Archangel Tyrael Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 If you buy it, you assume some distribution rights. The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that customers have the right to resell digitally purchased games. While the ruling is not binding, it is designed to be used for reference when such matters arise in courts in EU countries, MCV reports. The Court of Justice of the European Unionsaid: An author of software cannot oppose the resale of his 'used' licences allowing the use of his programs downloaded from the internet. The exclusive right of distribution of a copy of a computer program covered by such a licence is exhausted on its first sale. The principle of exhaustion of the distribution right applies not only where the copyright holder markets copies of his software on a material medium (CD-ROM or DVD) but also where he distributes them by means of downloads from his website. Where the copyright holder makes available to his customer a copy - tangible or intangible - and at the same time concludes, in return form payment of a fee, a licence agreement granting the customer the right to use that copy for an unlimited period, that rightholder sells the copy to the customer and thus exhausts his exclusive distribution right. Such a transaction involves a transfer of the right of ownership of the copy. Therefore, even if the licence agreement prohibits a further transfer, the rightholder can no longer oppose the resale of that copy. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/356444/eu-court-rules-consumers-can-resell-downloaded-games/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google Glass was demoed at this week’s Google I/O conference, proving that while jetpacks, hoverboards, and flying cars are still not on the horizon, wearing a pair of cyborg glasses is just a few shorts months away. Google co-founder Sergey Brin announced the price as $1,500 and a release window of early 2013 for the first developer prototype, Google Glass Explorer Edition. Gaming wasn’t a part of the demo and the first iteration of Google Glass doesn’t seem ready to take on much more than data, chat, photo and video capturing capabilities. Of course, that hasn’t stopped us from spec-ulating about how Project Glass could impact the world of video games as a head-mounted display (HMD). “See The Whites Of Their Eyes” In First-Person Shooters HMD devices like Google Glass and FPS games are a natural fit, so much so that one developer known for being a pioneer is already working on this winning combo. John Carmack demoed the Oculus Rift to us at E3 2012, showing off Doom 3 BFG Edition in conjunction with his own homebrew HMD and an Xbox 360 controller. This virtual reality headset really gives you a more immersive first-person shooter experience and it’s supposed to cost only $500 as a DIY kit, according to Carmack. Google Glass, although significantly more expensive than Carmack’s Oculus Rift, could be designed to provide a similar 90-degree FPS gaming experience and do it with sleeker frames. On top of that personalized viewing experience, its accelerometers, gyroscope, compass and “other sensors onboard” could lend the Google device to other functions tied to gaming that aid or eliminate the need for a controller. "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes," the unattributed famous quote of the American Revolutionary War, would take on new meaning as you literally come eye-to-eye with enemies. Seeing their facial expressions in a Call of Duty or Battlefield game and having it be so close to your own face would be unforgettable. In an instant, Google Glass would enable the FPS genre to take on a more personal, war simulation-like gameplay. Keep Your Eye On The Ball In Sports Games Google Glass could also revolutionize sports games by literally “putting your head in the game.” That’s because just about every sport requires you to keep your eye on the ball, whether you’re catching a football pass or hitting a baseball into play. Currently, connecting with a ball happens with a single button press and navigating to the right location. Having to physically look out for the incoming pass inMadden or track a pop-up in the lights in MLB would give the sports genre its next great innovation. The year-to-year complaint of developers producing the same game with updated rosters would silenced critics faster than a Phillies fan this season. The Google I/O presentation demoed Google Glass being used in extreme situations. Skydivers wore them while jumping out of a blimp and landing on the conference building's rooftop; bikers jumped up ramps and scaled steps with the glasses on, no problem; someone even rappelled down the side of the conference building without a technical or real-life misstep. Google seemed to go out of its way to prove that Google Glass is fit for extreme circumstances. “Our latest prototype weighs less on your nose than many sunglasses,” said the lead designer, yet the Google Glasses stayed secure in every stunt-filled situation the company threw at them. Tennis was one additional activity, although not as extreme as skydiving, that was demoed in a video package. It was intended to show how Google Glass integrates into everyday life. To our gamer brains, however, seeing the team member show off his serve with the tennis racket in his right hand gave us our first look at what a first-person tennis game would look like. Goecaching + RPGs Role-playing games aren’t the first game genre you think of when you hear about a virtual reality headset like Google Glass. However, “it’s aware of its location in the broader physical world,” according to Google in a statement that makes you hope their “Don’t Be Evil” motto is still in effect. This location-aware feature could bring geocaching, the treasure-hunting sport of outdoor geeks, to a mainstream audience and even overlay it with a few RPG elements. Questing while wearing Google Glass could easily merge virtual reality with reality, and make going to the dentist a little less unpleasant. That was another one of the everyday situations shown off during the Google presentation. A team member had sent in a photo of sitting in the dentist chair and the image was unmistakable. Automatically checking in with the location-aware Google Glass, then attaching a photo and leveling up in your Google+ profile could be one of many RPG-like perks to completing these otherwise mundane tasks. Leveling up with Google Glass wouldn’t require you to be a Nathan Drake-like explorer at all times. Instead, simply checking into a Subway restaurant (something he does too, we learned last year) and encountering a few mini-games and promotions along the way would give casual gamers and RPG fans something to like about Google Glass as they trek through real life. In-Your-Face AR Games Augmented reality games already exist on devices, from the iPhone to the Nintendo 3DS. In fact, these simple real-world transforming mini-games are some of the best software Nintendo has come out with for its 3D-camera equipped handheld. AR games would fit Google Glass as well as we hope Google Glass fits our faces. Being in the city and seeing alien spaceships attack from above, then blasting them into another galaxy would make the real world your playground. Of course, it’d make you look like a complete psychopath, too. But with enough space - more space than a Kinect requires, believe it or not - AR Games like this could be a lot of fun. Simpler AR games, along the lines of Sony’s card battling Eye of Judgment and the company’s upcoming Wonderbook title, are gameplay concepts that would work with Google Glass. They would require the minimal amount of space and allow companies like Activision to sell us on a whole new set of augmented reality Skylander toys. Next to a Spyro interaction figure shooting what looks to be real flames, Skylander Giants all of a sudden wouldn’t seem so tough. We haven’t had the chance to experience Google Glass for ourselves and its $1,500 pre-order price and Google’s determination to only offer it to “bleeding-edge developers” means that we may not be the first in line for the Explorer Edition. That’s okay because the Google Glass will only be half full for gamers in its first developer prototype. Hopefully, Project Glass sees wider access in future models, a cheaper price and tons and tons of innovative games. That’ll happen a lot sooner if Microsoft comes out with therumored AR headset as part of the next Xbox and a lot, lot sooner if Google ever thinks Apple is developing similar technology. http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/725553/how-google-glass-could-change-video-games/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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