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Inside Germany’s “Killer Game” Fight

November 4, 2009

EuroGamer has an insightful piece up entitled “Killerspiele,” which takes a look at the state of controversial games in Germany.

The article begins by detailing the failed “Killer Game Drive” put on by the Aktionsbündnis Amoklauf Winnenden last month in Stuttgart, noting that Harry Schober (pictured left), a father of one of the German school shooting victims from earlier this year, founded both the organization and the game round up.

Other aspects covered include a detailed look at Germany’s game rating system, which “goes further than any other to ensure that unsuitable videogames don't get into the hands of unsuitable players,” and the positive effect that a gamer-driven, grass-roots effort had upon government.

Where the piece’s author—Simon Parkin—excels though is in his ability to frame perfectly both the anguish of Schober and the outrage of gamers, who feel that their rights are being affected by attempts to limit access to certain games:

We should always be mindful that videogames offer mere fleeting entertainment while life, in contrast, is infinitely precious. The former should never threaten the latter. Hardy Schober's anguish may be misplaced and his tabloid-friendly skip stunt deserving of mockery. But more than that, he deserves a conversation. If gamers cannot afford him that, then in some ways, they really are to blame.

Modern Warfare 2’s Loss is DICE’s Gain

November 4, 2009

A fan of the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was so impressed with developer DICE’s efforts to include dedicated server support in the title he sent the company a check for $60.00.

The $60.00 was sent in lieu of Eddie from New Jersey (the letter writer) using the funds to purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is opting to use a matchmaking service in place of dedicated servers for PC users. Eddie suggested to DICE that they use the funds to aid development on the upcoming game.

DICE posted a copy of the letter and check on their Battlefield website (thanks Joystiq), thanking Eddie and writing, “It's moments like this that make all the late nights and weekends of crunching to make the best game possible all worth it.”

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is due out March 2, 2010 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

UK Conservatives Scored on Game Issues

November 4, 2009

A piece up on The Sixth Axis website poses the question, “What if: The Tories Win” and goes about breaking down what a Conservative Party win might mean for the UK developers and gamers.

The article kicks off by describing the ways politicians can shape gaming, including tax breaks for developers, deciding how games are rated and influencing the speed of Internet connections.

Ed Vaizey, Shadow Culture Minister is the focus of most of the piece, with the author offering “WIN” or “FAIL” grades for Vaizey’s inferred stances or public remarks on topics ranging from integration of videogames into the UK Film Council (a “WIN”), ways to help grow UK game development (a “FAIL”), developments in broadband (a “WIN” and a “FAIL”) and Internet piracy (a “WIN”).

Details on the “WIN” grade for involving the UK Film Council in games:

One of the best ideas from the Conservatives is to integrate video games in to the UK Film Council, a body that looks after the economic, cultural and educational aspects of the UK film industry both here and abroad. The council also distributes Lottery money to finance new independent UK films and I would assume they would to the same for games. This could lead to a more PSN and XBLA games.

The author finishes with an overview of the Shadow Culture Minister:

He appears to be enthusiastic about gaming and he does not assume that anyone who plays GTA IV will go and chainsaw a nearby prostitute – this is a very good thing. The bit where he understands gaming does not turn you in to a psycho, not the chainsawing of prostitutes.


|Image via LOLMart|

Letter to Obama Seeks ACTA Transparency

November 4, 2009

As the 6th round of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations get underway in Seoul, Korea, a dispatch has been sent to President Obama expressing concern over the “lack of transparency and openness” surrounding the initiative.

The letter notes that “Unlike nearly all other multilateral and plurilateral discussions about intellectual property norms, the ACTA negotiations have been held in deep secrecy.”

While a curious mix of entities have been allowed to see ACTA documents, after signing a non-disclosure agreement, the letter states that “there were no opportunities for academic experts or the general public to review the documents,” adding that “very few” public interest or consumer groups were included as well.

Among the signees of the letter were The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Students for Free Culture and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

Countries negotiating the agreement include the U.S., Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Switzerland.

