SAN ANTONIO, Texas — GameStop begins taking pre-orders for Wikipad on September 7. The new NVIDIA Tegra 3-powered gaming tablet will be available at retail on October 31, 2012 for $499. Wikipad is the first tablet with an attachable console-quality gamepad controller. The device was recently showcased at the GameStop EXPO in San Antonio, Texas.
“The Wikipad is one of the thinnest, lightest, fastest tablets on the market and it’s going to be running Android Jelly bean on its 10.1 inch IPS screen with 1280 by 800 resolution,” said James Bower, CEO, Wikipad. “It does everything your tablet would normally do, but we’ve added into the bundle and attachable game controller with all of the buttons and joysticks that you would normally expect from a gamepad. This allows you to not only play the Android games that are calibrated for gamepad control, but also all of the PlayStation Mobile streaming games that are coming to market from Sony.”
In addition, Wikipad signed a deal with Gaikai for streaming games. HAWKEN was demonstrated running on the device at an NVIDIA event. Bower said details about the games from the Sony Cloud service (the newly renamed Gaikai) will be coming soon. The device will also play games from NVIDIA’s Tegra Zone, which were specifically enhanced for its quad core processor, as well as Google Play. At GameStop EXPO, Rockstar Games’ Max Payne was shown running on the tablet, along with Madfinger Games’ Shadow Gun.
“We always want to be in the center of innovation,” said Joe Gorman, vice president of GameStop’s mobile business unit. “We want to get there before the customer gets there. Wikipad is another good example. The Wikipad folks are a really innovative bunch. I was out on the show floor playing Max Payne on this tablet and it feels like you’re playing a console game. It’s just fantastic. We’re really excited to have Wikipad in the GameStop universe.”
Bower said his team has worked closely with NVIDIA to deliver the type of console-quality games that the hardcore gamer will enjoy playing.
“We’ve been working with NVIDIA for some time and there are some distinct advantages when it comes to gameplay on the Tegra 3 processor,” said Bower. “The graphics are fantastic. It’s very fast and intuitive, and it allows us to play a lot more content than some of the other processors that are out there. The Sony PlayStation Mobile platform is already pre-calibrated to play on the Tegra platform, which is a great advantage for using Tegra.”
With more gamers playing on tablets, even while at home with a console nearby, Wikipad is the latest tablet to be offered by GameStop stores. The company has a dedicated tablet section in many of its stores and sells Tegra-powered Android devices from Samsung, Acer, Asus, Toshiba and others, including the Samsung Google Nexus 7, Acer Iconia, ASUS TF300t, and the Toshiba Excite 10.
“We got in the tablet space really early in the year and they’re in 1,600 stores now,” said Gorman. “It’s been a really great success. The Asus Prime really stayed strong right through the first quarter for us and then most recently the Goggle Nexus tablet has been real success with the associates and the consumers. GameStop is seen as a destination now for these tablets, so that’s exciting for us.”
Nintendo Console Codes
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Why don't the harassees document or otherwise compile proof against the CEO's and go to a lawyer? If that fails and the evidence is solid, then go public.
Edit: I mean really, what took the woman at Stardock so long in the first place? She should have gone to HR immediately after the first boob comment, and then when she was told HR couldn't do anything because the CEO is a goose she should have just gone to a lawyer. Done deal. Why didn't she?
Going forward is a big risk. Not only could she lose her job, she could gain a reputation for being too much of a problem to hire.
Which is awful for someone who seems to be genuinely harassed to have to consider, but there it is.
Is that the case now? Since now the details are out there will she still have problems getting hired in the future? Why did it take x offenses from the CEO for it to finally be "too much?" I guess I just don't feel like someone who is a CEO has any excuse and literally one strike is all they deserve.
Then again, I'm the "if I go down I'm taking you with me" kind of guy to my offenders, so in her case I would have gladly burned to see him burn worse.
This is probably why I haven't advanced so far in my career...
Anyway, while I was writing this I realized this is the industry thread, so I'll shut up now.
I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think the first incident is usually sufficient. After it's clear that it's been reported through channels and no action has been taken, and the behavior is repeated, then it's a hostile environment. Kotaku says "According to Michigan law, an employee must first file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before he or she can proceed with a lawsuit; the EEOC may then take up to 180 days to review the complaint."
And as suggested by other people, sometimes or for some people it's not one strike you're out. You deal with a certain amount of crap and eventually there's a straw that breaks the camel's back.
