DRM News

Archive for June, 2010

Hulu Plus fully detailed

June 29th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

A bit of a follow up here now that more details are out about the Hulu Plus service as it heads in to Beta.

It will still be limited to US based customers, just as the Hulu web streaming service is. For $9.99 per month, users gain access to full seasons worth of dozens of different network TV series, as well as past seasons of other shows, all streaming in HD.

The other big change is that it can be watched on a myriad of different devices now. The iPad, iPhone and iPod touch can all be used on the go. As well, Inter-enabled Samsung, Sony and VIZIO TV’s and Blu-ray players can be used. Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 game consoles and (of course) desktop computer are also available viewing options.

You can check out the Hulu website for more information, or to sign up for a Preview invite.

Posted in Movies and TV

Tags: Beta, Hulu, Hulu Plus

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EA Sports President Peter Moore defends Online Pass

June 28th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

A short time ago, EA Sports announced a new initiative called Online Pass. What it entails is a one use code being included with every copy of an EA Sports console title. That code will unlock the majority of the multiplayer content, or some other major feature of the game, but can only be used once. So someone buying a used copy of the game will need to pony up the $10-$15 to obtain a code of their own.

EA Sports President Peter Moore talked about Online Pass during an interview with Kotaku.

"One thing I have to do, and it’s my job, and my development team’s job, and my marketing team’s job, is make you not want to trade the game in," Moore said.

Moore talked about hoping that making multiplayer a more ‘value added’ feature might encourage more people to really give online play a try. By EA’s own numbers, while Madden 10 is still popular months after the close of the last NFL season, 350,000 Madden owners logged in to multiplayer once and never returned.

"From our perspective, [it's] conditioning you to punch a code in, to get you going, get some digital content, and conditioning you to look at digital content as a value-add to the game experience itself," Moore said.

Moore also asked people to keep in mind that while multiplayer is free for any new purchaser, it isn’t free for EA to maintain the server network needed to keep it in place for those million plus still actively playing Madden 10 online.

Finally, he talked about his view that a lot of those active in reading games media are new players, and they certainly understand the value of purchasing new vs. used.

"I read everything you write, and then i read everything that they write about what you write underneath, and I will say you have the overwhelming majority of people that are buying new," Moore told me. "And those guys are actually vocal – this is me just saying what I read – against people who buy used. They recognize the business model implications of new versus used used. Whilst I’m not sure they’re angry, they absolutely look at what’s going on in the marketplace and understand totally what it is we’re doing."

Whether or not you agree with the direction EA Sports is taking with their Online Pass program, at least they’re willing to try to explain it to people.

Posted in Games

Tags: EA Sports, one time multiplayer code, Online Pass, Peter Moore

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Hulu testing the waters of subscription service

June 27th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Hulu, an Internet TV service co-owned by New Corp., NBC Universal & Walt Disney Co., is launching a test run of a subscription service that will run alongside their standard free offering.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the new service will be called Hulu Plus. For $10 a month, chosen Beta users will get access to content beyond that offered on the free Hulu service, as well as the ability to watch programming on other devices like Apple’s iPad.

There is no time given for when the Beta period might end and Hulu Plus would become available to anyone to subscribe to. Hulu’s traffic has increased enormously since first launching at the end of 2007, and it has become a profitable entity.

If this idea takes off, it could have widespread effects on the television industry since the many networks not affiliated with Hulu would likely look to either join up or set up their own web subscription services for viewers.

Currently, video on Hulu is largely limited and viewable only within the US market.

Posted in Movies and TV

Tags: Hulu, Hulu Plus, subscription service, Web TV

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Analyst says used game market is a significant drain on software sales

June 25th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

According to Cowen Group analyst Doug Creutz, a large share of the blame for currently weak game sales can be placed on second hand game purchases.

From Gamasutra :

“In our view, GameStop has exploited the negligible difference between the value propositions of new and used games to capture a significant portion of the video game value chain,” says Cowen Group analyst Doug Creutz.

The biggest part of the market currently seeing slower sales of new games is consoles, specifically the 360 and PS3. Creutz puts part of the blame on the high price points for console titles, but the growth of used games sales is described as a significant factor.

His recommendations? More game options that need to be purchased after a used copy is bought as extra DLC. He actually suggests publishers go further in to ‘cordoning off’ more game content from used players that has to be added later on, since there’s nothing Gamestop can do to prevent it.

I find myself wondering if this might actually have a different affect, as Gamestop would eventually be forced to lower used game prices to reflect the fact that other content would also have to be purchased from the publisher by anyone grabbing a copy.

Also suggested is a more aggressive shift towards digital distribution, a market that Gamestop obviously can’t really be a factor in when it comes to used sales.

How will gamers respond? “We believe that consumers are likely to grudgingly accept a revised and evolving pricing strategy that reflects the value they receive outside of and in addition to the traditional single-player offline experience,” predicts Creutz.

“Against a backdrop of our expectation for improving growth in videogame software sales through the remainder of 2010, we believe that the evolution of these new pricing strategies give investors additional reason to become more constructive on the third party video game publishers,” he concludes.

Posted in Games

Tags: Cowen Group, Doug Creutz, Gamestop, used game sales

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FBI being called upon to take on IP theft

June 24th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

An idea drawn up by IP enforcement coordinator (yes, that is apparently a job) Victoria Espinel would see the FBI dedicate 50 full time agents to the job of investigating and taking on IP theft.

