Joystiq

Motorola granted injunction against Xbox 360 sales in Germany, not as dramatic as it sounds

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:45:00 EST

A German court has granted Motorola Mobility an injunction against the sale and/or distribution of the Xbox 360 in Germany, as well as copies of Windows 7, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, following a ruling that some of Microsoft's products violate patents that pertain to the H.264 video codec and are held by Motorola.

Were Motorola to enforce this injunction, it would mean that Microsoft would lose the ability to sell its flagship products in Deutschland until the matter of Motorola's patents is settled, which would be a Very Big Deal[TM]. Thing is, though, Motorola is currently prohibited from enforcing the injunction due to a restraining order issued by an American judge in Seattle.

Microsoft argued that Motorola is abusing its "Frand-commitments," which are essentially a pinky swear that a massive company makes to the world when it is in possession of a universally required piece of technology, wherein it commits to providing licenses for said technology at "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" rates. Microsoft says that Motorola's asking price goes beyond fair and reasonable, so the judge issued the restraining order to prevent the injunction from happening until the case can be heard, which is currently scheduled to happen on May 7.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is also appealing the German court's decision, and thanks to the restraining order from the American judge, it'll be able to conduct business as usual during that process. Patent infringement cases like this are all about applying pressure on both sides until one of the companies involved cracks, so we doubt that Motorola ever actually expected that it'd be able to enforce a successful injunction. The fact that it happened at all, however, despite being nullified, adds another layer of trouble and stress to Microsoft's half of the situation.

It's a lot like vs. Dr. Mario, but with slightly more money involved.

Motorola granted injunction against Xbox 360 sales in Germany, not as dramatic as it sounds originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 May 2012 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST

The A MAZE. Indie Games Award 2012, held during the Deutsche Gamestage in Berlin from April 26 to 27, is now taking submissions and will award one single indie game the "Most Amazing Indie Game" title, which would be a pretty awesome thing to put on your resume. The winner is selected by a "high-profile international jury" to be revealed in March, and will receive €5000 ($6,599) and a suitably "amazing trophy."

Submissions are open to anyone and everyone, for a fee of €45 ($59) through March 30, with finalists announced in mid-April. This is just a hunch, but now might be the time to build that rat-maze game you were thinking of at 2 a.m. that one night -- the one with the makeup-testing and cancer-treatment levels. Again, just a hunch.

'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ubisoft, Atari, many other publishers requesting payment from German pirates

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST

Someone in Germany -- perhaps even some people -- illegally pirated a copy of Prison Break: The Conspiracy. Hard to believe as it may be, it appears to be the case according to TorrentFreak, who delved into German public records looking for game publishers who have employed German law to track down (and demand money from) people who allegedly pirated various games. In Germany, Koch Media publishes the Prison Break game, and has been demanding settlements of "several hundred Euros" from offending IP addresses.

The records indicate that several major publishers, either directly or through subsidiaries/secondary parties, have been sending out letters to German citizens requesting varying levels of payment in return for not being sued. Where things get murky, however, is how the publishers are seeking out the accused pirates, using not always reliable "IP address-only evidence" -- easily circumvented with proxy domains and such. You know, hacker stuff.

TorrentFreak's report indicates that a variety of publishers and distributors are involved, including (but not limited to): Atari, Koch Media (representing Techland's Dead Island and Prison Break, and Eidos/Square Enix's Deus Ex: Human Revolution as well as Dungeon Siege 3 and various Final Fantasy titles), Daedalic Entertainment (representing LucasArts), Codemasters, BitComposer, Ubisoft, Kalypso Media, dtp entertainment, and Aerosoft. It is currently unclear how many settlement notices have been sent out by each company, or if any will continue doing so after these actions have been brought to light.

Witcher 2 developer CD Projekt Red was recently pursuing similar cases in Germany until it announced the end of the practice last week.

Report: Ubisoft, Atari, many other publishers requesting payment from German pirates originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Batman: Arkham City Xbox 360 bundle swoops onto Amazon.de

Christopher Grant — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST

When we first saw this Batman: Arkham City Xbox bundle, outed by Amazon Germany, we assumed it was the fancy custom console given away to one lucky PAX-goer; instead, this bundle includes a 250GB matte black Xbox 360, the usual headset and controller, and a copy of the game.

