Forbes, a growing champion of the people, has the interview up with both Rambourg and Iwinski. I don’t want to copy and paste the whole thing but a lot of what both guys have to say about the issue of protecting IP rights and safeguarding licensed property is spot on, because ultimately they’re saying that the more you try to fight it by restricting consumers, the worse it is on the person doing the fighting.

Rambourg states that…

We use no DRM and we never will. The fact that we have a download assistant has worried a few people because they’re afraid it’s the first step on the way to having an always-on client like some other distributors out there. We’ll never do that. Our download assistant has a very limited scope of information that it accesses.

There’s no authentication server. There’s no functions to sweep through your memory or your storage device looking for other active programs or data. There’s no bloatware or privacy invasion. It just helps you download games at incredibly quick speeds.

Heh, there’s an obvious dig in there about Origin, which has been proven to scan through your PC to check whether you’re running a legal copy of the software, amongst other things.

The other interesting thing brought out in the interview is that when GOG offered The Witcher 2 without any DRM, they found out that it was ignored over the SecuROM, disc-based version of the game which appeared on torrents first and has been pirated more than 4 million times. That’s right, the DRM-free version of The Witcher 2, which anyone could copy and paste onto another hard-drive with ease, was not pirated as quickly or as much as the disc-based, DRM version.

However, Iwinski has a hypothesis for why the disc-version of the game was pirated before the DRM-free version of The Witcher 2, saying…

My guess is, that releasing an unprotected game is not the real deal, you have to crack it to gain respect and be able to write, “cracked by XYZ.” How would “not cracked by XYZ, as there was nothing to crack” sound? A bit silly, wouldn’t it? The illegal scene is pretty much about the game and the glory: who will be the first to deliver the game, who is the best and smartest cracker.

That is true. You see this all the time on the torrent scene “…cracked by Reloaded” or “…cracked by XPG” or “…cracked by EtGamez”. Usually it’s a race between hackers to crack and upload (or in some cases, re-upload) a product, proving they were the first (or one of the first) to crack the software. It becomes a bit of an e-peen underground contest between hackers. DRM-free software doesn’t really offer that kind of thrill, hence the reason why it’s actually harder to find it on torrents than the cracked version.

This doesn’t excuse piracy by a long shot. No company wants to see their product get stolen, but GOG and CD Projekt are taking a different approach to the situation. There will always be poor people trying to get products and goods they can’t afford. There will always be douche bags who just like to pirate because they can. And then there are people who pirate a game to test it as a demo (which isn’t a bad concept considering how badly optimized a lot of PC games are these days).

Ultimately, CD Projekt’s CEO, Marcin Iwinksi, has come to the realization that DRM just doesn’t work. It’s a waste of time and resources…

The technology which is supposed to protect games against illegal copying is cracked within hours of the release of every single game. So, that’s wasted money and development just to implement it. But that’s not the worst part. DRM, in most cases, requires users to enter serial numbers, validate his or her machine, and be connected to the Internet while they authenticate – and possibly even when they play the game they bought. Quite often the DRM slows the game down, as the wrapper around the executable file is constantly checking if the game is being legally used or not. That is a lot the legal users have to put up with, while the illegal users who downloaded the pirated version have a clean–and way more functional!–game.

In the end, Iwinksi doesn’t see much of a future for DRM. It’s a little hard to tell right now because we’ve just come off what could be considered a huge success for Blizzard’s Diablo III, which has probably the worst kind of DRM imaginable: you can only lease the game from them and play it when they allow you to.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun has been encouraging readers, gamers and consumers to keep the pressure on Blizzard so that this does not boil over and become a newfound problem for the industry at large.

It seems to be a battle right now between smaller companies and gamers trying to fight to preserve the integrity and qualities of the gaming industry, while larger companies aim to feed on the uninformed casuals to expand and grow industry threatening practices that would only spell disaster in the long run.

You can check out the entire interview with Iwinski and Rambourg over at Forbes.

Two years later, the company defaulted on a $1.1 million payment to the corporation, Schilling has pleaded for additional state help and Rhode Island faces the possibility of being stuck with the company’s debts should it collapse.

Lawmakers who never signed off on the loan guarantee said they now have to answer to constituents demanding to know why Rhode Island backed an untested company helmed by a wealthy former athlete when the state grapples with an 11.2 percent jobless rate and chronic budget deficits.

“We have cities and towns on the brink of bankruptcy,” said Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere, R-Westerly. “The public is looking at this $75 million and saying, ‘What did you do?’”

