Japan offers virtual hamster game to download
Filed under: News
Have you ever wanted a randomly generated hamster living in your PSP? Well, you might want one now! One look at this adorable screenshot may warm your heart and convince you to get one for your handheld. This will be a download-exclusive game …
But of course, with all things PSP-related, this one is relegated to Japan only for now. Hamster Channel will be available for 2800 yen. Hopefully, someone will localize this not-too-hard-to-localize project. Perhaps Ubisoft? They can call it Hamsterz.
Japan offers virtual hamster game to download originally appeared on PSP Fanboy on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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EA and Ubisoft Rumored to be Eyeing Eidos Owner SCi Entertainment
But EA isn’t the only company with a potential inside track. Time Warner currently sits as the largest of the major shareholders in SCi with a 16.13 percent chunk of the company and has been mentioned in previous rumors. Adding support to both Warner’s potential interest and the rumored sale in general, last week SCi issued a statement that it had released Warner Bros. from previously agreed to limits on the acquisition of any more shares prior to January of 2009. With that date so close at hand it seems likely that this step was taken to allow them to be part of any bidding that may take place for SCi during December.
SCi finds itself looking for a new owner after a particularly brutal year. The company, traded on the London Stock Exchange, has seen its price per share crash some 92 percent, and with that a reduction in its valuation from more ?600 million a year ago to only ?50 million today. Further compounding the situation, losses have quadrupled over the same period. At this point acquisition seems almost a foregone conclusion. What remains to be answered is whether it will be by EA, Ubisoft, or perhaps Warner Bros.
Nintendo Promoting Literacy With 100 Classic Book Collection For DS
The title is quite literal here — the DS cart will come loaded with 100 plays and novels from authors ranging from the Bronte sisters to Charles Dickens to Shakespeare. If that all sounds a little too British for you, there’s even some Jules Verne thrown in for good measure. You can check out a full list of all the available titles and their respective authors on Amazon UK’s product listing for the software. Nintendo also promises downloadable additions to Book Collection’s library, although no details have been provided on whether how frequently new downloadable titles will be made available and whether or not they’ll cost money.
I’m definitely interested in the possibility of improving my daily commute by familiarizing myself with the classics on the DS, but as of right now 100 Classic Book Collection has only been confirmed for Europe. Sure, it’s no Kindle, but hopefully Nintendo will realize that Americans are interested in reading as well. Or maybe I’m the only one.
Grand Theft Auto 4 on PC Carries SecuROM DRM
Many would claim that DRM is bad, and perhaps rightly so. But it’s unfortunately a necessary evil in the videogame biz (at least it is if you ask almost any company this side of Sins of a Solar Empire publisher Stardock). SecuROM in particular is frequently employed by developers in order to prevent pirates from illegally playing their games. This tends to lead to backlash from the community, as we saw illustrated quite well with Spore, where a class action lawsuit was filed against EA and Amazon customer reviews took a nosedive — and that didn’t stop the game from being pirated, either.
In spite of that, Rockstar has decided to use SecuROM with this week’s release of Grand Theft Auto 4 on PC. Calling it “the most effective form of disc based copy protection,” Rockstar provided details to IGN on how the game’s DRM will work.
Steam will be among the digital distributors where you’ll be able to purchase the game, and while that won’t spare you from SecuROM’s wrath, you will at least be able to get out of needing a disc in the drive — a requirement for the disc-based version. The game needs to be authenticated online once installed, but only needs to be activated once per computer. You’ll be able to authenticate on a separate computer with an internet connection should you be unable to get online with your gaming rig. (You’ll be missing out on that 32-player multiplayer if that’s the case, so you should really get that sorted out.)
Controlling Stake in Midway Sold for $100,000
Although it may appear that the debt-ridden and desperate Redstone has sold the developer/publisher for next to nothing, Thomas will also be assuming “$70 million of senior secured and unsecured debt.” Additionally, National Amusements “could use a portion of the loss against income earned this year, as well as a tax refund of amounts paid in prior years,” according to a person familiar with the situation quoted by the Wall Street Journal.
Say what you will about the transaction, but the biggest questions here are regarding Mark Thomas: Who is he, why did he purchase the failing company, and what are his plans? I’d like to say the future for Midway looks bright, but until we know more about Thomas, I’ll remain cautiously optimistic. But with the company’s share price falling $0.05 (13.16%) to $0.33 by the end of Monday’s trading, it appears investors don’t share my optimism.