In any case, it looks like she did compile proof and went to a lawyer, in Dec. 2010. Her case wasn't reported on, and only came up now because the court's process of discovery took until July, and because of Stardock's countersuit.
Why don't the harassees document or otherwise compile proof against the CEO's and go to a lawyer? If that fails and the evidence is solid, then go public.
Edit: I mean really, what took the woman at Stardock so long in the first place? She should have gone to HR immediately after the first boob comment, and then when she was told HR couldn't do anything because the CEO is a goose she should have just gone to a lawyer. Done deal. Why didn't she?
Hey. Are you a working adult? (honest question) because in real life you can't just up and quit a job/endanger your job without preparing/considering the options/making sure you're covered financially.
Yes I am, I'm 28 and I've worked for the same company for almost six years. Not a long time, but most of my adult life. There have been two instances where people acted like gooses and I got them fired. In one instance I got myself written up in the process. Pieces of shit need to go DOWN.
It's easy to act when you don't care about yourself that much.
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Nintendo Console Codes
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Oh, I haven't seen any new ones in a while. Well that's good too, despite its age the technology still has its own advantages.
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
No idea why they're allowed to make a profit on them, but aren't they considered gift cards, which is why they aren't taxed?
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
No idea why they're allowed to make a profit on them, but aren't they considered gift cards, which is why they aren't taxed?
Are they? If so that makes it a little better for the consumer.
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
In this era, where PSN got hilariously hacked and MS keeps a death grip on your CC info and makes you go through their version of The 12 Trials of Hercules to cancel Live?
Yeah no thanks, I'll stick with cards.
"The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
Why don't the harassees document or otherwise compile proof against the CEO's and go to a lawyer? If that fails and the evidence is solid, then go public.
Edit: I mean really, what took the woman at Stardock so long in the first place? She should have gone to HR immediately after the first boob comment, and then when she was told HR couldn't do anything because the CEO is a goose she should have just gone to a lawyer. Done deal. Why didn't she?
First off, it's worth pointing out that Stardock's HR head just happens to be Wardell's sister-in-law.
Second, that's ultimately what she did. As the Kotaku article points out, the case just finished with the motion to dismiss which was rejected, and the countersuit was filed just weeks later.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
Yeah, we have pretty much have been hearing about this supposed 10 years time frame for about half a decade or so and I highly doubt that there will be no physical games in 10 years myself. As it stands, whenever we get numbers for a lot of games, such as those available for the 3DS, the number of digital copies sold is typically about 10-20 percent of what the retail copy sold. So while digital copies are certainly the future, I think they're much more of a distant future than many "insiders" would assume. Also the PSP Go did terribly so it will be awhile before a console (not PC) can survive purely on digital from the looks of it.
The even more amusing part I thought was the title as GameStop doesn't have to do anything to "remain relevant" out there. They're pretty damn relevant right now!
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
In this era, where PSN got hilariously hacked and MS keeps a death grip on your CC info and makes you go through their version of The 12 Trials of Hercules to cancel Live?
Yeah no thanks, I'll stick with cards.
I can't wait for the hilarious article about how Gamestop was hacked then :P. They keep data for months if not years, and they aren't exempt from being hacked either.
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
In this era, where PSN got hilariously hacked and MS keeps a death grip on your CC info and makes you go through their version of The 12 Trials of Hercules to cancel Live?
Yeah no thanks, I'll stick with cards.
I can't wait for the hilarious article about how Gamestop was hacked then :P. They keep data for months if not years, and they aren't exempt from being hacked either.
That's why you pay with cash, duh.
Nintendo Console Codes
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Oh, I haven't seen any new ones in a while. Well that's good too, despite its age the technology still has its own advantages.
Some people swear by the fact that it has an almost nonexistent response time compared to LCD screens, so they're still used in certain circles, i.e. gaming.
Why don't the harassees document or otherwise compile proof against the CEO's and go to a lawyer? If that fails and the evidence is solid, then go public.
Edit: I mean really, what took the woman at Stardock so long in the first place? She should have gone to HR immediately after the first boob comment, and then when she was told HR couldn't do anything because the CEO is a goose she should have just gone to a lawyer. Done deal. Why didn't she?
First off, it's worth pointing out that Stardock's HR head just happens to be Wardell's sister-in-law.
Second, that's ultimately what she did. As the Kotaku article points out, the case just finished with the motion to dismiss which was rejected, and the countersuit was filed just weeks later.
