Category: Life

Maybe its because it was a spur of the moment, but some developers (including Warren Spector) gave a very good speech on the state of gaming at the GDC. What I enjoyed most was their view on piracy, as follows:

Q: I am one of the bad guys: I’m working on a big budget next generation console game. I want to ask about totally legalised piracy? Not Russia and grey market – I’m talking Blockbuster. 20 dollars a year you can borrow whatever you like then give it back. People are going to rent my game for 4 dollars. I won’t see any of that. They’re robbing me!

Chris: I’m pro-piracy. I want people to play the games I make. I do it because it’s art. I think DRM is a total fucking stupid mess. If the game industry collapses and can be reborn, I’m all for it. Pirate on!

Greg: they’re not pirating the game! Someone bought a legal copy! The world is not designed in such a way that money inherently funnels its way into your wallet!?

Warren: I never minded piracy. Anyone who minds about piracy is full of shit. Anyone who pirates your game wasn’t going to buy it anyway!

As you know I’m fundamentally divided when it comes to piracy. However, I despise the corporate view on the issue, which is to say that pirates cost the game industry $4 Billion a year (which would represent half of the total revenues in the gaming industry btw). It’s a black-and-white view that is completely innacurate. So its refreshing to see when those inside the network adopt a different perspective.

I realise that some of you may be here concerning information about the IE6 Vulnerability that was exposed a few months ago. Unfortunately, with my transition of blogging platforms, I’ve lost the original article + example. My apologies if this inconveniences you in any way. Anywho, you will be able to see a demo of the code in action in the EYNTO Show (as an example of why one should drop IE and switch to FireFox or Opera.)

Well I decided with the upcomming release of the EYNTO Show that it was time to update this site as well. I do plan on getting the show Slashdotted, as others have done, as an ultra-cheap technique to get some extra audience, so I figured I better make this place look better too. :p That and of course rid myself of the many bugs that plagued the previous blogging PHP tool that I was using.

Anywho, hope you enjoy the new look!

A few updates today:

RESUME: Updated my CV.

EYNTO: Went out today to film the rest of the away-from-home footage for the show. However, as it was extremely cold at at least -20C, opted to film the rest another day. Tomorrow is the first Friday of the month, which means a 2600 Hacker Meeting (or script-kiddie… we’ll see how the crowd is). I’ll go and see if I can get a few people to tip our viewers on general safety practices.

Some leading music labels are in talks with online retailers to raise wholesale prices for digital music downloads, in an attempt to capitalize on burgeoning demand for legal online music.

The moves, which suggest that the labels want a bigger slice in the fledgling market’s spoils, has angered Steve Jobs, the Apple Computer chief executive who is behind the popular iTunes online music store.

But music executives expressed caution about their ability to push through unilateral price increases. Among the biggest groups, Universal Music and Sony BMG are known to be particularly reluctant to disrupt the market for downloads. One top label said it would not raise wholesale prices now because the market was not yet mature enough for a price increase.

Because raising the cost to $30CDN for low-quality restricted music files that only play on select computers will motivate people. Riiight. The labels that make up the RIAA should really get it into their heads that paying $30 for a CD is bloody expensive as is, and that paying $30 for what essentially broils down to something much worse than a CD will not make people wish to purchase it. Rather, they’ll opt for an alternative. Any alternative: be it piracy or otherwise.

I swear: the music industry could be better managed by brain-dead monkeys.

Full Article.

*UPDATE* *UPDATE* *UPDATE* *UPDATE*

The East Carolinian newspaper has an article on the RIAA’s fight for justice in its war against piracy. I replied the following to the article:

Well, I do believe that the piracy situation is only as a consequence of the RIAA’s own actions.

People don’t want to spend $20 on a CD that they may or may not enjoy. But how are they to taste test this music? The radio? Most radio networks play over the same 5 songs repeatedly over a 24 hour period. Television (ie. MTV)? They only stick to mainstream. That’s fine if I enjoy Brittany Spears, less so if I wish to hear a newcomer Jazz artist. So how am I to try the music? Via friends and their personal collections? They may have some CDs of interest, but I like different music than they do. And I am not going to spend a day’s pay on a shiny new disc that could potentially be crap.

So what do I do? I download it. I listen to it. If I like it, I buy it. That’s how I’ve come to buy all the CDs and concert DVDs currently in my possession.

But beyond that, the RIAA is continually shooting themselves in the foot. The Internet. Its a new business platform. And what do they do? They charge incredibly high royalties on legal P2P alternatives! This is for music files that are low-quality, DRMed (ie. plays only on certain computers under the right conditions… will not work in a few years), and a pain to deal with. And yet the labels the RIAA represents want to hike the price? Oy vey! Charging $18 for a downloaded album, which costs $0 to replicate and distribute, and that is limited in both quality and flexibility of use. Talk about a good dynamic.

I have little respect for the RIAA, as you can see. Don’t get me wrong: I love the artists. But I hate being ripped off. If I want to steal music, I’ll rob a bank first and then go buy the CDs at the store… After all, the RIAA lobbyed itself so well within the justice system that the penalties for me robbing a bank are less worse than me downloading one music file.

Way to go RIAA!

Julien McArdle