At €279.99, that puts this console at just a €30 premium over the un-Batman'd Xbox offering. Though it may not have a fancy paint job, it respects the fact that we're not all Bruce Wayne.

Batman: Arkham City Xbox 360 bundle swoops onto Amazon.de originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NPD launching Euro sales tracking service, focusing on digital for a 'global perspective'

Christopher Grant — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:30:00 EST

On Monday, NPD announced it was partnering with EEDAR to extend its retail research reports to the digital domain. Today, having braved the great digital divide, the New York-based company announced it was ready to brave another, less digital divide: the Atlantic Ocean. Beginning with Q4 2011 sales, NPD will offer a version of its "Games Industry: Total Consumer Spend" service that tracks "consumer spending for games content" across Europe's "largest video game markets," meaning UK, France, and Germany.

While companies like Chart-Track already provide retail insight in the UK, NPD says its "service in Europe will focus on measuring channels that are not currently tracked in Europe - namely those occurring outside of new physical retail sales." Why look at digital in Europe? We bet NPD industry analyst Anita Frazier has a great answer for that. "The new digital distribution channels in video games are not country specific," Frazier told a press release. "They are global in nature, which is why NPD is taking its proven, proprietary methodology, developed over a number of years, and applying it to a global perspective."

NPD launching Euro sales tracking service, focusing on digital for a 'global perspective' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve to host 'The International' at Gamescom, a million-dollar Dota 2 tournament

Jordan Mallory — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:35:00 EST

Selling virtual hats must have ended up being a fairly lucrative business venture, as Valve announced today that it will use the upcoming Gamescom trade show to host "The International," a Dota 2 tournament with a million-dollar first-place prize. Let that sink in for a second. A million dollars.

To put that in perspective, the first-place prize for Starcraft 2 at last weekend's Major League Gaming Pro Circuit was 5 percent of that at $50,000. According to Valve, "the 16 best Dota teams in the world" will compete in a "group stage, double elimination playoff format" competition over the duration of the show. The tournament will also serve as the controversial action-RTS' public debut, and what better way to get some attention than makin' it rain? When asked to comment, Gabe Newell paused briefly in quiet contemplation before eating a handful of real diamonds.

Continue reading Valve to host 'The International' at Gamescom, a million-dollar Dota 2 tournament

Valve to host 'The International' at Gamescom, a million-dollar Dota 2 tournament originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gears of War 3 rating in Germany 'pleasantly shocked' Epic president

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Epic Games president Mike Capps says he and the company were just as surprised as anyone else when Gears of War 3 obtained a classification in Germany. Last week, Gears of War 3 received an "18" rating from the German USK, making it the first Gears not to be indexed in the region.

"I wish I could give you a list, because then I could tell you I wasn't shocked when I heard we didn't get indexed. I was very much surprised, I'll admit," Capps told us when we asked what changes Epic had made to the franchise formula to get the game rated. "To me, Gears 3 is not just more of Gears 2, but tons more. ... It doesn't immediately strike me as something easier to pass through. It's not a modified version there. We have a "no gore" filter, but we've had that for Gears. We didn't do anything special for Germany this time."

Capps is, of course, happy that Epic can finally bring its biggest series to Germany. He told us the country was the developer's "second biggest support center for Epic products," and that Unreal Tournament was huge there. He also mentioned that several members of the company's staff at the Raleigh studio are from Germany, including their engine lead.

So, is there any chance of Gears of War 1 and 2, perhaps in their Triple Pack format, being resubmitted for approval in Germany?

"That's a fantastic idea." Capps said enthusiastically. "We didn't try to submit it at all. I don't think anyone thought to. We'll give it a shot."

Gears of War 3 rating in Germany 'pleasantly shocked' Epic president originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shadows of the Damned promoted internationally with 'Playbox' magazine, Trivium album

JC Fletcher — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST

When you think of Shadows of the Damned, your mind might linger on the music ... of Orlando-based metal band Trivium. At least, that might be the case in Germany, where EA is engaging in an unlikely cross-promotion, giving away copies of Trivium's album "In Waves" on its website in a contest tied in with Shadows.

