The next batch of Xbox LIVE Marketplace content scheduled for release this January and February has been released. FREE Xbox LIVE Weekend starts January 28, 2011.
Click the link to view the entire article which features pricing and more information on the FREE Xbox LIVE weekend which is set to start shortly.
LOS ANGELES — Opening statements in the first-of-its kind Xbox 360 criminal hacking trial were delayed here Wednesday after a federal judge unleashed a 30-minute tirade at prosecutors in open court, saying he had “serious concerns about the government’s case.”
“I really don’t understand what we’re doing here,” US District Judge Philip Gutierrez roared from the bench.
Gutierrez slammed the prosecution over everything from alleged unlawful behavior by government witnesses, to proposed jury instructions harmful to the defense. When the verbal assault finally subsided, federal prosecutors asked for a recess to determine whether they would offer the defendant a deal, dismiss, or move forward with the case that was slated to become the first jury trial of its type. A jury was seated Tuesday.
Among the judge’s host of complaints against the government was his alarm that prosecutors would put on two witnesses who may have broken the law.
One is Entertainment Software Association investigator Tony Rosario, who secretly video-recorded defendant Matthew Crippen allegedly performing the Xbox mod in Crippen’s Los Angeles suburban house. The defense argues that making the recording violates California privacy law. The other witness is Microsoft security employee Ken McGrail, who analyzed the two consoles Crippen allegedly altered. McGrail admitted that he himself had modded Xboxes in college.
“Maybe two of the four government witnesses committed crimes,” the judge said from the bench. “I think it is relevant and the jury is going to hear about it—both crimes.”
The government had fought to keep the witness conduct a secret from the jury.
Crippen is charged with two counts of violating the anticircumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and faces a maximum five years for each count if convicted. The government maintains Crippen, a hotel car-parking manager, ran a small business from his Anaheim home modifying the firmware on Xbox 360 optical drives to make them capable of running pirated copies of games.
The judge on Wednesday even backtracked on an earlier ruling that had prohibited Crippen, 28, from raising a “fair use” defense at trial.
Activision Blizzard has announced that the publisher’s newly formed internal studio, Sledgehammer Games, will handle an iteration of the Call of Duty franchise in 2011, taking over the reigns from franchise stalwarts and creators Infinity Ward.
This news arrives on the back of the revelation that Infinity Ward studio heads and co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella have been let go from their positions after an apparent breach of contract with Activision, in the wake of a worrying period at the developer on Monday that saw strong-arm and intimidation tactics resulting in panicked, “confused” and “freaked out” employees.
Infinity Ward will temporarily be led by Activision CTO Steve Pearce and production head Steve Ackrich, both of whom have backgrounds in Activision Publishing.
Sledgehammer Games, headed up by former EA studio Visceral Games (Dead Space) leadership Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey, will work on a 2011 entry to the Call of Duty series (which is said to “extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre”), while Treyarch will continue its collaborative franchise development efforts by releasing 2010’s iteration.
Infinity Ward will continue work on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s two map packs, both of which are due later this year, while Activision claims the studio will remain “central” to the future of the franchise, with rumours that the developer will handle another Call of Duty game in 2011 in addition to Sledgehammer’s game.
Additionally, Activision has set up a business unit to specifically manage the Call of Duty franchise and to promote “various new brand initiatives,” which will be run by Philip Earl, who currently heads up Activision Publishing Asia Pacific.
Through this business unit, Activision will begin to place a heavier focus on “high-margin digital online content,” as well as attempt to create Call of Duty games in a variety of different genres, even alluding to the possibility of a Call of Duty massively multiplayer online game, while Activision Publishing is currently in discussions with a number of select partners “to bring the franchise to Asia, one of the fastest growing regions for online multiplayer games in the world.”
Activision Publishing president Mike Griffith said in a statement:
“2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise. In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players.”
Problems are occurring between Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward and publisher Activision, and they're not digital problems.
According to a G4 source, a "bunch of bouncer-types" have turned up at the Infinity Ward studios, unannounced. Studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West met with Activision this morning, and both haven't been seen since.
Now though, Infinity Ward CTO Jason West has reportedly updated his Facebook status as "Jason West is drinking. Also, unemployed."
West's LinkedIn profile has also been updated:
"President/Game Director/CCO/CTO Infinity Ward
January 2001 – March 2010 (9 years 3 months)"
So for the moment, it looks like Jason West is no longer part of developer Infinity Ward. When updates reach us, we'll let you know.
UPDATE: Some more updates to bring you, as Activision are investigating "breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward." as revealed by an SEC filing made this morning by the publisher.
It goes on to say that the "matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company."
Here we go, lol, Courtney Love to Sue Over Cobain Guitar Hero Appearance.
We thought she was on board?!
Although it was tacky to begin with, the playable Kurt Cobain character on Guitar Hero 5 is a travesty! The game's career mode has the animated Nirvana frontman sing Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name, yell Flava Flav's catch phrase and do Bush karaoke.
Of course, Courtney Love took to her Twitter to shout her disgust from the micro-blogging rooftops!
“For the record this Guitar Hero shit is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction," she tweeted. “WE are going to sue the shit out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises.”
"For the record this Guitar Hero shit is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction."
"WE are going to sue the shit out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises"
Whatever happens from here on out, it should be an entertaining series of events. We find it hard to believe though that Activision would just do this without the proper authorisation. Either way, we'll surely find out over the coming weeks as this one unfolds.
Discuss this news article in our forums by clicking the link below..
Wild West Gamers will enjoy this installment of DLC for Bound In Blood. Fight through some the most historical battles that took place in the wild west. History buffs and gamers unite with this DLC pack.
Today Ubisoft announces that the "Old West Map Pack” Game Add On for Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood will be available August 6th, 2009 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Due to the overwhelming positive response and consumer success, the release of this first Game Add On pack will provide consumers with even more legendary Wild West shootouts. The "Old West Map Pack” contains four multi-player maps.
The four new maps will allow players to relive even more historical events of American history, including General Custer's last stand at Little Big Horn, the Vulture Mine robbery and two famous prison escapes. The download's four maps are all playable in every game mode.
Multi-player Map Details
Little Bighorn - An open terrain level reconstructing the famous battle of Little Bighorn of June 25–26th, 1876, when General Custer's troops were obliterated by combined American Indian forces.
Vulture Mine - Based on a theft of gold from the mine, outlaws must breach the storage facility and rob the gold stash while destroying a lift in order to Escape.
Fort Smith - In this prison escape, outlaws must breach a jail wall, ring an alarm at a nearby Sheriff's office and then try to escape.
Elmira Prison Camp - The epic escape from Union Civil War Prison at Elmira, NY, on October 7, 1864 is recreated. Prisoners must blow up the camp and make their way to an armory and attempt to gain means of transport.
All detailed information contained in this news article is directly from a official press release.
Puppet House creeps onto Xbox Series, PS5, and PC in 2024 Puppet House, an unsettling horror survival game from Gaming Factory (@GamingFactorySA) creeps onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam) soon! Take on the role a photographer with a penchant..
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Gutierrez slammed the prosecution over everything from alleged unlawful behavior by government witnesses, to proposed jury instructions harmful to the defense. When the verbal assault finally subsided, federal prosecutors asked for a recess to determine whether they would offer the defendant a deal, dismiss, or move forward with the case that was slated to become the first jury trial of its type. A jury was seated Tuesday.
