No details and no teasing words. Just a simple image popping up on Titan's website. Subtle. Classy. Pirates. Ninjas. New job classes for the game, or does someone over there just really love pirates and ninjas? The world may never know.

Oh of course we'll know, eventually.

Avast! [Titan Studios - Thanks David!]

The ESA applauds the United States Trade Representative's decision to add Canada to "the list", citing the numerous times the game industry has plead with the country to strengthen their laws, only to have said pleas fall on deaf ears. With the mod chips still flowing like wine from the Canadian border into the states, the U.S. government had no choice but to write the name of the country down next to some other countries. You hear that, Canada? We're watching you.

"Putting Canada on the ‘Priority Watch List' is a signal of the Obama Administration's commitment to strengthening global intellectual property protection, and its intent to address this issue firmly with the Canadian government," said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA "Canada's weak laws and enforcement practices foster game piracy in the Canadian market and pave the way for unlawful imports into the U.S."

Canada joins China, Russia, India, Thailand, and seven other countries on the U.S.'s no doubt highly-effective Priority Watch List, which I'm certain they will be taken off of as soon as they show marked improvement in keeping their country piracy free.

"Canada contributes significantly to the development of today's leading games — creating thousands of high-paying jobs along the way. We are eager to see Canada become a full partner in protecting these products on the way to market," Gallagher noted.

Canada never really stuck me as the sort of country that needed a stern warning. If anything, it seems like a nice place to kick back and relax. Go figure.

The raid occurred in Staffordshire, England, at a house that was running an illegal copied games business via online classifieds site Gumtree.com. The raid kicked off with an ELSPA investigator and a Staffordshire Trading Standards officer visiting the house of a 30 year-old unemployed man, delivering a console to be altered. While they waited, the game pirate offered them copied Xbox 360 titles, which were purchased to be analyzed.

Having enough evidence for a warrant, the house was raided earlier this week, netting the investigators more than 1,000 copied games - 700 Xbox 360 titles, 300 Wii games, and 100 for the PlayStation 2 - along with several modded consoles. The man confessed to his crimes, admitting to running the operation for two years.

And he would have continued running it if not for that damn team of ELSPA investigators and their dog. Congratulations, ELSPA, for successfully solving the mystery of the chipped 360. May the Scooby snacks flow like wine.

First Raid of 2009 Busts Chipping Operation

Computers with burners and over 1,000 illegally copied games seized in raid

Friday 9th January/... A raid at a Staffordshire house has resulted in the apprehension of an unemployed man who operated an illegal chipping service on several websites – all linked to Gumtree.com, a classified ads and community site. In an intelligence-led operation involving Staffordshire Trading Standards and investigators from ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association), the home of an unemployed 30 year-old man was raided this week.

Prior to the raid, an ELSPA investigator and a Trading Standards officer had visited the residence and handed over a console for alteration that would enable the console to play illegally copied games. Whilst at the property, the offender also offered the undercover investigators pirated Xbox 360 games and three rogue Xbox 360 titles were purchased. The console and games were then forensically examined to provide the evidence needed to obtain a search warrant.

Four computers with burners and more than 1,000 illegally copied games were seized in the raid – including 700 Xbox 360 games, 300 Wii titles and 100 PlayStation 2 games. Three Xbox 360 and two Nintendo Wii consoles were also seized. The offender, who cannot yet be named for legal reasons, made a full confession at the time and admitted to running the illegal operation for approximately two years.

Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, said: “ELSPA works closely with Trading Standards across the country and we would like to thank Staffordshire Trading Standards for their excellent work in bringing this online operation to an end. Our team in the Intellectual Property Crime Unit (IPCU) will step up its fight against counterfeiters and illegal chipping services in 2009. Such illegal activity can pose real health dangers for the public and certainly deprives gamers of any proper quality control. Furthermore, it can cause the industry to lose vital income and with it jobs across the UK. “

Nigel Cotton, Senior Investigating Officer for the Staffordshire Trading Standards Department, added: ”Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards Officers will continue to take enforcement action to reduce counterfeiting to protect the people and businesses of the county. Offenders face up to ten years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. We also pursue any proceeds of crime with a view to confiscation.”

A POCA (Proceeds Of Crime Act) investigation has already begun to estimate the criminal gain from the offender’s illegal activities.

Ends.

Of course, this is a man who opted not to buy them in the first place. Either way, the rule of thumb to follow here, is if a lawyer contacts you about nearly anything, consult a lawyer...preferably not the one who wants your money. The tactics are indeed pretty heavy-handed, but I suppose lawyers with a soft touch are kind of hard to come by.