The group would look at both digital and physical piracy in the various sectors of the entertainment industry. At least one media group is happy with the proposal.

“We deeply appreciate the efforts of Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Espinel and her leadership and vision in this critical area,” ESA CEO Michael D. Gallagher stated.

“We are grateful for Ms. Espinel’s hard work to date, and appreciate the extent to which she has consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including our industry.

“We look forward to reviewing this plan, and to doing our part to help the US government succeed in its vital mission of protecting intellectual property.”

While I’m not sure dedicating an entire branch of a Federal law enforcement body is really necessary here (especially considering how much IP theft occurs internationally, where the FBI has no jurisdiction), at least this puts actual law enforcement in to the equation. And that beats having big entertainment companies trying to threaten settlements worth thousands of dollars out of people and acting as their own judge, jury and executioner.

(Thanks to MCV)

Posted in Miscellaneous

Tags: 50 agents, FBI, IP enforcement, IP theft

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Microsoft indicates possible company push for PC gaming

June 23rd, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Through the closing of Age of Empires developers Ensemble Studios to the focus on content for the Xbox 360, Microsoft has not exactly been at the forefront of pushing the PC forward as a gaming platform in recent years. That may be about to change.

Kotaku has obtained a copy of an internal Microsoft document that indicates a possible shift towards PC gaming. In a Q&A that’s part of this document, Microsoft addresses whether Fable III being brought to the PC platform is the beginning of a change in business philosophy.

Q: Does "Fable III" on Windows signal a larger reinvestment by Microsoft in PC gaming? How is this different from the previous times you’ve announced a reinvestment in PC gaming and not quite come through with a robust offering?

There definitely have been previous announcements of a new PC push by Microsoft that have turned out to be nothing but the sound of crickets.

A: In terms of revenue, Windows is far and away the largest gaming platform in the world, so it’s an incredibly important part of Microsoft’s business. From core games like "Fable III" to casual, social and Facebook titles, more gaming happens on Windows than anywhere else. Windows 7 is a world-class gaming platform, and you can bet Microsoft has a vested interest in using it as a platform for amazing first party content. "Fable III" on Windows as well as Xbox 360 this holiday is a great first step, and we’ll have more news for you later this summer.

So, Microsoft does acknowledge the profit potential of game releases on Windows PC’s. I wonder if maybe Fable III is being used as a bit of a test bed to see what the response is like to the PC version announcement?

Hopefully this isn’t just more empty words from Microsoft.

Posted in Games

Tags: Fable 3, Microsoft, new push to PC platform, PC gaming

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Kane & Lynch 2 Dog Days moves from Games for Windows Live to Steamworks

June 22nd, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

The first game was infamous for two reasons…the Jeff Gerstmann ratings scandal, and the fact that the Games for Windows Live implementation rendered the multiplayer an absolute mess.

The second game is already looking to perhaps avoid at least part of that, moving away from Games for Windows Live and towards implementation of Steamworks for multiplayer and DRM.

From PC Gamer :

The mode was the best part of K&L 1, but it was nearly impossible to play online due to GFWL’s crappiness. I asked IO Interactive game director Kim Krogh if I’d have the same experience this time around.

“No, for that reason. We’re using Steamworks,” he said.

Steamworks integration means that K&L 2 will gain access to that program’s multiplayer matchmaking and Steam Cloud features. It also means that the game will have to be run through the Steam client.

Posted in Games

Tags: Eidos, Games for Windows Live, Kane & Lynch 2, Steamworks

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FCC holding closed-door talks with corporations over possible net neutrality compromise

June 22nd, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the top officers at the FCC are holding closed door negotiations with lobbyists representing ISP’s, including AT&T and Verizon, as well as Google and Skype. The reason for those meetings is discussion of a compromise that would give the government agency authority over Internet rules, while also bending enough that the media companies are willing to accept an agreement.

The only way to get legislation this year is for Internet providers and tech companies like Google to reach a compromise, one person involved with the FCC meetings said, adding, "Even that is really, really hard."

This news has not exactly been met with much enthusiasm from public interest groups, none of whom were invited to any of these sessions.

"For a president who talks big about transparency and that ‘he’ll take a back seat to nobody on net neutrality,’ it’s inexcusable that his FCC is brokering backroom deals between industry lobbyists with nary a public interest representative in the room," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, a public interest group.

"This secretive process is especially unseemly for what is supposed to have been the most transparent FCC in history," the Media Access Project’s Andrew Schwartzman chimed in just a few minutes ago.

The problem is that with everything being done in such a secretive manner, there is no way for anyone to know what exactly is on the table in terms of compromises made to the media corporations. That’s an especially big issue for an FCC that has made claims and promises of transparency and openness during any and all negotiations over net neutrality.

Beyond the FCC, it seems that similar secretive negotiations are happening between the same lobby groups and the Senate Commerce Committee. The talks will not be open to the press, and there is no indication that any consumer groups will be in attendance.

(The original WSJ article is behind a subscriber paywall, but can be found and read in full via Google. Thanks also to Ars Technica).

Posted in Miscellaneous

Tags: AT&T, closed door negotiations, FCC, Google, net neutrality, Skype, Verizon

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