Category: Industry News
Ubisoft tone down PC DRM **UPDATED**
Rumours, coupled with some screen shots as dubious proof, are coming from Reddit (via PCGamer) that Ubisoft may have relaxed some of the DRM restrictions on their PC games.
A trip into one of 2010′s least desirable moments after the cut…
Update
Shacknews have official confirmation from Ubisoft that Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter Cell Conviction now only authenticate on first load. Other games will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, so if you’re steadfastly against this clusterfuck of a PR disaster, you won’t be adding Settlers 7, Silent Hunter 5 or H.A.W.X. 2 to your collection any time … Read More…
Gearbox talks Borderlands GOTY, Duke4Ever demo, ‘Silos’
You can tell when a new game release is approaching – not only does the hype machine kick up, but all the talking heads come out of the woodwork, ready to talk up their game and talk down their rivals. Gearbox aren’t shy of smack talking their rivals.
By rivals, I mean Valve (or more specifically Steam).… Read More…
Edge of Reason found – Tim Langdell schooled **UPDATED**
Like software patents, trademarks are, theoretically, quite sound – declare a sign, logo or word as a defining part of your company image and nobody else can try to pass themselves off as you without a legal ruckus.
Like software patents, protecting trademarks is encouraged, lest you lose them (just look at Games Workshop).
Like a software patent, a trademark is a horrible, icky creature, governed by a system that is massively open to abuse…
Timothy Langdell is a trademark troll – like a normal troll, only he doesn’t live under a bridge, although he’s just as much a slimy … Read More…
Straight from the top: Activision/EA spat continues
Who knew being the head honcho of a big multi-national games publisher conglomerate could be so fun!… Read More…
GOG.com closure – Real, Genuine Tragedy or Terrible Marketing Failure **UPDATED**
When Good Old Games announced today, out of the blue, that they are closing down, there was a disturbance in the gaming force, as if millions of gamers who like owning old gaming properties that are being squatted on by their publishers cried out in terror!
Only being the internet, nobody was really silenced…… Read More…
Duty-Free : UK Game Industry to receive tax breaks
Allistair Darling, that funny guy who lives in #11 and allegedly cultivates weevils in his eyebrows, has set out plans for tax breaks for British entertainment industries, of which the computertronic amusement industry is part.… Read More…
Digital Boobs – Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light annouced, not for retail
Crystal Dynamics are back with a new Tomb Raider game, only it’s not actually a Tomb Raider game… ‘Guardian of Light’ might just signify the abolishment of the Tomb Raider name, which is a strange move to make following the developers attempts to re-introduce the raiding of tombs to the series once again.
Whether it represents a simply re-branding by the new owners (Squeenix) to focus more on the core character or a fork for the series into different (more casual?) territory -similar to the Sonic the Hedgehog Storybook series – is as-yet unknown.
Square Enix Europe have announced that … Read More…
Under Siege – IW raided by Activision, heads rolling
Infinity Ward, the gurus behind the good (or ‘sorta alright’, depending who you ask) parts of the Call of Duty series, have been raided by their slave paymasters at Activision.
Reports state that security guards were posted at the entrance to the offices, el-presidente’s for life Zampella & West have been sacked for ‘breaches of contract & insubordination’ and a giant mechanical gorilla unleashed by the former bosses is current terrorising down-town Encino. Of course, the latter may not be true, as reports from the scene are sketchy at best!
Whether this is related to either the handling of Modern … Read More…
In other news, Ubisoft are scum.
Back in the mists of time (or 2006, whichever happened first, I forget), Ubisoft used this anti-piracy aberration called Starforce (or however it’s spelt).
It pissed off everyone under the sun and, some people say, nearly caused Ubisoft to go bankrupt (after all, who’s going to buy a game that might break your PC, burn the cat AND eat your first born, all during the install procedure?).
The system was finally binned and, in a startling show of goodwill, Ubi started releasing games with either simple disc-checks or no protection what-so-ever.
Roll on January 2010 and history looks … Read More…