WE HAVE MOVED TO OUR NEW HOME

We are now at www.gossip565.com

DRAG ME TO HELL

MICROSOFT THINKS THEY HAVE WON THE USA

Microsoft’s European VP for interactive entertainment, Chris Lewis, has said the battle between the PS3 and 360 in the US is over, with the company now focusing its attention on Europe

When asked if the battle between the PS3 and the 360 was now decided in the US, Lewis said Microsoft has “done the job we need to in North America”, and that the company would focus more effort on increasing the 360’s lead over the PS3 in Europe.

Lewis, speaking in an interview with 360 magazine, also admitted that Microsoft had made mistakes in its previous approach to the European videogame market, saying that a single marketing strategy couldn’t be applied to the whole continent.

“In the sunnier parts of Europe we did have relatively less success”

“It’s a very textured region,” said Lewis. “You’ve got places like the UK and the Nordic countries…where we’ve been able to apply our more North American approach to those markets with genuine success.”

“In the sunnier parts of Europe we did have relatively less success up until the last 12 months where I think we have better understood the need to go to those markets with more appropriate content,” he added.

SONY BRAVIA LCD’S

Sony explains their LCD’s

SHARP AND PIONEER TO JOIN FORCES

Sharp and Pioneer have announced that they plan to merge their individual optical discs businesses into a single joint venture this October. Originally announced as part of Pioneer’s restructuring plan, the joint venture will allow the two companies to consolidate their technology in order to improve their products.

The move will benefit both companies as they fight to gain a leading position in the growing Blu-ray market. To date, the two companies have failed to maintain Blu-ray Disc player sales equivalent to leading rivals Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic, and they are hopeful that a joint venture will allow them to be more competitive.

Sharp is the largest shareholder of Pioneer stock at 14%.

I WOULD DO HIM & TUMBLR

I would do him!!!! Anyway guys i just came home from getting something to eat. I didn’t go and get that Java Chip Frapp. I decided i would wait and go to starbucks when it opens at 6 am. Anyway today my shift Carla gave me a MUG pin. It was so cool. I have about 8 now all together. She said that it has been a pleasure to work with me and that i rock!!! I think i left the inscription at work i hope i find it so i can post it on here.

HOW TO GET OVER A BREAKUP???

GAMESTOP TO BE INVESTIGATED BY THE FTC FEDERAL TRADE COMMISION

The alleged practice of GameStop lending new copies of games to employees at their stores and then later selling those games as new, unused copies, may be a violation of federal law.

GameStop’s “check-out” policy, confirmed to Kotaku by a number of the chain’s managers and employees, could fall under scrutiny of the Federal Trade Commission.

Reached for comment this afternoon, GameStop officials declined to comment.

“We do not comment on corporate policies that are competitive in nature,” said Chris Olivera, vice president of corporate communications. “As your questions relate to company training, operations and discounting practices, I would not be able to provide feedback.”

Kotaku contacted the FTC earlier today to determine if the practice, which sells games already played by employees at the new price, not the used price—used titles are typically priced about $5 cheaper than brand new versions—would be considered deceptive advertising or marketing. The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is mandated to protect consumers against unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce. Violations of FTC restrictions are a violation of federal law, according to the commission.

“The Federal Trade Commission protects consumers from unfair or deceptive advertising and marketing practices, and we encourage any consumer with a complaint about a company’s business practices to contact us,” said FTC public affairs specialist Betsy Lordan.

Lordan said she was unable to confirm or deny the existence of any investigation that the commission is conducting. As a rule the FTC does not comment on the conduct of a particular business.

The company’s check-out policy, provided to us and verified by a number of GameStop employees states:

Associates are allowed to check out one item of store merchandise for personal use for up to four days. Merchandise checkout is a privilege, not a right, and may be revoked at any time.

Hardware, accessories, sealed CDs or software programs that must be altered to install may not be checked out. If the on-hand quantity of a product equals one, the item cannot be checked out. Hot titles may also be prohibited from being checked out, regardless of the on-hand quantity in the store.

Associates may only check out items from the store in which they work. Associates are personally responsible for any merchandise they are allowed to check out.

Merchandise must be properly checked out in the Employee Merchandise Check Out Log in the Game Planner.

If the product is returned in unsellable condition, or if anything is missing from the package, or if the product is not returned, the Associate must purchase the product at the current price less Associate discount.

Copying of the software and/or manuals/instructions is illegal and is strictly prohibited. Merchandise that leaves the store without being properly checked out or purchase is considered to be unauthorized removal of Company property and may result in performance coaching up to and including termination of your employment.

According to a number of GameStop employees and managers across the country, all of which spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, new copies of games rented out to employees are often mixed in with the unplayed display copies. And both are sold at “new” prices.

When a shipment of video games initially arrives at a store, managers are told to “gut” several copies of the game, removing the disc or cartridge from the packaging so it can be displayed on the shelf without concern of theft, according to our sources.

The games are then placed in protective sleeves or cases under the counter. If a customer asks why the game is not sealed they are typically told the the game is a display copy. The game is still sold as new.

When check-out games are returned, we were told, they are placed with the gutted display copies. If a customer asks about these, they are typically told they are display copies, not that they have been played before.

Since the copies are often placed with display copies, even managers and employees typically don’t know which of these games have been played and which haven’t.

While some GameStop managers will on occasion offer a “Shop Worn Discount” for a gutted or checked out title, we are told by our sources that this is actually against GameStop policy which states:

“Do not apply Shop Worn Discounts to any new, used or checked out games, it may only be applied for damaged packaging and new accessories which have been opened.”

Headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, GameStop is the world’s largest video game retailer, operating nearly 6,000 stores worldwide. The company’s revenue was $8.8 billion in 2008.

MASSIVE ACTION GAME

– All audio cues (planes flying by, air raid sirens) are actual players causing it or player triggered actions. – 20 years in future, 3 major PMCs bid for war. 3 Factions, only 2 announced now: Raven and Sver – 256 Domination mode. Attackers and defenders. Out layer of defense and inner layer. If your faction wins alot it gets the contract for that game mode and gets XP bonuses and perks. – 3 other game modes: Acquisition(128 player escort-style mode. Steal 2 prototype armored transports and bring to extraction zone). Sabotage(64player, control 2 points for X time then a demolition objective is revealed which must be destroyed). Suppression(64 player team deathmatch) – Customize face, voice, armor. – No soldier class system, but has a free-form kit creation. – Snipers can get more than normal XP for killing people in designated areas of importance – Ranking up gives access to new weapons/perks/leadership positions. – Certain goals for each squad/platoon etc. Have secondary goals like blowing bridges. – Been running 256 player tests since Nov. 08 and plans to have closed/open betas.

HEIDIE MONTAG LOOK AT HOW I AM DOING