else sense jealousy coming from this column?
Posted By: TWilliams (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 12:31 AM
I wonder if Gibson's patent precedes Guitar Freaks.
Posted By: Rod Oracheski (Registered) on March 31, 2008 at 12:38 AM
The thing I hate about these lawsuits is that why do people like Gibson wait years to sue over stuff like this? Did Gibson just NOW remember they had a patent over peripherals like this, or are they really trying to cash in while the music game craze is big?
The answer is easy. With Guitar Hero, and now especially Rock Band, getting as popular as they are, now is the time for Gibson to strike, in hope of earning more money than they would have say 2 years ago. The feeling now would be that Harmonix and Activision would stand to lose more now if they are to cease and desist the use of their peripherals. Thus, by waiting to sue, Gibson now stands to make back end, as well as a heafty royalty for the continued use of the technology.
Posted By: Todd (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 12:59 PM
By failing to sue in a timely manner though, especially with a product that they can't claim they didn't know about, they might have forfeited any claim they had.
Posted By: Rod Oracheski (Registered) on March 31, 2008 at 02:27 PM
I tried the first game and it was ok if you ignored who the star was. Maybe they'll do something good with the next one. Kindo f doubt it tho
Posted By: Todd (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Interesting Someone posting with the same name as me. I will have to change my post name.
Posted By: Todd (Guest) on April 02, 2008 at 11:25 AM
