Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA['Slavery the Game' revealed as a viral ad for Dutch TV history series]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/slavery-the-game-revealed-as-a-viral-ad-for-dutch-tv-history-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/slavery-the-game-revealed-as-a-viral-ad-for-dutch-tv-history-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/slavery-the-game-revealed-as-a-viral-ad-for-dutch-tv-history-s/#comments Last weekend, we posted about a website featuring something called "Slavery the Game," which seemed to be a viral ad for a fake video game. It turns out the grim, weird site was a viral ad, but not for a video game. Rather, it's a project put together by a Dutch public television network named NTR, designed to promote an upcoming series talking about "the European and Dutch involvement in trans-Atlantic slavery."

There's more explanation in this YouTube video, in which one of the researchers behind the series explains that the goal of the project was to raise awareness in the Netherlands about the historical issue of slavery, and "create attention" about the issue. He also says that the American media "reacted much heavier" to the trailer, "because the topic of slavery has had much more attention."

So it sounds like a culture clash of sorts, with a message meant for Netherlands viewers sneaking out to a much larger, and somewhat more sensitive, audience. The NTR series is set to start up on Dutch TV later on this month, and there is even a "children's version" of the series, called "De Slavernij Junior" starting at the same time.

[Thanks, Jim N]

Joystiq'Slavery the Game' revealed as a viral ad for Dutch TV history series originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culture-clashdutchindecentjavelin-reds-gamingmessagentrslaveryslavery-the-gametelevisiontrailerviralWed, 07 Sep 2011 20:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Two more Tom Clancy games in the works at Ubisoft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/two-more-tom-clancy-games-in-the-works-at-ubisoft/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/two-more-tom-clancy-games-in-the-works-at-ubisoft/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/two-more-tom-clancy-games-in-the-works-at-ubisoft/#comments In a recent interview with Dutch gaming news site Control Online (that is to say, the site itself is Dutch -- it doesn't exclusively cover the booming Dutch video game industry), Ubisoft's Tom Clancy brand manager Michel Verheijdt explained "at this moment I'm working on two Tom Clancy games which have just gone in development." He remained tight lipped about the identities of the two franchises, warning that if he exposes any more info, he'll "have to send Sam Fisher after you."

Fortunately, Joystiq was able to get the scoop on these two games, and you'll never believe what they are. For the first time in ... hold on a second. Someone's at the door. Hello? Who are you, and -- hey, why are you grabbing our neck? This doesn't seem very safe, begoggled, gruff-voiced stranger.

[Via Eurogamer]

JoystiqTwo more Tom Clancy games in the works at Ubisoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dutchendwarghost-reconhawxmichel-verheijdtrainbow-sixsplinter-celltom-clancyubisoftWed, 28 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Survey: 93 percent of Dutch youngsters download illegally]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/23/survey-93-percent-of-dutch-youngsters-download-illegally/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/23/survey-93-percent-of-dutch-youngsters-download-illegally/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/23/survey-93-percent-of-dutch-youngsters-download-illegally/#comments
Hey, Netherlandian young adults! Stop all the downloadin'! If a recent survey of 3,500 folks between the ages of 12 - 24 (issued by Dutch television program EénVandaag) is accurate, 93 percent of Dutch adolescents "download music, movies or games from the Internet," while only five percent use honest, paid services such as iTunes and Steam. The remaining two percent responded with a perplexed "vwat ees an eentarnet?"

An interesting caveat: Downloading copyrighted media isn't actually illegal in the Netherlands -- but uploading copyrighted works is. Bizarrely enough, the Dutch pirates' preferred form of file sharing is BitTorrent, with 45 percent using sites such as The Pirate Bay to yoink their movies, music and games. However, BitTorrenting, which causes users to download and upload simultaneously, is illegal under the Netherlands' copyright regulations. Fascinating, right? Right?

[Via MaxConsole]

JoystiqSurvey: 93 percent of Dutch youngsters download illegally originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 May 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dutchnetherlandspiracypiratethe-pirate-baySat, 23 May 2009 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Fit gets some time in the spotlight on Dutch TV [update 1]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/07/wii-fit-gets-some-time-in-the-spotlight-on-dutch-tv/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/07/wii-fit-gets-some-time-in-the-spotlight-on-dutch-tv/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/07/wii-fit-gets-some-time-in-the-spotlight-on-dutch-tv/#commentsFiled under:


Update: Daily reader (and one heck of an awesome guy) Rowdy decided to lend a hand by translating the linked TV spot for us. As it is his native tongue, we're sure he knows what he's doing. Check past the break for the translation.

