bbc

PS3 BBC iPlayer In The Works

1:00AM Mike Fahey | The BBC recently launched their iPlayer television replay service for the Nintendo Wii, and that made PS3 owners a little miffed. Passing up the Xbox 360 with its lack of a web browser is one thing, but the PlayStation 3 is browser ready! Some went as far as to cobble together a solution on their own, a fact that impressed the hell out of BBC Head of Digital Media Technology, Future Media & Technology, Anthony Rose. More »

The BBC Explains Why The BBC Went With Wii

11:03AM Michael McWhertor | The BBC announced earlier today, along with Nintendo, that the British broadcaster’s iPlayer service has been tailored for Wii Internet Channel users. BBC dot.life blogger Darren Waters poses the question, “Why didn’t it come to the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3?” Well, Waters writes, it’s due to the assertion that Sony and Microsoft were less flexible, with BBC’s Erik Huggers saying the corporations “want control of the look, the feel and the experience; they want it done within their shop, and their shop only.” More »

BBC iPlayer Now Wii Ready

1:20AM Mike Fahey | Doctor Who is coming to the Wii…sort of! The BBC has announced that their iPlayer replay service will now be functional on the Nintendo Wii. The service, made available last month on the iPod Touch and iPhone, presents time-limited replays of BBC shows, such as Doctor Who, Torchwod, and whatever else they have worth watching. Wii owners in the UK will be able to browse to the page and grab their favourite shows. More »

Giant Crabs Might Have Been Real (We’re Sorry, Sony)

11:20PM Luke Plunkett | You all remember. Genji, “historical accuracy”, giant crabs, massive damage. We all had a chuckle (some even a chortle) at Sony’s expense. But what if giant crabs were real? And not “giant” as in “oh, my, it’s as big as your head”, giant as in “run, before it eats you and your fleshy human babies”. This BBC story, about the discovery of the fossil of an 8-foot scorpion, reports that the team researching the find claims: The size of the beast suggests that spiders, insects, crabs and similar creatures were much larger in the past than previously thought. Crabs! And crabs are a lot bigger than scorpions, so if we had an 8-foot scorpion, that’s one…massive crab. Sorry. Man-sized sea scorpion claw found [BBC, via The Gaming Fascist] [Image] More »

Let’s Bust Those Gaming Myths

6:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Gaming makes players into fat, anti-social, cold-blooded killers. Right? Right?! Nope! The BBC has a nice piece called “In Defense of Computer Games,” which aims to clue in John Q. Public about what gaming actually means. Think of it as antidote for questionable dummies like wacky Florida “lawyer.” From the BBC piece: It’s a common misconception that gaming is a solitary activity, as today an increasing number of titles are for gamers to get together and play in turn. In this respect, it’s no different to golf — a game which can be a source of marital friction but is rarely accused of incitement to murder… Games like Halo are part of such a large sub-culture that people who don’t play them are likely to be seen as oddballs and excluded from many conversations — in much the same way as people who aren’t interested in football or who don’t have a television. The piece goes on to cite a university professor who says gamers have more friends than non-gamers and mention evidence that games improve eye-hand coordination. Maybe it’s something in the air, but I get the feeling gaming’s days as the scapegoat for society’s ills are numbered. More of this level headed reporting please! In Defense of Computer Games [BBC] More »

Manchester Cathedral Still Beating The Resistance Horse

3:00AM Flynn De Marco | It seems like money and apologies aren’t enough to satisfy the great Church of England. BBC News is reporting that the Dean of Manchester Cathedral is calling for arch nemesis Resistance: Fall of Man to be removed from a list of games that have been nominated for a British Academy Video Games Award after an unsuccessful bid to have the game removed from th UK’s store shelves. Says the Dean: It is a disgrace that Resistance: Fall of Man has been shortlisted… Sony has admitted that they did not have permission to film or use Manchester Cathedral in their computer game… BAFTA should not be seen condoning such behaviour unless they are saying it is acceptable for producers to walk into historic buildings and film interiors – ignoring contracts, rights and liability. BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) has stated that the award which Resistance is up for, the PC World Gamers’ Award, is public voted. Although they didn’t say it outright, I’m assuming this means they are absolving themselves from any responsibility in the matter and basically telling the Church to take a hike. This final bit from the Dean of Manchester Cathedral, however, is priceless: (The Dean) then called on Sony to abide by new “sacred digital guidelines” as he feared other buildings would be cloned for “virtual desecration”. Sacred digital guidelines? Wow… just, wow. Sounds like something a certain Florida lawyer might come up with… Church criticises gun game award [BBC News] [Thanks, HellblazerUSA] More »