Schilling’s 38 Studios asked the Economic Development Corp. on Wednesday for additional assistance after defaulting on a scheduled $1.1 million payment to the agency on May 1. The company then hand-delivered a check for the amount — but told the corporation the check wouldn’t clear. The payment was made Friday, said Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

Himself a vocal critic of the deal with 38 Studios before he took office, Chafee said he doesn’t want to give the company any additional taxpayer support.

“This was a very, very challenging investment by the state,” Chafee said. “We’re just going through the consequences of what we knew right from the beginning.”

Industry experts agree that Rhode Island’s bet on video games faced long odds from the beginning.

The types of video games 38 Studios creates have upfront development costs in the range of tens of millions of dollars, take years to get to market and their commercial success is not guaranteed, said Doug Creutz, a senior research analyst at San Francisco-based Cowen and Company LLC.

The industry for the moment is concentrated on developing games for social networking sites and mobile devices, while the mainstay gaming consoles — Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii — are aging and overall the economy is continuing to struggle, observers said.

“In general, there isn’t a lot of money coming into the video game space,” said Creutz.

Indeed, the agreement between the state and 38 Studios acknowledged that “the business of producing and distributing proprietary video games is highly speculative and inherently risky. There is no guarantee of the economic success of any video game.”

38 Studios is in the process of developing a massively multiplayer online game dubbed “Copernicus.” Multiplayer online games can support hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously.

Originals

Originals

40 minutes Ago

Posted by: Tate Steinlage

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Hype — it’s a word that’s uttered constantly throughout the gaming industry, and frankly, it brings about some mixed emotions. On one hand, you have what I like to call the “Peter Molyneux definition of hype,” which basically ensures that a game is going to flop, and on the other you have the Mass Effect 3 definition, which says, “everyone is excited for this game and for a very good reason — it’ll kick butt!” It’s no secret, then, that 2010′s Medal of Honor fell into the Molyneux definition, because it indeed did flop. Sure, it sold quite well, but it definitely did not stand toe-to-toe with Call of Duty. In fact, it was barely able to show its face in the FPS genre. But what if I was to tell you that EA’s upcoming shooter, Medal of Honor Warfighter, is shaping up to be 2012′s hottest first-person shooter? What if I told you that Call of Duty will finally be fighting to maintain its #1 spot on the weekly online activity charts? By now, you probably think I am crazy, but read on and you’ll see why this opinion is anything other than foolish. 

When contemplating this very topic, I continually asked myself how EA could overcome such failure with Medal of Honor and just move on and release a blockbuster hit. That’s when it hit me: success is normally found after failure. If you sit back and think about it, Activision and Treyarch have had no “duds” the past four years. They’ve released mega hits that have sold millions and have been embraced by the overall community. EA, on the other hand, faced major criticism from their fans after the 2010 release of Medal of Honor. The community was angry and was quick to point out every major flaw. Since then, EA has had two years to sit on their mistakes and oversee how Battlefield 3 actually competed with the first-person shooter juggernaut. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a great mix for some sweet “revenge,” if you wish to call it that. 

In addition to failure, what a better way to reinstate your series in a genre than with an entirely new engine? EA’s Frostbite 2.0 engine is simply gorgeous and mind blowing. The developer has also stated that they’re “leveraging” the engine to reach its full potential, which is undoubtedly focused around a destructive environment. Check out the screenshots yourselves; EA is not messing around when they say that Medal of Honor Warfighter will be groundbreaking in terms of graphics and playability. Even if Treyarch updates the Call of Duty engine (which definitely needs to be done — the Cold War and WW3 look too similar), it will not even be able to touch Frostbite 2.0. Realism is what every gamer aims for these days, and realism in military shooters is all about destruction. They way I see it, Warfighter has a major advantage over Black Ops II. 

So, we’ve been talking about Warfighter‘s leverage over the competition (mainly Black Ops II), but what must it do to actually become “king?” To start with, Warfighter must find its identity. 2010′s installment straddled the line between Battlefield and Call of Duty, and it never really shined as its own idea. Once its identity is found, EA must begin selling that to fans, because right now most folks see Medal of Honor as a dead franchise with no real spark. In terms of gameplay, deliver a narrative that’s simple to follow, yet in-depth in nature. Take Mass Effect 3, for example; it’s apparent that the goal is to stop the Reapers using this unfamiliar weapon, but to do so you’re taken through a journey that’s heart pounding, even tear-stricken. Show us a story that’s more than, “OHHHH RAHHHH, LETS SHOOT SOME BAD GUYS!” Present us with characters who matter, and allow us to be a part of their story — their backgrounds, their insights, and their (hopeful) futures. 

