I’m not a big site, but already I’ve seen what overzealous lawyers can do to a site. When I posted my review of a major release last year, I did my usual thing and posted a long review and some YouTube videos of my gameplay.
The next day I came back to the site and found that my YouTube account, which had hundreds of videos and thousands of followers, was in the process of being taken down due to “copyright infringement”. I was flabbergasted. Here I was giving positive free publicity to this company, but they wanted to shut me down. And of course, my silly little videos of Stii-Wii shaking his booty didn’t infringe on anyone’s copyright nor prevent anyone from buying the game–to the contrary, I know for a fact that hundreds if not thousands of people ended up buying it because of me.
I wrote in desperation to the legal department at the company who was trying to shut me down. No response. I wrote to their Marketing department. No response. I wrote to the publisher. No response. The clock was ticking and soon the years of time and literally sweat I put into my YouTube Channel would be gone.
Thankfully, I knew enough to file a counterclaim, and knew all about fair use and copyright law. But that’s just because I’m a computer geek. Most bloggers would have given in.
Don’t get me wrong–I understand the reasons behind SOPA and PIPA. The United States hardly produces anything anymore…tragically we don’t manufacture TVs or electronics or pharmaceuticals or practically anything. The only thing we still produce is entertainment like movies and video games, and yes, thieves are stealing them and getting rich by selling them for pennies on the dollar or giving them away for free and benefitting from online advertising. So in a sense, one of the last vestiges of our gross national product is under assault by thieves and counterfeiters from China to Eastern Europe.
I have indeed been the victim of copyright infringement myself. A few years ago, I found an offshore site that copied all the hard work I’d done on my site (as little and inconsequential as it is) and serving it up as its own. So yes, I see the rationale behind these laws. But the way they’re implemented is flawed. It would essentially deputize sites like Google and GoDaddy to become arms of the FBI. Any lawyer anywhere can take down any site just by complaining about it; you are guilty until proven innocent. This threatens every site from YouTube and Wikipedia to his one. Read more about it here.
The US Congress and presumably the President who would end up signing this bill Have good intentions but are under a delusion that this bill will solve more problems than it creates in its present form. I always marvel at our politicians who triumphantly sign bills that are supposed to help we consumers and never realizing that the bill only ends up making lawyers rich, giving bureaucrats busywork to do, and empowering lobbyists in all industries to continue buying off their favorite politicians, left and right…and not even solving the original problem it was supposed to.
I agree…there oughtta be a law. But just not this one.
on a whole bunch of fitness games. 
– The original Uncharted set new standards in video gaming for a story line worthy of Hollywood screenwriters, an amazing soundtrack, and incredibly detailed graphics and virtual worlds. Uncharted 3 adds to the list absolutely fantastic 3D. The rooftop views of London by night are so extraordinarily beautiful that I had to pause to just admire it. The 3D effect is amazing, and absolutely enhances the game play (this was the first game where I really felt like objects “floated” in front of me). This is a game that is close to perfection and is definitely a “must have” in your collection if you want to own the best of the best in 3D games for the PS3.
– This is the game that’s bundled with Playstation 3D Displays. I’ll admit, there’s a little too much complexity in the controls and the storyline for my tastes, as I like my racing games to be just racing games. But again, the 3D graphics are extremely well done and great for showcasing the talents of the Playstation with 3D.
– This was a game I’d purchased at full retail when it first came out to use with the Playstation Move. One of my biggest complaints was that there was simply no depth perception–I’d flail away at the opponent’s face wildly hoping to make contact. This is a case where 3D is not just aesthetically pleasing, it’s essential to enjoying the game to its fullest. I can actually reach out and lay a left hook squarely in the opponent’s face, rather than just waving my hands wondering if I’m making contact.
– This was a game which didn’t receive very good reviews, mainly because the tennis simulation itself paled in comparison to Top Spin 4. However, I have to say at least from an aesthetic perspective (if not a realism perspective), using the Move controller as a racquet and standing on the court in 3D is by far the most realistic virtual reality experience I’ve had to date. Sadly, the Move controller is only used for a small portion of the game, but I was impressed enough to have
– This was another game which I thought I’d played out, but adding the 3D was like getting a whole new game. It’s exhilarating to be able to watch pitches come right at you, as well as to watch fly balls actually travel through the air. Again, I wish the Move capabilities were expanded a bit (it’s only good for the home run derby), but again it’s one of the more realistic examples of virtual reality on the PS3 so far.
– This was a game which I’d really not played in a while. I won’t say the 3D effects are as stunning as, say, Motorstorm Apocalypse or Uncharted 3, but they’re not bad especially when you use the “in car” view and experience the full depth of the steering wheel, the rearview mirror, and the view outside.
The success of Just Dance franchise have spawned a dizzying number of “copycat” games that use motion controls to let you do “real dance moves”. This holiday season alone there have been more than 20 different games across the three major platforms. It’s enough to give anyone dance game fatigue.