In Japan, the promotions aren't quite as random. There, Shadows of the Damned will come with a code to download the soundtrack (as offered in the US by Amazon), along with a "Playbox" magazine featuring cover art of Garcia's girlfriend Paula, and interviews with Suda, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka.

This isn't the first time Grasshopper Manufacture has mocked (and mocked-up) Playboy Magazine to promote one of its games; in 2007, it posted images of idols dressed as No More Heroes' Sylvia Christel and called the series "PLAYSYLVIA."

Shadows of the Damned promoted internationally with 'Playbox' magazine, Trivium album originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gears of War 3 classified in Germany without edits

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST

Gears of War 3 received a rating of "18" from the USK in Germany, making it the first Gears of War title not to be indexed in the region. Indexing is done by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM) and doesn't outright ban a product, but essentially treats it like porn with restrictions. The USK did submit Gears of War 3 as a "case of doubt" to the BPjM, but the title received the all-clear.

The harsher restrictions in Germany prompt many games that feature violence prominently to submit a toned down ("censored") version, in the hopes of getting a rating. Eurogamer Germany reports that this is not the case with Gears of War 3, which is "definitely uncut."

Joystiq also received the following statement from Microsoft: "While we can't comment on the ratings process or the subjective content standards of the USK, we can say the rating was determined following a detailed review of the game, and that the content of the German version of Gears of War 3 has not been modified from the original with the exception of a full German language localization."

A representative for the USK tells Joystiq that Gears 3 "has a different feel to it than its predecessors," and that the arguments used to index the first two games didn't hold up.

Update: Added official Microsoft statement.

[Thanks, Timo]

Gears of War 3 classified in Germany without edits originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German artist wants you to roll around in de_dust

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:30:00 EST

When the Germans do something, they do it right -- or, at least big. German artist Aram Bartholl has created a slew of projects inspired by gaming and the Internet, but his largest is a 1:1 scale model of the classic Counter Strike map, Dust, that Bartholl wants installed as a large-scale public sculpture.

Bartholl plans to make the entire map out of concrete, with parts of it preserved in uncolored and untexturized abstract glory to "represent a petrified moment of cultural game space heritage." Bartholl is currently petitioning for $5500 in government funds to create the first stage of Dust, a 1:100 scale model of the map, and is scheduled to begin public promotion of the full project this fall. The video shows Bartholl's mini-mini-scale model of the map, and while that one may not be big, it is certainly done right.

German artist wants you to roll around in de_dust originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infamous 2 hits Europe June 8, coming in so, so many bundles

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:00:00 EST

Infamous 2 is coming out in the UK, Germany and Ireland on June 10, and the rest of Europe on June 8. Yes, we usually make a bigger deal out of release dates than just dropping them all plain-like in the first sentence like that, but we need as much space as we can get to explain the different bundles available to European shoppers. No joke, you guys: There are five different versions of Sucker Punch's dichotomous action title available in Europe's shops.

So, there's the basic, vanilla flavored standard edition, the Special Edition (which includes extra powers and an "Original Cole" character skin) and the Hero Edition (which includes a lot of things, including a replica messenger bag). However, Europe also gets a bundle that includes the game and a "good" blue or "evil" red DualShock 3 controller, as well as a 320GB PS3 bundle. No prices have been announced for the bundles, but really, what price is too high for premium crimefighting? Or ... um, crimemaking?

Infamous 2 hits Europe June 8, coming in so, so many bundles originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch over 10 minutes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D footage (in German)

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:12:00 EST

As if ReDeads in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time weren't scary enough in English, one gamer recently captured over 10 minutes of footage of the game in German, ReDeads and all. Aside from sheer terror, the clip also features a thorough look at the upcoming remake.

Continue reading Watch over 10 minutes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D footage (in German)

Watch over 10 minutes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D footage (in German) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 May 2011 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fruit Ninja becomes life-size using CAVE technology

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST

The same encapsulating virtual reality display that led to the memorable Kinect hack from last week now has an altogether new and exciting purpose. A group of students from FH-Wedel Germany have turned the CAVE hardware and a Wiimote into a gigantic, all-encompassing version of Fruit Ninja.

