The PC version of Gears of War has a very big problem at the moment. The DRM used to protect the game has a certificate that expired on January 28, 2009. This means the game has been shut off and can no longer be played even after uninstalling and installing the game.
January 31, 2009 at 5:21 pm | PC, Shooters, Software | No Comments
Ed Fear from developmag.com recently sat down with the developers of Sony’s virtual world, Home, to discuss the public Beta release. Off the bat, the lead programmer, Mitch Goodwin, expressed how Home has been a work in progress that originally was a PS2 project that stalled due to a lack of online users, and eventually became a dedicated PS3 project. Goodwin said the project has been a very slow process, so slow that legacy code reveals weapon pickups from when the project had a different direction, something that would definitely make Home a little more exciting. Imagine running around with weapons and taking out the fools that run circles around you and dance in your face.
January 8, 2009 at 11:21 pm | Playstation, Software | No Comments
Apparently EA is listening to outcry against DRM, and SecuROM in particular. EA recently made a deal with Valve to release some titles on Steam, games that will not contain EA DRM protection. Valve will rely on its own Steam protection to combat any piracy associated with the EA games.
One game in particular that many gamers might appreciate being released on Steam is Spore, a game that was ruined partly by DRM protection know as SecuROM. A limited number of installs is one of the many complaints from Spore players. MaxisCactus, a Maxis community manager, confirmed that Spore will not contain SecuROM when released on Steam.
The EA games releasing on Steam will include: Read more…
December 23, 2008 at 1:39 pm | PC, Software | No Comments
It doesn’t seem like EA ever wants to listen to its customers. EA continues to bundle their PC games with the intrusive DRM known as SecuROM. The latest game including SecuROM is Spore.
As a result, two class-action lawsuits have been filed against EA claiming the DRM is installed intrusively and is virtually impossible to uninstall. One of the lawsuits is filed by Richard Eldridge, who claims, “Consumers are given no notices whatsoever that the FREE trial version of the game [Spore] includes Digital Rights Management technology.”
The second lawsuit was filed claiming months of computer problems, and eventually required a reformat of the computer to get rid of SecuROM. The key points to the lawsuits are the fact that the consumer is unaware that SecuROM is installed on his computer, and there is no directions or options to install SecuROM once it is installed.
November 11, 2008 at 2:19 pm | Business & Law, Software | No Comments
It has been a little over a year ago since I brought the gaming world’s attention to Bioshock and SecuROM, which turned out to be a rootkit debacle. Spore, another game using SecuROM copy protection, was released on the weekend of September 6th.
Once again if you dowload rootkit revealer from Microsoft, you will discover that the program will show SecuROM as being a rootkit. Some will say it is just a false positive, and others will swear it is a rootkit. It seems like Microsoft would have figured it out by now. So, the question still remains, is SecuROM is really a rootkit? This is what shows up after installing Spore:
September 11, 2008 at 9:33 pm | Simulation, Software | 6 Comments
I finally got a chance to sit down and fire up my Playstation 3 to play some Grand Theft Auto IV after a hard week’s work, and update to the latest 2.40 firmware, except it wasn’t available for download. I’m thinking wtf is going on here?
Well, apparently people have been having problems with the new update, and as a result Sony has taken the update offline for further testing. They are promising to get it released as soon as possible once they pin down the cause of the problems. Sony has this to say,
July 3, 2008 at 8:14 pm | Playstation, Software | No Comments
Sony today released the newest update for the Playstation 3 console, firware 2.40.
With update 2.40 you now have XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game. This means that you can access the PS3 menu at any time while playing most games, simply by tapping the PlayStation button on your controller.
With 2.40, you can also check if any of your friends are online, read and send messages, change some settings for games, all without having to quit the game you are playing. While you can’t pause an online multiplayer game involving other people, you can rejoin play at any time when you’ve finished browsing. Along with these enhanced communications features, the Friends list capacity will double to 100 Friends.
July 2, 2008 at 8:31 pm | Playstation, Software | No Comments
This morning I fired up my Playstation 3 and my early morning slumber was awakened by a new firmware update. Version 2.36 is now available for download.
The Playstation Blog has not given much details other than “improved system stability”. Never the less, Sony is promising a step up in firmware version 2.40. The Playstation Blog had this to say,
June 20, 2008 at 7:41 am | Playstation, Software | No Comments
Sony is stepping it up with their newest version update for the PlayStation 3. Version 2.20 will include Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 or BD-LIVE. This software updates adds additional interactive features to bring the PS3 into a new age.
FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 20, 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that the next system software update for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, slated for release in late March, will add Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) Profile 2.0 or BD-LIVE, enabling PS3 owners to experience interactive features, such as downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more. In addition to BD-LIVE, the system software update (v.2.20) will enable photo and music playlists on PS3 to be copied to PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, among other new features. These updates demonstrate how PS3 continues to evolve as a home entertainment hub with the flexibility to deliver the newest technology innovations that benefit PS3 owners.
March 21, 2008 at 3:06 pm | Playstation, Software | No Comments
Sony revealed in a press release today the astounding number of PS3 users participating in Stanford’s Folding@home research project. The number of users has now surpassed one million since its introduction on the PS3 on March 22, 2007. This equates to roughly 3,000 PS3 users registering for Folding@home per day or 2 new registered users every minute worldwide.
“Since partnering with SCEI, we have seen our research capabilities increase by leaps and bounds through the continued participation of Folding@home users,” said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. “Now we have over one million PS3 users registered for Folding@home, allowing us to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world’s most life-threatening diseases. We are grateful for the extraordinary worldwide participation by PS3 and PC users around the globe.”
February 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm | Playstation, Software | No Comments