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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 48 declined, 7 accepted (55 total, 12.73% accepted)

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Software

Submission + - TaxCut Ruins Computers

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "Remember back when Intuit had to apologize to millions for installing Malware on their computers? Well, now H&R Block is following suit in their TaxCut software with changes to your system that render the "Program Files" directory inaccessible. I personally ran into this issue when I installed the software on my wife's desktop (she's the one with the tax preparation degree) and found that many of the programs could no longer be started from my desktop. My wife and I have been loyal TaxCut users since 2001, but this is unacceptable. Can anyone recommend a tax program that doesn't try to take over your computer?"
Wii

Submission + - WiiCade Open Sources Flash API for Wii (gonintendo.com)

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "According to GoNintendo, the popular Flash gaming site WiiCade has released a new version of their Wii Remote API under a combination of the GPL and LGPL licenses. To sweeten the pot, this new version offers cool new features like IR-Based Motion Sensing, 4 player support, control over Zooming, and partial Nunchuk support.

To celebrate, WiiCade released 5 new games that use these features. These games are Icy's Droplet Gathering Adventure, Space Shooting Mania, Asteroid Falldown, Bumper Car Madness, and Catch a Falling Star. I highly recommend Bumper Car Madness, especially with friends."
The Internet

Submission + - Rounding Up the Modern Homebrew Scene

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "As The Pensive Gamer points out in its recent series of articles, the latest generation of game consoles represents the first time in history that consoles have provided features that allow the average joe to create his own games. While homebrewing is not a new concept, it has traditionally focused on out of date systems like the Atari 2600 and the Sega Dreamcast. i.e. Systems that no longer matter enough to manufacturer to prevent homebrewing. Yet the features of today's console systems may be changing everything.

The Sony PS3 provides programmers with a full-up development environment for the Cell CPU and Bluray drive by encouraging users to install a Linux variant on it. While this creates a huge number of game creation opportunities on the PS3, the resulting game ends up being difficult to distribute. Fellow homebrewers might happily install Linux on their PS3s, but convincing the rest of Sony's target market to do so may be a bit difficult.

The next best option — supported by both the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii — is to run web-enabled games in the console's web browser. Flash games in particular have become a very popular way of playing homebrew content on a console system. Yet here, the Wii has a distinct advantage. The in-built ability for the Wii Remote to act as a mouse allows for a wide variety of Flash games to be played out of the box. So many in fact, that Wii-specific gaming sites like Wiicade have been popping up left and right.

Even more exciting is the fact that the keycodes for the Wii Remote buttons have been decoded by enterprising individuals, but only through Javascript. While experiments with Javascript to Flash communication are underway, the first Javascript game to use the Wii Remote controls has already appeared, with promises of more exciting Opera Canvas games on on the horizon.

While the XBox 360 lacks a web browser, it does have perhaps the most exciting feature of all. Microsoft's XNA Game Studio allows for complete games that take advatage of the underlying hardware. (In direct opposition to the Wii and PS3 options.) The only downside are that Microsoft charges a subscription fee, and that homebrews must be redistributed in source code form. (Though the latter limitation may please the OSS community to a certain degree.) Undeterred, the 360 community is embracing this new support with many new games on the way.

Altogether, the amount of audience participation available in these consoles is wholly unlike anything seen before. With any luck, this bodes well for the future of the homebrew community and the casual gamer alike."
Editorial

Submission + - Rounding Up the Modern Homebrew Scene

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "As The Pensive Gamer points out, the latest generation of game consoles represents the first time in history that consoles have provided features that allow the average joe to create his own games. While homebrewing is not a new concept, it has traditionally focused on out of date systems like the Atari 2600 and the Sega Dreamcast. i.e. Systems that no longer matter enough to manufacturer to prevent homebrewing. Yet the features of today's console systems may be changing everything.

The Sony PS3 provides programmers with a full-up development environment for the Cell CPU and Bluray drive by not only allowing, but encouraging users to install a Linux variant on it. While this creates a huge number of game creation opportunities on the PS3, the resulting game ends up being difficult to distribute. Fellow homebrewers might happily install Linux on their PS3s, but convincing the rest of Sony's target market to do so may be a bit difficult.

The next best option — supported by both the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii — is to run web-enabled games in the console's web browser. Flash games in particular have become a very popular way of playing homebrew content on a console system. Yet here, the Wii has a distinct advantage. The in-built ability for the Wii Remote to act as a mouse allows for a wide variety of Flash games to be played out of the box. So many in fact, that Wii-specific gaming sites like Wiicade have been popping up left and right.

Even more exciting is the fact that the keycodes for the Wii Remote buttons have been decoded by enterprising individuals, but only through Javascript. While experiments with Javascript to Flash communication are underway, the first Javascript game to use the Wii Remote controls has already appeared, with promises of more exciting Opera Canvas games on on the horizon.

