This week probably has the most shocking and industry moving news of the week, as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo start to play nice — and their players get to play together.
This week’s news includes:
Let us know what you think.
This weeks gaming podcast flashes back to Drakkhan, touches on the history of Infocom and battles some gaming news in a time when gaming news is light. We’re reading some community comments and tackling these difficult headlines:
This week’s question of the week, what occurred in 2009 that “wowed” you, made you happy, built your excitement or just generally rocked your face off?
This week’s episode features Paul guest-hosting, joining Jonah and Scott. The only real drama comes when Paul defends Nintendo’s shady policy of deleting levels without any warning.
This week’s news items include:
Question of the Week: “What is your favorite mobile/social game?”
Apparently Konami just realized Harmonix, MTV Networks and Viacom have made some game called Rock Band and want to take legal action. Konami has created some Japanese games involving karaoke called Karaoke Revolution. Why take legal action now?
Probably because Konami is working towards Rock Revolution, a title which puts together drums, vocals and guitar. How odd, don’t we have a game called Rock Band which has done that for awhile now? It’s much easier to be competitive in the market if you can squeeze your opponent out of the market by telling them you hold a patent on the entire concept…which you let slide for a year.
It seems a bit convenient to force a lawsuit, now, after Rock Band is proven successful and before you launch your own “clone.”
Its suit claims that Rock Band violates a series of US Patents registered in 2002 and 2003 relating to “simulated musical instruments” and “musical rhythm-matching game.” (gamespot)
Although the developers of Rock Band should have gone through some patents on the topic prior to make it (or maybe they did?), it seems a bit out of place to patent such a generic concept. As far as I know, Musical Chairs is also a musical rhythm-matching game but nobody put up any stink when Konami filed a patent for the same concept…