On the multiplayer side, you have to reinvent the wheel in terms of game modes. At this point, I don’t feel that anyone can throw us for a loop in terms of the core mechanics: you shoot at your enemy and hope to kill them, plain and simple. Instead, head back to the drawing boards and create original modes that are addicting, yet rewarding in terms of ranking up. In addition, map creation will also be important for Warfighter‘s success. Generic FPS maps have been just that… generic. Throw us some interesting features for each map: ex. Gears of War 2′s hail-stricken map. Originality will set the tone for Warfighter, especially when it’s against a concrete blockbuster shooter. 

In reality, Warfighter has about the same chances of outselling Black Ops II as I do winning the Kansas Lottery, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be the superior game. Heck, Ke$ha and Lady Gaga are selling more albums/singles than several of the big name 70s bands — that doesn’t mean they’re better artists (it just means that some people shouldn’t be allowed to listen to music). If EA sticks to their roots and analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the FPS genre, the Medal of Honor franchise, and their competition, I believe Warfighter can reign supreme this fall. Hopefully others can see past the “OMG ANOTHER CALL OF DUTY” hype and realize that EA is on to something. Right now, though, it’s one big waiting game — one I’m currently losing at it. 

You can follow Tate Steinlage on Twitter – @SteinlageT

Tags: Medal of Honor Warfighter, EA, Black Ops II, MOH, gaming

Game 4 between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers takes place this afternoon in Indiana as the look to take a 3-1 lead in the series.. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 pm start time and it will be televised live on ABC. Currently the odds have Miami favored by 2 points with the total sitting at 177.5 points for the contest.

Free Analysis: The Heat look to end their two-game losing skid when they take the court in Indiana for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon. Miami scored 95 points in its Game 1 victory, but has managed just 75 points in each of the past two losses, shooting just 35.9% FG. The Heat have certainly missed PF Chris Bosh, who is out for the series with an abdominal strain, getting outrebounded 102-76 during the two defeats. One of the many problems with Miami is that it can’t make outside shots, going a dreadful 5-for-42 (11.9%) on three-point tries in the series. Although LeBron James is taking much of the blame for the past two defeats, he’s averaged 25.0 PPG (46% FG), 8.0 RPG and 4.0 APG in the losses. But he has made his share of mistakes, hitting just 1-of-8 threes and 9-of-16 free throws (56%), including two big misses down the stretch in Game 2. SG Dwyane Wade had a horrific Game 3, scoring just five points on 2-of-13 FG and committing five turnovers. Wade is now shooting 31% FG for the series, including 10-for-35 FG (28.6%) during the losing skid. The Heat have scored a mere 87.5 PPG on 39.9% FG in their past six playoff games, and are a mediocre 19-17 (15-21 ATS) on the road this season. However, they are also 14-8 (11-10-1 ATS) following an SU loss this season. Miami is also 10-3 (8-4-1 ATS) with 2+ days of rest this season, holding these 13 opponents to just 90.4 PPG. The Pacers have been strong at home this year, going 26-11 (18-19 ATS) and allowing just 91.9 PPG (42% FG) to visitors of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Their defense has been outstanding in the 2012 playoffs, allowing a mere 83.0 PPG on 39% FG. Many Pacers contributed to Thursday’s win but none bigger than C Roy Hibbert who tallied 19 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks. The rest of Indiana’s starting frontcourt also took advantage of a Chris Bosh-less interior as PF David West notched 14 points and nine rebounds while SF Danny Granger posted 17 points (6-of-15 FG) and seven boards in Game 3. Granger was due for a big night after totaling 18 points on 25% FG in Games 1-2. Hill led his team with 20 points on blistering shooting (6-of-8 FG, 3-of-4 threes, 5-for-5 FT), while George had a well-rounded nine points (3-of-6 FG), five rebounds and two blocks. PG Darren Collison, who led Indiana with 4.8 APG during the regular season, failed to record an assist for the second straight game. The Pacers are 5-2 SU but just 3-4 ATS on 2 days rest, while holding those opponents to just 90.4 ppg.

Free Pick: Would love to take the Heat in this one as I expect they will play better, but without Bosh it’s a risk to take Miami, so i will look to the Under in this one. Miami has scored just 75 points in each of their last 2 playoff games and It won’t get easier for them to score tonight. The Pacers have allowed just 83 ppg on 39% shooting during the playoffs this year while at home they have allowed just 91.9 ppg. I just don’t see this struggling Miami offense getting much more than they have been vs this tough Pacers defense. Miami has played good defense this year, especially on 2+ days rest as they have allowed just 90.4 ppg in that situation this year and they will have to rely on their defense if they expect to tie up the series. This will be another tough defensive game that will be played in the 160′s. 

