Warning: EA is now a Sith Lord

It's been speculated prior, but today's launch marks EA's making good on threats to cut into the used video game market. The problem: Autolog, from Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Autolog, for the uninitiated, is the expansive online component for the aforementioned title, providing access to races, tracking your friends' statistics, and providing unique challenges as play the game. Simple, right? No. Should you buy this game used don't expect to find an unusued activation code for Autolog in the packaging. Without this code you cannot go online or do any sort of interactive gaming inside of Need for Speed. Additionally, if you should chose to upgrade your console, your Autolog access will not move with you due to the terms and conditions currently stated upon activation. $10 bucks, buddy.

Needless to say, this is an act of pure greed on the part of Electronic Arts. The only give here is the first console used to activate Autolog will allow all Xbox Live Gold members on said console to access and play online freely. Move consoles? You're screwed. Want to pick up a used game because your budget dictates as much? Add $10 to the sticker price. Paid for your year of Gold for the multiplayer? That is so 2009 - pay again. Want to loan the game out to a buddy? Hope they enjoy solace.

I am disgusted by this practice. While I understand publishers do not make money on used games - that's too damn bad. Consumers have, will, and are legally entitled (in the US) to sell their property at any time of their choosing, without the meddling of the manufacturer. The system has been designed to work like this - to allow a fair share of consumer rights to exist. EA's greed is spit in the face of every gamer out there.

Microsoft and Sony have an obligation on the part of all Xbox Live and PSN users to step in and put a stop to this practice, immediately. XBL and PSN multiplayer cost money and have little reason to allow this practice. To pay for multiplayer and then be slapped with an additional fee for the same multiplayer is not something that should be tolerated by the console manufacturers - used game or not. This is wrong. Period.

EA, you are (pardon my french) greedy assholes.

1 vs. Chris Cashman: The Complete Interview

The complete audio for our interview with Chris Cashman is now available. Download it here.

You can also read and listen to each individual part below:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Hint: You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer.

We would like to give a final shout out to Chris for sparing us some of his time. Thank you!

1 vs. Chris Cashman: The Interview (Part 3)

On June 15, 2010 Microsoft announced the cancelation of the highly touted Xbox 360 experience known as 1 vs 100. Chris Cashman, host of the show, recently sat down with us for a chat where he discussed a variety of topics. In the third and final part of our interview we discuss his successes as a result of working on 1vs100 and ask if he has a final message for fans of the show.

Follow this link for our interview audio or check out the interview transcript following the jump.  Hint: You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer. Our full length interview audio will be available on Monday, August 16.

1 vs Chris Cashman: The Interview (Part 2)

On June 15, 2010 Microsoft announced the cancelation of the highly touted Xbox 360 experience known as 1 vs 100. Chris Cashman, host of the show, recently sat down with us for a chat where he discussed a variety of topics. In part two of our interview with Chris Cashman we discuss the evolution of 1vs100 Live, what it was like working with Microsoft, and some of his thoughts on the show’s cancelation. 

Follow this link for our interview audio or check out the interview transcript following the jump. Hint: You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer.

1 vs Chris Cashman: The Interview (Part 1)

On June 15, 2010 Microsoft announced the cancelation of the highly touted Xbox 360 experience known as 1 vs 100. Chris Cashman, host of the show, recently sat down with us for a chat where he discussed a variety of topics. In Part 1 we discuss how he got involved with 1 vs 100, how humor has influenced his life, his early gaming experiences, and his thoughts on the technology powering the show.


Follow this link for our interview audio or check out the interview transcript following the jump. Hint: You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer.

We've Moved!

Digital Stardust has moved to a new domain! Please point your bookmarks to digitalstardust.info. We've got great things planned, so keep your displayed tuned - exciting things are in store!

Going....going....

There was always a reason Garfield hated Mondays. Many owners of older PlayStation 3's will wake to the news of a late Sunday post over at the PlayStation blog announcing the "Install Other OS" option will be removed from the system in the upcoming firmware update.  The reason cited includes being able to "continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system." (Emphasis added.) Users can continue to keep this feature by declining to upgrade, at the expense of the PSN, "future" Blu-ray titles, media servers with DRM, and future PS3 features. (*cough* bullshit *cough*)

Bad form Sony, bad form. The "Install Other OS" option was a touted feature at console launch, and despite this particular option falling into obscurity, it sets a nasty precedent for the future of "fat" PS3s. We fully expect Sony to make some sort of statement, be it official or otherwise, reassuring gamers backwards compatibility or other features will not be removed from older consoles. Problem is, Sony has gone on record stating they don't intend to "bring back" backwards compatibility, and it's reasonable to assume this potentially means not supporting existing BC as well - an argument further supported by the gradual phase out over the console's lifespan. In addition to this, there's the factor of the cost of supporting multiple firmware options on the same basic system - Sony stands to save a lot by standardizing the features offered across all PS3s.


Are we saying BC or other features are going away? No, but Sony has most certainly planted some very sinister seeds of doubt in the minds of many and unfortunately the Japanese giant seems to have a way of causing seeds to bear fruit.