Continue reading Fruit Ninja becomes life-size using CAVE technology

Fruit Ninja becomes life-size using CAVE technology originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamescom 2011 advance tickets on sale now

Mike Schramm — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EST

Advanced ticket sales for the upcoming Gamescom 2011 convention in Cologne, Germany are now on sale, so if you're planning to be in the area then (or have the money and time to flit over to the continent whenever you want -- lucky duck), you can see the sights for just a few Euros. The cheapest day passes, at just €6 ($9), are for students and senior citizens, while standard passes are around €10-15 ($14-21).

Note that these tickets are for the public -- they'll let you in the "entertainment area" of the show, but the business side of the event is only for trade and media attendees. But that's no problem. You can still go over there and have yourself a big ol' partyzeit anyway. The convention kicks off on August 17, 2011.

Gamescom 2011 advance tickets on sale now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atari bringing action RPG Venetica to North America in January

Mike Schramm — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:00:00 EST

Venetica didn't really win critics over back when it was released in Germany -- while the story is supposed to be pretty good, the gameplay was called bland and repetitive. Nevertheless, Atari is bringing the game to North America, and will release it on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on January 11 of next year.

Venetica takes place in 16th century Venice, and casts the player in the role of a girl named Scarlett, who just so happens to be Death's daughter. She has to save the world and her father from a powerful necromancer. Sounds like fun -- just be careful around Death, otherwise he might end up making you do his job for him.

Atari bringing action RPG Venetica to North America in January originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bejeweled Blitz Live rated by German, Australian boards

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 11:35:00 EST

Bejeweled Blitz Live has been rated by Germany's USK and Australia's classification board. The Australian listing is quite vague, giving the impression the title could be bound for retailers on PC, but the USK classification blatantly declares it as an Xbox 360 title. Perhaps it will appear for both. Developer and publisher PopCap Games tells Joystiq it is currently "not commenting" on the matter.

PopCap introduced Bejeweled Blitz to Facebook gamers almost two years ago, and added Zuma Blitz this year. Let's see if PopCap can beat the ESRB's hat trick of announcing its games.

Bejeweled Blitz Live rated by German, Australian boards originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Black Ops censored in Germany, Steam to block international versions

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:50:00 EST

Here's the latest installment in a tale as old as time -- according to German games site PCGames.de, the region will receive a censored version of Call of Duty: Black Ops. This time around, though, there's a new twist for people who were hoping to download and play a different country's version of the game on PC -- both downloaded and retail versions of the game have to be run through Steam for authorization before playing, and in Germany, Steam will only verify local versions of the title.

Seems like Germany's video game censorship policy is only getting more and more strict -- though that's good news for our pay-per-minute phone hotline, where German gamers can call in and listen to us describe our fully violent games. Those calls ... they get pretty weird.

Update: An Activision representative contacted us, explaining that German players will be able to activate the Austrian version of the game, but not the US/UK versions. The representative confirmed that the Austrian version is "unique," but could not comment as to whether or not it shares the German version's content cuts.

Report: Black Ops censored in Germany, Steam to block international versions originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Europe 2010 reports record attendance, 2011 dates announced

Mike Schramm — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We've had plenty of news out of Gamescom this week, but don't forget about that other European games conference that went down recently. GDC Europe, which took place earlier this week also in Cologne, Germany, reports that it experienced record attendance. This was the second year of the conference, and organizers have already announced that the show will be back again next year, the same week of Gamescom on August 15-17, 2011.

Warren Spector gave the keynote at the conference this year, and while next year's keynote speaker hasn't yet been announced, we're putting our vote in for Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VanderBerge and his trusty cane. That's a show we'd pay to see live again.

GDC Europe 2010 reports record attendance, 2011 dates announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 '4GB Arcade System Bundle' spotted on Amazon Germany

Mike Schramm — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Amazon's German site has listed an "Xbox 360 4 GB Arcade System Bundle" (link is valid as of this writing) for pre-order, which could possibly be the cheaper Xbox 360 "slim" hardware that Microsoft has said is coming sometime this fall.

The "4GB" in the title implies that this Arcade version has 4GB of storage included, either as NVRAM or in the form of a USB flash drive. (The soon-to-be-obsolete Xbox Arcade only has 512 MB of NVRAM.) The price is listed as €148.99 ($189), which is slightly lower than the $199 Microsoft told us, not to mention that "bundle" suggests it will include a game -- or maybe something Kinect-related.

