Xbox 360 Cable TV

When the Xbox 360 fall dashboard update went live earlier this month, it brought ESPN programming to Xbox Live. Now, according to a Reuters report, Microsoft may be planning to bring more cable channels to the console--so many channels, in fact, that it may become an alternative to standard cable television.

The cable box of the future?

Citing sources close to the matter, Reuters reports that Microsoft is mulling several options, including a new "virtual cable operator," which will offer a range of channels for a monthly fee. The company is also apparently in talks with cable providers themselves to turn the Xbox into a cable box of sorts to allow for "enhanced interactivity" with programming.

Unfortunately, Xbox 360 owners eager to cut the cord with their cable TV providers will have to wait a while, as Reuters' sources say that any such service is at least 12 months away. Currently, television shows from a variety of networks, including NBC and Comedy Central, can be bought individually on Xbox Live's video marketplace. The box can also be used as a second receiver for AT&T's U-verse cable TV service, provided there is already one U-verse DVR in the home.

Kinect at It's Prime

This what Kinect was meant to do.

Mark Wahlberg = Nathan Drake

It looks as if the biggest role in the Uncharted film adaptation has been filled by a fairly big name from Hollywood: Mark Wahlberg. Not only has he confirmed that he'll be in the film, he suggested that director David O. Russell is going after Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, as well.

In an interview with MTV (video embedded below), Wahlberg said, "David is writing now. David is one of the best writer/directors I've ever worked with and the idea he has is just insane. So hopefully we'll be making that movie this summer."

Asked about the potential interest in Pesci and De Niro, Wahlberg confirmed that's the case, saying, "That's who he wants to write the parts for." Wahlberg said that he himself had spoken to Pesci and that he is supposed to get in touch with De Niro (whom Russell's people had already spoken with). According to Wahlberg, De Niro would play Nathan Drake's father, with Pesci assuming the role of his uncle, neither of which are characters that appeared in either Uncharted game.

Wahlberg mentioned The Fighter, a biographical film about boxer Irish Micky Ward starring Wahlberg and directed by David O. Russell scheduled for release next month. The Uncharted film wouldn't be the first time the two have worked together -- nor would it be the first videogame-to-film adaptation Wahlberg has been in; he played the titular character in Max Payne back in 2008.

He insisted the idea that Russell has in mind for the movie is "so off-the-charts," later adding that "it's not going to be the watered-down version, that's for sure."

Original Article: http://gametab.com/news/3522411/

Illegal Witcher 2

Software pirates may want to think twice before torrenting a copy of The Witcher 2. CD Projekt, the developers behind the upcoming PC role-playing game, have informed Eurogamer of an initiative to seek out and punish those who acquire the Witcher sequel through illegal means.

"We are signing with legal firms and torrent sneaking companies," explained CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwinski. "In quite a few big countries, when people are downloading it illegally they can expect a letter from a legal firm saying, 'Hey, you downloaded it illegally and right now you have to pay a fine.'"

It's an approach not all that dissimilar from the recording industry's anti-piracy measures, though CD Projekt hopes to avoid some of the negative PR associated with the RIAA's tactics. "We don't want to be so harsh," Iwinski said, "but there is a chance that this might happen to some people if they download illegally."

If you're interested in scoring a legal copy of the game, the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings should be available at retail on May 17 of next year.

CoD: Black Ops Swastika Ban

Xbox Live enforcement faced some heat this weekend over its policy on the use of swastikas as personal logos in Call of Duty: Black Ops. In response to a fan on Twitter, Enforcement manager Stephen Toulouse said the team would ban anyone using the symbol as their Black Ops icon. The backlash reached such a level that Toulouse had to address it on his personal blog.

Calling the symbol's defenders "contrarians," Toulouse says the symbol has been too corrupted by its history to be interpreted in any other way. "Let's be clear: no educated human on the planet looks at the swastika symbol on a video game service... and says, 'oh, that symbol has nothing at all in any way to do with global genocide of an entire race and, even if it did, one should totally and reasonably ignore that because it's a symbol that was stolen or coop-ted from religions.

