Joystiq

Skullgirls funding temporarily blocked by Paypal [update: XBLA patch on the way]

JC Fletcher — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST

Paypal froze Lab Zero Games' account briefly today, due to risk that a significant number of Skullgirls crowdfunding pledges would be revoked. Lab Zero allowed backers to vote on new DLC characters, leading to the theory that if their chosen character didn't make it into the game, some fans would pull their "vote." "Basically, they are terrified of chargebacks," CEO Peter Bartholow told Venturebeat. "If we spend all the money and don't deliver and everyone [requests] chargebacks, PayPal is concerned they will be on the line for [the money]. So, they are effectively treating it as a loan."

After discussions with PayPal, the company has "unrestricted" Lab Zero's account, but continues to hold around $35,000, which Lab Zero CEO Peter Bartholow had planned to use for payroll. "They've only got $35k of our money frozen, so we're not in any real danger," Bartholow said on NeoGAF. "It's just an inconvenience at the moment."

Update: In other Skullgirls news, Bartholow tells XBLAFans the "Slightly Different" patch should arrive in the next two weeks on Xbox.

Skullgirls funding temporarily blocked by Paypal [update: XBLA patch on the way] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: PayPal now a payment option for North American PSN users

Mike Suszek — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST

PSN members can now add funds to their virtual wallets via PayPal when using Sony's Entertainment Network site. At least users will be able to use PayPal; every attempt we've made at adding funds has resulted in an error.

Either Sony's system recognizes that our PayPal accounts are empty, or it knows we were about to attempt to use the Bill Me Later service through PayPal, since we'll gladly pay them Tuesday for a video game today. When the system starts working again, we'll let you know if that's an option.

PSA: PayPal now a payment option for North American PSN users originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Child's Play shuts down fundraiser aimed at changing Mass Effect 3's ending

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:30:00 EST

Recently, part of that whole "We're the Internet and we're upset about Mass Effect 3's ending" thing manifested itself in a Child's Play fundraising initiative called "Retake Mass Effect 3." The movement attempted to combine raising money for the charity with convincing BioWare to change the ending of its game.

BioWare was completely unaffiliated with the fundraiser, however, and no amount of money raised would guarantee a new ending -- a fact severely misunderstood by many people that donated. "We were dealing with a lot of very confused people, more every day, and that told us we had a problem," said Penny Arcade's Jerry Holkins in an update on his site. "Apparently some of the people giving to the cause seemed to think that they were paying for a new ending to Mass Effect."

Holkins also said that Child's Play project manager Jamie Dillion was "buried under mail" about the fundraiser from people wanting to know "what the goal is, and how much they need to raise in order to get the ending produced." The charity was also contacted by PayPal, on account of a "high number" of donors requesting refunds. As a result, Child's Play requested that the fundraiser come to an end.

As an organisation, Child's Play has guidelines regulating how money is raised (Child's Play can't be used to sell anything, for instance). Since Retake ME3 technically fell within the boundaries of the charity's existing framework, Holkins has created a new rule to prevent future misunderstandings: "Child's Play cannot be a tool to draw attention to a cause. Child's Play must be the Cause."

Child's Play shuts down fundraiser aimed at changing Mass Effect 3's ending originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: PayPal memo puts November 15 date on Xbox dash update

JC Fletcher — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

Kotaku reports that a leaked internal memo from PayPal lists November 15 as the date of the new Xbox 360 Dashboard update. It's the one that refreshes the look and adds more Kinect integration, if you haven't been following all the menu news.

Why would PayPal be talking about the new Xbox dash? Reportedly, PayPal employees have been asked to test the new system, likely as it relates to payment options. PayPal support was added in the last Dashboard update, in the spring. We're contacting PayPal; if the people there truly have an interest in being our pals, they'll confirm the date.

Rumor: PayPal memo puts November 15 date on Xbox dash update originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Escapement Studios sheds light on using Kickstarter, PayPal for indie development

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST

The three-person team at Escapement Studios wanted to bring its indie puzzle-platformer, In the Dark: Puzzles Past Bedtime, into the light for gamers everywhere this summer, but first it needed money. Kickstarter has helped generate funds for plenty of indie devs, and Escapement thought it would work for them, too -- with a goal of $10,000, they put In the Dark's future in the hands of the Kickstarter public, and they waited. One month later, they had generated $7,440, but they failed to meet their goal, meaning they earned nothing. Today, Escapement is using PayPal to pick up where they left off from Kickstarter, with a fresh insight on independently raising money online.

