So we've got a new DS coming our way, with a slightly bigger screen and a really crappy camera built in, but for some folks out there the big news is the built-in SD slot, a feature that was some worried that the DSi might make rampant DS game pirating even easier. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Team 17 studio director Martyn Brown echoes my concerns over the sub-par camera and suggests the SD slot might become yet another entry point for pirates.

"Adding an SD slot makes a bunch of sense for downloadable content given the way things are going," offered Brown. "I just hope they've done something to counter the mass piracy that exists via the R4 on the Lite. It scares me that with an SD card input, that might leave it even wider open that it was on the original device," added.

I've known suburban housewives with flash cards for their DSes, so if you ask me, it really doesn't get much easier than it already is.

Team 17 boss cautious of new DSi features [GamesIndustry.biz]

The world's best pirate-themed MMO is looking for new recruits to sail the salty Caribbean in search of booty, glory, adventure, and...more booty, possibly. To this end they've launched a free 14-day trial open to all wannabe pirates and privateers who have yet to take part in the seafaring activities. Simply hit up the link below, enter your email address to verify that you are indeed a real person, and then prepare to download a metric ass-ton of files before you get command of your very first ship.

This is the sort of game that should have had a free-trial from the get go, really. The unique flavor combination of ship-based travel and battles with trading and character combat is something you really need to play before deciding if it's the right game for you.

Welcome to the Pirates of the Burning Sea 14-Day Trial! [PotBS]

Epic Games won't be bringing Gears of War 2 to the PC. That's their story and they're stickin' to it. It's "definitely" not happening, swears designer Cliff Bleszinski, pointing to a worsening PC gaming environment.

"The person who is savvy enough to want to have a good PC to upgrade their video card, is a person who is savvy enough to know [BitTorrent] to know all the elements so they can pirate software," says Bleszinski. "Therefore, high-end videogames are suffering very much on the PC."

Hmph! Thanks a lot, assholes. Oh, not you, Cliff. We were talking to the dude stealing your game.

Gears Of War 2 - Cliff Bleszinski Q&A [TVG]

So Activision is going all RIAA on software pirates, and now the pirates have started to complain. Over at GameCyte an anonymous pirate who fell under the scrutiny of Activision's crack legal team laments over his harsh treatment at their hands, detailing how they callously based their monetary demand on his personal income and buying habits rather than the material infringed, and how they suggested that if he hire a lawyer he'd wind up paying them even more. Towards the end of the article he even muses on how people who hear of such harsh treatment might not buy Activision products anymore.

Of course, this is a man who opted not to buy them in the first place. Either way, the rule of thumb to follow here, is if a lawyer contacts you about nearly anything, consult a lawyer...preferably not the one who wants your money. The tactics are indeed pretty heavy-handed, but I suppose lawyers with a soft touch are kind of hard to come by.

Anonymous Activision Pirate Admits Guilt, Condemns 'Scare Tactics' [GameCyte]

Peter Moore at EA may think suing pirates doesn't help, but Activision offers up a tall frosty glass of "fuck that" by suing a New York man for allegedly copying and distributing its games.

Edge Online turned up the above case. GamePolitics had been doing a little digging of its own, and Edge's scoop provoked it to go with the results of its research. They found five other instances in which the world's largest, baddest, mightiest, richest games publisher wanted its money, Stewie-style, from file sharers. Call of Duty 3 is most often mentioned as the infringed game.

Four cases have been settled for a total of $326,000, or 407,500 Xbox Live Points. One is pending, and the New York man, Mr. James R. Strickland, is looking at $30,000 to $150,000 for each infringement Activision is alleging, or may allege in an amended complaint.

The full list of those sued (and/or settled) is on the jump.

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To be sure, to be sure! It seems today is talk like a pirate day, what, what! We hope you have been sharing the joy of cleverly constructed pirate talk with friends, colleagues, and foes alike. The lovely chaps at Games On Net have gathered some smashing examples of pirate gameplay to enjoy. Have you played them, chums?

YAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH SCURVY DOGS!!!

The 2008 Games on Net Seadog awards [Games On Net]

Spore's digital rights management and copy protection has gotten a lot of people up in arms. The reaction has been so strong, with nega-reviews flooding Amazon and DRM creatures flooding the Sporepedia, that Electronic Arts said they're planning on implementing a patch to loosen up their current installation guidelines.

But Electronic Arts isn't the only company to ever use a built-in online copy protection system. A small company called Valve, publishers of such indie titles as Portal, Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2, knows all about the ups and downs of DRM and copy protection.

Back in 2004 Valve was at the heart of a hurricane of controversy surrounding the use of online authentication after their relatively new digital distribution system, Steam, ran into a hiccup and was unable to keep up with the online validations for mega-hit Half-Life 2. But things have run relatively smooth since then, with the exception of a major outtage in 2006. I talked to Valve's Doug Lombardi yesterday to ask how they've managed to smooth out the wrinkles of DRM with Steam and how their copy protection compares to Spore's.

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Well, it had to happen - Spore has hit the intertorrents. Pirates are downloading spores through the intricate series of tubes we call the internet.

It seems as though some stores in Australia have been selling advance copies of the game a few days before the official release date.

Over the weekend, a Warez group called "RELOADED" has managed to crack the copy protection on the game and now it is being downloaded by hundreds of cheapskates over bittorrent.

Spore Cracked by "RELOADED" Group [Game Viper]

The Entertainment Software Association issued a press release today that for once wasn't scolding a U.S. state for pursuing unconstitutional game legislation. Instead, they take a moment to applaud the sentencing of two convicted software pirates - Kevin Fuchs of New York and Kifah Maswadi of Florida, both of whom received prison terms for their efforts at taking away money from hardworking developers and publishers.

"We commend the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Western District of North Carolina and the Eastern District of Virginia and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work in bringing these criminals to justice," said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA... "These decisions illustrate, once again, that game piracy will not be tolerated and the extent at which these criminals will be prosecuted. The ESA and its members will continue to support law enforcement's efforts to protect the intellectual property of our industry."

It's just another friendly way of saying don't f*** with the ESA.

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After his recent chat with game pirates, independent developer Cliff Harris of Positech Games muses on pricing structure of games, as 'cost' was listed as a major reason for piracy. As he points out, plenty of other products have a wide continuum that ranges from 'economy' to 'deluxe'; games can often be divided into 'normal' and 'collectors' editions. Why can't we go a bit further, he asks:

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