This is what cracks me up. I can just imagine my brother in law's reactio if I tried that in a similar situation. "Yeah look, I know I'm married to your sister and all, but this bitch in marketing has been making a stink ever since I started groping her boobs, making lewd comments to her, and lounging around in her motel room in my PJs. Make this go away."
Seriously. That's his wife's sister covering up his lecherous harassment of other women. Think there might be some issues in their family dynamics?
0
mrt144King of the NumbernamesRegistered Userregular
Sexual harrasement in the workplace is DEFINITELY not a thing isolated to the gaming industry. I really don't think it's inditement on the industry as a whole; it's a societal problem.
It's definitely a problem outside of the video games industry, but the games business is still largely run by men. These men are also tend to be a bit...socially stunted to put it nicely, which can be a recipe for an especially toxic working environment. This encourages women to stay away from the industry, which means the industry is still largely run by men, which means it remains a bad working environment for women. It's a nasty cycle, and I don't think paying attention to a particularly bad industry is a particularly bad idea.
If it's a societal problem, then looking at fixing the most grievous offenders would be a net gain for society.
Brad Wardell doesn't understand that it's against the law to do and say what he was. He can trumpet all he wants about, "I'm not changing who I am just because someone doesn't like it," which is a stance I've taken in life, but there are boundaries for even that attitude. And this is one of them. And even if he doesn't like it, it's irrelevant - again, we're talking about law. If he wants to be an obstinate child about censoring himself in the workplace, he should accept what's coming to him punishment wise. What strikes me is the sudden, "Well she ruined the game!" crap, as if to say, "She deserves to be made uncomfortable!"
What a piece of garbage he is. But screw just ranting about it; the only way to send a message to this guy is to stop buying what he produces. Along with messages of "shape up or ship out, that's why I'm not buying your game." Money is the only way some people are going to learn.
The best part is that his countersuit pretty much indicates that he is incompetent at his job (seriously - how the hell would a marketing exec have access to development data if your access control is even halfway competently set up?), which will be entertaining when he realizes that.
Didn't Brad Wardell also make some bizzare threats to people who were going to pull ad time from that crazy FOX radio guy who lost his show?
I think he stopped using UPS, and suggested that if people boycotted Stardock as a result and really hurt their sales, he would start by laying off people who disagreed with his ideology (link). That was the closest thing to a threat.
Scribd has excerpts from (or most of) the response to the motion to dismiss (link). Holy crap. It's hard to see this going well for Stardock.
Thanks! I enjoy me some legal wonkery.
It is utterly, utterly bizarre. Some excerpts from the response to the motion for summary dismissal:
1. CEO commented on plaintiff's breasts, repeatedly, in meetings with other employees present; this goes on for 4 pages
2. CEO commented on other female employees' breasts, same
3. CEO belittled plaintiff's boyfriend/fiancee, in front of other employees
4. CEO sent plaintiff a purity test and asked to know the score.
5. CEO walked into the hotel room of plaintiff and another female coworkers, in his pajamas, and sat on their bed
6. HR representative is CEO's sister-in-law, who openly admits that there's nothing she can do since CEO owns the company; HR rep tells plaintiff she needs to grow a tougher skin
7. CEO ran his fingers through plaintiff's hair during dinner, in front of other employees, on a media tour
I'm pretty sure I've sat through 6 or 7 workplace training sessions throughout my career, where all these kinds of offenses were broken out into separate scenarios. The surreal part is how Brad is out on the Internet defending himself by admitting all of the above, but insisting it's okay because he's since promised to only continue creating a hostile work environment behind the plaintiff's back. And his countersuit has basically no evidence other than Brad's say-so, while the plaintiff has testimony from employees denying that any files were deleted or that there was any delay due to the absence of marketing materials; unless there's really convincing evidence that hasn't been made known, it looks wholly retaliatory. Yeesh.
Honestly, I'm surprised he was able to get away with that shit as long as he was.
Not at all. I've worked for several huge corporations and that bullshit behaviour in CEOs is pretty much par for the course. We've had several even joke about the warnings they get from HR about their behaviour at company wide meetings and what few women have complained about it have been asked to find postitions elsewhere "in their best interst".
The thing is, those corporations also take the inevitable lawsuits seriously as well. When one happens, they make it go away, preferably as quietly as possible. And if a CEO racks up enough, people will usually step in and recommend retirement.
That's a nice idea but in truth I've never seen it happen,. In fact, I've seen the opposite, the male Exec VPs that have problems with the behaviour are the ones pressed into retirement.
The Boy's Club is a very real thing and not going anywhere anytime soon.
I'm taking the boy's club to the men's room for some guy time.