EA and Ubisoft Rumored to be Eyeing Eidos Owner SCi Entertainment
But EA isn’t the only company with a potential inside track. Time Warner currently sits as the largest of the major shareholders in SCi with a 16.13 percent chunk of the company and has been mentioned in previous rumors. Adding support to both Warner’s potential interest and the rumored sale in general, last week SCi issued a statement that it had released Warner Bros. from previously agreed to limits on the acquisition of any more shares prior to January of 2009. With that date so close at hand it seems likely that this step was taken to allow them to be part of any bidding that may take place for SCi during December.
SCi finds itself looking for a new owner after a particularly brutal year. The company, traded on the London Stock Exchange, has seen its price per share crash some 92 percent, and with that a reduction in its valuation from more ?600 million a year ago to only ?50 million today. Further compounding the situation, losses have quadrupled over the same period. At this point acquisition seems almost a foregone conclusion. What remains to be answered is whether it will be by EA, Ubisoft, or perhaps Warner Bros.
Nintendo Promoting Literacy With 100 Classic Book Collection For DS
The title is quite literal here — the DS cart will come loaded with 100 plays and novels from authors ranging from the Bronte sisters to Charles Dickens to Shakespeare. If that all sounds a little too British for you, there’s even some Jules Verne thrown in for good measure. You can check out a full list of all the available titles and their respective authors on Amazon UK’s product listing for the software. Nintendo also promises downloadable additions to Book Collection’s library, although no details have been provided on whether how frequently new downloadable titles will be made available and whether or not they’ll cost money.
I’m definitely interested in the possibility of improving my daily commute by familiarizing myself with the classics on the DS, but as of right now 100 Classic Book Collection has only been confirmed for Europe. Sure, it’s no Kindle, but hopefully Nintendo will realize that Americans are interested in reading as well. Or maybe I’m the only one.
Grand Theft Auto 4 on PC Carries SecuROM DRM
Many would claim that DRM is bad, and perhaps rightly so. But it’s unfortunately a necessary evil in the videogame biz (at least it is if you ask almost any company this side of Sins of a Solar Empire publisher Stardock). SecuROM in particular is frequently employed by developers in order to prevent pirates from illegally playing their games. This tends to lead to backlash from the community, as we saw illustrated quite well with Spore, where a class action lawsuit was filed against EA and Amazon customer reviews took a nosedive — and that didn’t stop the game from being pirated, either.
In spite of that, Rockstar has decided to use SecuROM with this week’s release of Grand Theft Auto 4 on PC. Calling it “the most effective form of disc based copy protection,” Rockstar provided details to IGN on how the game’s DRM will work.
Steam will be among the digital distributors where you’ll be able to purchase the game, and while that won’t spare you from SecuROM’s wrath, you will at least be able to get out of needing a disc in the drive — a requirement for the disc-based version. The game needs to be authenticated online once installed, but only needs to be activated once per computer. You’ll be able to authenticate on a separate computer with an internet connection should you be unable to get online with your gaming rig. (You’ll be missing out on that 32-player multiplayer if that’s the case, so you should really get that sorted out.)
Controlling Stake in Midway Sold for $100,000
Although it may appear that the debt-ridden and desperate Redstone has sold the developer/publisher for next to nothing, Thomas will also be assuming “$70 million of senior secured and unsecured debt.” Additionally, National Amusements “could use a portion of the loss against income earned this year, as well as a tax refund of amounts paid in prior years,” according to a person familiar with the situation quoted by the Wall Street Journal.
Say what you will about the transaction, but the biggest questions here are regarding Mark Thomas: Who is he, why did he purchase the failing company, and what are his plans? I’d like to say the future for Midway looks bright, but until we know more about Thomas, I’ll remain cautiously optimistic. But with the company’s share price falling $0.05 (13.16%) to $0.33 by the end of Monday’s trading, it appears investors don’t share my optimism.
Japan offers virtual hamster game to download
Filed under: News
Have you ever wanted a randomly generated hamster living in your PSP? Well, you might want one now! One look at this adorable screenshot may warm your heart and convince you to get one for your handheld. This will be a download-exclusive game …
But of course, with all things PSP-related, this one is relegated to Japan only for now. Hamster Channel will be available for 2800 yen. Hopefully, someone will localize this not-too-hard-to-localize project. Perhaps Ubisoft? They can call it Hamsterz.
Japan offers virtual hamster game to download originally appeared on PSP Fanboy on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Top 10 Best Selling Games
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