Entertainment Consumer Association (ECA) President Hal Halpin recently discussed gamers’ rights with the website Skewed & Reviewed.
Among the topics broached were Digital Rights Management (DRM), M-rated game sales, triumphs of the past year and the challenges still remaining.
Halpin on the greatest single current threat to gamers’ rights:
Again, generally, digital rights as it relates to consumers. More particularly, I’d say that a challenge within that challenge may be that we still have a lot of work to do regarding combating negative stereotypes of gamers and gaming.
On further reducing the sale of adult-rated games to minors:
Beyond that, I believed and continue to believe, that parental responsibility must begin there. To ask more of the merchant is unfair and unprecedented, compared with how DVDs, music and motion pictures are sold. They¹ve done and are doing enough.
Disclosure: GamePolitics is a publication of the ECA
Comments
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
What about the sale of adult games to adults? We can't even get games with an adult rating. They are banned console and store wise.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
"To ask more of the merchant is unfair and unprecedented..."
And unnecessary. Games don't hurt kids so it doesn't matter if they buy them or not.
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Not when the goal of "reducing the sale of adult-rated games to minors" is one which the industry, including most of the merchants, has set for themselves. Once they've drawn their own line, necessary or not, they should be expected to toe it.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Sure, but my comment was directed at the concept in general.
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
No need to get snarky with me. You're the one that voted for Obama. Blame yourself, not me.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Huh? Are you sure you're replying to the right post?
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Now you wanna play dumb. I'm talking to you, mister. You got a problem with that? Wanna take it outside?
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
I have no problem with you talking to me or taking issue with something I said. However, I haven't the faintest clue what you're on about.
"No need to get snarky with me."
Agreed. That's why there was no snark in my response.
"You're the one that voted for Obama."
Who said that? What would it have to do with anything anyway?
"Blame yourself, not me."
Blame myself for what? What on Earth do you think I was blaming you for?
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
You think I care that you're in a barbershop quartet? I'll take on you and your three friends. Do I look like I'm scared of a barbershop quartet?
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
You should be. We'll eat you alive and sing over your excreted remains.
Or we'll just give you a shave and a haircut (two bits). Kind of a tossup really.
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Took you long enough to figure out I was blowing smoke up your ass.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Yeah, I often take things a bit too seriously.
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
How the hell are negative sterotypes of gamers a challenge within the challenge of digital rights? Clouding the issue much Hal?
--------------------------------------------------
I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Gamers who act like immature, idiotic, man-children aren't exactly a group of people anyone is willing to take seriously. Its hard to care about the rights of a consumer group who comes off as little more than smelly, whiny fanboys.
I doubt Valve gained any respect for its consumer base over L4D2.
It's unlikely Capcom and Square gained a newfound respect for their consumers after the shitstorm over DMC4 and FFXIII coming to multiple consoles.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Hal continues: "While that's a challenge into and of itself, it's also directly relevant to the digital rights debate because we may be the single most impacted constituency, due to the lifestyle, habits and hobbies of consumers of interactive entertainment. Being respected as such, as opposed to the stereotype, empowers us collectively and individually."
Andrew Eisen
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Allt hose words and he STILL completely fails to link them.
"A lot of smoke and thunder signifying nothing."
--------------------------------------------------
I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Isn't it "a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing" which belongs in quotes? As in:
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." - Macbeth
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
THAT'S what I was thinking of. Makes a lot more sense than smoke and thunder :-P
--------------------------------------------------
I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
In your defense, you're on record as stating that literature doesn't rank high on your lists. A less than passing familiarity with the Bard is par for that course.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
But in all fairness, my knowledge of the quote came from the Adult Swim cartoon The Venture Bros.
--------------------------------------------------
I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Does this mean quotes from The Lion King are acceptable as words from the Bard since it's just the Disney-fied version of Hamlet? >.>
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Like I said, ^^.
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
Did you try reading the linked article?
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: ECA Prez Discuses Gamers’ Rights
I disagree.
Andrew Eisen