Singer Brandy Norwood was all smiles as she left ABC’s Good Morning America today in New York City. She was spotted carrying a black Céline luggage shoulder tote bag ($2,500) and wearing Christian Louboutin Trash Ankle-Wrap d’Orsay platform sandals ($1,345). Check out pics below
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A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit filed over two years ago in the state of California. The retailer was accused of deceptively misleading consumers into believing used games they purchased would include bonus downloadable content when, in fact, that content was only available for free to the games’ original owners.
According to a press release issued today, a United States District Court judge approved the settlement reached between GameStop and law firm Baron and Budd, which was representing plaintiff James Collins. There are two aspects to the settlement, one of which includes consumers getting money back from GameStop. Those who purchased qualifying used games and are PowerUp Rewards members (the new-ish name for the store’s loyalty program) are eligible to receive a check for $10 and a $5 coupon. Those who are not members can get a $5 check and a $10 coupon.
Details on what games qualify were not mentioned in the press release; the original lawsuit listed games like Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect 2, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as those which include one-use codes that unlock content for new game buyers. A Facebook page has been set up by Baron and Budd to inform consumers on the details of the settlement.
The issue raised in the lawsuit was not over these games having such DLC, but because this DLC is advertised as being free on each game’s box art. (A used game that is $5 cheaper than a new copy isn’t such a bargain if you have to spend $10 or $15 to get DLC included with the new copy for free.) As such, GameStop’s website and stores located in California (as that is the state in which the lawsuit was filed) will have to post signs for the next two years indicating that an additional purchase may be required for access to any advertised DLC.
“We are pleased that as a result of this lawsuit, we were able to obtain complete restitution for consumers, with actual money paid out to people who were harmed by GameStop’s conduct,” said Baron and Budd attorney Mark Pifko. “The in-store and online warnings are an important benefit under the settlement as well, because if GameStop discloses the truth to consumers, it is unlikely that they will be able to continue selling used copies of certain games for only $5 less than the price of a new copy. In fact, we already know that not long after the lawsuit was filed, GameStop lowered prices for used copies of many of the game titles identified in the lawsuit.”
The press release encourages those living in other states to contact Baron and Budd if they feel they’ve run into the same issue with GameStop. The monetary aspect of the settlement is sure to encourage many consumers to seek a similar outcome in their home state, but it’s the other part that GameStop should be enacting in all of its stores.
You could argue GameStop shouldn’t have to be responsible for informing consumers about the way online passes work. But as long as the company continues to generate so much money off of the sale of used games, it doesn’t seem unreasonable that it provide some indication that what’s shown on a game’s box art is not necessarily indicative of what consumers will be receiving. Not everyone who shops in the company’s stores is a savvy gamer familiar with the concept of DLC or online passes.
GameStop has in at least one case taken steps to provide used game buyers with a more comparable experience to that of buying a game new. Batman: Arkham City‘s Catwoman content was locked behind an online pass, but the store provided a new code to unlock that content with used copies. More often than not, however, that is not the case.
This may all become a moot point if the next generation of consoles prohibit the use of secondhand games, and if not because of that, then the eventual move to games being digital-only will have the same effect. With there being a distinct possibility that used games will stick around for at least another generation, though, GameStop may continue to face this sort of criticism until online passes are eliminated (not happening) or it takes steps to better educate consumers. Doing so might even turn into a business opportunity if it begins selling online passes in the same way it already does DLC.
Chris Brown dropped his latest Fortune single “Sweet Love” at the end of March and unlike that slow, oozing RB number, his latest leans more toward hip-hop. Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean both drops verses on “Til I Die.” Fortune arrives May 8.
Just when you thought it was safe to watch high definition videos at home, a restored version of “Jaws” is coming out on Blu-ray this August. Don’t worry, though. William Shatner is here to help, and he’s wearing a proton pack?
We’ll explain it all, plus run down some of the coolest, oddest stuff that happened in the movie world today, all in this edition of the Dailies.
» William Shatner, in his infintie wisdom, felt compelled to tweet a picture of him wearing a proton pack from “Ghostbusters.” We aren’t complaining. [Vulture]
» As if Cormac McCarthy’s “The Counselor” need more names attached to it, Angelina Jolie is now circling a small role. [Vulture]
» This new featurette for Pixar’s “Brave” gives us a better idea of who Merida, the main character, is.