BoingBoing (thanks Torven) sums up a few leaked bullet points from ACTA, among them:

•    That ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn't infringing will exceed any hope of profitability.

•    That the whole world must adopt US-style "notice-and-takedown" rules that require ISPs to remove any material that is accused -- again, without evidence or trial -- of infringing copyright. This has proved a disaster in the US and other countries, where it provides an easy means of censoring material, just by accusing it of infringing copyright.

•    Mandatory prohibitions on breaking DRM, even if doing so for a lawful purpose (e.g., to make a work available to disabled people; for archival preservation; because you own the copyrighted work that is locked up with DRM)

The EFF tears into the leaked material in a post on its website, saying that, “The leaks confirm everything that we feared about the secret ACTA negotiations.”

They continued:

The Internet provisions have nothing to do with addressing counterfeit products, but are all about imposing a set of copyright industry demands on the global Internet, including obligations on ISPs to adopt Three Strikes Internet disconnection policies, and a global expansion of DMCA-style TPM laws.


Disclosure: GamePolitics is a publication of The ECA

Congressman Compares Government Website to Videogame

November 4, 2009

Apparently well versed in interactive entertainment, a United States Congressman likened the layout and functionality of a government website to an old videogame.

At a November 3rd hearing to discuss the current state of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) website, Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) told the executive director of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Greg Long that, “In the video game world, your website is Pong.”

Ouch!

TSP is a retirement savings plan for U.S. Government civilian employees. Long, according to the FederalTimes.com, said that improvements are underway for the TSP website.

Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

November 3, 2009

The seemingly constant storm clouds surrounding the upcoming Activision-published and Infinity Ward-developed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have not done much, if anything, to negatively influence pre-sales of the title.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter thinks the title can reap global sales of in excess of $500 million in its first week of release reports Industry Gamers. Pachter also believes that the game could sell over 10.0 million units in this year’s fourth quarter.

Across the pond, MCVUK talks about the Modern Warfare 2 selling 1.7 million units in its first week at retail in the UK, citing pre-order numbers for the game at around 500,000 already. Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV currently holds the UK mark for unit sales in a week, with 926,000, a number that MW2 could obliterate. Factor in the rising price (suggested retail prices at least) of videogames in the UK and MW2 setting a record for gross dollars culled at launch seems almost a given.

In light of all the controversy surrounding the game, Destructoid posted a pair of opinion pieces, one stating why the author would support MW2 and the other stating why he wouldn’t.

From the “support” side, discussing "the scene" leaked to the Internet, Jim Sterling states, “Whether you approve of the scene, find it disturbing, love it or just don't care, I believe that this is a scene that needs to happen, and was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Brad Rice takes the “can’t support” side, arguing, “The way that the plot is likely being handled comes across with a lot of the wrong messages, and shows a poor method of thinking when it comes to the sensitivity of the issue.”

The lack of dedicated servers for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 upset computer gamers enough to start a petition, which has reached almost 180,000 signatures at the time of this post, up from 96,000 when we first covered the story two weeks ago. Unfortunately for PC gamers—as evidenced on a pretty nifty Amazon pre-order page detailing MW2 pre-orders (thanks Kotaku)—the PC version accounts for a small amount of sales versus its console brethren.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits retail in the U.S. next Tuesday, November 10. Are you getting it? Did any of this controversy impact your decision?

Update: Via USA Today comes word that MW2 has officially broken the record for pre-orders at GameStop. Tony Bartel, EVP for Merchandising and Marketing told the paper, “As of today, the number of pre-order reservations we've taken for the game is the highest for any title we've ever sold in our 6,200 store network."

|Image Via TopatoCo|

UK Treatment Center Now Caters to Game Addicts

November 3, 2009

The latest in a wave of gaming addiction centers has opened its doors in the UK.

Established in 1974, and located in the English town of Weston-super-Mare, Broadway Lodge has expanded its treatment repertoire to include game addiction, employing a 12-step abstinence program to help patients kick the habit. Group therapy and “therapeutic” tasks such as cleaning and vacuuming are also used in treatment, but apparently baking cookies is not part of the mix.

