September 19, 2007
Strauss Zelnick, chairman of Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two Interactive, is among those who will testify before a House subcommittee investigating the ways in which stereotypes are portrayed by the media.As described by the Hollywood Reporter:
Lawmakers are turning their attention to the way the media portrays people as a critical subcommittee has scheduled a hearing that includes some of the entertainment industry's top execs.
In addition to Zelnick, those scheduled to testify include Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, Warner Music chairman Edgar Bronfman, Universal Music chairman Doug Morris; Radio One president Alfred Liggins and Rapper Master P.
The hearing before the House Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection is titled From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images.
Committee chair Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) hopes to explore the effect of media on society, a source told the Hollywood Reporter:
He's not looking to legislation, but he wants to examine seriously a complex, difficult problem.
It is unclear exactly how video games fit in to the agenda. However, the summoning of Zelnick as a witness indicates that the committee has an interest in games.
Perhaps more ominously for the game industry, Rush is co-sponsor of the Video Game Decency Act of 2007, currently under consideration in the House of Representatives. The bill would make it unlawful to conceal game content in the hope of earning a less restrictive rating.
Comments
I agree on both parts. As I'm sure most do on at least the first. Though I wouldn't CONDEMN Rockstar or Take Two's inclusion of stereotypes (by way of Freedom of Speech, which protects unpopular speech as well as popular speech), but I don't support the use of stereotyping for purposes of bigotry and misinformation.
I do, however, find it absolutely HILARIOUS that politicians are complaining about stereotyping. I mean, seriously, how many news stories have we heard in just the past few years where various individual politicians, organizations, and even individual citizens have used stereotypes for various purposes? And, while this committee may be attacking media use of stereotypes in fictional content, I wonder if they will be addressing the use of stereotypes in non-fictional media and other situations. Various religious individuals and/or organizations who stereotype in sometimes verbally and mentally abusive manners regarding sexuality, race, gender, "opposing" religions, etc, etc, etc. Various news organizations, mainstream or otherwise, that have pushed, in one fashion or another, either bluntly or subtly, various stereotypes along the same lines. Even, as we well know, gamers and the "gamer community".
So, it seems rather hypocritical of this committee to be pointing fingers at select segments of society without pointing the fingers at other aspects, including the political media.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
You won't get any information from JT.
@ Eville
This is not about stereotypes in games. It is about stereotypes in media. There are not any confirmations on the issue of games in this committee. If you look up to my previous post, I showed a site that has Mr. Zelnicks previous work history in it that may hold a more valid reason to why he is in this.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
So Mr Zelnick personally emailed his testimony to someone who's emails they route to someone else in the company?
Does not compute.
Please remember when you are testifying that you are under oath. That means you cant really say anything you normally say because none of it is the truth. Pity.
Isn't that a good thing? For us as gamers? We can demonstrate then that parents know what is in a game by the rating.
As for Zelnick being included in this... parody or not, some of his games do play up certain stereotypes.
In theory yes, in practice no. Any bill that puts any form of government oversight on the industry could lead to a chilling effect and cause issues for the industry. Even if you don't see it as a first amendment issue, it's still a 4 and 14 amendment issue regardless since books, tv, and movies don't fall under the same banner.
However, it would be helpfull if someone could give more details about the bill to clairify.
“'The bill would make it illegal to conceal game content in the hope of earning a less restrictive rating.'
Isn’t that a good thing? For us as gamers? We can demonstrate then that parents know what is in a game by the rating."
At face value it is a good thing, but if you think about it, a lot of content has to be submitted in video form. Something could be left out that might not have changed the rating, but might be used as political leverage. The devil is in the detail as they say. I would reserve judgement until it proposed with all details thrashed out.
@ Tristram
No, the Video Game Decency Act of 2007 is not a good thing. By any stretch of the imagination. The ESRB already punishes publishers who conceal material to receive a lower rating with heavy fines. And who is this material being concealed from? Last I checked, the ESRB is not a government agency and is not supported nor enforceable by the law.
Besides what idiot conceals content to receive a lower rating? If I make "Happy Kiddie Purely Innocent Adventure Game" and it receives an E, I'd be a fool to hide torture-rape-bondage-abusive-porn as an Easter Egg. What would I gain? Especially when you consider that many games take years to develop; Heavenly Sword, for example, took about five years. There's no profit in it.
This law is merely a knee-jerk reaction to Hot Coffee. I highly doubt that concealing content is common or intended when it occurs.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
You clearly haven't been paying attention.
Take Two lost millions in sales, paid millions for the recall, spent millions retooling and reissuing the game, which many retailers then wouldn't carry in case it still contained other hidden gems. Probably lost a millions in stock value, and has had a rough time ever since. And was told by the ESRB that if they ever did it again, they'd face millions of dollars in fines.
And now they are under constant scrutiny by both public and government.
Yeah, that whole "hiding code to get a better rating" thing worked out GREAT for them.. /sarcasm.
Exactly. I can't help but wonder how such legislation would work. Would it even be enforceable?
Perhaps they are considering modifying the FCC's guidelines, but why would they ask Zelnick there? Which is even more worrisome, actually. They could put video games under the authority of the FCC (truly, a frightening concept).
Ok. I'm getting a little paranoid, now. Such an action would be resisted. After all, there is a difference between television and radio and video games. That is, you have to buy the game, but TV and radio are practically free.
The bill is plain bad. Other flaws aside, the publisher's contract with the ESRB already covers what the "hiding" provision of the bill does anyway. Should a publisher fail to disclose material that would affect the rating they would face penalties as outlined by their contract with the ESRB.