Anonymous Activision Pirate Admits Guilt, Condemns ‘Scare Tactics’ [GameCyte]

Four cases have been settled for a total of $326,000, or 407,500 Xbox Live Points. One is pending, and the New York man, Mr. James R. Strickland, is looking at $30,000 to $150,000 for each infringement Activision is alleging, or may allege in an amended complaint.

The full list of those sued (and/or settled) is on the jump.

• Shawn Guse of Federal Way, Washington. Guse, unrepresented by counsel, agreed to pay Activision $100,000 (CoD 3 Wii, CoD 3 Xbox 360) to settle the case.
• Chris Hyman of Abbeville, South Carolina. Hyman, also unrepresented, agreed to pay Activision $25,000 to settle the case. (CoD3 Wii, Tony Hawk's Project 8, Xbox 360).
• George Laflin of New Jersey. Laflin, apparently the only defendant who had an attorney, agreed to pay Activision $100,000 (CoD 3 Xbox 360).
• Maryanne Leach of Northome, Minnesota. Leach, with no attorney, agreed to pay Activision $1,000.
• Kenneth Madden of York, South Carolina agreed to pay Activision $100,000 (CoD 3 Wii, Cod 2 The Big Red One PS2, Tony Hawk's Project 8, Xbox 360). He too was unrepresented.
• James R. Strickland, aka Ryan Strickland of New York State; case is still active (CoD3 Xbox 360).

[per GamePolitics, which has pdfs of all the complaints/settlements.]

Activision Sues Alleged CoD Pirate [Edge Online, via GamePolitics]

“We commend the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of North Carolina and the Eastern District of Virginia and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work in bringing these criminals to justice,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA... “These decisions illustrate, once again, that game piracy will not be tolerated and the extent at which these criminals will be prosecuted. The ESA and its members will continue to support law enforcement’s efforts to protect the intellectual property of our industry.”

It's just another friendly way of saying don't f*** with the ESA.

ESA APPLAUDS PRISON SENTENCES FOR NEW YORK AND FLORIDA GAME PIRATES

August 28, 2008 – Washington, DC – The Entertainment Software Association today applauded the recent sentencings of two convicted pirates to significant prison time. These rulings send a clear message that intellectual property theft and game piracy are serious offenses. On August 20, 2008, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney in the Western District of North Carolina sentenced Kevin Fuchs of West Amherst, NY, to eight months in prison, to be followed by eight months of home confinement during two years of court supervision. On August 15, 2008, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in the Eastern District of Virginia sentenced Kifah Maswadi of Oakland, FL, to fifteen months in prison, followed by three years’ supervised release and fifty hours of community service. Maswadi was also ordered to pay $415,900 in restitution.

“We commend the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of North Carolina and the Eastern District of Virginia and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work in bringing these criminals to justice,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, the trade group representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. “These decisions illustrate, once again, that game piracy will not be tolerated and the extent at which these criminals will be prosecuted. The ESA and its members will continue to support law enforcement’s efforts to protect the intellectual property of our industry.”

On January 3, 2007, Fuchs plead guilty to conspiring to reproduce and distribute copyrighted works, including entertainment software. Fuchs played a key role in the “warez scene” where he was a “supplier,” whose role was to obtain pre-release copies of copyrighted software, and a “tester” who checked the functionality of pirated software after the copy protection was removed or bypassed by other warez scene members. This case was part of Operations Fastlink and Site Down, two of the largest piracy investigations conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. The operations targeted “warez groups,” which illegally distribute copyrighted movies, games, software and movies online.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation field office in Charlotte, NC, handled the investigation of defendant Fuch’s activities. Trial Attorneys Richard D. Green and John Zacharia of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Klumb, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Ellis of the Western District of North Carolina, handled the prosecution.

The Fuchs sentencing comes on the heels of a fifteen month sentence imposed on a Florida game pirate. On June 3, 2008, Kifah Maswadi pleaded guilty to one count of criminal copyright infringement. He admitted to selling “Power Players,” which are game systems that connect directly to a television and were pre-loaded with at least 76 pirated copies of video games. From 2006 to 2007, Maswadi sold these game systems containing illegal copies of games via the Internet and earned more than $390,000 through this illegal activity. Maswadi was facing up to three years in prison but received a reduced sentence for cooperating with the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices in Washington, DC, Tampa, FL, and Jacksonville, FL, handled the investigation of defendant Maswadi’s activities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu and Trial Attorney Tyler G. Newby of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section handled the prosecution.