0
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Oh, I haven't seen any new ones in a while. Well that's good too, despite its age the technology still has its own advantages.
Some people swear by the fact that it has an almost nonexistent response time compared to LCD screens, so they're still used in certain circles, i.e. gaming.
Yeah in the earlier days of HD a lot of people who played the more competitive games would stick to crt to avoid lag.
But these days the lag on most HD is miniscule enough for it not to matter.
Why don't the harassees document or otherwise compile proof against the CEO's and go to a lawyer? If that fails and the evidence is solid, then go public.
Edit: I mean really, what took the woman at Stardock so long in the first place? She should have gone to HR immediately after the first boob comment, and then when she was told HR couldn't do anything because the CEO is a goose she should have just gone to a lawyer. Done deal. Why didn't she?
First off, it's worth pointing out that Stardock's HR head just happens to be Wardell's sister-in-law.
Second, that's ultimately what she did. As the Kotaku article points out, the case just finished with the motion to dismiss which was rejected, and the countersuit was filed just weeks later.
This is what cracks me up. I can just imagine my brother in law's reactio if I tried that in a similar situation. "Yeah look, I know I'm married to your sister and all, but this bitch in marketing has been making a stink ever since I started groping her boobs, making lewd comments to her, and lounging around in her motel room in my PJs. Make this go away."
Seriously. That's his wife's sister covering up his lecherous harassment of other women. Think there might be some issues in their family dynamics?
If you really want a laugh, read the Quarter To Three thread on this, where the man himself has been posting. Never have I seen a man so eagerly take the rope he was given and fashion it into the most exquisite noose.
If I was Stardock's legal counsel, I'd be telling him that I quit.
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Oh, I haven't seen any new ones in a while. Well that's good too, despite its age the technology still has its own advantages.
Some people swear by the fact that it has an almost nonexistent response time compared to LCD screens, so they're still used in certain circles, i.e. gaming.
Yeah in the earlier days of HD a lot of people who played the more competitive games would stick to crt to avoid lag.
But these days the lag on most HD is miniscule enough for it not to matter.
I think I remember the TV industry literally didn't consider input lag a problem in the early days of HDTV, because as long as the picture and sound were in sync, who gives a shit? Gamers pretty much had to browbeat them for a while until they came around.
Meanwhile:
Sony's marketing VP for handhelds and consoles John Koller admits that PS Vita's message of "console-like games on portables" is essentially the same as PSP's, but argues that there was a significant problem with how developers approached that idea before.
"The issue that happened with PSP is we got overrun with ports," he explains to Gamasutra. "It became very difficult for us to define what made PSP unique. The content development became a bit unstructured or decentralized, in that we got a lot of content that was on PlayStation 2 and got thrown over to the handheld."
Koller believes Sony learned its lesson with that problem on PSP and is actively taking steps to avoid repeating that mistake on PS Vita. He says portable content "isn't something consumers play because they've left the living room. It's something that [needs to be] unique, and defines the Vita experience."
A lot of PS Vita's early catalog has so far been made up of console ports -- which may have contributed to the troubles Sony has faced with building momentum for the system so far -- but now the company is strongly recommending against and guiding publishers away from ports.
Koller points to a couple upcoming PS Vita exclusives that are unique interpretations of popular console franchises, and says that Sony tells publishers to "Follow what Ubisoft is doing with Assassin's Creed. Follow what Activision is doing with Call of Duty."
With that approach in mind, Koller says, "The messaging is similar [between PSP and PS Vita], but I think the output is going to be quite different."
Sony knew one of the big problems with the PSP was not providing a different experience. So why the christ did they wait this long to wave away ports to Vita?
And of course the whole cross-play thing, while generous, isn't exactly helping that perception.
Sony's marketing VP for handhelds and consoles John Koller admits that PS Vita's message of "console-like games on portables" is essentially the same as PSP's, but argues that there was a significant problem with how developers approached that idea before.
"The issue that happened with PSP is we got overrun with ports," he explains to Gamasutra. "It became very difficult for us to define what made PSP unique. The content development became a bit unstructured or decentralized, in that we got a lot of content that was on PlayStation 2 and got thrown over to the handheld."
Koller believes Sony learned its lesson with that problem on PSP and is actively taking steps to avoid repeating that mistake on PS Vita. He says portable content "isn't something consumers play because they've left the living room. It's something that [needs to be] unique, and defines the Vita experience."