"Kickstarter's all-or-nothing funding is really meant for projects that can not be finished without reaching that goal amount," Escapement dev Mark Thompson said. "Using something like PayPal gets you your money right away; with Kickstarter you won't get anything until a week or two after your deadline. If your project is under way, this is a long period of uncertainty."

Continue reading Escapement Studios sheds light on using Kickstarter, PayPal for indie development

Escapement Studios sheds light on using Kickstarter, PayPal for indie development originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: LulzSec hacking group releases thousands of account logins, includes Xbox Live and Facebook [update]

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:15:00 EST

Adding to the list of game-related companies it has attacked, LulzSec yesterday claimed to have stolen and leaked the login and password information for approximately 62,000 "internet accounts," reports the CBC. The stolen info is said to comprise logins/passwords from Facebook, Twitter, "dating sites," PayPal and, notoriously, Xbox Live. It is also claimed that the majority of accounts are from the United states, though several other countries are named in the report.

The account database info is still currently available through the LulzSec website (though we'd suggest not visiting) -- various folks on Twitter responding to the group claim to have done a variety of things with the information, from having a large pack of condoms delivered to an elderly woman, to one person saying they bilked a PayPal account for £250 ($404).

Earlier this week, the group attacked and successfully took down a handful of game industry websites, including EVE Online, Minecraft and The Escapist. All three sites quickly recovered and have been online since. Microsoft has yet to respond to request for comment on yesterday evening's alleged breach.

Update: Microsoft has released a statement, which states that Xbox Live was not compromised to the best of Microsoft's knowledge, and the logins/passwords were released at random, with people encouraged to try said information on services like Xbox Live (among others). "This group appears to have posted a list of thousands of potential email addresses and passwords, and encouraged users to try them across various online sites like Xbox Live in the event one of the users happens to use the same password and email address combination. At this time we do not have any evidence Xbox Live has been compromised. However we take the security of our service seriously and work on an ongoing basis to improve it against evolving threats."

Report: LulzSec hacking group releases thousands of account logins, includes Xbox Live and Facebook [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 PayPal update arrives right on schedule ... in some territories

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:38:00 EST

Microsoft has today begun the anticipated rollout of probably the least anticipated Xbox 360 system update in the post-NXE era. The automatic update is being "gradually" deployed to consoles across the globe through Xbox Live over the next few weeks. "Just like any other update to our service," Major Nelson notes, "you will know you've received it when you turn on your Xbox 360 console, connect to Xbox Live and receive a notification to download the update."

Most notable, the update includes the option to add your PayPal account as a billing option on the console (it was previously limited to Xbox.com) for Microsoft Points and Marketplace content purchases. The feature will be available to all Xbox Live users, excluding those in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Taiwan. So ... just a few (million) people left out.

Additionally, the new system update adds and enables (by default) an auto-standby feature that's activated after one hour of console inactivity. You can switch it off in System Settings, but ... why? Finally, the update will also introduce support for the new Xbox game disc format (a.k.a. "XGD3"), which adds 1GB of storage capacity and some fresh anti-piracy coating.

According to internal documents we obtained earlier this month, Avatar Kinect is scheduled to be released as a separate update on May 27.

Xbox 360 PayPal update arrives right on schedule ... in some territories originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 May 2011 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: Xbox 360 Spring 2011 update launches May 19, adds PayPal

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:53:00 EST

Even before that new app smell has worn off from Hulu Plus, Microsoft will launch its annual spring update for the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Images sent to Joystiq by a Microsoft tech support employee reveal that the next Dashboard update will begin rolling out on May 19.

According to the documents, the update will be distributed in six separate waves between May 19 and May 30 "to ensure a high quality deployment." Additionally, while not technically part of the automatic update, Avatar Kinect is listed for a May 27 arrival as a separate download.

Aside from offering support for the new Microsoft disc format -- which will "be used in future game titles releasing later in 2011" -- the spring system update will enable PayPal support on the console, extending the payment option "to new international markets." PayPal will be "the only user facing feature" of the update.

Update: Microsoft tells us, "We have nothing to announce."

Update 2: May 27 has come and gone, and alas, Avatar Kinect has yet to launch. PayPal was added, however, on May 19.

