Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab Talk Ratings, Censorship

March 29, 2011 -

The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab is hosting a series of video talks that explores everything from ratings systems in Europe and North America to game censorship. The first in the series, available now, is called "Blood, Sex, and Politics in Video Games: How Censorship Is Done (or Not): "'Die!' Censoring Game Violence." Below is the tease from the GAMBIT Game Lab site:

"What are the real differences between the US and European rating systems? Why are game ratings more content than context related? After a short intro we will look at examples that illustrate such questions, and how they seem to fail certain kinds of violent games. How can an age rating system reflect context, not just content? What makes violence truly horrible, as opposed to comical? Die!" - Censoring Game Violence is part of a running a discussion series on censorship in video games. Konstantin Mitgutsch, one of our post doctoral researchers, is a Scientific Board Member of PEGI, the European games rating board.. He wants people from local Boston industry, academia, and journalism to come and discuss various topics of game censorship - namely violence, sex, and politics - for a report he is currently compiling for PEGI.

The goal of the report is to suggest changes to the current rating system. The discussion will take place in GAMBIT between 4 and 7 pm (coming late is okay) over three Friday's in a row beginning on 2/4. They will begin with Konstantin giving a little context for his report, how game rating systems currently work, etc. Then we will play a series of games and discuss them while we play. The goal is to capture the conversation. While it is happening, a small camera crew will be filming. The video will later go up on the GAMBIT website as part of our normal video series, but there video will also be used for reference for Konstantin's report."

The first topic, broken up into three parts, is available here. This is just the first part of the series - stay tuned for more related topics to be discusssed in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
Andrew Eisen: The rest, including a joke about how his wife left him over this, can be found on his feed with minimal scrolling. https://twitter.com/samfbiddle10/19/2014 - 2:16pm
Andrew Eisen: For what it's worth, Biddle tweeted a few apologies. Here's one: https://twitter.com/samfbiddle/status/52324627795005849610/19/2014 - 2:15pm
Andrew Eisen: Oh, "Mercedes"! The car! Anyway, here's a relevant link: http://theralphretort.com/mercedes-pulls-ads-gawker/10/19/2014 - 2:11pm
Neo_DrKefka: Thanks Matt. Linking on my IPhone doesn't work to well here and there.10/19/2014 - 2:01pm
Matthew Wilson: http://imgur.com/XzpWeWw here is the twiter exchange in question.10/19/2014 - 1:39pm
Andrew Eisen: I either don't remember or didn't see it. Still have a link?10/19/2014 - 1:38pm
Matthew Wilson: its the twiter exchange I linked too a few days ago.10/19/2014 - 1:29pm
Andrew Eisen: That link doesn't work. Browsed the Twitter feed but couldn't find anything. Did find someone claiming a Gawker writer advocated bullying but didn't say who or where.10/19/2014 - 1:05pm
Neo_DrKefka: Gawker loses advertiser MERCED ES https://mobile .twitter.com/TheRalphRetort/status/522813815260733441/photo/1 after Gawker writer advocates bullying of nerds with an anti Gamergate rant10/19/2014 - 12:32pm
Matthew Wilson: https://soundcloud.com/totalbiscuit/weaponised-charity a interesting audio log.10/19/2014 - 12:04pm
prh99: Also there is no story in rational and respectful discussion (where you can find it).10/19/2014 - 10:44am
prh99: Well they are probably doing it on Twitter and probably the GG hashtag so any voice reason gets drowned out by idiocy. Also it's far easier to broad brush a group.10/19/2014 - 10:41am
Wonderkarp: dont fool yourself, Technogeek. Remember Mass Effect 3? How about the ferver against Phil Fish?10/19/2014 - 10:18am
MechaTama31: None of which is the fault or responsibility of the people who are not trolling, harassing, threatening, doxxing, etc. So why is their opinion hostage to the people who are?10/19/2014 - 10:06am
Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am
Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm
Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm
Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm
Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm
Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm
All shouts
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician