In a guest column for Edge Online, Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association, offers his impressions of the recent PAX 2008:
This year [PAX] reminded me of the first few E3s. It was something to behold. Where else can you see a room full of 15,000 people in line… with ear-to-ear grins on their faces?!
The importance of this all... is an emergence; one that can and will effect change... As I explained to the reporters who we did interviews with, Generations X and Y have been negatively stereotyped as apathetic, lazy and uninvolved. And yet, by doing things such as attending these types of conferences, engaging in weighty panel discussions and becoming advocates for their passion, they disprove that label...
More important than the success of PAX as a business, or the comparisons with parallel events, is the underlying cultural significance of the attendees, individually and collectively, and how they choose to harness that power. Perhaps we’re not that far away from the mass media beginning to take gaming seriously. Maybe this is only the beginning.
GP: The Entertainment Consumers Association had a large presence at PAX this year. The ECA booth, for one thing, was more than double the size of that at PAX 2007 and included a members-only lounge where ECA members could take a break from the crowded show floor.
The ECA also ran two panel discussions as well as Hal's one-on-one conversation with Geoff Keighley of Spike TV. In the pic at left, Hal is being interviewed by Sean Curran of GamerVision who, I found out at the show, lives a block and a half from GP HQ. Small world... Anyway, here's a link to the GamerVision interview, one of a couple of dozen that Hal did at the show.
FULL DISCLOSURE DEPT: The ECA is the parent company of GamePolitics.
Comments
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
I'm all for freedom of ttnet vitamin speech and allowing rent a car game makers to put whatever they want in games, but there's one thing about this app that has me scratching my head. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from araç kiralama the previous article araba kiralama on this I gathered that players can use Google maps in-game to find the other (real-life?) dealers in their area. If this is the case, has travesti anyone considered what's stopping someone from using this app to actually move drugs between hands for reals?
But majority araba kiralama of their outrage araç kiralama stems from what it could DO TO children, not the content itself. Talk to one of these people and you'll find they don't think any books kiralık araba should be banned from children. Mention American Psycho and they talk about kiralık araç the redeeming value of using imagination to construct a story. Reading, no matter what the content, is largely viewed as a consequenceless activity for people of any age. The reason why I mention American Psycho is because of the content itself. Gaming never has and likely never will have any scenes where someone has sex with a severed head. Not gonna happen. Yet despite this, they'll fight tooth and nail to protect their children from two boys kissing in Bully but whatever they read is harmless... yeah.
The entire arguement is kiralık oto based upon a social normality inflicted by luddites who can't figure out the controls for Halo so it's frightening and terrifying and obviously the cause of youth violence on the rise even though, in reality, it's in decline (which is actually a HUGE suprise given minibüs kiralama the economies status). In a perfect world, we would have parents that actually parent. The idea of sales restrictions on media on oto kiralama any form to accomidate parental unwillingness to get involved with their child's life is the real problem to me. Here I am, 32 years old, and being held up at a self-scan rent a car needing to show ID before I can buy a $10 M rated game all because Soccer Momthra can't be bothered to look at the crap Billy Genericallystupidson does in his free time. It's too hard for her, so I have to suffer?
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
I'm all for freedom of ttnet vitamin speech and allowing rent a car game makers to put whatever they want in games, but there's one thing about this app that has me scratching my head. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from araç kiralama the previous article araba kiralama on this I gathered that players can use Google maps in-game to find the other (real-life?) dealers in their area. If this is the case, has travesti anyone considered what's stopping someone from using this app to actually move drugs between hands for reals?
But majority araba kiralama of their outrage araç kiralama stems from what it could DO TO children, not the content itself. Talk to one of these people and you'll find they don't think any books kiralık araba should be banned from children. Mention American Psycho and they talk about kiralık araç the redeeming value of using imagination to construct a story. Reading, no matter what the content, is largely viewed as a consequenceless activity for people of any age. The reason why I mention American Psycho is because of the content itself. Gaming never has and likely never will have any scenes where someone has sex with a severed head. Not gonna happen. Yet despite this, they'll fight tooth and nail to protect their children from two boys kissing in Bully but whatever they read is harmless... yeah.
The entire arguement is kiralık oto based upon a social normality inflicted by luddites who can't figure out the controls for Halo so it's frightening and terrifying and obviously the cause of youth violence on the rise even though, in reality, it's in decline (which is actually a HUGE suprise given minibüs kiralama the economies status). In a perfect world, we would have parents that actually parent. The idea of sales restrictions on media on oto kiralama any form to accomidate parental unwillingness to get involved with their child's life is the real problem to me. Here I am, 32 years old, and being held up at a self-scan rent a car needing to show ID before I can buy a $10 M rated game all because Soccer Momthra can't be bothered to look at the crap Billy Genericallystupidson does in his free time. It's too hard for her, so I have to suffer?
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Bring back the old E3 of 2006.
We need more audience participation too.
To understand that Gen X and Gen Y have been missrepresented by the Mainstreem Media with negative steriotypes, but when it comes to something we care about we get fully involved.
That is big enough news and something that is really positive.
Thank you Hal Halpin for pointing that out. If only the mainstreem media would understand us more..
You made a Aussie Gen Y Gamer so happy today.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
These Gamervision.com guys are all over the place...
Pretty cool web-site as well...
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Yeah, PAX this year ruled. It helped that the ECA just opened up to Canada, let me join the organization and hang out watching people play Guitar Hero in the booth in between swag runs. Hal certainly did look busy every time I saw him by the booth.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Hey, jerkball Chris Matthews got canned as an election anchor as MSNBC. This is the ass who treated me shabbily on HARDBALL re V-Tech. Gee, what a freaking shame! Jack Thompson
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
does anyone else say "re" in that context aside from Pauly Shore?
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Jack, clearly you can't take a hint, so I'll "borrow" your way of getting people off you. Maybe it'll have better chances of being effective when being aimed AT you instead of being aimed BY you.
Shut up now. OR ELSE.
$3RI0U$ BU$I|\|3$$ aside, what the hell does Chris Matthews have to do with Hal Halpin?
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Better than you deserve, but hey, anything to get your face on a screen
Picture
Hey, Dennis, is that you with the microphone?
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Re: Picture
no, as it says in the post, it is Sean Curran from GamerVision...
Re: Picture
OK I see it now. Thanks.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Wipeout HD party tonight
Hey y'all, I'm going to the Sony Wipeout HD party tonight (Sony RSVP required). I'll have my ECA shirt on...
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
"Maybe this is only the beginning."
No "Maybe" about it, this is indeed the beginning of something great
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Who is more irrelevant today, Joe Biden or Hal Halpin? Results at 11: Jack Thompson
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
You said it all: "Results: Jack Thompson"
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
I'll select the third option, you.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
I would go for option 3 myself just to say shut up Jack.
When Life gives you lemons, you find a new god.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
God berry, king of the juice
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Reflects on PAX 2008
Good answer.