Then there's the street date, which Amazon has down as August 20, 2010. While that confirms nothing (as retailers are notorious for playing fast and loose with release dates), we will draw attention to this: That's smack dab in the middle of Gamescom 2010. Shades of Microsoft's E3 revelation of the new Xbox 360 and that it was shipping immediately? Stay tuned.

Xbox 360 '4GB Arcade System Bundle' spotted on Amazon Germany originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Petition helps repeal violent game ban in Germany

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

German officials have sided with last year's now 73,000-person strong petition signed by citizens against a measure to outright ban violent games in the country. Officials announced that, rather than alter current legislation, the German government will focus on educating citizens about the country's USK game ratings standard, reports GamesIndustry.biz.

"The decision of the federal government supports our belief that banning video games is not an efficient way to monitor content," EA senior VP Jen Uwe Intat said of the decision; and he added, "Besides, now we can sell more 'pew-pew' titles in the country, so win-win -- y'know?" Okay, he didn't really say that second part.

Petition helps repeal violent game ban in Germany originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bejeweled 2 rated for Wii

JC Fletcher — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:12:00 EST

PopCap's remarkably popular casual games have been released on just about every gaming platform on the current market, save for one notable exception: Wii. That could soon change, however, according to the USK. Germany's ratings board has listed the match-three puzzle game Bejeweled 2 for release on Wii. Now Mike Leyde can start all over again -- with a new control scheme!

If you haven't played Bejeweled 2, you can download it here or play a web version here. Oh, but first, clear your day.

[Via Gamerbytes]

Bejeweled 2 rated for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 May 2010 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get some Carcassonne on your iPhone and iPod Touch

David Hinkle — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:00:00 EST

Not right now, but soon: The official site says the popular German tile-based board game Carcassonne (which is also available on Xbox Live right now) is coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch. It'll release sometime this month -- we'd like to imagine it's on a long trek, crossing babbling brooks and fertile fields, as we write this.

Daydreaming aside, the app will cost $4.99 when it launches -- available in both English and German flavors -- and will sport multiplayer either via passing the device around (so many fingerprints!) or local network play. If you're looking for more, hit up the Carcassonne dev blog, which details plans for expansions and even an iPad version, and feel free to check out some screens below.

[Via TouchArcade]

Gallery: Carcassonne (iPhone)

Get some Carcassonne on your iPhone and iPod Touch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CDV vs SouthPeak legal battle gets much, much more complicated

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

When SouthPeak Games was ordered by a UK court to pay its distribution partner CDV a settlement earlier this year, rather than simply pay the settlement and move on, SouthPeak instead took a very interesting approach: buy up a company that's owed money by CDV and turn the tables. SouthPeak recently purchased the less-than-well-known dev studio IRP and filed a claim against CDV to the tune of €4.4 million ($6 million), money that CDV allegedly owes SouthPeak now that the legally embroiled publisher owns IRP, according to a Gamasutra report.

But that's not all! CDV already filed for insolvency earlier this week, claiming it did so because SouthPeak "failed to pay a court-ordered settlement to CDV" -- the same court-ordered settlement that we mentioned in the first sentence of this very post. Still with us? Good! A statement released by CDV says that the company will remain "fully operational," and its various subsidiaries are unaffected by the insolvency filing. A Frankfurt, Germany court is said to be helping CDV sort through the financial back and forth. "The Administrator together with the management team is now proactively working on solutions to restructure the company and discussions with investors and potential purchasers are on-going." Given SouthPeak's rocky past with legal matters, we get the feeling this won't be the last we hear of this mess.

CDV vs SouthPeak legal battle gets much, much more complicated originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamesCom 2010 takes aim at 'Games Convention Online,' first details revealed

Alexander Sliwinski — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST

Europe's ginormous GamesCom in Cologne, Germany looks like it's trying to eliminate whatever possible competition it may have from Games Convention Online in Leipzig this year. The first details about the 2010 convention reveal that organizers are planning an "area dedicated to online and browser games," which was kinda Leipzig's thing for its 43,000 visitors that attended GCO last year.