Here is the website for Zelnick media:
http://www.zelnickmedia.com/indexflash.html
Here is what they say about Straus Zelnick:
http://www.zelnickmedia.com/zelnick.html
Appearantly, he has been the head honcho of several movie and music businesses. It may have nothing to do with video games.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Oh? Well, that is interesting. And reassuring. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all pans out.
So, there's never been any instance of publishers concealing content to get a lower rating (since the content in question was user-created mods), and instances in which re-rates were necessary did not actually benefit the publisher in the first place. And there's already stringent ESRB rules in place if you do mislead them. So, the legislation doesn't really do anything at all. So why debate useless legialation when there's plenty of useful things Congress can do?
This would accomplish nothing that isn't done voluntarily already, and the only reason they're trying to do it at all is that these people don't or can't comprehend what Hot Coffee actually was. Considering that part of the game was inaccessiblle in an unmodified product, the ESRB could have played every part of the game and it still would never have been discovered.
Which brings us to why certain other useless, misguided, and ignotrant efforts to do things like requre a full play-through for rating. This would also be a terrible idea for oh so many reasons, not least of which is that the people trying to pass such laws honestly don't understand that this would have had no effect on Hot Coffee at all because that became available only through user modification--
Although let's be honest--if your underage child is mature enough you let him or her PLAY a GTA game, they are more than mature enough for a hidden scene that is less pornographic than what most of the tamest romantic comedies show, let alone R rated movies which get away with considerably worse and are widely regarder by most parents as acceptable for their children regardles of age
Yet some of the same people who let their kids watch explicit sex scenes in movies were up in arms about pixellated semi-nudity. Not to mention the surprise of so many excellent parents who couldn't imagine why a game called "Grand Theft Auto" and rated M would contain things they are appalled their children had been playing since they bought it for the kids.
Here's a good read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Code_Authority
And that was a self-regulatory body for the Comic Book industry, formed because of the paranoia surrounding Comic Books at the time, spearheaded by Dr. Fredric Wertham (who bears strikingly similar resemblance to our own Jack Thompson). This kind of censorship limited and restricted the Comic industry, and had a chilling effect on it, to the point where comics almost faded into obscurity forever. And that's *just* a self-imposed organization, the government would have a much worse impact if they had been put in place.
I bring this up, to point out that in the past, regulating, or trying to completely scan a form of media with the intent to "protect the children" or regulate morality results in a very difficult time for that media, one the Comics industry has only in relatively recent years begun to be able to overcome.
Is a funny title to give the hearing. It doesn't strike me as a discussion, or an inquiry. Rather it strikes me as the kind of thing someone says when they already believe they know the answer (Industry = Stereotypes = degrading images).
I don't disagree that our media cranks stereotypes, but reaming them out in congress isn't going to do anything about it. Furthermore, legislation on reducing stereotypes would be a sign that we should leave the country or topple the government.
The last thing I want is a politician (or more likely a lobbyist) deciding whether HBO's The Wire stereotypes its characters, or if artistically characterizes life in Baltimore.
Good reference! Not only did the comic code ruin comics artistically for decades, it actually destroyed several well established comic companies. Tales from the Crypt publisher EC comics is a lot like modern day Rockstar -- they were even brought to Congress and made testify over the graphic quality of their comic book covers and the impact on children. At the end of the day, even though they had a sizable readership base, since they couldn't print their content, EC didn't survive.
You are planning to get in.. how?
How're you going to get in Jack? Do you have a legitimate reason to testify?
Of course not. he just wants to feel important. xD My money's on the idea that he's going to talk to the people in charge of the hearing to try and weasle his way in.
Your input is noted. Now take a seat.
Take Oblivion for example... Unless they put a camera on a tester for 100 hours you're never going to see everything in that game. So the question becomes, if something is left out of the video, is that "hiding" the content? If so, they could claim that if you can go to a certain area in the game where there are a lot of people that you can kill with one fireball, that this "might" have raised the rating. Since that exact scenario was lacking in the video, they were "hiding" it.
The ESRB has already shown their willingness to rerate a game if previously hidden/unknown/hackable content significantly changes things. They don't need a law telling them someone else can come in and override their authority.
I'd bet that Jack is just trying to get a rise out of us. He thinks he's important. It's kinda cute... when a dog or cat acts that way. Then again, I think my dog is smarter than him anyway. The odd makers say he has no contact with the committee and if he does they dismiss him.
Like E. Zachary Knight noted Zelnick has ties to movie companies so he’s more than likely there for that reason. Video games maybe a bonus topic, but I doubt they want the Massacre Chaser there telling them how the Virginia Tech review board was wrong or some garbage like that.
That is not going to stop me from trying.
Duly noted. I'll wait another 5 minutes then give up.
Personally, this whole thing looks like an attempt to appear socially conscious to the public to me. Of course, I think there could be better ways for them to spend their time, like another day on tainted imports.
I don't think anything truly worthwhile would come of this anyway. Now, hold a summit with the actual creators of shows, games, etc. (not the CEOs), have roundtable discussions on the topic and then it might not be a complete wast of time.
Actually, he is relevant for once-- he's a living, breathing lawyer joke.
Where's RaRouche? I have the need for Senator-Bashing.
Good, you can tell them how much you hate Homosexuals.
Hehe, you know what, you're right. :)
On another, slightly off topic, note, I happened to notice that the webcast of the session will require Windows Media Player. It would appear that someone in the Government IT departments is finally doing something right and fighting the Government's fascination with RealPlayer.