Latest Techdirt Comments http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... Crazy idea of the math http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130325/11085322454/crazy-idea-month-allowing-patents-mathematics.shtml#c894 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:56:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130325/11085322454/crazy-idea-month-allowing-patents-mathematics.shtml#c894 Listening to us? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c494 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:53:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c494
If they had been straight about it from the get go, then maybe they could have garnered some acceptance. If they had tried to dip a toe in the water (perhaps starting with only the digital download games and the "sharing plan" for that), instead of diving headfirst into an icy lake of customer backlash, they might have seen some acceptance.

What pisses me off the most though, is there sheer, unadulterated ASSHOLENESS of the entire discussion of it. Absolutely no thought was given to conceding to the gaming community at large their concerns (the "Deal with it" tweet anyone?), it was presented as hey, we're going to do this, even though for the last 9 months everyone has been talking about how they don't want it, but we're doing it anyway and you're going to like it, we promise.

This shows a complete and total ineptitude and straight out disconnect from their customers. When you get your head shoved so far up your own ass you can't see this issue coming like a freight train, it's time to fire not only your PR department, you need to take a serious look at the fucking asshole that came up with idea, and the 10 or 12 morons that sat there and agreed with him that it was a great idea, and bash him over the head and leave him in a ditch.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/17584023513/new-orleans-cops-set-up-private-company-to-fill-pockets-with-red-light-camera-cash.shtml#c200 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:51:31 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/17584023513/new-orleans-cops-set-up-private-company-to-fill-pockets-with-red-light-camera-cash.shtml#c200 Be careful what you ask for. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c1454 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:48:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c1454 Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/07515923527/leaseweb-deletes-megauploads-servers-without-warning-destroying-key-evidence.shtml#c980 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:48:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/07515923527/leaseweb-deletes-megauploads-servers-without-warning-destroying-key-evidence.shtml#c980 Well, if your car was seized by the government, then you stopped making payments and later the cops decided they din't need it- would you be crying about the repo guy picking it up?

Let's try it from the opposite point of view;

You're accused of a computer crime. Before the police can get a search warrant for your computer, you have your own "expert" go through it and collect evidence of your innocence. Then as soon as he's finished, you wipe the hard drive. How do you think the authorities would react?]]> Replace "customers" with... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c492 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:47:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c492 Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c475 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:46:56 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c475 Re: What's this? Mike FOR anti-trust? ... What about Google? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/11215823532/supreme-court-says-pharmas-pay-delay-agreements-may-violate-antitrust-law.shtml#c30 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:46:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/11215823532/supreme-court-says-pharmas-pay-delay-agreements-may-violate-antitrust-law.shtml#c30
Do let us know when your balls drop though. As that is as about a relevant and on point as the silliness your mouth expels without your brains consent.

Nigel]]> Cryptogams and the NSA http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c408 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:45:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c408 Finnegan's Wake summons the FBI.

Cryptogams and the NSA, by John Sifton

THE first thing I did after I heard about the highly classified NSA PRISM program two years ago was set up a proxy server in Peshawar to email me passages from Joyce
]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c583 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:45:54 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c583
Academics...admit it - you wouldn't want them working next to you in a real job now would you?]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c466 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:45:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c466 http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/10/4417082/playstation-4-gaikai-streaming-sony-e3-2013

There will be limited capability to play PS3 games via Gaikai streaming service. There's almost no detail about it yet apparently, but it was discussed. Whether it will be available for PS1 or PS2 games, and how many games will available at all is still very much in question.

But no true backwards compatibility no, moving from the Cell processor to an Intel processor makes that difficult if not impossible purely based on the architecture difference.]]> Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1760 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:43:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1760 This certainly can't be an accident, launched today:

It probably was. GoG has a "twice a year extravaganza" (my words, not theirs) where they mark down most if not their entire collection. Usually right after Christmas, and at the beginning of summer break. I usually spend my entire entertainment budget for the month on GoG in December and June. They usually have limited deals (less than 9 hours each,) where they have deep discounts on some titles (picked up Alan Wake/Wake in America bundle for the normal cost of one of the games last night,) and most of their collection is either 33% or 50% off. Every once in a while I go in there and buy something at full price, but I spend a lot more during these times for games that I really have no interest in playing but merely want to check them out (so far, it's been in my favor as I've found a bunch of games I play often now that I didn't even know about until I picked them up at discount.)]]> Re: See http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c268 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:42:24 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c268 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c441 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:41:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c441
It's just nice as an option rather than a requirement.]]> What's this? Mike FOR anti-trust? ... What about Google? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/11215823532/supreme-court-says-pharmas-pay-delay-agreements-may-violate-antitrust-law.shtml#c14 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:39:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/11215823532/supreme-court-says-pharmas-pay-delay-agreements-may-violate-antitrust-law.shtml#c14 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c266 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:39:09 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c266 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS"

Gee, what a surprise.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c438 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:37:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c438 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c417 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:30:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c417
As for the 360, notice that they'll be continuing support for the system for sometime after the Xbox One comes out. You don't need to ditch your 360 when you get the One (and in fact, I'd highly advise against even considering such a foolish idea).]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c388 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:30:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c388 Re: Re: Point of curiosity... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c248 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:29:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c248