The center’s Chief Executive Brian Dudley tells the Telegraph that he thinks game addiction is a widespread problem, “I would stick my neck out and say between five and ten per cent of parents or partners would say they know of someone addicted to an online game.”

Broadway Lodge Counselor Peter Smith added:

It's not unusual for people to get so obsessed with online gaming that they forget to eat and drift towards an anorexic and undernourished state. You have a relationship with characters in the game that give you an artificial feeling, created by your body's natural endorphins, when you have killed some monster or solved a problem.

Attorney Soliciting Video Game Seizure Cases

November 3, 2009

A Syracuse attorney is taking on the case of a four-year-old boy who had a seizure while watching his brother play a video game on his PS2.

The attorney, Michael P. Kenny, has taken Sony and Vivendi to court over the video game Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly because of certain "seizure triggers" in the game, which was released in 2002. The case was filed in 2007, but is just entering the discovery phase.

Kenny, who has set up a site with information about video game induced seizures, is also soliciting more people to come forward in the apparent hopes of setting up a class action suit.

According to the news release from Kenny:

"The video game companies know there is a problem, and they choose not to fix it. The video games seizures have a cause, and the manufacturers choose not to correct it." Kenny asserts that the video game manufacturers knowingly place their financial gain ahead of people's health. He added, "Without federal legislation to compel the video game companies to take action, we have no choice but to litigate on behalf of the victims."

The release also points out that using a Cambridge professor's device known as the Harding Flash and Pattern Analyzer could help prevent photosensitive epileptic seizures:

The Harding Flash and Pattern Analyzer has used by television broadcasters in the UK to identify seizure-inducing light movement, and Kenny uses the device to analyze video games. He noted that the federal government limits the number of flashes per second from the strobe warning lights in its facilities. "The government is willing to take basic steps to protect people in federal buildings," Kenny said, but "video game manufacturers have not taken the same steps to protect our children at play."

Legitimate concern or another lawyer captilizing on the ills of video games?

Activision Pairs with Dr. Olson on Game Education Initiative

November 3, 2009

Activision Publishing Inc. has linked up with Dr. Cheryl Olson in a bid to enable parents and teachers to “optimize” children’s videogame experience.

Dr. Olson, no stranger to this site, is co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games.

The partnership will result in a series of seven videos posted on Activision’s Ratings Are Not a Game website. The first two are already up:  Using Videogames to Teach Problem Solving and Planning and How Can I Tell if a Game is Appropriate for My Child and How Do I Set Play Limits.

Dr. Olson stated, “These videos give practical research-based advice on how to help your kids--and your family--get more out of video games, and how to watch for and limit electronic game play.”

In related news, Dr. Olson’s husband and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, has been appointed Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

GAPP Snaps, Shuts Down WOW in China

November 3, 2009

As China’s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and the Ministry of Culture continue to flex their muscles over control of the country’s game industry, World of Warcraft gamers and operators are feeling the brunt of the infighting between the two entities.

Reuters reports that GAPP has stripped NetEase of the ability to operate The Burning Crusade, the latest version of WOW. GAPP cited a “gross violation” of regulations and ordered NetEase to stop charging users to play the game and to cease taking new subscriptions.

NetEase has since responded, saying that they “believe that they are in full compliance with applicable PRC laws and are currently seeking clarification from the relevant governmental authorities.”

Roth Capital Partners analyst Adam Krejcik said of NetEase, “These guys are essentially stuck in the middle of this power struggle.”

Until September of this year, GAPP was responsible for approving all game content within China. The Ministry of Culture assumed some of these duties, but GAPP appears unwilling to give up its authority, leading to the current infighting. WOW was launched in China on September 19 with Ministry of Culture approval, but no GAPP approval, which is now coming back to haunt NetEase.

Analysts estimate that Chinese WOW activity contributes 5 or 6 cents a year per share to Activision’s earnings.


Thanks Greenfenri

Proposed Bill to Address Growing Problem of “e-waste”

November 2, 2009

A bill up for consideration before the Senate looks for ways to deal with the growing piles of disposed—and potentially toxic—electronic devices.

