The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the industry's lobbying group, sent out a press release a little while ago applauding the prison sentences given to two convicted game pirates. Kevin Fuchs of New York and Kifah Maswadi of Florida were sentenced to eight months and fifteen months in prison, respectively. The men also face multiple years of supervised release after that, with Maswadi having been ordered to pay $415,900.
Before freaking out and thinking the FBI and Justice Department are "in your internetz, ready to send you to prisons," it's worth noting the two men sentenced were pretty hardcore software pirates. Maswadi sold consoles with illegal copies of titles on the internet and made $390,000 on his business. So, if you made hundreds of thousands of dollars last year off illegal game sales ... might we suggest a new vocation?
Just when we uber-jaded game journalists start to think that there's nothing new under the fun, we always end up getting surprised in the oddest places. Like today, Oxygen Games has presented us with an entirely new genre with today's WiiWare addition: Pirates: The Key of Dreams (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points), a "frantic nautical shooter."
We were dying to know what that could mean, that is, until we heard the game's intro music, at which point were were simply dying. After a lunge for the mute button, we were actually pretty intrigued by what we saw. Do you think you might be open to some "frantic nautical combat"?
Joystiq reader Sam sends us this picture from Grand Theft Auto IV. We've slightly highlighted the key part where it says pirate, with games written right below it. In light of recent events, we can't help but notice some irony. Check out the highlights for today:
Certain Affinity is close to finishing Plunder, a downloadable real-time strategy, multiplayer pirate game. The Capcom-published title will be released in late Spring or early Summer for XBLA, PSN, and PCs. Pricing has yet to be announced.
With inspiration from Settlers of Catan, Certain Affinity decided to create a hex-based game but with a real-time twist. Each player -- up to four on one system and eight online -- uses a pointer to guide their own ship. Teams win by capturing a certain number of towns or holding the majority when time runs out.
I played a few test games on an Xbox setup, tapping the A button to issue movement orders. Much of the rest of the game is automated, with ships attacking towns and enemy pirates when within range. Neutral and enemy towns pelted my boat with canon balls until I pummeled them into submission. If I held the defeated town for a moment, I'd claim it, causing it to attack only opposing boats.
When we initially heard about Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball, our first question was, "what about zombies and robots?" (Actually, we first wondered why pirates had top-billing, but that would've led to a long and pointless debate.) Fortunately, developer Blazing Lizard heard our cry and sent assurance that zombies and robots were, indeed, ready to fight.
Our sister site X3F has new, robotic pictures and concept art for the upcoming Xbox Live (and possibly PSN) title. Peruse the gallery below and enjoy robot profiles adjacent to the images.
On February 11, the 360's Xbox Originals will see another small update to its still-slender selection, this time adding Ninja Gaiden Black, Sid Meier's Pirates!, and the Criterion FPS Black to the roster.
Pirates! is the 2004 re-make of Sid Meier's original 1987 adventure game, which sees players taking on the roles of pirates (duh) in the Spanish Main. Black is Criterion's adrenaline-fueled last-gen FPS, with destructible environments and a healthy amount of explosions. Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden Black added a number of features to the original Xbox title, including the condescending "Ninja Dog" easy mode.
All good additions, to be sure, but with Valentine's Day coming only three days later, couldn't they have at least included something a bit more romantic? Like, say, Beyond Good & Evil?
After a brief hiccup earlier this morning, pirate-themed MMO Pirates of the Burning Sea hoisted its sails and left port for the wide open sea where, SOE hopes, it will be greeted by thousands upon thousands of patiently waiting pirates who've got treasure aplenty to spend in their virtual Caribbean. If you're a lowly stowaway aboard this latest MMO, you'd be wise to stop off at the port of Massively wherein you'll find plenty of features to orient yourself. If you're an old hand, been playing since this morning, let us know what you think in those there comments.
Any respectable connoisseur of the erotic arts can tell you that in this day and age, watching lo-def pornography is about as un-erotic as watching reruns of Murder, She Wrote. Once you've seen an unclothed bathing suit area at 1080p, lower definition skin flicks just seem to lose their appeal. Many porno purveyors have already made the leap to high definition formats -- such as Digital Playground, which publishes movies exclusively in HD-DVD, much to the chagrin of pornstars left with pockmarked skin after years of spite and heroin abuse.
However, Joone, the company's single-named founder, has recently reconsidered his position in the resolution war, agreeing to publish Digital Playground pictures (starting with their 2005 award-winning blockbuster Pirates) in Blu-ray as well. Why the change of heart? According to Joone, "A lot of people were e-mailing that bought a PlayStation 3 and they were basically saying, 'When are you guys going to release Blu-ray?'" Pornophilic PS3 owners can buckle their swashes when Pirates is released January 4th -- we suggest watching the timeless classic American Bangster to tide you over until then.
Prepare to put on your black jumpsuit, brandish your katana, and stealthily engage the Pirates of the Burning Sea as it enters open beta beginning Friday. Wow, wish we could go back and fix that first sentence. Sony Online Entertainment's swashbuckling adventure will technically be open only to FilePlanet subscribers on Friday, Dec. 7, with others receiving their invites during the week.
Pirates of the Burning Sea has been in development for quite some time and there's been no changes to its plans in pillaging retail beginning Jan. 22. We'll take any alternatives to World of Warcraft at this point. The MMO genre is a nasty place with games releasing and then hardly hearing a peep out of them after. Maybe Pirates won't sink soon after leaving port. Now where's the ninja MMO?
