Enjoy our geeky news roundup for the day . . . since you can't get on PSN, you got the time!
Outrage Over the Outages:
Speculation on what Sony will loose money-wise over the incidents with PSN. It varies widely, and of course we can't tell, but hey, it's fun to speculate . . .
Also it appears Sony is in deep doo-doo in Birtain as well over their security.
Oh, and look the first class action suit has been brought.
Career:
How to reduce costs in your job search.
Geek Law:
Developer sues Beyonce over a messed-up game deal. It's kind of fuzzy (and they're asking for a lot), so I expect more details to emerge. Presented more for curiosity's sake.
Anime and Manga:
Our regular commentor Serdar adds his thoughts on the Akira adaption and why it's a disaster waiting to happen. I pretty much agree. He also chimes in on a thought-provoking list of good live-action anime adaptions.
Comics:
The Avengers starts filming. What is often missed in the buzz about this film is that this really is only the second "big team" superhero film series – the other being X-Men. I'd say that leaves it heavily in "experimental" territory, especially as it lacks the "mutant" theme of X-Men to unify it. I think the success of not just the franchise, but other efforts like "Justice League" rest on this film's brawny shoulders.
Film:
A stunning display of originality may grace us in the theaters – postapocalyptic vigilante Zorro. Yeah, we're out of ideas.
Media:
A look at Adobe's insane prices for Digital Publishing and what it may mean. Adobe has a lot of people unhappy with them and this doesn't help.
Technology:
Not a lot of details, but Visa is investing in a mobile payment startup. This is probably an attempt at business diversification considering the credit market. The question is how far the diversify – if it's a major move, it may indicate they think the credit business has lost viability.
Trends:
No, mobile won't kill the web – sane commentary on the latest controversy.
Video:
Epix brings content to Google TV, android, and more to come. Never heard of them? They've got the rights to about 3000 properties and some others. Think how many small companies like this are being missed (or are camouflaged) due to the size of Netflix . . .
Video Games:
OpenFeint's mobile social platform is available in China. Now that's due to a deal with The9. This is good for Gree, who just bought them. It's also a reminder that China is a big open space of potential customers. OpenFeint sounds like they have a good future (though I'm curious as to what the regional challenges will bring to them).
Meanwhile, also in China, PapayaMobile, the social game startup, raises $18 million. They're targeting Android, and looking to move beyond China (ironically as OpenFeint/Gree move IN). I'm curious how they'll approach this, since if they have a solid base in China and can keep others at bay, they may expand further – which might mean jobs in your country.
In More meanwhiles, Sibblingz says they have a multiplatform game service for cross-platform gaming – in that they can deliver one game onto multiple platforms, from mobile, to Facebook. Sounds like hype, but this company is part of a seires of ventures that include just-bought OpenFeint – and these ventures often cooperate. I'd watch these people, since if this works it could suck up a lot of interested developers (and because of their siblings). Plus, it's ambitious enough they could use your resume . . .
Zynga acquires Wonderland software – moving them into the UK. That gives them a development studio right smack over in the UK. It appears Zynga is turning them into a separate division – and it's one of many purchases made by Zynga (about one a month). Zynga clearly wants to solidify their position (Hmmm, wonder what plans they have for China . . . )
MORE social game news? Yep, RockYou signs a deal with Romero-lead Loot Drop for a second social game. Thats dragging in some name recognition to battle Zynga. Scrappy company, may be worth looking into (and of course ask what THEY plan to do to get into China . . . sense a theme here?).
QUESTION OF THE DAY: So, seriously, is China the new frontier for games? And what will happen as mobile further penetrates the developing world?
– Steven Savage