Despite Track Record, Boston Mayor Wants to Attract Game Developers

Despite Track Record, Boston Mayor Wants to Attract Game Developers

May 14, 2007
When it comes to video games, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino presents a bit of a quandary.

In recent months he has backed video game legislation; supported a campaign to remove M-rated game ads from mass transit vehicles; and billed Sony for the cost of police officers who responded to a disturbance during the PS3 launch.

Despite his track record, the Boston Globe reports that Menino hosted a recent conference at Northeastern University to explore ways in which game development companies could be encouraged to set up shop in Massachusetts. Said Menino:
We want to help these young people and entrepreneurs understand that we're a digital-friendly city. My administration is dedicated to helping creative industries flourish."

Already in the Boston area are developers such as Turbine (Asheron's Call, Lord of the Rings Online), Harmonix (Guitar Hero series), Blue Fang Games (Zoo Tycoon), and Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's startup 38 Studios. 

Comments

Mumbles Menino!

GARBA BLARGBA GARBA BLARGA BARB! SLARGA BARGA BLARGA BARG POLITICAL DONATIONS SLOBBA GARB! I SUPPORT BOGGA BLUGGA BUGGA.

The perfect candidate. For what you can understand.. it is just long enough to meet the needs of this country's 1 minute political slogan, audio clip oriented electorate.
How sincere could this be from such a technophobic individual?
seriously?

but at least Harmonix is awesome.
The hipocracy is astounding.
I wonder if he finally noticed how many game development studios are in Boston... It is one of the major software development cities in the US, and probably the biggest one on the East Coast.
I think he just realized how many voters play those violent video games.
The left hand helps to pee on you and then the right hand hands you a towel?

Perfect!
Hopefully, someone will raise this pro-censorship issue in public with this flip-flopper and invoke some kind of explanation.
"You're terrible, immoral and evil! ... What? You have money? ... Can I have some? Please?"
:: Places hands together like a prayer ::

He who talks sh**, will eventually find need to kiss a**.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
What do you think it means when I first glanced at the article, and my brain processed it as saying the mayor wanted to ARREST game devs?

I think it means I need more sleep.

Anyways, Menino, you want to find ways to get more ways to get devs into your city? Start by not being an overreactive douche. Believe me, it helps.
I guess it would be OK, as long as they don't have to make an Aqua Teen Hunger Force game, or anything involving Lite Brites
The man is a politician. He will do or say anything to get either: a) money or b) votes. I think game developers are going to think twice before going anywhere near Boston. The ones that are there I am sure are already thinking about leaving.

Everyone loves a flip-flopper.
Isn't this the same guy who went insane over the ATHF deal? Pft, if I was any of those game devlopers, I'd move out of the Boston area.
I was at the conference... (sorry Dennis, I should have pointed it out to you!)
It wasn't a very good conference. The morning was talks about Boston from different prospectives. The afternoon had pannel talks. It seemed each one was straying and less relevent to the problems to starting a Business.

Nothing new was proposed from any party the conference. The City had no plan, but talked about what they were doing already. Heck the VC's on their pannel talked about "going to Asia". The group pannel I was in was dominated with the issue that most schools don't have a clue what the industry needs and most companies haven't planned for (or can budget) training or interns.

The only good thing about the conference was that it was a good place to network.
We've got this moron, we've got Menino and his issues, Boston is such a great city. I'm so glad to be paying taxes to these lovely people.
Clearly he only wants developers to make sanitized, kiddie games, where it's all rainbows and roses and nobody gets killed and everyone shares and live happily ever after.

Flip-flopper.
"we’re a digital-friendly city"

Just not to Hasbro's.
"We want to help these young people and entrepreneurs go right to jail. My administration is dedicated to confusing PS3s for explosive devices.”
He turned his city into the laughingstock of the country with the ATHF fiasco, has established himself as hostile to media rights, and apparently just found out exactly how many billions the game industry is worth.

So he's a politician, and a lousy one.
It's nothing personal. It's just business.

He has to persecute us becuase it will get him reelected. On the other hand, he wants our money.

It's nothing personal. It's just business.
If they're such a "digital-friendly" city, then why did they have such problems with the Mooninites?
MrKenyon: What do you think it means when I first glanced at the article, and my brain processed it as saying the mayor wanted to ARREST game devs?

I think it means your first instinct was correct. Considering his track record of over reactions and desire to ban any and everything, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he would sent SWAT teams in to raid developers a la Crytek.
[...] [Via GamePolitics] [...]
Lucky for them the ATHF game will be set in Jersey.
This of course being the city whose police force couldn't tell the difference between an explosive device and a Lite Brite. rofl, L, etc.
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