S.1397, or “Electronic Device Recycling Research and Development Act” was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) and seeks new ways to attack the growing problem of “e-waste.”

Citing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stats that over 2.0 billion “computers, televisions, wireless devices, printers, gaming systems, and other devices” have been sold since 1980, the proposed bill notes that “collection of such electronic devices is expensive, and separation and proper recycling of some of the materials recovered, like lead from cathode-ray tube televisions, is costly.”

The bill seeks to enable research into such areas as ways to safely separate and remove hazardous materials from electronic devices, how to develop environmentally-friendly alternatives and to identify the “social, behavioral, and economic barriers to recycling.”

Another proposed aspect of the bill would see grants given to higher education facilities to enable the development of curriculum that “incorporates the principles of environmental design into the development of electronic devices.”

As ArsTechnica notes, the proposed bill is really just opening the topic up for discussion in hopes of setting the tone for future actions.

S.1397 was introduced on July 6, 2009 and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

AO-Rated Manhunt 2 Gunning for PCs

November 2, 2009

Rockstar Games’ controversial Manhunt 2 is being released for the PC this week in an uncensored version that carries an Adults Only (AO) rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Originally released in 2007 for the Wii and PlayStation 2 platforms, the title drew fire over its content and a perception that using the Wii’s motion controls to enact virtual violence could carry over to real-world violence, despite evidence that eventually emerged to the contrary.

The BigDownload notes that Manhunt 2 will be offered via the digital delivery system of Direct2Drive for $29.95. Purchases are limited to those who live in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  While Valve offers a full Rockstar Games collection through its Steam service, no mention of the pending availability of an AO-rated Manhunt 2 game can be found anywhere on their site or within Steam.

The ESRB content descriptor for the game states: “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs.”

DMX Rails Against Music and Game Industries

November 2, 2009

In an expletive-laden rant against the music industry, rapper DMX takes time to lob a few grenades at the videogame industry as well.

Beginning by claiming that the highest-paid (music) artists get “like 26 cents off a dollar,” when it comes to CD sales, DMX turned his attention to videogames. The rapper was a character in the 2003 Electronic Arts title Def Jam Vendetta, but failed to appear in the sequels Def Jam: Fight for NY or Def Jam: Icon.

In the interview DMX said that following the success of the initial title, people came to him and said, “Yo, guess what X? We’re gonna do a part two now.” He continued, “Mind you they used my music throughout the whole ------- game and I’m the hardest character to get to, so it’s pretty much like my shit.”

DMX said the offer put forward to him consisted of a $25,000 signing bonus/advance and two cents for every game sold. The offer obviously did not amuse DMX, as he said, “$50 dollar ------- game and you’re giving me two cents? Let me think about that for a minute.”

He added, “The more I think about it, I be like these ------ are straight ------- robbing me.

The interview clip is here. Lots of swearing, so it’s probably NSFW.

Virtual School Adds Online Game to Curriculum

November 2, 2009

A game has replaced textbooks as a means of learning at a Florida-based online learning center.

Florida Virtual School offers online virtual education for students in the K-12 range and now teaches the subject of History using a videogame called Conspiracy Code. Created by 360Ed, the online-game based course features ten stages and evolves over two semesters, testing students on their knowledge of American History as they attempt to stop a conspiracy.

Florida Virtual School and 360Ed are working on a series of games, “mostly in the humanities and math,” writes TampaBay.com, and are streamlining the courses to meet other state’s standards, as both Florida and non-Florida residents can enroll for classes at the school.

360Ed CEO Ben Noles, a former VP for Origin and Electronic Arts, added, “In 10 years, you won't even be saying 'virtual school' or 'bricks and mortar school.’  You'll just be saying school.

More Controversy for Modern Warfare 2

November 2, 2009

The missteps following Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continue as a video posted online Friday night raised the ire of both journalists and fans of the series.