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Betting Strategies: Handicapping NBA Playoffs
Host Marco D’Angelo and Pregame Pro Vegas Runner discuss their strategies about betting the NBA Playoffs and being successful.

This video follows closely after Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee revealed the release date of Project Copernicus (June 2013) against the wishes of 38 Studios. A source familiar with the events told GamesBeat that everyone at the developer was shocked when they saw Governor Chafee announce their MMO’s delay on television, which is a piece of information that was buried deep within the confidential financial information 38 Studios presented to the state.

Troubles began for the company when it missed a May 1 payment of $1.125 million owed to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. According to the terms of the loan, 38 Studios has agreed to pay an “annual guarantee fee” on May 1 of each year that amounts to 1.5 percent of the average outstanding debt. That led to a private hearing between the top figures of the EDC and the developer in which the studio’s chairman, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, asked for government assistance in paying back the loan.

“It’s a balance of making sure that 38 Studios is successful so that we can recoup our huge investment and not getting further exposed if the company, ultimately, is not gonna make it,” Governor Chafee said in a press conference. “That’s a tough balance.”

If Schilling’s firm does collapse, the state would be forced to pay back the loan. After interest, that would cost tax payers $90 million.

On Friday, 38 Studios successfully made the overdue payment. Earlier that day, the developer attempted to pass a check to the EDC that it said would bounce. That check wasn’t accepted. Eventually, the company wired $1.025 million and provided a $100,000 check for the rest of the balance. According to Providence news station WPRI, the firm did not make payroll for its employees this week.

We’ve contacted 38 Studios to find out more about its new game and its financial status. No one from the Providence-based business is commenting at this time.

On May 20th, Nintendo will introduce the ‘Midnight Purple’ 3DS joining this newly colored 3DS will be Nintendo’s latest release, Mario Tennis Open.

Just as any previous Mario­-themed sports title, Mario Tennis Open offers an energetic take on the sport complete with special moves imaginative courts. It’s charming delightful in that patented Nintendo fashion as it delivers a pure form of entertainment which appeals to gamers of all ages.

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There are three main single-player modes: Exhibition, Tournament, Special Games – or known as the mini-games. Tournament mode is where you spend the bulk of your time as you progress through eight cups – this can jump to 16 if you participate in Doubles Tournaments – with the final four, or better known as the Star Open, only accessible to characters which have won the Champions Cup.  

Those familiar with the sport or previous Mario Tennis titles will find the default AI fairly easy in the opening cups, however an increase occurs during the Star Open as the AI returns shots more frequently make better use of the court to throw you off balance. Regardless, most should be able to conquer all eight cups without much concern, but a strong sense of challenge is certainly present. For those looking for a greater test of skill, there are Pro Ace difficulties available in Exhibition mode that will assess your skills thoroughly. It’s unfortunate that you can’t tweak Tournament mode to these higher difficulties.

To help hone skills are four mini-games. These include Ring Shot, aim shoot the ball through the rings for points, Ink Showdown, keep the computer from returning your shot as ink balls are shot to obstruct your view, Galaxy Rally, keep the rally going for as long as possible. While those are pretty standard fare, the mini-game that is the highlight of the bunch is the brilliantly designed Super Mario Tennis.

What makes Super Mario Tennis so attractive is the style in which you play. You smack a ball against a giant screen which has a stage from Super Mario Bros. playing. Hitting blocks, defeating enemies, collecting coins will extend your time, as Mushrooms Fire Flowers will give the tennis ball an upgrade. Sadly you cannot play through the entire Super Mario Bros. game in this mode, however the few levels offered are a great deal of fun serve as a splendid distraction.

The biggest change to Mario Tennis Open over previous entries is the introduction of Chance Shots. Chance Shots spring up throughout each match offer an opportunity to use a special shot that’s harder for your opponent to return. Each special shot is tied to a specific shot type – the topspin Chance Shot will give an increase in speed, for example. To make use of these you’ll need to reach the Chance Shot zone before the ball lands match the shot type that it asks for – you can also use the Normal Shot button; however the tradeoff will be a decrease in power.