Beyond that, GamesCom already has its website set up for companies to start registering for the show and for people to start booking their travel arrangements. Last year's inaugural edition of GamesCom welcomed an astounded 245,000 attendees and event organizers are planning on having even more people this year.

GamesCom 2010 takes aim at 'Games Convention Online,' first details revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USK: Multiplayer Blur demo for Xbox 360 in the works

David Hinkle — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Leadfoots looking to put the pedal to the metal in Bizarre Creations' upcoming racer, Blur, may just get their chance, as Germany's USK database has posted (machine translation) that a Xbox 360 multiplayer demo is in the works. The listing makes no mention of a PS3 demo, though we wouldn't suggest our PS3 brethren start taking long walks off short piers just yet. Odds are if a Xbox 360 demo makes its way onto Microsoft's console, a similar demo will also eventually end up on PS3, right?

Blur is currently geared up to race onto consoles sometime in 2010.

[Via VG247]

USK: Multiplayer Blur demo for Xbox 360 in the works originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German Borderlands importers encounter incompatible DLC

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:30:00 EST

German Borderlands players who just had to import the gory, uncensored version of the title from another region are getting their comeuppance. According to a lengthy thread on the Gearbox forums, players who purchase the Zombie Island of Doctor Ned expansion from the German Xbox Live Marketplace can't access the new content from their imported copies of the game.

We've contacted Gearbox to find out if anything is being done to refund the DLC's 800 cost to these depraved, violence-crazed importers. They certainly don't seem like the type of crowd you'd want to upset.

German Borderlands importers encounter incompatible DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega: Aliens vs. Predator not releasing in Germany

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:41:00 EST

Sega has confirmed that it will not release Aliens vs. Predator in Germany. Following a report that suggested the publisher would avoid the German market altogether, we contacted Sega, which explained that the game wouldn't make it to retail in Germany "without significant cuts that would harm the gameplay experience." The publisher maintained that AvP was "developed to be consistent with the existing content in the Aliens and Predator universes," and added that the "gameplay and graphical and narrative style befit the mature themes" of the franchises.

AvP is expected to receive an "18 rating" (or the equivalent) in territories outside of Germany and an M rating in the US. When asked about the status of the title in Australia, Sega told us that there was no word yet from the region. It would certainly be interesting if the German market was ruled out due to the game's violence (and the threat of not receiving a rating by USK, the German ratings board), but Australia and its similarly stringent board prove more accepting of the content. We'll continue to follow up with the publisher.

Sega: Aliens vs. Predator not releasing in Germany originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USK predicts a Muscle March to Germany

JC Fletcher — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST

Muscle March, Namco's barely-released arcade game turned WiiWare oddity, may actually leave Japan, according to a rating found on the German USK ratings board. We didn't think Bandai Namco would ever make this delightful mistake, but if it's being planned for release in Germany, it's bound for the rest of the world as well.

To be sure, such an awful decision on Banamco's part will result in a similar awful decision on our part: you can't make a game as weird as this (it's about racing a line of bodybuilders through posing-man-shaped holes in walls) and not expect us to throw our money at it. Even if we know it's terrible.

[Via GamerBytes]

USK predicts a Muscle March to Germany originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Germany's Killer Game drive killed by lack of interest

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

A German advocacy group called Aktionsbündnis Amoklauf Winnenden, which is mostly composed of parents and friends of victims of the tragic Winnenden school shooting from earlier this year, recently attempted to host an event where owners of violent video games would dispose of their aggressive software en masse. The group rented out a sizable dumpster, hoping to fill it to its brim with Mature video games which people had spent their hard-earned money on.

We certainly sympathize with the horrible loss this group recently suffered, but even if they choose to vilify video games, asking people to throw their stuff away probably isn't the most effective course of action. The somewhat predictable results of this event can be found in a video after the jump.

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Germany's Killer Game drive killed by lack of interest originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Activision pulls Wolfenstein in Germany over swastika use

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:32:00 EST

Activision has reportedly and voluntarily removed Wolfenstein from German store shelves. Turns out that the German localization team charged with removing the thousands of swastikas found in the latest Nazi frag-fest apparently missed one.

