On this week’s edition, Valve talks down Xbox Live and Jack Thompson raises a stink over Medal of Honor.
Zynga Accused of Copying Other Games
Have you ever wondered where casual games giant Zynga gets all its ideas? Well, according to a former Zynga employee, it stole them from other developers. In an article called “FarmVillains,” former staff said that Zynga CEO Mark Pincus specifically told them not to try and come up with new ideas, as he was uninterested in innovation. He apparently was also fully aware that the company would get sued, but didn’t seem to care. (link)
Valve Didn’t Think Xbox Live Could Stay Broken Forever
When Valve started to make games for the Xbox 360, it assumed that the rules regarding Xbox Live and DLC would have to change eventually. Newell, described the rules as a “train wreck” and though that Microsoft would realize how broken they were. Unfortunately, and much to the company’s chagrin, Microsoft has not relaxed its policy about DLC, leaving Xbox 360 customers without a lot of the updates their PC brethren are enjoying. (link)
Jack Thompson Takes the War to Medal of Honor
Disbarred former lawyer Jack Thompson has stated his intention to prevent the release of the new Medal of Honor game. He claimed that publisher EA had ignored the ESRB by letting anyone order it, regardless of age, and that the game was so realistic, it could be used as a training tool for the Taliban against American forces. He also urged the US Secretary of Defense to identify the Special Forces operatives who he believes acted “foolishly” by consulting on the game. (link)
PC/Xbox 360 Fusion Costs a Bomb
The Origin Big-O gaming PC is now available, and as long as you have around $8,000 to spend, you can get a machine that will last you for years and has an Xbox 360 built in. That’s just for the entry level model too, if your wallet is even fatter, you can spend more than twice that and get a PC that can presumably travel through time and paint masterpieces. For a computer that costs more than $15,000, you really shouldn’t accept anything less. (link)
Duke Nukem Moves in With Gearbox
It seems that Gearbox isn’t just making Duke Nukem Forever, it now owns the franchise. According to its former owner 3D Realms, Gearbox was the only appropriate home for Duke, because it was the only place with enough passion and love for the character. It not clear at the moment whether Duke will be anything but a poison chalice, but Gearbox at least has the advantage of being able to finish a game. (link)