"It's not political correctness, it's fundamental respect," he continues. "If you think the swastika symbol should be re-evaluated by societies all over the Earth, I think that's great. Your Xbox Live profile or in game logo, which doesn't have the context to explain your goal, is not the right place to do that. And by the way, that doesn't just go for the swastika, it applies to many other symbols as well that my team does indeed take action on when we see it."

What is your opinion? Think you should be free to create whatever symbol you want if the option is there?

Original Article: http://www.1up.com/news/

Black Ops Out Dated

Two years have past and three more Call of Duty titles have been released – Treyarch’s World at War, Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2, and then Treyarch’s Black Ops. Now, the formula they used for the original Modern Warfare game was a definite winner so it made a lot of sense for Treyarch to try and follow in their footsteps. World at War was good game, in a sense, but came nowehere close to being as good as Modern Warfare. Even Infinity Ward couldn’t replicate the epicness of Modern Warfare with a sequel – Modern Warfare 2 seemed like a massive step back for the franchise. Treyarchs new masterpiece, Black Ops, completely out-done everything Modern Warfare had to offer – but was still very much the same.

 Black Ops is to Modern Warfare is what Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is to Assassin’s Creed 2 – a few enhancements and, in Call of Duty’s case, slight improvement in the multi-player mode.

Though Black Ops is a great game and is definitely worthy of it’s critical acclaim I still feel a little let down. There are so many developers out there right now that are taking huge leaps with every release. The industry is being prepared for the next generation and there are some great titles that prove this. The Call of Duty engine is a little out-dated and it’s starting to show. Hopefully Treyarch and Infinity Ward will both be inspired to try a little harder next time.

Original Article: http://www.nextgn.com/2010/11/21/call-of-duty-black-ops-a-little-dated/

Something to keep in mind

According to the new TERMS OF SERVICE AND USER AGREEMENT submitted in November 2010 on the PSN has released some interesting facts that suggest that soon was over how to share games. 

Here are some excerpts from the document we:

• You have to get your password and account details in secret and not share with anyone, to prevent unauthorized use of the PSN online service. If you share your account with someone who uses his mind to break some of the conditions or we (SONY), we believe that your account has been compromised, your account and / or access to the PSN may be suspended or terminated. We are not responsible for any unauthorized use or sharing of your account on the PSN.

Your rights to the service:

• All services through the SONY ONLINE SERVICES, are licensed non-exclusively for your personal, private, noncommercial, which are subject to conditions and any addition to the conditions. Services can be used on a limited basis according to the activated systems associated with your account SONY SONY ONLINE SERVICES.
• All intellectual property rights services belongs to us (SONY) and / or our licensors. All use of or access to such services will be taxable in accordance with these conditions and any additions to these conditions and all applicable laws.
• Unless authorized by us (SONY), you may not: share, sell, transfer, lease or sublicense any service or part service to anyone.

According to subscription services: 

• Subject to availability, you can buy a subscription to the service for a period of time to play online, access to music and any other service or activity. Subscriptions last only until the time fixed in the purchase, for example 7 days, 90 days or one year (known as the subscription period). A one year subscription will last 365 days. The subscription period will vary for different services and will be explained to you before making the purchase of the subscription.
• Only the subscriptions that can be used to purchase the subscription. You may not share your subscription with another account even with the associated account as Master Account or Sub Account.

As you can see now Sony wants to restrict quite what many people now use to purchase downloadable content on the PSN STORE, see how SONY made to effectively make the restrictions of the accounts do not comply with the new terms. 

If you want to download whole document: legaldoc.dl.playstation.net/ps3-eula/psn/e/e_tosua_en.html 
And for those wondering, is it possible that Sony can ban my PSN account, easy answer, in the same new Sony EULA document makes clear: 

Using Sony Online Services: 

• Every time you enter the online sevice SONY, we (SONY) collect information automatically without having to notify you by example:

1. Your Online ID
2. Your IP address and MAC address of your device (the unique numbers that identify the network and the device you are using) as well as the date and time you entered