DRM

Startup Has an Awesome Idea That Will Get Crushed by Big Media

Peter Kafka in Media on November 5, 2013 at 1:21 pm PT

Streamnation says it will let you “borrow” digital versions of friends’ TV shows and movies. Good luck!

Valve’s Steam Machines Won’t Be “Console Killers,” but Here’s How They Could Shake Up Gaming Anyway

Eric Johnson in Media on September 26, 2013 at 7:00 am PT

If they work as promised, Steam Machines could be disruptive — just not in the way you think.

How a Man in Austria Used Legos to Hack Amazon’s Kindle E-Book Security

Arik Hesseldahl in News on September 6, 2013 at 11:55 am PT

A little robotics, a little OCR and voila.

News Byte

Microsoft Clarifies Its Xbox One Game-Sharing Policies … Again

Eric Johnson in Product News on August 9, 2013 at 11:59 am PT

When Microsoft backtracked on its controversial DRM policies for the Xbox One in June, it also seemed to be abandoning the “Family Sharing” feature that would allow digital games to be downloaded to more than one of the next-gen consoles. However, the company clarified today that Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be able to log in to other Xbox Ones and access their digital content. If users buy and download a game to a One they don’t own, it will be freely accessible on that console until they log out, and will also become available on their home console.

Exclusive: Microsoft’s Xbox Head Don Mattrick Leaving to Take Top Role — Possibly CEO — At Zynga

Kara Swisher in Commerce on July 1, 2013 at 9:48 am PT

A very big hire for the troubled online gaming giant.

Apple Shares Held Hostage and Oracle’s Mystery News — 10 Things You Need to See on AllThingsD This Week

Eric Johnson in General on June 23, 2013 at 1:21 pm PT

The week in AllThingsD, in one convenient post. You’re welcome!

Microsoft: We Had to Wait Until After E3 to Change Our DRM Policies

Eric Johnson in News on June 19, 2013 at 5:11 pm PT

It seems reception from the all-important gamer audience at E3 forced Microsoft’s hand.

News Byte

Xbox One-Eighty: Microsoft Backtracks on New Console DRM

Eric Johnson in News on June 19, 2013 at 2:08 pm PT

The Xbox One will not require Internet “check-ins” and will not impose restrictions on how games may be loaned or shared, Microsoft announced today. Early word of the announcement was first reported by Giant Bomb. The policy changes mean the game playing and sharing experiences on the One will be the same as they are on Microsoft’s current console, the Xbox 360. The company initially defended the DRM policies, including at last week’s game trade show E3, but backlash from gamers was apparently loud and fierce enough to effect a change.