Round Up: Response To 360 Hack, Second Life Sued Over Land, PS3 Europe Price

Today's round up includes Microsoft's official response to news that the Xbox 360's Optical Disc Drive (ODD) has reportedly been hacked, a lawsuit against the publisher of popular online game world Second Life, and the price the PlayStation 3 may demand in Europe when it launches on November 17, as well as the latest GameSetWatch posts, Serious Games Source news, and Gamasutra job postings. - In March Microsoft issued an official statement regarding a reported “hack” of the Xbox 360's authentication protocol between the ODD and the console itself, which could, if exploited, allow users to to play illegally copied games. Today the company revisited its original statement, reiterating that Microsoft is taking the attacks seriously in an effort to prevent piracy. The statement, as reprinted on the Gamerscore Blog, notes: “The core security system has not been broken. However, on some Xbox 360 consoles the authentication protocol between the optical disc drive and the console may be attacked via a complex software and hardware modification which could allow people to play illegally copied and modified games. We continue to invest in the security of the platform and will respond appropriately as unauthorized activity is identified.” - Wired News reports that popular online world Second Life is facing a lawsuit from a player for a reported real estate deal that went south. Through some questionable techniques, the report claims that attorney Marc Bragg of West Chester, Pennsylvania used the official Second Life auction website purchase land in the game “at prices far below market rates”. Discovering this, developer Linden Lab shut down Bragg's Second Life account, removing his access from his in-game assets, including real estate and currency in the virtual world. Bragg's lawsuit is asking for $8,000 in restitution. Users of Second Life, as well as the users, developers, and publishers of other online games and communities continue to watch this lawsuit, the outcome of which could set a precedent for other similar games going forward. - GamesIndustry.biz has reported on statements made by Sony Computer Entertainment UK MD Ray Maguire regarding the PlayStation 3, specifically the price it will retail for in the UK when it ships on November 17. During the interview, which will air on Eurogamer TV in the next few days, Maguire suggested that Sony's next-generation console will retail for UKP425 ($804), following Sony's statement during its pre-E3 media briefing of a 499/599 Euro price point for the 20Gb and 60Gb SKUs. He also went on to defend the console's price in the interview, stating: "I don't think it's an expensive machine; I think actually, it's probably a cheap machine. If you think a Blu-Ray player by itself might be UKP600-700, and we're coming in at just UKP425 - it's a bargain." - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister weblog GameSetWatch include news of an arcade game show called California Extreme taking place this July, September's Come Out & Play Festival, which looks to "provide a forum for new types of public games and play", and veteran game designer and lecturer Ernest Adams' "perfect game". - Also updated today: Serious Games Source news on Stottler Henke being award a contract to develop an AI-modeling tool for the US Air Force, and a new education course to be introduced by the The University of North Carolina Greensboro that uses a serious game to teach economics, as well as the latest Gamasutra job postings, featuring openings from Backbone Entertainment, Day 1 Studios, Factor 5, LucasArts, THQ San Diego, and Wideload Games.