MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Technology that pauses gameplay to display advertisements has been filed in a patent by Sony Computer Entertainment America. The tech would work by effectively pausing any in-progress game and forcing an ad to be displayed on screen for a pre-defined period of time. It is described by SCEA as "a …
Read More »Judge recommends Xbox 360 ban in US
Microsoft’s patent dispute with Motorola just got significantly more serious with the threat of a US ban on the console. The legal tussle between the pair saw the Xbox 360 console blocked from distribution in Germany earlier this month. Now Judge David Shaw of the International Trade Commission has recommended …
Read More »Xbox 360 banned in Germany
A patent dispute between Microsoft and Motorola has resulted in an injunction banning key Microsoft items from distribution in Germany – including Xbox 360. Also blocked from distribution in the country are Windows 7, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. The development follows news last week that the pair were …
Read More »Patent row could block Xbox 360 sales in US
Imports of Xbox 360 hardware to the US could be blocked following a legal victory for Motorola. The BBC reports that a US International Trade Commission judge has ruled in favour of the firm, ruling that Microsoft has infringed four patents owned by Motorola Mobility relating to video compression and …
Read More »Yahoo sues Facebook claiming 10 patent breaches
Internet search and services firm Yahoo is suing social networking king Facebook, accusing it of ten patent breaches. "Yahoo’s patents relate to cutting edge innovations in online products, including in messaging, news feed generation, social commenting, advertising display, preventing click fraud and privacy controls," the lawsuit claims. "Facebook’s entire social …
Read More »Samsung could thwart iPhone 4S launch
The ongoing string of patent disputes between tech giant Apple and Korean electronics firm Samsung could be entering its most dangerous phase yet. The Guardian reports that Samsung is attempting to ban the sale of iPhone 4S after claiming that it breaches a patent relating to wireless technology. The pair …
Read More »Western publishers looking beyond IP
The value of IP is already very well understood, but one firm has claimed that games publishers in the West are slowly catching up with their Eastern counterparts by taking measures to protect their technical innovations. A new report from patent firm Withers & Rogers says that of the top …
Read More »LG calls for US PS3 ban
LG Electronics has called for the International Trade Commission to block sales of the PS3 and other Sony products in the US. The firm claims Sony’s Blu-ray players – including the PS3 – infringe on four patents regarding data streaming, while some of the Japanese corporation’s high-definition TVs infringe on …
Read More »OnLive claims ‘cloud gaming’ patent
OnLive has been granted the ‘cloud gaming’ patent its CEO had filed eight years ago. Steve Perlman applied for the patent protection back in 2002. Today he declined to comment on whether he would, or could, sue rival firms that use similar technology. The patent will likely intensify the enmity …
Read More »Kinect to recognise sign language
Reports have emerged that Microsoft’s Kinect will be able to understand American Sign Language. A new patent detailing the ‘Gesture Keyboarding’ for the new Xbox add-on suggests ASL could be used to communicate with other players online. While the patent does not specifically mention Kinect or even its previous moniker …
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