A double helping
Aug 02, 2009 17:20:07
Submitted by Brent on Aug 02, 2009 17:20:07 CST (comments: 4)
Aug 02, 2009 17:20:07
| This week, dear readers, we stand at the font of corporate wisdom and await a heaping helping of crap and manage to get two loads of it dumped on us. First up EA steps in it This was first brought to my attention by the "Kill Ten Rats" web site (a must read for the No Prisoners, No Mercy staff). It seems that the folks at the Dante's Inferno marketing team recently decided to advertise their upcoming game by putting a reward out to their potential consumer (note the singular tense - this is not a mistake) for sexually harassing their employees: "How to win: commit acts of lust with us or any booth babe" They then instruct their potential customers to twitter a photograph of their sexual harassment and go back and do it again for a chance to win a "Dinner and a sinful with two hot girls, a limo service, paparazzi and a chest full of booty." Here is an excerpt from an "apology" from their "twitter": "We understand there's a lot of debate right now around our 'sin to win' promotion at comic-con and wanted to clarify a few things. We created this promotion as part of our marketing efforts around the circle of lust (one of the nine sins/circles of hell). Each month we will be focusing on a new circle of hell. This month is lust." I am wondering what the Dante's Inferno team will do for a follow up when they get to the circle of hell for murders - have a bizarre contest where they support murder for hire and tell their "customers" to call EA when they get out of jail in 150 years from now? Note to EA's Dante Inferno team: you might want to check with your legal department before launching any future schemes. Depending on the terms of your "booth babes" employment this probably violates just about every sexual harassment law ever written. Next up - Put on your waders boys and girls the crap is about to get deep... It seems that a company called Volomedia claims to have been awarded what it calls "the patent for podcasting." The press announcement claims their patent covers: "...the fundamental mechanisms of podcasting, including providing consumer subscription to a show, automatically downloading media to a computer, prioritizing downloads, providing users with status indication, deleting episodes, and synchronizing episodes to a portable media device." Next up...the same company patents the entire English language including the word "Podcast" and audio files of any sort...as a result the No Prisoners No Mercy show will consist of an hour of static. Here is a note I found from someone claiming to represent the company in question: "With specific reference to our newly issued 7,568,213 patent, it was filed in November 2003, almost a year before the start of podcasting. This helps underscore the point, that for nearly six years, VoloMedia has been focused on helping publishers monetize portable media...." So while Volomedia may want you to get prepared to pay for podcasting content they can prepare to kiss big behind. Until then, See you online, - Julie Whitefeather |
Submitted by Brent on Aug 02, 2009 17:20:07 CST (comments: 4)
Comments:
'I'll be blunt...' by Jmo
Submitted on 2009-08-03 02:44:37 CST
First - The "Booth Babes" scheme was pathetic. All it did was give some sexist pigs a chance to actually get rewarded for being horny and acting on it in public. What a pathetic excuse for a contest. Personally, I usually have a good sense of humor for some of these contests out there, but that one was just plain stupid. Whoever thought it up needs to be fired. EA hired these girls already as Eye Candy, knowing full well they would be harassed to no end, but then decided it would be a good idea to make everyone WANT to harass them? Who thinks these things up.
Secondly, on the subject of the "Podcast Patent" - Fuck Volomedia. They're just hoping that no one will be vocal enough about it and that they will earn an easy buck. Well, they're in for a rude fucking awakening. Did they not realize they just fucked with one of the most vocal communities in the gaming world? Have they no clue the can of worms they just opened? PodCasters do it for Free, they're not going to pay an addition fee above what they already pay for hosting, just because some dumbasses decided it would be a good idea to "Patent Podcasting." As Sr. Julie says, Volomedia "can prepare to kiss big behind."
Mark my words, Volomedia, should they try to enforce this "patent", will cease to exist in a few months. The podcasting and gaming community will tear their upper management limb from limb until there isn't a spec of evidence left. Good job on pissiing off the wrong people assholes. Do they not realize how many "Hacking/Cracking" podcasts there are out there? I hope they weren't stupid enough to leave all of their data on computers, especially ones with even a remote internet connection. They're fucked. Plain and simple. I hope they have a good backup plan in place for revenue, because trust me, they won't know know what hit them should they try to go forward with this.
Anyway, enough of my incessant ramblings. I just came from a Roast of a good friend of mine and the language filter (or alcohol stream) hasn't been shut off yet. But seriously, what idiots think they can patent, and then charge, for podcasting rights? Dumbasses.
Jmo out!
'Tell us how you really feel' by Yoh
Submitted on 2009-08-04 01:02:55 CST
I second that emotionally charged comment by Jmo.
Booth Babes...... I mean, I'm a guy and I find this to be insulting my intelligence. It's not funny, it's not witty, it's just plain fucking moronic.
And while I'm not a podcaster, I do listen to a lot of podcasts, and I can see that Volomedia's actions equating to hitting a hornets nest with a stick, times a thousand or so. They are just fucking looking for trouble.
And besides, everyone and their grandma can get a patent nowadays. Their practically free with cereal. And as such, they have no real value or meaning. They just don't have any teeth, and can't be enforced. So good luck trying you stupid son-of-bitches.
But what can you do, there's a damn lot of fucking morons in this world.
~Yoh
'I must admit...' by Akely
Submitted on 2009-08-04 09:32:43 CST
I find myself so damn old I feel sorry for the Booth Babes. I also find it insulting that someone thinks that I'm so damn stupid and horny that seeing some flesh will make me more favorable to their product. Newsflash: Since I, and other people, recognize the ploy it does not work that effectively. Furthermore, since many companies over here hire the babes and let them be the sole representation at the booth it is impossible to get decent information. There there because the look good, not know anything about the product.
Patent podcasting... heh this will be fun. I wonder how much legal money they will spend on protecting their so-called patent.
'Fun indeed' by Julie
Submitted on 2009-08-04 10:51:32 CST
@ Akely and Yoh: It will indeed be fun to see where a "patent on podcasting" gets them but it is relatively easy to see where they are headed and that is to try and take a bite out of Apple (they can TRY as Fran and I discuss on our next show).
@ JMO Greed drives people to do many odd thing, such as encouraging sexual harrassment of "booth babes" (a term I hate to start with) and, apparently in Cryptic's case, trying to have their cake and eat it too...the subject of the next article.
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