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Florida Lawmaker Proposes State Ban on Violent Game Sales to Minors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:55am.
Miami - A Florida lawmaker has introduced a bill in the state's senate that would ban the sale and rental of violent video games to minors. Reuters reported that the proposed legislation, from Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla (R-Miami), is a "near clone" of a video game ban recently signed into California state law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Entertainment Software Association, a video game industry trade group, recently filed suit in California to have that law tossed out; similar restrictions on video game sales have been struck down by courts on First Amendment free speech grounds in Washington state, St. Louis County and the city of Indianapolis. "The (Florida) Senator's proposal is clearly unconstitutional," Gail Markels, senior vice president and general counsel of the Entertainment Software Association, said in a statement.
tags: Minors | Sales | Florida | Violent Game | Lawmaker | State Ban |

Technology Companies File EU Complaint against Qualcomm

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:53am.
Brussels - A group of six technology companies including Ericsson, Nokia and Texas Instruments has filed a formal complaint with EU regulators against Qualcomm, a U.S.-based company that sells chips and technology licenses for mobile phones. The group, which also includes Broadcom, Panasonic Mobile Communications and NEC, claims that Qualcomm is abusing patent rights and trying to bully competitors out of the 3G-chip market. "The companies believe Qualcomm's anti-competitive behavior has harmful effects for the mobile telecommunications sector in Europe, as well as elsewhere, because carriers and consumers are facing higher prices and fewer choices," the group said. Qualcomm has declined to comment.
tags: Law | Qualcomm | Technology Companies | EU Complaint |

Survey Finds User-Edited Wikipedia Entries Inaccurate

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:51am.
London - The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper recently surveyed a selection of entries in the Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia written and edited entirely by its users, finding substantial errors in some entries that prompted the project's founder Jimmy Wales to call them "a horrific embarrassment." The paper assembled a panel of experts to review the Wikipedia entries on their respective fields of expertise. While entries on musician Steve Reich and diarist Samuel Pepys did not harbor serious inaccuracies, the experts found them to be either incomplete or poorly written. Vogue magazine editor Alexandra Shulman, asked to survey the Wikipedia entry for "haute couture," commented, "Broadly speaking, it's inaccurate and unclear…As a very, very broad-sweep description there are a few correct facts included, but every value judgment it makes is wrong."
tags: Survey | User-Edited | Wikipedia Entries | Inaccurate |

Stephen King, Students Collaborate on Story Through Weekly Reader Website

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:49am.
Stamford, Conn. - Horror author Stephen King has partnered with the Weekly Reader, a newspaper distributed in schools to students, on a Web-based, serial storytelling collaboration. King penned the opening lines of a story called "The Furnace," which were posted to the Reader's "Weekly Writer" site in late September; since then hundreds of students have submitted ideas for the next paragraphs. The Weekly Writer program also includes online interviews with the author, and a forum where King will answer students' questions about writing. Over the coming school year, authors including R.L. Stine and Jane Yolen are slated to launch collaborative online writing projects with students through the Weekly Writer.
tags: Website | Stephen King | Students | Collaborate | Weekly Reader |

Chipmaker Micronas to Buy Video Developer WISchip for $80 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:47am.
Geneva - Switzerland-based chipmaker Micronas announced that it has agreed to acquire WISchip International, a California-based developer of video streaming and compression technologies, for approximately $80 million. "WISchip's exciting portfolio of products and important IP for HDTV from whatever source -- be it broadcast, IPTV or delivered from storage media -- makes the company the perfect complement for (Micronas's) state-of-the-art HD display products," said Micronas CEO Wolfgang Kalsbach. "Its activities significantly strengthen our worldwide R&D efforts." WISchip, which has an R&D facility in Shanghai, has raised more than $50 million in venture capital funding to date from AsiaVest Venture Partners, Pacific Venture Partners and UMC Capital.
tags: Deals | Chipmaker | Micronas | WISchip | Video Developer |

IPTV Provider Interactive Television Networks Secures $4 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:44am.
Laguna Niguel, Calif. - Interactive Television Networks (ITVN), a provider of television and interactive content delivered over a broadband network (IPTV), announced on Friday that it has raised $4 million through a private placement with an undisclosed institutional investor. The funds will be used to fully repay a $2.4 million letter of credit from Manufacturer's Bank, and a $1.6 million short-term working capital loan from Mercator Momentum Fund III. Laguna Niguel, Calif.-based ITVN is currently seeking carriage agreements for premium channels for its service, which offers a range of channels and broadband access for $29 per month, plus a $99 hardware fee. "We are pleased that our debt financing has received such quality institutional support," said ITVN CEO Charles Prast. "These funds will go towards funding accelerated growth and the elimination of short-term debt used to acquire our existing inventory."
tags: Interactive Television Networks | IPTV Provider |

MTV Networks Names Jason Hirschhorn First Chief Digital Officer

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:42am.
New York - Viacom's MTV Networks announced that it has named Jason Hirschhorn as its first chief digital officer, responsible for creating and implementing cross-company strategies for growing MTV Networks' brands across all existing and emerging digital platforms. "Wherever our audience goes, we need to be there, with the most compelling entertainment experience available. To achieve this, Jason will lead our efforts to build, buy and partner in the digital space so we can continue strengthening consumer loyalty to all of our brands," said MTV Networks chairman and CEO Judy McGrath. Previously, Hirschhorn served as senior vice president of digital music and media for MTV Networks, and was also general manager of Sonicnet.com. Hirschhorn's Mischief New Media firm was acquired by MTV Networks in March 2000.
tags: MTV | Jason Hirschhorn | First Chief Digital Officer |