Carlos Lens, a personal trainer, recently took his time to get into Wii Fit and a Dutch TV crew was right there to document it. While we have no idea what they're talking about, they seem to like it. After Carlos' segment, they cut back to the studio where the crew discuss Nintendo's product.

If you're looking for someone's opinions on the whole thing, be sure to hit up Joystiq and read their hands-on write up.


[Via Go Nintendo]

Continue reading Wii Fit gets some time in the spotlight on Dutch TV [update 1]

JoystiqWii Fit gets some time in the spotlight on Dutch TV [update 1] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dutchwiifitFri, 07 Sep 2007 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Scratch that: The Xbox 360 might damage discs after all]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/16/scratch-that-the-xbox-360-might-damage-discs-after-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/16/scratch-that-the-xbox-360-might-damage-discs-after-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/16/scratch-that-the-xbox-360-might-damage-discs-after-all/#commentsFiled under:



As if the Red Ring of Death wasn't already a frequently discussed part of Xbox 360 lore that Microsoft would rather avoid discussing, bubbling to the surface is another issue we've been hearing about for a while -- the Xbox 360 Ring of Disc Death. Dutch consumer advocacy show Kassa tested Xbox 360s (video after the break) and proved that the Xbox 360 does indeed scratch discs. A Microsoft spokesperson says a previous statement in Europe has some "nuances" lost in translation when it was converted to English.

Joystiq received from Microsoft their official statement, "Due to the fact that we did not participate in the experiment done by Kassa and have little insight into the methodology that was used, we cannot comment specifically on the outcome. While we are aware that discs can potentially be scratched through normal wear and tear, we have not received any widespread reports of the issue highlighted here. There are millions of Xbox consoles in use today and we know that the majority of our customers are having a great gaming experience. That said, it is important to us that all of our customers have the best gaming experiences possible, and these claims are obviously very concerning to us. We encourage any Xbox customer who believes that their discs have been scratched in the same manner as identified by KASSA, to contact us at www.xbox.com/support or 1-800-4-MY-XBOX for additional information. We will examine the console and make appropriate repairs if necessary in order to restore the console to full working order, as well as provide customers with information on how to obtain replacement discs should they need them."

We'd previously reported that it's best to keep your console horizontal. Kassa reports that the problem is created by the TSST drive missing parts that stabilize the disc and prevent the drive's lens from coming into contact with the disc. The problem is mostly found in consoles produced in Dec. 2006, and the show estimates that 1 to 2 million units are affected.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Scratch that: The Xbox 360 might damage discs after all

JoystiqScratch that: The Xbox 360 might damage discs after all originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discsdutchkassamicrosoftscratchingxbox 360Xbox-360Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[PS3 will win the console war, so say the stars]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/03/ps3-will-win-the-console-war-so-say-the-stars/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/03/ps3-will-win-the-console-war-so-say-the-stars/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/03/ps3-will-win-the-console-war-so-say-the-stars/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

sun, moon, and starsIf a two-bit analyst can offer up a noteworthy prediction for the latest console war so can an astrologer. That's right, Dutch astrologer Elizabeth Hathway has looked to the stars to determine the fates of Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft's latest ventures.

As it turns out, the stars are aligning most favorably for Sony, even if the Venus-Uranus hook-up, happening in Gemini, seems a bit suspicious -- a sign of innovation, really? Guess the universe is pulling for Blu-ray.

While Microsoft's horoscope ain't too shabby either -- it's all about Jupiter's entry into Sagittarius -- Nintendo is apparently in need of an astrological miracle. The problem stems from Wii being tied to Scorpio. Scorpio is a fixed sign, but the Wii's strong suit is active gaming ... Uh-oh, don't look now, but Nintendo's progressed Sun has aligned square with its radix Saturn. Hard times ahead!

JoystiqPS3 will win the console war, so say the stars originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>360AstrologerAstrologyBlu-rayDutchHoroscopeNetherlandsPS3WiiXbox 360Xbox-360Xbox360Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:25:00 EST