A lot of PS Vita's early catalog has so far been made up of console ports -- which may have contributed to the troubles Sony has faced with building momentum for the system so far -- but now the company is strongly recommending against and guiding publishers away from ports.
Koller points to a couple upcoming PS Vita exclusives that are unique interpretations of popular console franchises, and says that Sony tells publishers to "Follow what Ubisoft is doing with Assassin's Creed. Follow what Activision is doing with Call of Duty."
With that approach in mind, Koller says, "The messaging is similar [between PSP and PS Vita], but I think the output is going to be quite different."
Sony knew one of the big problems with the PSP was not providing a different experience. So why the christ did they wait this long to wave away ports to Vita?
And of course the whole cross-play thing, while generous, isn't exactly helping that perception.
Sony's not exactly innocent when it comes to the Vita and ports. A lot of their upcoming lineup are PS3 ports.
Nintendo Console Codes
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Why don't the harassees document or otherwise compile proof against the CEO's and go to a lawyer? If that fails and the evidence is solid, then go public.
Edit: I mean really, what took the woman at Stardock so long in the first place? She should have gone to HR immediately after the first boob comment, and then when she was told HR couldn't do anything because the CEO is a goose she should have just gone to a lawyer. Done deal. Why didn't she?
First off, it's worth pointing out that Stardock's HR head just happens to be Wardell's sister-in-law.
Second, that's ultimately what she did. As the Kotaku article points out, the case just finished with the motion to dismiss which was rejected, and the countersuit was filed just weeks later.
This is what cracks me up. I can just imagine my brother in law's reactio if I tried that in a similar situation. "Yeah look, I know I'm married to your sister and all, but this bitch in marketing has been making a stink ever since I started groping her boobs, making lewd comments to her, and lounging around in her motel room in my PJs. Make this go away."
Seriously. That's his wife's sister covering up his lecherous harassment of other women. Think there might be some issues in their family dynamics?
If you really want a laugh, read the Quarter To Three thread on this, where the man himself has been posting. Never have I seen a man so eagerly take the rope he was given and fashion it into the most exquisite noose.
If I was Stardock's legal counsel, I'd be telling him that I quit.
TV-wise, I hope we get a new standard with the switch to 4K that lets the system shut off all the post process buffering for the fastest refresh time possible.
They're going to have a real hard time convincing anyone to make original games for it at this point. There are just too many alternatives that are selling much better. (Consoles/PC/phones/3DS).
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]XBL: Rakayn | PS3: Rakayn | Steam ID
Am I old, or does anyone else remember David Crane? He was one of the hotshot programmers for Atari who chafed under all the corporate restrictions and formed Activision in order to make more creative games (oh, the modern irony). Anyway, he's best known for Pitfall, and he wanted to make a sequel. So, he turned to Kickstarter, and, well...
Convinced that the world wanted him to "go back to the jungle" and make another game like Pitfall!, Crane put together a small, independent team, drafted up a partial design for a new 2D platformer that brings to mind the old days but utilizes modern day technology (it's being made in Unity), and launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking $900,000.
It's not going well. With only 8 days to go, the game has drawn just over $21,000 in funding, and has caused quite a stir among critics.
"Everyone turned against me as soon as they saw [the price]," Crane says.
Commenters complained that Crane's asking fee is too high for a game that hasn't even been properly prototyped yet -- something Crane is quick to point out is intentional, as he's hoping to get his backers involved directly in the design process.
"They look at my project and say, you're asking way too much money. And I say, do you have any idea how much it takes to make a game?" he asks.
Crane's vision is for backers fund what he specifies as "professional" development -- a high quality game by a seasoned designer with an established fanbase, something a little more high shelf than the lower-cost indie games he'd been seeing.
"I had people telling me that I was ruining Kickstarter for indie developers by asking for that amount of money," he says.
"I've proven that I can make games that are very marketable. So I choose to do larger, professional development projects rather than little tiny things just to get myself published."
Crane blames the lack of enthusiasm for his campaign on what he sees as a lack of vision among his critics, saying that while there are a lot of different views as to what the strengths of the platform are, it seems limiting when it comes to higher budget productions.
"It's just amazing how there is no vision of what Kickstarter is supposed to be," he says. "People won't let go of what they think it is."
I know we're not supposed to talk about Kickstarters just because they're Kickstarters, but I find it very interesting that an industry vet decided to go big because, well, he was an industry vet and get shut down because of the high price.
Square Enix recently filed for four new trademarks in Japan, and one of them is a bit more interesting than the others. A registration appeared for something called Circle of Mana, which could hint at more to come from the Mana series, the most celebrated entry of which is no doubt Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2) in North America.