Friendster Offers P2P Photo, Video & Music Sharing Through Grouper

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:40am.
Mountain View, Calif. - Social networking site Friendster, which claims 20 million members, this week added new features, such as the ability to share files like pictures, and stream music and video files to one another. The features were enabled through a partnership with peer-to-peer software firm Grouper, whose software must be downloaded and installed to access them.
tags: Video | Friendster | P2P Photo | Music Sharing | Grouper |

Mos Def, Talib Kweli Headline Latest PlayStation Promotional Concert Tour

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:37am.
Foster City, Calif. - Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced the next installment of its PlayStation DualPlay promotional event collaboration with House of Blues, the "Breed Love Odyssey" tour. Hip-hop artists and former Black Star mates Mos Def and Talib Kweli will headline the club venue tour, at which street teams will offer demos of the PSP handheld and free downloads from Sony's Connect digital music store. Opening artists on the tour will include Pharoahe Monch, K'Naan and Jean Grae. Sony's last PlayStation DualPlay tour featured LCD Soundsystem and The Juan Maclean.
tags: PlayStation | Mos Def | Talib Kweli | Promotional Concert |

PUMA Creates Designer Sneaker for Activision's "True Crime: New York City"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:35am.
Westford, Mass. - PUMA announced on Friday that its next collaboration with video game publisher Activision as part of their existing partnership will be the release of a limited edition sneaker for Activision's "True Crime: New York City" game. Just 200 pairs of the True Crime RS-100 sneakers will be sold, from sneaker boutiques -- which themselves appear within the game -- including the PUMA Concept store in Soho, Classic Kicks, Flight Club and Clientele.
tags: Activision | PUMA | True Crime: New York City | Designer Sneaker |

Nvidia, Hybrid Graphics Partner to Improve 3D Mobile Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:33am.
Austin - Graphics chipmaker Nvidia announced this week that it has partnered with Finland-based Hybrid Graphics, to create an expanded toolkit for developers creating 3D games and other 3D content for mobile phones. Under the deal, Nvidia will include Hybrid's Mobile Framework V6 in its software development kit.
tags: Games | NVIDIA | Deal | Hybrid Graphics | 3D Mobile Games |

Vivendi to Co-Publish "Joint Task Force" PC Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:30am.
Los Angeles - Vivendi Universal Games said on Friday that it has extended a worldwide publishing agreement with HD Publishing, to include the rights to co-publish and distribute HD's "Joint Task Force" PC game. Developed by Mithis Entertainment, the game will be released in 2006 under VU Games' Sierra brand.
tags: Game | Vivendi | PC Game | Joint Task Force |

THQ Ships "Nicktoons Unite!" Video Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:28am.
Agoura Hills, Calif. - Video game publisher THQ on Friday shipped its "Nicktoons Unite!" title for PlayStation 2, GameCube and Game Boy Advance to retailers. A part of THQ's licensing agreement with children's cable TV network Nickelodeon, which has sold 16 million games to date, the game features Nickelodeon characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Jimmy Neutron and Danny Phantom.
tags: THQ | Video Game | Releases | Nicktoons Unite |

Shockwave.com Offers New Versions of "Speed Racer" Online Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:26am.
San Francisco - Online games site Shockwave.com on Friday began offering a new free version and low-priced premium download version of its "Speed Racer" game, based on the Japanese manga TV series. The company said it also plans to serialize the game, offering new versions every few months that include new scenes from different episodes of the TV series.
tags: Internet | Game | Shockwave.com | New Version | Speed Racer |

CNET News.com: "Alternate Reality Games"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:23am.
San Francisco - CNET News.com on Friday reported on "alternate reality games," or promotional games that mix online and real-world elements to create buzz around a product and often compel participants to gather clues to unravel some mystery. ABC created a number of fictional websites to promote its "Lost" TV series over the summer, which offered bonus content directly related to the show's plot. The alternate reality game genre was arguably birthed in 2001, with an online promotion called "The Beast" for Steven Spielberg's "Artificial Intelligence: A.I." movie; others have since been created for the launch of Microsoft's "Halo," and Activision's "Gun" video games.
tags: Games | CNET News.com | Alternate Reality Games |

Wired News: "Coming Soon: Online Sex Games"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2005 - 3:20am.
San Francisco - Wired News on Friday reported on video games that include sexual content, focusing on several upcoming titles that aim to offer features for consenting adults to interact both online and off-line. Upcoming games like "Façade," "Spend The Night" and "Naughty America" will offer the opportunity to go on virtual dates, have cybersex, and potentially take the action into the real world. Commenting on the likely backlash against such game content in the U.S., Brenda Brathwaite, currently the chief author of the International Game Developers Association's sex blog, told Wired News, "I'd love to see a cultural shift -- and I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime -- where people are far more horrified by the rack of guns at Wal-Mart than they are by a nipple on TV."
tags: Games | Internet | release | Launch | Wired News | Sex Games |