Are those nasty pirates orchestrating their revenge after Nintendo sunk their chips earlier this week? According to a posting on NeoGAF, an unsavory EB Games employee decided to take the contents of an in-store Super Mario Galaxy demo disc and share it with the online world. Though the demo is usually constrained by a 10-minute time limit, the disc reportedly contains the full game and is fully accessible through use of a modified Wii console. As the pirate site offering the code isn't specified or linked to, it's difficult to verify whether or not Mario's currently making his way down some shady pipes.
We contacted a Nintendo spokesperson for confirmation, only to be informed that we were the first to alert them of the development. Note that in the event of the rumor being true, posting of download links or impressions in the comments sections will be met with permanent bans and disapproving glares.
If a pirate you were meant to be, trimming the sales and roaming the sea, you'd best mark January 22nd on your Official Babes 'n Barnacles calendar. The date sees massively multiplayer online swashbuckler sim, Pirates of the Burning Sea, ransacking your internet ports and plundering your PC's precious CPU cycles. If you've grown tired of the company of elves and orcs, perhaps living it out on the high seas -- be it through honest exploration or the shameless sinking of ships -- is more your thing.
Those who pre-order the game as of October 23rd will receive several bonus goodies, including a CD filled with "pirate-themed" music, "a blue and yellow parrot" and "a powerful weapon suited to their fighting style." The CD is an in-game item, as anachronistic as that may be. In addition, a pre-order nets you extra sailing time on the Burning Sea, with servers welcoming players 15 days prior to launch. Don't forget to pack some oranges.
Codemasters has announced a deal with Templar Publishing to release a series of games based on the multi-million selling 'Ology series of faux encyclopedias for the Wii and Nintendo DS late next year. The agreement includes the first three books in the series, Dragonology, Wizardology and Pirateology, with the former expected to ship first in the second half of 2008.
While details are scarce, we know that the Wii version of each title will take a more action-oriented approach to the source material, while the DS will get more 'explorative' games, described by Codemasters as 'interactive books.'
The latter certainly makes sense, though does it strike anyone else as odd that encyclopedias, even fantasy encyclopedias, are being made into action games? The books themselves are really amazing works, but it's anyone's guess how this material will be translated into an interactive format.
When you rush in on Sept. 25 to finish the fight with the Covenant, don't be surprised if the fight has already been finished ... by pirates. GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that Halo 3 has already leaked onto warez sites (if the kids are still calling them that) in the form of a 6.14 gigabyte that is, unsurprisingly, dowloading like proverbial hotcakes for play on modded 360s.
Now, we who will both wait and pay for the game must trudge through the pirates who got there first lining the streets asleep, their bellies thick with grog, their pockets fat with $60 bills from all the games they haven't bought. But take heart, dear reader. You won't just be getting satisfaction from playing Gallant to their earringed, tri-corner hatted Goofus. You can also take comfort that, though they might have gotten there first, not a single one of those pirates will get a cat helmet.
Blazing Lizard has decided to table all other discussions for the moment, and answer one burning question. Gone are the questions like "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" and "If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?" and "Do you want fries with that?" Instead they're heading back to the basics of stealthiness vs. swarthiness ... "Ninjas or pirates?"
According to studio director Chris Stockton, "This is the ultimate in rivalries, and we aim to have them settle it with all out balls to the wall action." Nice! Although where will you be able to play this? No man, whether pirate or ninja, can say. The game "is poised to redefine consumer expectations of console downloadable games when it's released for a TBD platform in the first quarter of 2008." Very mysterious.
In the meantime, check out the screenshots and concept art in the gallery below, and sharpen your peg legs and shurikens.
Massively multiplayer swashbuckler Pirates of the Burning Seawas recently announced to be sailing under the flag of Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing. While joining hands with a publisher is generally considered good news, some fans following the game throughout its development have expressed concern over SOE's involvement, citing its indelicate handling of Star Wars: Galaxies. Addressing these concerns is Russel Williams, CEO of developer Flying Lab Software, who updated the game's official website with a surprisingly straightforward explanation of what the publishing deal entails.
Williams specifies the responsibilities carried by each party in the deal and is quick to point out that Flying Lab Software retains complete ownership of Pirates of the Burning Sea and remains independent. "Platform Publishing is a channel for independent developers to compete on the same level as a big publisher – without selling their soul," says Williams. He goes on to stress that the deal will ultimately allow Flying Lab to focus on development of the game and deliver it on time this Fall. "I've put my money where my mouth is. And I want more developers to do the same."
Posts with tag Pirates
Any respectable connoisseur of the erotic arts can tell you that in this day and age, watching lo-def pornography is about as un-erotic as watching reruns of Murder, She Wrote. Once you've seen an unclothed bathing suit area at 1080p, lower definition skin flicks just seem to lose their appeal. Many porno purveyors have already made the leap to high definition formats -- such as Digital Playground, which publishes movies exclusively in HD-DVD, much to the chagrin of pornstars left with pockmarked skin after years of spite and heroin abuse.
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Codemasters has announced a deal with Templar Publishing to release a series of games based on the multi-million selling 'Ology series of faux encyclopedias for the Wii and Nintendo DS late next year. The agreement includes the first three books in the series, Dragonology, Wizardology and Pirateology, with the former expected to ship first in the second half of 2008.
When you rush in on Sept. 25 to finish the fight with the Covenant, don't be surprised if the fight has already been finished ... by pirates. GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that Halo 3 has already leaked onto warez sites (if the kids are still calling them that) in the form of a 6.14 gigabyte that is, unsurprisingly, dowloading like proverbial hotcakes for play on modded 360s. 
_thumbnail.jpg "i am 8-bit: 2008")