Chris Kohler over at Wired's Game|Life blog wisely cautions against getting too excited, with a "Mana Cycle" graphic that mimics the infamous "Sonic Cycle."
The last Mana game to be released was Heroes of Mana, which hit Nintendo DS in 2007. The other trademarks Square Enix registered include "Wizardlings," "Ultima Box"—perhaps related to the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy box released in Japan?—and "Agent 47," which is related to the Hitman series.
A decade from now, the majority of games—even huge, AAA-titles like Madden and Call of Duty—will only be available for download, unless you want to cough up $150 or so for a collector’s edition. If one exists at all.
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Oh, I haven't seen any new ones in a while. Well that's good too, despite its age the technology still has its own advantages.
Some people swear by the fact that it has an almost nonexistent response time compared to LCD screens, so they're still used in certain circles, i.e. gaming.
Yeah in the earlier days of HD a lot of people who played the more competitive games would stick to crt to avoid lag.
But these days the lag on most HD is miniscule enough for it not to matter.
I think I remember the TV industry literally didn't consider input lag a problem in the early days of HDTV, because as long as the picture and sound were in sync, who gives a shit? Gamers pretty much had to browbeat them for a while until they came around.
Meanwhile:
Sony's marketing VP for handhelds and consoles John Koller admits that PS Vita's message of "console-like games on portables" is essentially the same as PSP's, but argues that there was a significant problem with how developers approached that idea before.
"The issue that happened with PSP is we got overrun with ports," he explains to Gamasutra. "It became very difficult for us to define what made PSP unique. The content development became a bit unstructured or decentralized, in that we got a lot of content that was on PlayStation 2 and got thrown over to the handheld."
Koller believes Sony learned its lesson with that problem on PSP and is actively taking steps to avoid repeating that mistake on PS Vita. He says portable content "isn't something consumers play because they've left the living room. It's something that [needs to be] unique, and defines the Vita experience."
A lot of PS Vita's early catalog has so far been made up of console ports -- which may have contributed to the troubles Sony has faced with building momentum for the system so far -- but now the company is strongly recommending against and guiding publishers away from ports.
Koller points to a couple upcoming PS Vita exclusives that are unique interpretations of popular console franchises, and says that Sony tells publishers to "Follow what Ubisoft is doing with Assassin's Creed. Follow what Activision is doing with Call of Duty."
With that approach in mind, Koller says, "The messaging is similar [between PSP and PS Vita], but I think the output is going to be quite different."
Sony knew one of the big problems with the PSP was not providing a different experience. So why the christ did they wait this long to wave away ports to Vita?
And of course the whole cross-play thing, while generous, isn't exactly helping that perception.
So Sony has gone from advertising a console like experience, to spreading the word on how easy it is to port to and from the PS3/Vita, to announcing a new model where you get the Vita version free when you buy the console game... to now urging developers that they should really stay away from ports.
...Well at least they get points for realizing what a bad idea the entire endeavor was. If anything though, it still makes them look stupid and incompetent as hell, especially when they just announced that whole bundle deal a short while ago.
"The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
I have no idea why they're essentially asking for less games on their platform. Well, I understand to some extent, but ports are important too! That's how devs learn your platform.
In fact I wonder if some good solid ports of popular games would ultimately be better than spinoff games like Uncharted. Instead of porting the engine and some of the assets and building a second rate new experience, give people something familiar. Guess I don't know what's doable on the platform and what isn't, though, and maybe there are good reasons we aren't seeing more ports.
Mainly they don't want ports releasing simultaneously with the console versions, inviting comparison. 3DS had an up-port of OoT and Monster Hunter Tri G. I know Tales of the Abyss wasn't a system seller, but it sold out in Europe and had to be reprinted twice.
Conversely, MGS3D was announced and blew everyone away...then we found out it was coming out in proximity to full collections on other platforms for about the same price, and it invited a lot of graphical comparisons. Don't do that.
Going back a bit, I wonder if the delays for the next gen systems might help actually get the good games out in the launch year, rather than the usual 1-2 years later. Since presumably they already have the devkits and everything
Going back a bit, I wonder if the delays for the next gen systems might help actually get the good games out in the launch year, rather than the usual 1-2 years later. Since presumably they already have the devkits and everything
Think about what you just wrote.
Nintendo Console Codes
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
HAIL HYDRA
0
Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
You get more stuff if more people preorder. That's awesome.
