In-Depth: Sony Threatens Microsoft’s Non-Gaming Dominance

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Chris Morris

[As Sony announces a tie-up with Vudu for HD movie streaming, Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris looks at how the PlayStation 3 creator has started to gain ground on Microsoft’s array of on-console media content — the next big battlefield for game consoles.]

Long before Kinect, Microsoft had its own way of courting the non-gamer – offer functionality on the Xbox 360 that was unique enough to lure in people who weren’t interested in the latest Haloinstallment. And it was a pretty effective method.

With Netflix integration leading the charge in 2008, the Xbox 360 finally fulfilled the dream of the console as a Trojan horse of the living room. It gave the company a huge competitive advantage for a while, but recently that advantage has been slipping away. Sony, in particular, has gained a lot of ground in that battle and is threatening to overshadow Microsoft’s achievements.

Google TV suffers another blow

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Chris Morris

Search giant Google says it wants to take TV into the future, but the networks are pretty comfortable with the present. Fox has joined CBS, NBC and ABC (along with Hulu) in blocking its content from appearing on Google TV.

Uses who use the service’s Web browser to access the network’s site will still see the Web page itself, but will receive an error message when they attempt to stream any programming. Typical PC users, of course, still have access to all of the content.

Digital registry on the way for content makers

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Chris Morris

The book world has ISBN numbers to help it track how products are doing. But in the film and television worlds, things haven’t been quite so organized.

A group of studios, cable and technology companies are looking to change that, today announcing the launch of the Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR) to help track movies, TV shows and other assets. Among the names behind the movement are Disney, Comcast, Universal, Warner Bros., Sony and the MPAA.

Ubisoft’s Rabbids may be headed to a TV near you

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Chris Morris

Ubisoft’s Rabbids franchise has been fairly synonymous with the Wii since that console’s launch. Now the company is looking to take the bug-eyed bunnies further.

Ubisoft and Aardman, the company behind Wallace & Gromit, are working together to create a pilot and several shorts based on the franchise.

Tivo, Roku join the Hulu Plus posse

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Chris Morris

Hulu seems to be making noises that it could be nearing the end of its beta period on its Hulu Plus service. The company has announced another pair of set-top boxes that will begin carrying the service soon.

Tivo has signed on with the company to bring Hulu Plus to its Premiere DVRs in the coming months, and all Roku streaming media players will begin carrying it this fall.

App review: The Price is Right HD

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Chris Morris

The Price is Right has always been a show about subtle advertising, but it’s not something you have to pay to watch. Paying a few bucks for an app that then proceeds to bombard you with commercial placements is a bit extreme, though. While the game is well-paced and offers a variety of unlockable mini-pricing games and play modes, it’s not entirely stable, sometimes crashing without warning (though this will likely be fixed in updates). Playing with a friend in multiplayer mode is more fun than playing by yourself.

App review: Press Your Luck HD

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Chris Morris

The television version of Press Your Luck is cheesy fun — and the app has the potential to match that. Unfortunately, the current version is a buggy game that’s prone to locking up and has a very limited number of questions. After you play just two rounds, you’ll start hearing questions repeated. The single-player version is fairly boring, since the automated contestants pick answers seemingly at random — and are never intellectual threats. (In one round, for example, the automated contestant guessed that Muhammad Ali was best known as a scientist.) Multiplayer, which is all done locally and not through online matchmaking, is a bit more fun, but still nothing incredible. Finally, the game moves at an incredibly slow pace — and the host’s continually repeated comments get old fast.

Analysis: The Coming Battle – Game Console Makers Vs. Cable Companies

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Chris Morris

The relationship between console makers and cable companies can be a dicey one. Both compete for consumer eyeballs in the living room – and dip their toes in the other’s waters from time to time – but have avoided any sort of direct battle so far. Were they to square off, the brawl would likely be an epic one.

It might be time to start looking for ringside seats.

Don’t have Hulu-Plus? Get a taste anyway

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Chris Morris

Hulu Plus is still in its limited preview mode, but if you can’t get an invite – and you just can’t wait watch Hulu on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, there’s now a way to do so.

Hulu is inviting people to download the free Hulu Plus app to help them test the experience – meaning a limited number of show episodes and clips are viewable by anyone with an iDevice.

Apple near deal for TV show rentals?

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Chris Morris

Rumors started last month that Apple was making a hard push to begin offering streaming rentals of recent television programming for 99 cents. Now those whispers are beginning to solidify a bit.

Bloomberg reports that the Cupertino-based company is in advanced talks with News Corp. for 99-cent rentals – and CBS and Disney are engaged in similar discussions with Apple.

Chris Morris: Journalist

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