As Chance Shots become more frequent during a match, you’ll be tempted to use them as often as possible, however that may not be the best strategy. During the Star Open, and especially online multiplayer, you’ll find that faking a Chance Shot will lead to better scoring opportunities as you trick your opponents find them out of place. These power shots can shift the tide of a match in an instance as they lead to intense rallies exciting match conclusions.

While the single-player deals a fair amount of content, it’s the multiplayer that truly excels. Four player multiplayer is available via a single game cart for local games, however it’s the online that will keep playing.

Though not as robust as Mario Kart 7’s online offering, Mario Tennis Open has all the basic online functionality one will need. You can partake in Single or Doubles matches when playing with friends or play in Set/Sudden Death style matches with random folk within your region. After each match, win or lose, you’ll be given points which will then be added to your overall total which will then be counted towards your ‘Monthly Ranking’. Although thin in features, the online is quite addictive.

One feature I found myself hooked to was the ability to customize my Mii. All the Nintendo-themed characters have locked stats, leaving your Mii as the sole character available to character customization options. Costumes, rackets, shoes, wrist sweatbands, other options are available with each offering slight performance changes to your Mii’s skills. Sadly, the menu system in place isn’t very clear in telling you what skills are being enhanced or deceased.

Mario Tennis Open has excellent core game mechanics, is addicting, is as a lot fun, especially when played online. The single-player content may be a bit on the light side; however the mini-games, especially Super Mario Tennis, are highly entertaining, meanwhile the Star Open will keep you busy due to its challenging level of difficulty. Plus there are plenty of items to unlock. Multiplayer, though basic, is pleasing as a skilled competitor is always waiting monthly leaderboards will keep you motivated.

It may not offer a ton of exciting new content, but it makes up for it by delivering an endless supply of fun.

Overall: 8.0 / 10 

(Editor’s Note: A copy of Mario Tennis Open was provided by Nintendo for review purposes. The single-player was cleared with two characters — Mii Mario — for review. Over 30 online matches were played.)

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant made 18 free throws without a miss and scored 14 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied late for a 99-96 victory over Oklahoma City in Game 3 on Friday night, cutting the Thunder’s second-round series lead to 2-1.

Metta World Peace swiped the ball from Kevin Durant and hit two free throws with 12.9 seconds remaining for the third-seeded Lakers, who shook off the memory of their late collapse in Game 2.

When Durant missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Andrew Bynum blocked Serge Ibaka’s shot at the buzzer, the Lakers’ frenzied crowd celebrated only their second victory in the last six playoff games.

Durant scored 31 points before missing his last shot for Oklahoma City, which could have moved to the brink of its second consecutive trip to the Western Conference finals. Instead, the Thunder lost for the first time in the postseason.

Game 4 in the back-to-back set is tonight.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden scored 21 points apiece for the Thunder, who couldn’t match the Lakers’ late-game execution after soundly out-executing the Lakers in Game 2. Los Angeles finished Game 3 on a 6-2 run in the final 33 seconds, all on free throws.

Bynum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who got 12 points apiece from Pau Gasol, Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake. Gasol also had 11 rebounds and six assists in front of the Lakers’ energized crowd, which didn’t appear worried while the Lakers flirted with an 0-3 deficit, which has never been overcome in NBA history.

Oklahoma City’s bench celebrated a 92-87 lead on Westbrook’s breakaway dunk with 2:55 to play, but the Lakers trimmed away with Gasol’s free throws, Bryant’s layup and several possessions of tenacious defense. Bryant’s free throws put the Lakers ahead with 1:09 to play.

Durant immediately hit a go-ahead jumper with a hand squarely in his face, but Bryant added two more free throws — his 15th and 16th — to put Los Angeles ahead 95-94. The Lakers finished 41 of 42 from the line, and the Thunder were 26 of 28.

The game was the first of four second-round NBA playoff games in just over 48 hours at Staples Center, also the site of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between and Kings and Phoenix on Thursday and Sunday. The top-seeded San Antonio Spurs will face the Los Angeles Clippers this afternoon before the Thunder and Lakers play Game 4.

Thanks to the NBA’s shortened schedule, the Lakers are playing their first back-to-back playoff games since May 22-23, 1999, in the second round against San Antonio during another season shortened by labor strife.

Staples Center was bubbling with energy even before tipoff, with thousands of Lakers fans actually deigning to wear the gold giveaway T-shirts that are usually tucked under chairs or slung over shoulders.

The Lakers responded to the buzz, jumping to a 16-6 lead while Oklahoma City missed its first five shots and used two timeouts. The Lakers led by 12 points in the first quarter.