Joystiq

Former GameStop VP sentenced 51 months for embezzling over $1.7M

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:45:00 EST

The Northern District Court of Texas sentenced Frank Christopher Olivera, the former VP of corporate communications and public affairs at GameStop, to 51 months in federal prison. Olivera, who pleaded guilty to embezzling over $1.7 million via mail fraud, was also fined $57,375 for funds unpaid on GameStop's loss, and a further $77,275 in restitution.

According to federal documents, Olivera set up a fictitious Nevada-based company called Cloud Communications to send payments from GameStop to, across a period of July 2009 to April 2011. Olivera placed the payments in an account held by Cloud Communications, and then transferred the money to his personal bank account.

Former GameStop VP sentenced 51 months for embezzling over $1.7M originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami and Autumn Games sued for fraud over $15 million Def Jam Rapstar loan

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:40:00 EST

City National Bank has sued Konami and Autumn Games for millions over allegations of fraud. Courthouse News reports the bank hasn't received any return on a $15 million line of credit it approved to the defendants, and in court documents claims the financial conditions of Autumn and Konami "were false at the time they were made and that defendants never had any intention of repaying the loan as promised."

"Rather than paying game-related proceeds directly to CNB as agreed, defendant have kept all game-related proceeds for themselves and have refused to remit any such proceeds to CNB."

City National Bank is seeking over $8.9 million in damages for "fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, money had and received, unjust enrichment, recovery of personal property, and punitive damages."

This isn't the first lawsuit the game has spawned. In March, EMI Music Group filed suit against Def Jam Rapstar creators 4mm Games and Terminal Reality, claiming the game contains unlicensed tracks by several artists.

Konami and Autumn Games sued for fraud over $15 million Def Jam Rapstar loan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fake Pokemon Yellow ends up on iOS App Store

Jordan Mallory — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST

A fraudulent version of the Game Boy ~~Color~~ classic Pokemon Yellow has somehow made it through Apple's approval gauntlet and wound up on the App Store. Published by "Home of Anime" with Daniel Burford listed as the author, the "game" runs for $0.99 and has a one-and-a-half star rating after 1,352 reviews. According to said reviews, the app crashes after the title screen and cannot actually be played.

As if the simple existence of a Pokemon game on the App Store weren't enough of a red flag, the listing's screenshots aren't even from Pokemon Yellow, they're actually from Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green. The app's description also contains unattributed "press quotes" and a statement that "all trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective owners," because everyone knows that admitting your copyright infringement absolves you of all responsibility, right? We've reached out to Apple for comment.

Editor's Note: My faulty, old-man brain confused the fact that Pokemon Yellow launched with a Poke-themed Game Boy Color, with it actually being a Game Boy Color game (which it was not). I've exploded an Electrode in penance.

Fake Pokemon Yellow ends up on iOS App Store originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Bot farming used to boost App Store ranking, Apple warns of punishment

JC Fletcher — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

A Touch Arcade forum user is making allegations that a company is offering to boost the ranking of free App Store apps using bots. According to "walterkaman," the unnamed company will set up automated, repeated downloads of a client's app in order to push it into Apple's Top Free charts. A representative from the shady ad company pointed out eight games on the Top 25 Free chart that were promoted in this manner, walterkaman said.

The company was not named, and the forum user's story remains unverified. However, Apple is definitely upset about some kind of chart manipulation on the App Store. In a brief update on the Apple Developer site, the company warned developers against using ad services that guarantee placement. "Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership."

Rumor: Bot farming used to boost App Store ranking, Apple warns of punishment originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Class-action suit charges Microsoft with fraud

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST

[Image credit: bloomsberries]

In a lawsuit filed by Philadelphia-area lawyer Samuel Lassoff, Microsoft is being sued for allegedly taking money from consumers for Microsoft Points that were erroneously used during "incomplete and/or partial downloads of digital goods and services and refused refund of same." The Horsham, Pa. resident claims that "an invoice he received early this month from Microsoft included charges for purchases he couldn't complete due to a balky download system," according to an InformationWeek.com report. Furthermore, he contends that this was no accident on Microsoft's part.

