Michael Geist has reported today that “the RCMP has arrested a Quebec man after a seizure uncovered hundreds of counterfeit video games. The RCMP release states that ‘modifying a console and computer is considered an illegal act under Section 342.1 of the Criminal Code and is punishable by imprisonment for up to ten years.’”
At the end of March, the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) raided a home in Quebec, which eventually led to the “seizure of hundreds of counterfeit video games and the arrest of one suspect.” 300 games were seized and “materials used to modify consoles and illegally reproduce video games” were also taken.
It is unclear what kind of mod chips were found, or for what system, but we will keep you updated.
Result for: video games
The cloud gaming service OnLive, first announced last year, finally has a set launch date.
Starting June 17th in the U.S., users can pay $15 a month to play games from major publishers EA, THQ, 2K Games, Warner Bros., and Ubisoft in the “cloud.”
“This marks a huge milestone for both OnLive and the interactive entertainment landscape as a whole, changing the way that video games are developed, marketed, accessed and played,” says Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. “We are opening the door to incredible experiences for gamers and enormous opportunities for developers and publishers.”
The service includes standard features such as voice chat, profiles and gamer tags and will allow for pausing and resuming of games. OnLive is available for PC and Mac users.
“The OnLive Game Service creates a new opportunity for consumers to play the latest games without spending hundreds of dollars on a hardware system to make it happen,” adds Mike McGarvey, COO of OnLive, via Gi.biz. “As a Mac user myself, I’m excited about the opportunity to help bring high-end gaming to this new and significant market.”
New and popular titles that will be included are Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age Origins, Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands, Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed II, and Metro 2033.
Result for: video games
A Judge has dismissed a case brought against Sony by a disabled gamer who claimed that people with disabilities were being denied access to Sony services. The gamer, Alexander Stern, had sued Sony Corporation of America, Sony Computer Entertainment America and Sony Online Entertainment because his visual processing impairments made it impossible to use video games created by Sony.
According to the complaint, “his visual processing impairments prevent him from fully enjoying the video games manufactured by Sony, some of which are played on gaming systems with internet connections through which players in different locations can communicate and play with or against one another.”
The reference to “gaming systems with internet connections through which players in different locations can communicate” is essentially an argument that it qualifies as “public accommodation”, which would be necessary for a discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title III.
The court ruling denied that Sony services are a “place of public accommodation” and thus, cannot be held liable then for violating ADA Title III.