Or they could just give everyone who pre-purchased all the stuff that's in the first two tiers (the third is a separate game), seeing as how it has already been created and implemented.
I'm filing it in the "dumb idea" cabinet.
It's an interesting experiment to incentivize preorders for a game in a niche genre. If it gets people to pull their friends in for a preorder, it's a win for everyone.
Not to mention that the preorder bonuses involved mean that Firaxis can guarantee they're releasing profitable preorder items. There's no guesswork involved, because they know exactly where the threshold is for preorders in order to maintain a good profit margin while still giving things away. Plus, since when is the potential of giving away something like Civ 5 for free with a preorder a "dumb idea"? Firaxis does things this way and there's no debating whether or not the tactic would've been beneficial; games aren't actually free to make, so they can't just randomly give away great free stuff without being assured they'll make more than they give away.
This idea is basically the epitome of having your cake and eating it too, for both the devs and the consumers.
Posts
Wikipad Gaming Tablet Hits GameStop Store Shelves On Halloween With $499 Price Point
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Yeah... it's very interesting. Though I'm not sure how well it'll actually do..
Edit: Better pic.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think the first incident is usually sufficient. After it's clear that it's been reported through channels and no action has been taken, and the behavior is repeated, then it's a hostile environment. Kotaku says "According to Michigan law, an employee must first file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before he or she can proceed with a lawsuit; the EEOC may then take up to 180 days to review the complaint."
And as suggested by other people, sometimes or for some people it's not one strike you're out. You deal with a certain amount of crap and eventually there's a straw that breaks the camel's back.
In any case, it looks like she did compile proof and went to a lawyer, in Dec. 2010. Her case wasn't reported on, and only came up now because the court's process of discovery took until July, and because of Stardock's countersuit.
Yes I am, I'm 28 and I've worked for the same company for almost six years. Not a long time, but most of my adult life. There have been two instances where people acted like gooses and I got them fired. In one instance I got myself written up in the process. Pieces of shit need to go DOWN.
It's easy to act when you don't care about yourself that much.
Re: Gamestop and Ouya. Isn't the whole service digital? After the console is paid for what reason would any consumer have to go back to Gamestop for the Ouya?
I know 10 years is a long time and it may very well be that we have no more physical games in 10 years, but haven't we been reading about this decade time limit for the past 5 years or so?
I'm curious, do most opinion pieces predict a certain number of years until we have no more physical books or DVDs?
Some of this sort of stuff eventually comes true. I don't think you can buy CRTs anymore, so that's something.
You can buy CRTs still.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Ouya points for people who don't have credit cards/don't like to attach credit cards to services.
Oh, I haven't seen any new ones in a while. Well that's good too, despite its age the technology still has its own advantages.
I hate this and have always hoped Gamestop made jack from Steam points cards. However, I know they sell XBL cards like CRAZY to kids, so who knows. It irks me that Gamestop makes money on those cards, and aren't they taxed? Geese need to buy their crap tax free online.
No idea why they're allowed to make a profit on them, but aren't they considered gift cards, which is why they aren't taxed?
Are they? If so that makes it a little better for the consumer.
In this era, where PSN got hilariously hacked and MS keeps a death grip on your CC info and makes you go through their version of The 12 Trials of Hercules to cancel Live?
Yeah no thanks, I'll stick with cards.
First off, it's worth pointing out that Stardock's HR head just happens to be Wardell's sister-in-law.
Second, that's ultimately what she did. As the Kotaku article points out, the case just finished with the motion to dismiss which was rejected, and the countersuit was filed just weeks later.
Yeah, we have pretty much have been hearing about this supposed 10 years time frame for about half a decade or so and I highly doubt that there will be no physical games in 10 years myself. As it stands, whenever we get numbers for a lot of games, such as those available for the 3DS, the number of digital copies sold is typically about 10-20 percent of what the retail copy sold. So while digital copies are certainly the future, I think they're much more of a distant future than many "insiders" would assume. Also the PSP Go did terribly so it will be awhile before a console (not PC) can survive purely on digital from the looks of it.
The even more amusing part I thought was the title as GameStop doesn't have to do anything to "remain relevant" out there. They're pretty damn relevant right now!
This I find pretty surprising though if you've seen CRT TVs at any larger outlets. In haven't in maybe a year or so, in any case.
The last time I saw a CRT TV for sale it was at a Goodwill store, but they've had awhile to be phased out now.
I was basing it off of Amazon, but I'm sure there are some out in the wild too. Most are probably under 22" in size.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
I can't wait for the hilarious article about how Gamestop was hacked then :P. They keep data for months if not years, and they aren't exempt from being hacked either.