Gallery: Xbox 360 Dashboard Update Spring 2011 (info documents)

Source: Xbox 360 Spring 2011 update launches May 19, adds PayPal originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May 2011 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony granted access to GeoHot's PayPal records

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

A federal magistrate has authorized Sony to subpoena PayPal for information about California-based funds sent to accounts associated with PS3 jailbreaker George "GeoHot" Hotz, reports Wired's Threat Level blog. The US District Court ruling in San Francisco is the latest development in a jurisdiction dispute to decide whether Sony can proceed with its lawsuit against Hotz in California or must instead do so in Hotz's home state of New Jersey.

Sony alleges that Hotz received donations for his PS3 hack from Northern California residents (via PayPal), and, if true, the evidence could bolster Sony's case to keep the case in San Francisco court. In a court order, Magistrate Joseph Spero defined the "limited information" that PayPal could be ordered to present as "documents sufficient to identify the source of funds in California that went into any PayPal account associated with geohot@gmail.com for the period of January 1, 2009, to February 1, 2011."

Additionally, Judge Spero ordered Hotz to consent to Sony obtaining all of his tweets dating back to Jan. 1, 2009 and to appear in California for a deposition relating "solely" to the jurisdiction matter (with Sony paying for his "reasonable" expenses).

As for Hotz's "impounded devices," a neutral third party, known simply as "The Intelligence Group" (or "TIG"), has been tasked with conducting a "forensically sound" probe of Hotz's encrypted hard drives (and a calculator) for any data related to his PS3 system circumvention hack. Hotz and Sony will split the first $7,000 charged by TIG, with Sony agreeing to pay any additional fees.

[Pictured: George Hotz (screencap); source: G4tv.com]

Sony granted access to GeoHot's PayPal records originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paypal accounts for World of Warcraft gold sellers now on notice

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST

Blizzard recently took action to hit World of Warcraft gold sellers right where it hurts: Their wallets. Well, the online services they use to transfer intangible funds from other people's wallets to their wallets, but you know what we mean. The developer has successfully petitioned Paypal to issue notices to the major names in gold selling, warning them that if they didn't stop selling WoW's virtual currency for non-virtual currency, their accounts would be irreversibly suspended.

Paypal appears to accept Blizzard's argument that these sales represent an intellectual property violation -- though this area has proven nebulous in the past, as suggested by the WoW Glider lawsuit from last year. Regardless, we hope they find some success with this venture. We don't understand why people can't earn gold the honest way: By buying everything off of the auction house and selling it back for three times its original price.

Paypal accounts for World of Warcraft gold sellers now on notice originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: PayPal now works for purchases on Xbox.com

Xav de Matos — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST

If using a credit card online rubs you the wrong way -- or your extreme laziness prevents you from leaving your home to purchase a points card -- PayPal can now be used to buy Microsoft Points on Xbox.com. There are a few caveats to the new option, however: The new payment method is only available to US residents and will only work through Xbox.com (not your actual console).

Users can attach multiple PayPal accounts to their Gamertags and purchase points, which can then be used to purchase content -- like (the insanely priced) Xbox 360 Games on Demand titles. To add a PayPal account, follow these easy steps:

Sign in to Xbox.com
Direct your browser to the Account Summary page
Select "Manage Payment Option"
Click "Add a new PayPal Account" and follow the onscreen instructions.

Your virtual wallet will be filled with Microsoft Funny Money in no time!

PSA: PayPal now works for purchases on Xbox.com originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese gamers want TV on their PSP

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Peripherals

While us PSP Fanboys want the ability to play PSone games on our PSPs the most, it appears that Japanese gamers (according to ITmedia) want to watch TV on their's. Support for electronic money (ala PayPal) and the upcoming camera attachment ranked pathetically low at 3% apiece, while the GPS functionality garnered 14% of the vote. The rest of the votes (78%) favored the ability to tune into TV using the crazy technology called "1seg" which allows mobile devices to access television signals. The Nintendo DS already has a 1seg peripheral in the works, so shouldn't Sony's multimedia wonder jump on board?

If Sony does support 1seg in Japan, it makes you wonder when the rest of the world will get their hands on such cool tech. I mean, Japan already has P-TV (downloadable TV shows), while the rest of us wait for Sony to "figure out" a DRM.

[Via Gamespot]

Japanese gamers want TV on their PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Aug 2006 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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