When we called Mr. Lassoff's law office for comment, we were met with a disconnected number message. However, the lawsuit's Facebook page (it's a brave new world, folks) calls the suit a "class action on behalf of several million US customers exposed to Microsoft Point fraud." Citing "fraud, breach of contract, negligence, unjust enrichment, and unfair business practices," Lassoff seeks a "full refund to all US consumers of all Microsoft Points fraudulently charged to consumers for incomplete or partial downloads of purchased digital goods and services."

Aside from his current lawsuit, Mr. Lassoff previously sued Google, Yahoo, and IAC Interactive in 2006 -- all three suits were eventually dropped.

[Thanks, Zo]

Class-action suit charges Microsoft with fraud originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Scrub your gaming console's memory before selling

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Usually, when we label a headline as a "PSA," it's in a joking manner; say, "PSA: Bacon is delicious, good for you." However, we're pretty sure this post constitutes a legitimate public service announcement: Ars Technica recently published an article that the frequent trade-in-ers among us should probably read. In short, if you're not erasing your consoles' hard drives before trading them in, there's a pretty good chance you could be robbed blind. (Or at least robbed astigmatic.)

Seriously, if you're thinking about trading in or pawning one of your gaming consoles sometime soon, follow the helpful tips provided in the Ars piece. They'll ensure that you don't accidentally leave your credit card information in the system's memory for its next owner to exploit. You also don't want to leave your Avatar, Mii or PlayStation Home account on there, either. That's how e-stalkers get started, donchaknow.

PSA: Scrub your gaming console's memory before selling originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best of WoW.com: January 14th-20th

Alex Ziebart — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC

This week on WoW.com saw World of Warcraft in the news yet again, when a man from Clearwater, Florida was arrested for fraud after he sold his WoW account and failed to hand over the goods. On the gameplay side of things, Lead Systems Designer Greg Street and Lead Producer J. Allen Brack hit Twitter to answer numerous questions about patch 3.3, Icecrown Citadel, and the upcoming expansion, Cataclysm.

For all of this and much more, keep reading to see the best of WoW.com from the last week.

Continue reading The best of WoW.com: January 14th-20th

The best of WoW.com: January 14th-20th originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dante's Inferno 'Fraud' trailer makes you fight for your life

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:15:00 EST

We're ... we're just not sure we understand the reasoning behind Dante's Inferno's eighth circle, Fraud, depicted in the trailer above. See, Visceral Games has brought the concept of the circle's 10 Malebolges to life in the game in form of 10 arenas, where Dante must battle all the enemies he's fought in previous levels in succession. While doing so, he must navigate dark corridors where, according to art director Ash Huang, "you really can't see where you're going." Well, that actually sounds pretty faithful to the source material. It also sounds immeasurably frustrating.

Check out the trailer above to find out where politicians go, and make sure you tune in for the final Dante's trailer in February to catch a glimpse of Mr. Beel Z. Bubb himself.

Dante's Inferno 'Fraud' trailer makes you fight for your life originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online's largest player-run bank freezes accounts due to massive deficit

Xav de Matos — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EST

Stick with us, because this could get confusing: EVE Online has a long and storied history of in-game corruption, chock-full of enough political and social drama to make Ron Moore's head spin. The latest -- and actually, ongoing since June -- problem comes in the form of financial woes. On August 26, EBANK -- EVE Online's largest player-run financial entity -- revealed it currently has a (roughly) 1.2 trillion InterStellar Kredits (ISK) deficit and would freeze all player and organization accounts that were investing with the bank.

As with other MMOs, EVE Online's economy is completely player-driven. Users can adopt various play styles which affect the world's economic machine, allowing players to create and topple empires within the fictional world of New Eden. Where EVE Online differs is how users have expanded the tools given to them by developer CCP Games. Using the game's developer-provided API to create tools that can monitor various pieces of data, players have developed their own financial organizations, complete with standards and rules, like real world banks.

Sadly, EVE Online's largest player-operated bank mimicked real world financial institutions too closely.