» It finally looks like David Gordon Green is getting his “Suspiria” remake together. [Deadline]
» Two films destined for Oscar talk, “Argo” and “Gangster Squad” are slightly shifting their release dates. [Variety]
» A new restoration of “Jaws” will be out on Blu-ray August 14. We’ll wait here until you stop drooling. [/Film]
What’s something interesting that you found today? Share it with us in the comments below or on Twitter!
Rick Ross and Maybach Music Group have been releasing footage of their European tour and part three finds Rozay and crew in Bordeaux, France and Geneva, Switzerland. The clip is directed by Dre Films and it includes some tour footage, a dinner montage (set to the background of very ambient tunes) and even a segment of Ross getting on his “Reebok Regimen’ workout.
This Kris Van Assche Hoodie Vest ($1,155) from their Spring/Summer 2012 Collection is great casual piece for upcoming warm weather! It features a gray solid color, hoodie, v-neck, two side front slit pockets,and an asymmetrical zip closure. Would you rock this in the spring or summer? See more pics below.
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These Mr. Hare Mailer Loafers ($640) from the Spring/Summer 2012 Collection are similar to the Christian Louboutin shoes we showcased last year, but they’re not as flamboyant. They’re made of vacchetta leather and feature six tassels to decorate the sleek shoe, light stitching around the toe, and a matching leather sole. What do you think? More pics below.
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Red and Meth hit the stage at Club Cameo in Miami last week, check out footage of their performance above.
Last week Burger King pulled a new ad featuring Mary J. Blige from their YouTube channel after considerable backlash from the public and it was only a matter of time until the ad became subject to comedy. Seems like Chloé Hilliard was the first one to it, the comedian spoofs MJ’s ad in a new video. Check it out above.
The original commercial featured Blige standing on top of a table belting out the ingredients of the fast-food chain’s new Crispy Chicken Wrap to the soundtrack of her single “Don’t Mind” — apparently not what the singer thought she signed up for.
“I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence. Unfortunately, that’s not what was happening in that clip,” Blige said in a statement. “I understand my fans being upset by what they saw. But, if you’re a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw go out.”
Despite the coincidental timing of the ad being pulled, Burger King claims that it was removed because of music licensing issues.
There is not a single film coming out in 2012 that I am looking forward to more than “Prometheus.” It’s not just Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction that has me jazzed, or the fact that we’ll once again dive back into the “Alien” universe — the same universe that made me fall in love with movies, for what it’s worth — but also the all-star cast that’s on board: Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender… and perhaps my favorite of the bunch, Guy Pearce.
Pearce, starring in this weekend’s sci-fi thriller “Lockout,” appears in “Prometheus” in what sounds like a small but pivotal role. He’ll play Sir Peter Weyland, founder of the infamous Weyland-Yutani Company that’s played a central role in the “Alien” mythology to date. We’ve already enjoyed a glimpse of Weyland in a fictional TED Talk, part of the “Prometheus” viral marketing strategy. According to Pearce, however, that might be the last we’ll see of Weyland — the actor’s take on the character, anyway — until the film hits theaters in June.
“You’ve seen everything you’re going to see out of [the TED Talk], but there were some sections of the speech that were trimmed out, just for economics,” Pearce told MTV News about shooting the viral video. “But there are other viral videos that are going to come out that involve the other characters from the film, with Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Mine was just the entrée to bigger and better things.”
Even if we don’t see him again until the movie hits, there’s certainly a lot of attention on Pearce’s character, given Weyland’s behind-the-scenes prominence in previous “Alien” movies and official tie-ins. The actor himself didn’t feel the pressure while playing the character — though that’s changed in the weeks since the TED Talk hit.
“To a certain extent I’m feeling it more and more now! Every time I do an interview, and someone goes, ‘Sooo… Peter Weyland!’ And I go, ‘Oh god!’” he laughed. “Yeah, there’s a bit of pressure. But look, you’re standing there in front of Ridley, and you’re offering up whatever you can offer up. If it’s not right, Ridley would say. So I just have to trust Mr. Scott there.”
Trust Mr. Scott he did, though as it’s often said, trust does not come easily. Pearce admitted that while shooting “Prometheus” was a fun experience, “it was a difficult time as well, and I won’t explain why [without spoiling the film], but it was quite rigorous.”
“Still, it was amazing to be part of such a historic series of films, ultimately,” he added. “It was fascinating.”
Are you looking forward to Pearce’s “Prometheus” role? Tell us in the comments section below or let us know on Twitter!