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the E3 Media & Business Summit, business and consumer research, federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.

# # #

Buccaneers are pirates too, but a bit subtler than their burning-bearded brethren. They steal and loot, but also manipulate the black markets. Some would call them gentleman adventurers, though few are true blue bloods. Buccaneers do not have the raw power of cutthroats, but they work well in groups and can help friends and cripple enemies.

1.4 Skill Changes: The Buccaneer [PotBS Community Site]

The Pirate Bay [thanks, James!]

I sat down and played a very quick, four person vs team game which was really a lot of fun. The controls were easy to pick up and the gameplay was engaging and easy to pick up. However it did require some skill and speed to get quickly upgraded and get to all the places you needed to go to win. My teammate and I managed to soundly trounce the competition and much rum was drunk and wenches were kissed. Well, not by me but that's another story.

We also took a look at the map editor which was very easy to use and is actually one of the things I am really looking forward to with this game. I'm not usually one for level editing as it always seems so needlessly complicated but this was very simple and engaging. Plunder will be coming to PC, XBLA and PSN later this summer.

1) Assassin's Creed - 25734
2) Frontlines: Fuel of War - 12688
3) Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat - 8792
4) Dark Messiah of Might and Magic - 8402
5) Lost: Via Domus - 5883
6) Turning Point: Fall of Liberty - 5183
7) Sims 2 - 4026
8 ) The Club - 3672
9) Bioshock - 3489
10) The Witcher - 3121
11) Need for Speed ProStreet - 3061
12) Crysis - 2847
13) Conflict: Denied Ops - 2085
14) Neverwinter Nights 2 - 1893
15) Hellgate: London - 1750
16) World in Conflict - 1531
17) Stranglehold - 1459
18) The Orange Box - 1341
19) Age of Empires - 1099
20) Flat Out 2 - 1074

Couple of things to note: first, the copy of Assassin's Creed is a preview build of the game that won't let you into Jerusalem. So it's more a demo than a game. Second, Gillen's maths skills show just why piracy makes Call of Duty 4 devs Infinity Ward so sad:

Thirdly, let's try a little really rough - if conservative - maths. Call of Duty 4 has been on sale for 113 days, assuming day zero piracy. A seven gig torrent, assuming a 100k download speed, takes just under a day to download. Assuming that the rate of downloads now is constant across those whole three and a bit months - which is incredibly conservative, of course, as it'd have been much higher upon release - that means 993496 copies will have been illegally downloaded via Mininova alone.

I have a confession to make: Nowadays I find it heard to retain interest in a massively multplayer online game for more than an hour or so. They just bore the crap out of me. They're all so transparent, so same, the sameness, I think is what really kills the experience for me.

So the only reason I started checking out Pirates of the Burning Sea was because I'm reviewing it for Variety. What I've found so far is a game, that while still suffering under the yoke of World of Warcraft, manages to introduce at least a few unique elements to the thread-worn mechanic found in nearly all MMOs. I speak of the ship-to-ship warfare which I find very reminiscent of the Ancient Art of War at Sea a game I simply loved.

Ship-to-Ship combat isn't the entire game, for most people at least, but cutting through the water, minding the wind direction and cannon reload times, all in real time mind you, is a pure joy and makes me want to play through the rest of the game, no matter how familiar it might be, just to upgrade the ship to something improbable and monstrous. I'm told, I shit you not, that you can have battles between entire flotillas of these amazing Tall Ships too, up to 25 a side. I haven't experience that yet, but I may actually stick around long enough to try.

I'm not 100 percent sure, yet, if I'd pay the full $15 a month to play the game, but you can figure that out yourself now that it has gone live, effective today.

[Thanks to Luke for the bit of photoshoppery on that image, arrr]

