GamePop Console Brings 500 Mobile Games to TV
Wouldn’t you like to play your favorite mobile games on a larger screen, say, the TV? With the GamePop console from BlueStacks, you will be able to do just that, for as little as $7 a month.
The Android-powered GamePop allows users to play their games on the TV, using an iPhone, Android smartphone or simply the included controller. But what makes GamePop different from similar consoles, such as Ouya or GameStick, is that it functions on a subscription, similar to how Netfilx is running.
All those interested in the console can get it for free if they order by the end of May. All they will have to pay $10 shipping costs and a $6.99 monthly subscription. In return, users will gain access to the entire GamePop library, consisting of over 500 games, which are believed to be worth over $250. The library will be refreshed over time, according to BlueStacks.
Apparently, there is no contract involved, so any user who wants to cancel the service within a year can easily do so, as long as they return the console. It has yet to be determined whether users who cancel the service will still be able to access the games they have already downloaded.
The new platform is already backed by several top game developers, such as Glu Mobile, OutFit7 and Halfbrick, along with Google application makers such as Intellijoy or Deemedya. Any in-game or in-app purchases made through the GamePop console will go to the developers, not to BlueStacks. And 50 percent of the revenue from subscriptions will be shared with the developers as well.
In what regards the console’s retail price after the May offer expires, that has to be determined. According to BlueStacks, the console and controller cost approximately $100. This price would put the console in the same league with Ouya, which is scheduled to be officially launched next month. BlueStacks are planning to start shipping the GamePop this winter.
[Image via Ars Technica]
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Autonomy Fiasco May Lead to Billion-Dollar Lawsuit for HP
Hewlett-Packard’s mishandling of the purchase of Autonomy may come back to haunt the company as it faces a billion-dollar lawsuit. HP had been pursuing the British software company for quite some time before the deal came through near the end of 2011. HP paid $11.3 billion and now it seems that they got it all wrong. According to the lawsuit filed against the company, there were warnings regarding the price being inflated yet they were ignored. Moreover, the company tried to back out of the deal at the last moment, which caused an embarrassing situation for those involved.
Interestingly, the lawsuit has not been filed by someone from Autonomy. Rather, the shareholders of HP are the ones who have combined to sue the company they own part of. They feel that HP’s poor handling of the Autonomy deal led to severe deterioration of HP’s stock value and there are a couple of major issues that could have been averted if due diligence had been exercised. The terms of the lawsuit state that the shareholders are suing the company to the tune of a billion dollars. If the charges are proved, HP will have to pay that amount to its shareholders.
Several august officials of the company have been named as defendants in the lawsuit. The shareholders feel that they failed to fulfill their responsibility towards the company and its stakeholders when conducting the Autonomy deal. In particular, the company had to write the value of the company purchased down by $8.8 billion last year. This was the result of HP realizing that some fiscal irregularities had taken place when the original deal was being finalized. As a result of the write-down, the market value of the company decreased considerably, with the shareholders bearing the brunt.
Even without the Autonomy write-down, the performance of HP has been anything but satisfactory. The company has had three CEOs in quick succession which shows the instability that roams the corridors of the tech giant. So, with the company already struggling to put up the numbers required to keep shareholders happy, a write-down of almost $9 billion was the last thing they needed. The problem was compounded because the write-down was made right after an $8 billion charged was announced by the company related to its purchase of EDS Systems back in 2008.
So, the impact of the write-down multiplied because of the charge already being levied. The market capitalization had to suffer directly because of it which made the shareholders feel aggrieved about the whole fiasco. It is only natural that they are seeking a legal reprieve to resolve the situation with the company once and for all as it is clear that something went amiss during the Autonomy deal. And this is not the only lawsuit HP has had to face in relation to its purchase of the British company. Just after the write-down was announced, they were sued by a shareholder.
This time around, it seems as though there is no way out for the company unless it can prove that the Autonomy purchase was made in good faith and without any backdoor lobbying.
[Image via bloomberg]
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