That's why you pay with cash, duh.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Hell, I've purchased some used Wii games from them recently that I probably wouldn't have played at all otherwise.
Some people swear by the fact that it has an almost nonexistent response time compared to LCD screens, so they're still used in certain circles, i.e. gaming.
This is what cracks me up. I can just imagine my brother in law's reactio if I tried that in a similar situation. "Yeah look, I know I'm married to your sister and all, but this bitch in marketing has been making a stink ever since I started groping her boobs, making lewd comments to her, and lounging around in her motel room in my PJs. Make this go away."
Seriously. That's his wife's sister covering up his lecherous harassment of other women. Think there might be some issues in their family dynamics?
I'm taking the boy's club to the men's room for some guy time.
Yeah in the earlier days of HD a lot of people who played the more competitive games would stick to crt to avoid lag.
But these days the lag on most HD is miniscule enough for it not to matter.
If you really want a laugh, read the Quarter To Three thread on this, where the man himself has been posting. Never have I seen a man so eagerly take the rope he was given and fashion it into the most exquisite noose.
If I was Stardock's legal counsel, I'd be telling him that I quit.
I think I remember the TV industry literally didn't consider input lag a problem in the early days of HDTV, because as long as the picture and sound were in sync, who gives a shit? Gamers pretty much had to browbeat them for a while until they came around.
Meanwhile:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/177331/Sony_avoids_PSPs_mistake_by_encouraging_fewer_home_console_ports.php#.UEppb6BR3To
Sony knew one of the big problems with the PSP was not providing a different experience. So why the christ did they wait this long to wave away ports to Vita?
And of course the whole cross-play thing, while generous, isn't exactly helping that perception.
Sony's not exactly innocent when it comes to the Vita and ports. A lot of their upcoming lineup are PS3 ports.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
You can also freshen up on the classics, like when he posted here about his UPS boycott:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/11796206/#Comment_11796206
TV-wise, I hope we get a new standard with the switch to 4K that lets the system shut off all the post process buffering for the fastest refresh time possible.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/177270/Living_in_Pitfalls_shadow.php#.UEppWaBR3To
I know we're not supposed to talk about Kickstarters just because they're Kickstarters, but I find it very interesting that an industry vet decided to go big because, well, he was an industry vet and get shut down because of the high price.
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/09/07/square-enix-registers-circle-of-mana-trademark
I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
My mom took piano lessons from his mom. Years later she enjoyed "David Crane's A Boy And His Blob" but never put two and two together!
So Sony has gone from advertising a console like experience, to spreading the word on how easy it is to port to and from the PS3/Vita, to announcing a new model where you get the Vita version free when you buy the console game... to now urging developers that they should really stay away from ports.
...Well at least they get points for realizing what a bad idea the entire endeavor was. If anything though, it still makes them look stupid and incompetent as hell, especially when they just announced that whole bundle deal a short while ago.
In fact I wonder if some good solid ports of popular games would ultimately be better than spinoff games like Uncharted. Instead of porting the engine and some of the assets and building a second rate new experience, give people something familiar. Guess I don't know what's doable on the platform and what isn't, though, and maybe there are good reasons we aren't seeing more ports.
Mainly they don't want ports releasing simultaneously with the console versions, inviting comparison. 3DS had an up-port of OoT and Monster Hunter Tri G. I know Tales of the Abyss wasn't a system seller, but it sold out in Europe and had to be reprinted twice.
Conversely, MGS3D was announced and blew everyone away...then we found out it was coming out in proximity to full collections on other platforms for about the same price, and it invited a lot of graphical comparisons. Don't do that.
Down-ports just make people go:
"Bwuh? I have the superior version already!"
That is not the reaction you want to face from your prospective audience.
I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
I think they're hoping for people being excited to play the same game, only in portable form.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Think about what you just wrote.
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
Not to mention that the preorder bonuses involved mean that Firaxis can guarantee they're releasing profitable preorder items. There's no guesswork involved, because they know exactly where the threshold is for preorders in order to maintain a good profit margin while still giving things away. Plus, since when is the potential of giving away something like Civ 5 for free with a preorder a "dumb idea"? Firaxis does things this way and there's no debating whether or not the tactic would've been beneficial; games aren't actually free to make, so they can't just randomly give away great free stuff without being assured they'll make more than they give away.
This idea is basically the epitome of having your cake and eating it too, for both the devs and the consumers.