While the XBox 360 lacks a web browser, it does have perhaps the most exciting feature of all. Microsoft's XNA Game Studio allows for complete games that take advatage of the underlying hardware. (In direct opposition to the Wii and PS3 options.) The only downside are that Microsoft charges a subscription fee, and that the homebrews must be redistributed in source code form. (Though the latter limitation may please the OSS community to a certain degree.) Undeterred, the 360 community is embracing this new support with many new games on the way.

Altogether, the amount of audience participation available in these consoles is wholly unlike anything seen before. With any luck, this bodes well for the future of the homebrew community and the casual gamer alike."
Television

Submission + - How iTunes saved The Office

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "Ever since television was introduced to Apple's iTunes service, Apple Fans have wondered how popular the service really is. Does it make enough money for studios to take notice? Or is it simply a niche service that provides television to techologists with little time? A recent article by NewsDay offers up some answers to those questions. According to NewsDay, the popularity of the "The Office" on iTunes prevented its cancellation by NBC. Despite the low Neilsen ratings, the show's viewship soared after it was placed on iTunes.

Complex serials like Lost, Jericho, and Heros are also pinning their hopes on iTunes. Television studios have traditionally avoided arcing storylines for fear of making the show inaccessable to new viewers. Now with iTunes, viewers can get caught up from the beginning. If this experiment works as well as the rescue of "The Office", the future of televised entertainment could be digital."
Sony

Submission + - Lik-Sang: Setting it straight

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "Lik-Sang's marketing manager, Pascal Clarysse, has released a statement in response to Sony's rebuttal that they had 'nothing to do with Lik-Sang's closing.' The information provided by Mr. Clarysse is both insightful and informative. From the article:
Sony's claim that Lik-Sang didn't turn up and therefore incurred no legal cost is absolute nonsense. Lik-Sang's legal representatives spent over a year to vigorously contest the UK's court jurisdiction until the last moment, produced witness statements and documents, and replied to Sony's allegations about parallel importation and copyright infringement. Plenty of documents were sent back and forth from Hong Kong all the way to the UK, and it was also argued to the London High Court that Sony has launched duplicate actions in different countries, but all to no avail. The court case in Hong Kong is still ongoing, and Lik-Sang as well as its lawyers spent hundreds and hundreds of hours trying to catch up with Sony's mass of documents and claims. As a result, two different High Court judges at different occasions expressed their surprise about the unusual high legal expenses claimed by Sony's law firm.
The last sentence provides justification for an earlier statement made by Mr. Clarysse:
Clarysse says that Sony's actions are "unnecessary, except for the fact that it helps reaching one single target: outspend Lik-Sang to death."
"
Sony

Submission + - Lik-Sang Is Out Of Business

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "Thanks to Sony's heavy handed tactics, popular game importer Lik-Sang is closing its doors. All Lik-Sang customers are having their orders cancelled and refunded. Any attempt to place a new order redirects your web browser to the news of Lik-Sang's demise.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this saga is the following quote from Lik-Sang, "Sony Europe's very own top directors repeatedly got their Sony PSP hard or software imports in nicely packed Lik-Sang parcels with free Lik-Sang Mugs or Lik-Sang Badge Holders, starting just two days after Japan's official release, as early as 14th of December 2004 (more than nine months earlier than the legal action). The list of PSP related Sony Europe orders reads like the who's who of the videogames industry, and includes Ray Maguire (Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Alan Duncan (UK Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Chris Sorrell (Creative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Rob Parkin (Development Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited), just to name a few."

I don't know about anyone else, but I think it's time to boycott any and all Sony products."
Nintendo

Submission + - Wii Falacies

Submitted by
AKAImBatman
AKAImBatman writes: "In a well researched and thought-out article, the Wiikly.com takes on the common falacies about Nintendo's new Wii platform. From the article:
If Nintendo was following the old line of 'sustaining strategies', we would have seen many N64 ports on the DS from Starfox 64 to, maybe, even Zelda: Ocarina of Time. New games would almost all be 3d like the N64. A new handheld Mario should have been a 3d Mario game. Since Nintendo is following 'disruptive strategies', they did not do this. Nintendo made a new 2d Mario game which has not been done in fifteen years. Even worse, this new 2d Mario was not the complex Super Mario World or Super Mario Brothers 3. It was simplistic to appeal to new users as well. The game sells not because of Nintendo nerds, as the trolls say. The game sells because it appeals to the hardcore gamer as well as to the casual gamer. Brain Age and Nintendogs players often upgrade to New Super Mario Brothers. We must look at New Super Mario Brothers as a disruptive title just as Brain Age and Nintendogs.
Wii Channels provides a modular architecture that is disruptive to the traditional console OS ... Yet hundreds of thousands of people were playing with "channels" for a Nintendo system as far back as 2004. How could this be? Exclusive only to Japan was the GBA Movie Player. Like the Play Yan, the GBA Movie Player could play movies and music. Unlike the Play Yan, the GBA Movie Player had a photo gallery, the ability to play emulation of old Nintendo and Genesis games, you could have notes, the OS was set up almost like channels, and you could multi-task with music in the background. How popular was importing the GBA Movie Player? Extremely high.
"

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