YO HO HO! PIRATES OF THE BURNING SEA SETS SAIL TODAY

SAN DIEGO, CA - Jan. 22, 2008 - Grab your parrot, raise the gang plank and ready the cannons with Pirates of the Burning Sea™ (PotBS), the hotly anticipated online PC game where players can clash on land and sea. This new title from Sony Online Entertainment LLC's (SOE) Platform Publishing label, and Flying Lab Software LLC (FLS), is available today at participating retail outlets worldwide and as a digital download through www.station.com and www.direct2drive.com for a suggested retail price of US$49.99, with a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99 plus applicable taxes.
"After years of hard work by our top-notch crew, we are thrilled to announce players can now conquer the virtual Caribbean, circa 1720, in Pirates of the Burning Sea," said Russell Williams, CEO of Flying Lab Software in Seattle. "Working together with SOE's Platform Publishing, we are able to launch this game simultaneously in the U.S. and Europe and release localized versions in English, French, Spanish and German, allowing players from all over to captain a ship in this world full of swashbuckling and high-seas adventure."
Players start by joining the French, Spanish, English or Pirate nations as a naval officer, freetrader, privateer or pirate. At sea, players can blow enemy ships out of the water. On land, players can engage in a world of action and peril rife with sword fights. A unique economy lets players become captains of industry, running mines, lumber mills, shipyards and other large-scale operations. Players produce all the various goods needed to supply others with the raw materials to conquer the Caribbean, one port at a time. A player-generated content system lets gamers create their own sail and flag designs and even model their own ships.
Set in the New World circa 1720, PotBS recreates a dramatic time of conflict and riches with action for every play style, from epic ship combat to building an empire. With more than one thousand missions per nation, dozens of ports to explore, and the entire Caribbean as their domain, players will find an online experience like no other.
Pirates of the Burning Sea game features:
• Join one of four nations (Pirate, English, French, or Spanish)
• Every player is the captain of their very own ship in massive naval battles
• Duel other players to control more than 80 conquerable ports in the Caribbean
• Explore the world and make a name for yourself with more than 1,000 missions per nation
• Economy driven by players, who manufacture and sell all ships and equipment found in the game
• Take command of more than 50 historical ships
• Design your own flags and sails
• Build your very own or customize any of the ships in-game to your liking
• Choose from three different combat styles - deadly and formal Fencing, flashy, dual-wielding Florentine or rowdy and treacherous Dirty Fighting
• Participate in epic PvP sea battles with up to 25 players per side

For more information on Pirates of the Burning Sea, log onto www.piratesoftheburningsea.com or the community site at www.burningsea.com

Akella Announces City of Abandoned Ships

The makers of Sea Dogs, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other critically acclaimed naval titles are working on another swashbuckling RPG.

Moscow, Russia, 16 November 2007 - Akella, a leading developer, publisher and distributor of video games in Russia and CIS, has announced its forthcoming naval title, City of Abandoned Ships. Developed by Seaward.ru, City of Abandoned Ships will combine compelling gameplay and wonderful graphics thus bringing a new experience to all the fans of daring sword duels and ship-to-ship combats.

"Akella has a good track of records in developing a diverse lineup of maritime titles. City of Abandoned Ships is one more step to build upon our capacities in creating the paradise world of pirates as it was in the 17th century", said Dmitry Arkhipov, VP Development of Akella. "Our new RPG will deliver an exciting storyline and attract new fans to naval games genre".

About City of Abandoned Ships

Developer: Seaward.ru
Publisher: Akella
Genre: RPG
Release date: Q1 2008

Starting out your buccaneering career you can choose to go it alone and become the most feared pirate on the seven seas, terrorizing Spaniard and English gentleman alike. Or prove your loyalty and take the coin of one of four different navies: French, English, Spanish or Dutch.

Sailing the high seas as a swashbuckling dread pirate or as a dashing naval captain, you will explore strange new countries and alien civilization, raid and plunder fortified ports and cities, and search for ancient treasures. But beware, the dead do not sleep easy and in the dark South American jungles myth and reality intertwine.

Solve the ancient mysteries of a vanishing tribe, cross swords with the most notorious swashbucklers ever to sail the ocean blue and make sure that no foe ever sets foot on land again.

Key features:

* Explore the accurately-mapped paradise of the Caribbean. Sail your tall ship around the islands of Cuba and Jamaica to Belize and Bermuda.
* Vast array of land-based locations, from dense South American jungle to dark Caribbean cave complexes.
* Meet real-life historical characters, such as Jamaican governors Colonel Thomas Lynch and Thomas Modyford.
* Take your part in quests based around actual historical events.
* Experience mirrored missions for different states - defend a Spanish territory in one instance and orchestrate a ruthless attack in another.
* Unique P.I.R.A.T.E.S system of character progression: Power, Impression, Reaction, Authority, Talent, Endurance and Success.
* Face fierce ship-to-ship combat or stand toe-to-toe with the most feared swordsmen in the Caribbean.

