overcast #020 [38:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (835)

Winners of the Stolen Life DVD Giveaway are announced. Then, this week we’re talking about what just about everyone is talking about: Microsoft’s recently published Game Content Usage Rules. What’s the big deal? Well, for starters… these rules are not just about Halo, or even just about Microsoft games. Once these rules are solidified, being the industry precedent, they will very likely serve as a template which other game companies will imitate. There is a key prohibition in those rules which, so far, no one appears to be talking about. And in my opinion, it’s huge. We need to speak up NOW, if we care.

The exciting and breaking news is… it appears those who drafted the document are listening to hear what you have to say. That’s just as huge.

Things are happening REALLY fast with this; it’s possible that by the time you listen to this, some of what I bring up is going to have been made irrelevant by new developments. Keep that in mind.

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you think.

This Week’s Hot List (URLs from the show’s content):

• 
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
• Winners of Stolen Life DVD
• European Machinima Film Festival
• Stolen Life - Watch the entire film online!
• Machinima.com has a new look!
• Machinima.com has embedded video streams!
• Microsoft’s Game Content Usage Rules
• Selected Web Coverage:
  • Paul Marino of the Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences
  • Mark Methinitis of Vernon Goodrich, LLP - Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, Article 5
  • Tony Walsh at Clickable Culture
  • Analysis on the Citizen Game blog
  • DonkeyXote’s blog (Microsoft) - Article 1, Article 2
  • Hugh Hancock on the Machinima For Dummies blog - Article 1, Article 2
  • Fred von Lohmann on his EFF blog

 

 the overcast #019 [47:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (552)

I figured I’d squeeze off one more show before Elton John shuts down the Internets. This show covers various machinima-related happenings and other news, and includes a good bit of discussion about some of what is going on in the music industry lately, and how that relates to independent content creators of any kind.

Oh yeah, and there’s this…

The STOLEN LIFE DVD GIVEAWAY
Take a survey, Win one of four “Stolen Life” DVDs!

To Enter the Drawing, take this survey by August 20, 2007, and be sure to include your e-mail address! Winners will be announced on August 31, 2007.

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you think.

This Week’s Hot List (URLs from the show’s content):

• 
• DigitalPhil missing since April 1st Show?
• Mass Effect Trailer (Director’s Cut)
• Jade Empire
• Machinima For Dummies
• Afterworld - Daily Episodes (Mon-Fri) Starting in August!
• TubeMogul - New Feature: Universal Upload
• Review: “Stolen Life” DVD by Nanoflix Productions
• Other Reviews of “Stolen Life”:
  • Slice of Sci-Fi Review (on YouTube)
  • Robots.net Review
  • Mat Van Rhoon’s Review on Unofficial Tex Murphy
  • Buddy of DeadOnQue’s Review
• Shattered Keyboard’s Test for the Presidential Candidates
• Todd Stallkamp on Games and Culture
• Second Life Thin (Web) Client in Development
• Buddy (DeadOnQue) is working on … something?
  • Buddy / DeadOnQue’s Films
• Kazakhstan Internet Access: Only for the rich?
• PC World: MySpace Boots Sex Offenders - Boo hoo?!
• More details on Prince’s new music strategy
• Elton John: Shut Down the Internets!
• Steve Albini: The Problem with Music [contains adult language]
  
• Kate Walsh: Self-Made Music Artist
• ASCAP re: music licensing in restaurants
• The Fall of Beyonce
• - VIDEO (turn DOWN the volume… apologies for the sound quality)