Germany's no swastika rule in video games has existed for a long time, and the general guideline on the symbol's use is that it can only be utilized in a historical or artistic context -- yeah, let's ignore the "games as art" conversation. We've followed up with Activision for comment and to find out if the game will be re-released in the region at a later date.

In related news, the uncensored Xbox Live demo is out today in: Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. Nope, Germany's definitely not on the list. [Shortcut: Add Wolfenstein Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue]

[Via Kotaku]

Rumor: Activision pulls Wolfenstein in Germany over swastika use originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seen@GamesCom: Hating expensive Sony products

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

In the shadow of Sony's hotel in Cologne, Germany, a street ad displays a rather good deal. Electronics retailer Saturn is urging passersby to pick up a PS3 and a PSP for €399 -- not a bad deal, considering the PS3 costs that much on its own. Now we understand Saturn's tag line! "Wir hassen teuer," as in, "We hate expensive."

Of course, who knows if that deal will remain as hot within the next few hours, when Sony has its press conference on the eve of GamesCom. It's widely speculated that the company will announce a PS3 Slim and a possible price drop.

Seen@GamesCom: Hating expensive Sony products originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crytek CEO asks GDC audience to kill 'killerspiel' law, won't leave Germany unless forced out

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:04:00 EST

During his keynote address at GDC Europe in Cologne, Germany, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli requested the audience support the petition against the host-country's bill, which is seeking to ban any games in the region "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters." Yerli told the audience toward the conclusion of his presentation: "[This law] means that Crytek will be literally forced out of the country."

Yerli's tone about the German law was more serious than his previous statement on the subject, so we caught up with him after the keynote. We asked if he's threatening to leave the country if the law passes, or if he thinks the company will be pushed out. He told us, "This is the point, two or three years ago we were thinking 'What is this?' This is like disrespecting our company.' We said we will not change our strategy. Today we think we are literally forced to make a change."

It appears that Yerli still isn't looking to change Crytek's direction, despite the government threats. And it appears he really doesn't want to move, telling us, "If you move a company, you think of it as: let's move the company strategically, so we get more benefit out of this country. But moving it because a law comes in is too reactive for us. We're not thinking of moving unless the law happens."

[Image: Dennis Stachel]

Crytek CEO asks GDC audience to kill 'killerspiel' law, won't leave Germany unless forced out originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Germany becomes top games market in Europe [update: not true!]

Alexander Sliwinski — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST

Update: Media Control GfK contacted GamesIndustry.biz to say that the data used in its press release was incorrect and that the UK remains the biggest gaming sector of the European market. Sorry for the confusion, folks!

Not only is Germany about to kick off Europe's biggest games convention this week with GamesCom, but it turns out the country has also overtaken the UK as the largest video game market in Europe. Media Control GfK notes that Germany has kept a steady increase during the first half of 2009, while the UK had a 20 percent decline from the previous year.

The UK was one of a few regions to experience a notable decline, with the speculation being that the region was impacted by the global economic crisis more significantly. Let's see if Germany can keeps its edge if the "killerspiel" banning takes effect.

[Via Gamezine]

Germany becomes top games market in Europe [update: not true!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crytek concerned about German 'killerspiel' banning law

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:02:00 EST

Crytek's CEO is expressing serious concern over the German bill currently making its way around the Bundestag that would ban games "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters." So, you know, most of the fun stuff.

CEO Cevat Yerli expressed in a statement that a ban on action games was "like banning the German artists that create them." He continued, "If the German creative community can't effectively participate in one of the most important cultural mediums of our future, will we be forced to relocate to other countries?"

Considering Crytek is probably the most well-known German developer, it wouldn't exactly be in the country's best interest if the firm left.

Crytek concerned about German 'killerspiel' banning law originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Games Convention Online logs into existence today in Leipzig

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:45:00 EST

The Games Convention Online kicks off today in Leipzig, a mere shell of the once mighty Leipzig Games Convention that was previously held in the location. The new show is designed for online games, featuring browser, mobile and MMO games. The event expects ... 50,000 attendees?! Wow, that's more than the 41,000 at this year's E3. It may be a reduction of its former self, but that's still a big number. Games Convention Online runs through Aug 2.