Pirates of the Caribbean Online Pre-Order [Disney]

ARRRR! FLYING LAB SOFTWARE CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE PIRATE DAY IN SEATTLE THIS WEDNESDAY Seattle-based Flying Lab Software is developing online video game Pirates of the Burning Sea for the PC

WHAT:
Citizens of Seattle, video game fans and pirates alike, will all gather together to celebrate "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" in honor of day's the official video game, Pirates of the Burning Sea, this Wednesday. The event, sponsored by local video game developer Flying Lab Software, will feature the local pirate group, SeaFair pirates who will be offering free tours of Seattle's waterfront to guests on their pirate ship, The Moby Duck, hands on play-time with the soon to be released Pirates of the Burning Sea video game, a chance to mingle with the development team behind the game, and much more!

The event is free and open to the public. Non-press members please RSVP http://pirates.meetup.com/111/calendar/6376562/

WHEN:
Wednesday, September 19th
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Seattle Aquarium
1483 Alaskan Way # 59
Seattle, WA 98101

The expansion's final locale is a mountaintop campsite complete with a wise old hermit you probably shouldn't let the children hang around. The mountains do strange things to a man. You'd probably be better off with the Ninja or the pirate corpses.

The expansion will feature new activities like glass-bottom boat tours (more pirate corpses, only bloated), meditation, building sand castles, and a variety of other interesting things you should probably go do yourself but don't have the time and/or money to do. Living vicariously through little fake people is going to be so much better come September. Until then, chew on this press release.

SIMS FANS EMBARK ON EXOTIC TRAVELS AS EA ANNOUNCES THE SIMS 2 BON VOYAGE Fans of the Popular Video Game Series Escape to Exciting Destinations with their Sims Chertsey, UK — July 26, 2007 — Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that fans of the popular video game franchise, The Sims™ 2, can whisk their Sims away on exciting trips to discover exotic locations, including the Far East, Rustic Mountaintops - even a Tropical Island! The Sims 2 Bon Voyage will allow fans to travel with their Sims on a variety of magnificent vacations featuring a myriad of all-new activities when the expansion pack launches this year.

Whether your Sims are relaxing on a lush tropical island in a luxury suite, camping with the family on a pristine mountaintop, or exploring the culture of the Far East, they'll enjoy new activities to relax and rejuvenate. From building sand castles and catching rays to meditating in the Zen garden after a visit to the pool, players can quickly transform their Sims from bumbling tourists to savvy international travelers. Sims will also learn new customs including local greetings and traditional dances to take home and teach to their friends. With The Sims 2 Bon Voyage, players can send their Sims packing for the trip of a lifetime!

As your Sims travel, they'll interact and learn from a variety of real and mythical locals including the wise old hermit, fire dancers — even Big Foot! Like all true vacationers, your Sims will be able to decorate their homes with unique souvenirs from their trips that are available only at destinations within The Sims 2 Bon Voyage. They can even buy unique jewelry to wear or take home as gifts! Fall in love with the hula dance lei from your Sims tropical beach vacation? Bring it back and flaunt to the neighbors! Love the moves your Sim mastered doing the Slap Dance at the rustic lodge? Teach fellow Sims the tricks of the trade back at home. What your Sims learn and collect, is up to you!

"The Sims 2 Bon Voyage brings so many new experiences and locations to the game, there's almost no end to the surprises that fans and their Sims are going to discover as they travel to each of the three exotic travel destinations. It's a perfect break from the everyday home routine!" said Vice President and Studio Head of The Sims Division, Rod Humble. "Every member of the family should be able to find activities that suit them—Mom can get a massage at the spa, Dad can practice Tai Chi in the Zen Garden, kids can explore the ruins of our largest object yet - the Pirate Ship! With The Sims 2 Bon Voyage, you can take your Sims - even your family - on the trip of a lifetime!"

The Sims 2 Bon Voyage will ship in Europe and across the US in early September as a PC expansion pack* that builds on the original The Sims 2 PC game experience.

KEY FEATURES
• Travel to Three Exotic Destinations: Each location offers unique landscapes and local residents, such as the Fire Dancer and Ninja, for your Sims to meet and learn from. Try local cuisine and admire cultural landmarks as your Sims explore these new locales.
• Send Your Sims on Tours: Glass bottom boat rides, adventurous van tours, and other excursions are fun new activities for your Sims, but there may be some surprises in store!
• Buy or Find Unique Items: Shop for rare items found only on your Sims' travels, including unique jewelry they can wear or take home as gifts. Stumble upon hidden locations, collect shells on the beach, or dig up treasure.
• Stay at New Travel Accommodations: Splurge on a luxury suite for your Sims or choose a cozy cabin. Your Sims will enjoy the comfort of room service, get pampered at the spa, and more.

* Requires The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition , The Sims 2 Holiday Edition or The Sims 2 Deluxe for PC to play.