Starring Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, the video was designed to highlight the problem of grenade spam within the Call of Duty series, but an unfortunate acronym pushed the video from funny to offensive reports Destructoid. The mock public service announcement was provided by an organization called Fight Against Grenade Spam (F.A.G.S.) and had Hamels proclaiming that random grenades “are for pussies.”

Game Informer’s Philip Kollar Tweeted that video was “stupid and makes me reconsider my purchase more than any other controversy surrounding the game thus far,” while freelance writer Mitch Dyer wrote that “The problem is that it was so poorly handled/executed that it looks derogatory.”

Infinity Ward Community Manager Robert Bowling responded on Twitter that “the core gag is great, the end is a bit too far from the intent of the joke & can appreciate the concerns,” and pulled the video.

Update: Several copies of the video are still on YouTube for those who haven't seen it.

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 11/04/09 at 06:14pm
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: you confuse military grunt philosophy with officer or special operations philosophy. Also, I don't watch beck, I read drudge report.
Posted 11/04/09 at 06:07pm
JDKJ: @Val': I quit tuning in to watch Beck's program when I figured out I was getting a daily summary of his show from Austin Lewis on GamePolitics. No need to hear the same crap twice.
Posted 11/04/09 at 06:05pm
Valdearg: @A_L: If you aren't a mindless Beckite, why do you quote thier talking points almost verbatim?
Posted 11/04/09 at 06:02pm
JDKJ: Absolutely it's opinion. But I don't think it's entirely far-fetched. Military philosophy places much stock in "group think" and "shoot first, ask questions later" and "when I say jump, you say how high" etc., etc. It ain't opinion without some basis.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:57pm
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: that would be your opinion, rather than fact. But if you believe i'm big on 'blind adherence', you're a poorer judge than you like to believe.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:55pm
Valdearg: Also, did you know that Carrie Prejean has a Sex Tape? Is it bad that I want to see it? Lmao.. "You're a naughty little Christian! Yeah!"
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:55pm
Valdearg: Funny picture, in that link. I don't believe it for one second, but funny, nonetheless.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:54pm
Valdearg: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/3/800016/-Late-Afternoon-Early-Evening-Open-Thread
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:53pm
JDKJ: No. But it does suggest that familial influences supplanted your ability to form your own conclusions. Maybe no one's told you this before, but there is an aura of blind adherence to you. As if you've been told how to think as opposed to think.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:51pm
Austin_Lewis: Right, because being from a pro-military family means you can't be free-spirited or independent thinking.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:49pm
JDKJ: Fair enough. I'd already assumed as much. You're not exactly the most free-spirited, independent thinker I've ever encountered. An external influence at play isn't at all surprising. Carry on, Soldier!!
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:46pm
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: We'll compromise, and I'll tell you that I was born into a fairly pro-military family to say the least.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:43pm
JDKJ: Could you put aside your lack of need and, instead, attempt to satisfy my need to know how you ended up that way?
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:42pm
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: I'm sorry, my statement was more meant to say that I don't feel the need to explain to you why I have such faith in the 1st SFOD-D. But if you'd like to read about the, might I suggest Charlie Beckwith's book, Delta Force?
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:40pm
JDKJ: Whaddya mean "who knows?" You do, if no one else does. You're obviously off of some "semper fi, do or die" kick and I'm asking you what's underneath it. If you really don't know, then you're among the least self-aware persons I've ever encountered.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:39pm
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: That doesn't mean that Reagan caused that recession. Most believe Carter caused it, especially given how change in economic policies take quite a while to be reflected in the economy.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:37pm
JDKJ: No, he's not. The economy did go into a recession under Reagan. Not to say he was to blame, but it did happen under his adminstration. That's just a historical fact.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:36pm
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: maybe a combination of all, who knows? But I know that Delta Force would've brought back all the hostages, and probably killed more than a few of the hostage-takers and rioters inside and outside the building in doing so.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:35pm
Austin_Lewis: Shao: I think you're mistaking Reagan for Carter.
Posted 11/04/09 at 05:33pm
Shaoken: @A_L: Maybe they realised it would be a good thing to not let Reagan handle it. Considering how badly he f****d the economy
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