The big boys of video game publishing have thrown their Euros behind Cologne's Gamescom, which kicks off next month -- only at that time will we find out if it'll take Leipzig Games Convention's 200,000 attendees with it.

Games Convention Online logs into existence today in Leipzig originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix and Eidos announce joint lineup for Gamescom 2009

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:30:00 EST

Though it's been quite some time since Square Enix and Eidos shacked up, the first time the two share booth space will be at the upcoming European trade show, Gamescom 2009. Aside from bringing the first publicly playable Supreme Commander 2, some highlights include Dissidia Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and ... Nier. Alright, maybe not Nier.

The event announcement says that both Final Fantasy XIII (as a franchise unto itself, not just the eponymous iteration) and Final Fantasy XIV will be at the show, though it doesn't detail if hands-on time with either will be available, or how much new info to expect, unfortunately. Finally, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Mini Ninjas will be descending from Eidos' camp. Gamescom 2009 kicks off on August 19 - 23 in Cologne, Germany.

(Also, Pony Friends 2 ... finally!)

Square Enix and Eidos announce joint lineup for Gamescom 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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64K signature petition delays German govt's game-banning bill

Majed Athab — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EST

There has been a string of unrest in Germany over violence in video games as of late, which is why the government there is working on a bill to ban violent games from the country. While the man in the Bundestag has plans of censorship, German gamers are fighting back with a petition. And not just any old petition, mind you; the one already submitted contains 64,824 signatures, which means there's enough cause (by German law) for the government to open a public hearing.

In specifics, the government is looking to ban any software "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters." Basically, kiss all those lovely shooters goodbye -- that is, if the delay spurred by the petition won't change the government's mind.

Considering Germany is a place that enjoys the sound of the banhammer falling (examples: coked up Red Bull, genetically modified corn products and even 26 years of its own history have all been outlawed), there's no guarantee the bill will be deterred. In fact, the source Gamezine notes Germany passed the internet censorship bill (which was a similar case that had double the petitioners) earlier this year.

[Via Game Politics]

64K signature petition delays German govt's game-banning bill originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1 vs. 100 beta begins in UK this week, Germany and France on July 12

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:15:00 EST

Xbox European Community Manager Graeme Boyd tweeted word that 1 vs. 100 will begin its beta in the UK on July 10, with France and Germany joining on July 12. There is currently no information about 1 contra 100, 1 contro 100, 1 tegenover 100, 1 против 100 nor any other territories.

The US version is also currently still in beta, but begins offering "skill-based prizes" on July 10 (this Friday). Oh, and a word of advice for our European friends: Never trust "The Brain!"

1 vs. 100 beta begins in UK this week, Germany and France on July 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forza 3 game guide gets the green flag from Amazon.de

Xav de Matos — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:30:00 EST

Amazon.de (Germany) may have jumped the gun by listing a Forza Motorsport 3 strategy guide and becoming the latest entry in a laundry list of development-related rumors for the racing sequel.

According to the listing, the 192-page guide is produced by Prima Games (the same company behind guides for the first two Forza titles) and will ship on September 30, 2009. The listing isn't confirmation that Microsoft is developing a new title in the Forza series, but if the long rumored title does exist, we'd expect Microsoft to wave the green flag during its E3 media briefing on June 1.

[Via VG247]

Forza 3 game guide gets the green flag from Amazon.de originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 May 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capcom looking for a few good Street Fighter IV Xbox 360 players in Europe

David Hinkle — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST

Capcom has been combing ~~the desert~~ Europe looking for the best Street Fighter IV players around, Eurogamer reports. Utilizing the new Championship mode to track your Grade Points (which determines your overall rank in the standings, naturally), the contest is open starting today and ends on May 17. Then, on the week of May 30, the best 30 fighters from each of the participating countries -- UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- will be matched up to decide the champion of each nation. After that, the five winners will then be flown to a secret location (we're crossing our fingers for inside of a volcano) on the weekend of June 13 to compete for the grand prize: an Aerox R Yamaha scooter and matching SFIV jackets.

If you're a Joystiq reader, and you make it to the finals and win this scooter, we suggest you name it Sasha.

Capcom looking for a few good Street Fighter IV Xbox 360 players in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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