Continue reading EVE Online's largest player-run bank freezes accounts due to massive deficit

EVE Online's largest player-run bank freezes accounts due to massive deficit originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Factor 5 accused of fraud in new lawsuit

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:15:00 EST

A new lawsuit by former employees of Factor 5 claims the company fraudulently shifted assets to avoid ponying up $900,000 in unpaid wages to employees and millions to creditors. The Marin Independent Journal reports the suit outright states that the company stopped paying workers on November 1, 2008 and let them go on December 19. That explains why there were rumors of the company shutting down six months before the official closure announcement was made in May.

As for the alleged fraud, the suit claims that Factor 5 moved assets (source code and other IP) into a company, now called White Harvest, to shield it from creditors. The plaintiffs claim that the company is being run by the same people, same lawyers, "with all the same management and ownership and control," and is performing the same work that Factor 5 was up to -- just with a new name and address. Expect to see more about this kerfuffle in the future.

[Via Gamasutra]

Factor 5 accused of fraud in new lawsuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft investigating possible Xbox Live hacking

Kyle Orland — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Hacks, Microsoft Xbox 360

CNet has the scoop on what a Microsoft representative calls "reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place on the Xbox Live network." The company is investigating the claims, which include use of stored credit card information to run up massive Xbox Live points charges.

It's not yet clear how extensive these problems are, but anecdotal evidence from forums and web sites shows how the apparent theft can manifest itself. It's not yet known if the unauthorized use is the result of hacking in Microsoft's network or a phishing scam to get login details from individual users.

We're waiting to hear back from Microsoft on the extent of the problems and what specific steps are being taken to fix them. We'll keep you posted.

Update: Major Nelson: No Xbox Live security breach

Microsoft investigating possible Xbox Live hacking originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gizmondo Halo "project" used cam-mouselook

Christopher Grant — Fri, 05 May 2006 22:02:00 EST

Filed under: Portable, First Person Shooters, Business

Back before "Fast" Stefan Eriksson was crashing cars and lying to police, he ran a little portable gaming company called Gizmondo. Their scam? Defraud investors by promising them a way into the very attractive, and lucrative, gaming market.

One of their most effective tools was to promise a Gizmondo-exclusive portable Halo title. Gizmondo did have an arrangement with Microsoft Game Studios to produce some titles, including the popular MechAssault series, but Halo was definitely not a part of that arrangement. A former-Gizmondo employee told GameSetWatch that the title had only "a storyline and basic game structure at the very earliest stage of concept" and that it was all done "with a wink and a nudge to extract more cash out of the investors." Isn't that sweet?

It isn't all bad though: the engineers at Gizmondo managed to get code running -- using one of id's open-source game engines -- enabling the Gizmondo's rear-mounted camera to control the "mouselook", allowing for a uniquely precise handheld FPS control scheme. Who knows what could have come of the Gizmondo if the execs weren't busy lining their pockets?

[Via /.]

Gizmondo Halo "project" used cam-mouselook originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 May 2006 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MS Point fraud reported (Updated)

Ken Weeks — Thu, 04 May 2006 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace

Reader Drew shares a worrisome tale about unauthorized MS points on his passport account following the XBL down time-when it was impossible to purchase points:

Just before Live came back up today, I got an email thanking me for my purchase of 500 MS Points on the Live Marketplace. The fun part is that I live alone and had not turned on my console today or yesterday--so I was curious as to how I could be charged for points--especially when the Live was down and unavailable for such transactions. At first I thought it was just an example of clever phishing, but when I turned on my 360 to find out, sure enough, I had more points than the last time I turned it off. I checked my passport account online and it said the points had indeed been purchased today. I called MS Support and they agreed with me (and not my cynical friend) in saying that it was impossible for me to buy points today--at least before Live came back up and that they would escalate the issue and I should expect a waiver of the 'no-refund' policy pending investigation--given the strange circumstances. Could be a one time thing--or just my luck, but if it happens to another guy somewhere, maybe it's news.

Disturbing story. Has this happened to anybody else?

(Update: Microsoft has acknowledged the problem and are crediting the affected accounts. From the Xbox.com forums: "All affected users will be getting refunds, none of you is going to have to pay for our mistake. And you'll be able to keep the extra points too. We are still working out the details, and it could take a few days for all of this to be fully resolved, but I wanted you to know that we absolutely will be taking care of this, no one will have to pay for any of these charges." Makes me wish my account was affected too!)

MS Point fraud reported (Updated) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 May 2006 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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