A Legal Analysis of Brown v. EMA

July 8, 2011

            No doubt everyone has heard the good news out of the Supreme Court last week. Video games are saved from government censorship based on violent content, California’s law prohibiting the sale of violent video games to minors is invalid, good times had by all. This article is for those curious as to the how and why of this outcome, and will take readers through the Court’s principal opinion written by Justice Scalia (which is the governing law and will be used as precedent everywhere in the US from now on) as well as touch on a few points from other opinions penned by other Justices.

 

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom: Libraries Should Embrace Video Games, Not Ban Them

May 23, 2013

An interesting editorial penned by Barbara Jones, the director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association, puts the brakes on all the talk about banning video games from public libraries.

3 comments | Read more

Super Podcast Action Committee - Episode 50

May 6, 2013

Episode 50 of the show is certainly a milestone for hosts Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight (and myself) - which just happens to mark nearly a year of the podcast to boot. So, yay for us! On this week's show we discuss the prank on pirates played by the maker of Game Dev Tycoon, the Nyan Cat / Keyboard Cat- Warner Bros. lawsuit, the latest poll over at GamePolitics, and some other fun stuff. Download Episode 50 now: SuperPAC Episode 50 (1 hour, 15 minutes) 68.6 MB.

NJ Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Ban Non-Existent 'Mature Rated' Public Arcade Games

April 15, 2013

New Jersey State Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) plans to introduce legislation to ban violent video games in public places. The Assemblywoman has proposed a law that would ban all "M" rated and "Adults Only" games from public places such as amusement parks, movie theaters, bowling allies, retail stories and other public places. It is a move similar to what the Massachusetts Department of Transportation did on its thruways earlier this year.

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Lawmakers To Hold CISPA Hearing Behind Closed Doors Next Week

April 4, 2013

Next week when the House Intelligence Committee takes up the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA - HR 624) it will hold its markup hearing behind closed doors and away from the prying eyes of the general public and critics of the bill. Not only will this hide the discussion lawmakers have about this bill, but it will also allow them to stealthily make any amendments to the bill they like without having to worry about immediate scrutiny from anyone.

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NCAC's Youth Free Expression Film Contest Theme is Video Game Censorship

April 3, 2013

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) announced the theme for its 2013 Youth Free Expression Film Contest. This year’s theme will be "Video Games in the Crosshairs." The non-profit organization goes wherever it is needed to fight against censorship in the United States. After the Sandy Hook School shooting back in December of last year, politicians at the state and federal level started wagging their fingers at video games as a catalyst for the violent act.

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Apple Removes Sweatshop from App Store, Rejects Endgame: Syria for Third Time

March 21, 2013

Apple has refused to include Auroch Digital's Endgame: Syria on the Apple App Store and has removed Sweatshop HD - a collaboration between U.K. studio Littleloud and Channel 4, according to this Polygon report. Both games, it seems are a little too controversial for Apple.

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Super Podcast Action Committee - Episode 45

March 18, 2013

On this week's show we talk about Congressman Frank Wolf's hearing this week to slam "violent video games," changes being made to the ESRB, the ESA's plan for a PSA campaign, the latest SimCity news, and the results of the latest GamePolitics poll. Download Episode 45 now: SuperPAC Episode 45 (1 hour, 12 minutes) 66.6 MB.

House Subcommittee Schedules One-Sided Oversight Hearing on Media Violence Next Week

March 15, 2013

On March 19 the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing on the National Science Foundation and Youth Violence Research report.

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Chinese Government Cracks Down on Web Sites in the Name of Combating Pornography

February 28, 2013

The Chinese government has shut down a total of 225 websites, more than 4,000 micro blogging sites and 30,000 Internet accounts, according to a report on Polygon citing an announcement from China’s State Internet Information Office.

2 comments | Read more

Report: Chinese Government Creating Criteria for Online Gaming Addiction

February 19, 2013

According to a report from Xinhuanet (as reported on by Shanghaiist), the Chinese government is developing its own set of criteria for early diagnosis of online game addiction in young people. Chinese authorities announced plans on Sunday to develop "China-specific criteria" for diagnosing and treating online gaming addiction in minors.

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Mature-Rated God of War: Ascension Not Available in Queensland

February 8, 2013

The Australian state of Queensland is the only territory in the country that hasn't adopted the R18+ ratings classification for games, and this is proving to be a problem for anyone that wants to release a mature game in the region.

3 comments | Read more

NCAC and Others Protest Video Game Ban in NJ Library

February 4, 2013

Do you like playing "direct-shooter" video games?

Well, whatever they are, you can't play them at the Paterson Free Public Library in New Jersey anymore.  Prompted by a petition from library staff members, the library's board voted last month to ban the play of such games on computers at its facilities.

Why?

16 comments | Read more

Mat Dickie's Wrestling Revolution Returns to Google Play

January 31, 2013

Indie developer Mat Dickie announced that his wrestling title for Android, Wrestling Revolution, is back on the Google Play store. In late December Dickie said that WWE somehow compelled Google to pull the game from the store. While he posited that this was done because his game was outperforming WWE's WrestleFest game, there was very little proof to back up that claim.

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NCAC Sends Letter to Massachusetts DOT Over Removal of Games from Mass Turnpike Rest Stops

January 31, 2013

Earlier this month we reported that the Massechusetts Department of Transportation pulled arcade shooting games from Mass Turnpike rest stops after a single complaint from a Newtown, Connecticut family including such titles as Time Crisis and Beach Head 2000.

4 comments | Read more

Console Ban Likely to Remain in China

January 30, 2013

Earlier this week we reported that the Chinese government was considering lifting a 13-year ban on game consoles in the country. While there's plenty of black market devices and software for Chinese consumers, there's no way to legally buy a PS3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo device in the country. The story from a few days ago was based on a China Daily report that quoted an anonymous source inside the Ministry of Culture.

3 comments | Read more

Anonymous Chinese Government Source Suggest Discussions are Underway to Remove Game Console Ban

January 28, 2013

Citing a government source, the 13-year-old ban of consoles in China may be coming to an end. According to sources cites by China Daily the seven Chinese government ministries that banned the sale of consoles in the country in 2000 are opening up discussions on allowing them to be sold to Chinese citizens.

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Pakistan Bans Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Medal of Honor

January 23, 2013

Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Medal of Honor: Warfighter have been banned in Pakistan by the All Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassette Traders and Manufacturers Association (APCDACTM). The group issued a boycott of the games because they depict Pakistan and the country’s intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence, as supporting terrorist group l Qaeda and jihadist organizations.

The circular handed out to shop owner members reads:

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ECA Action Alert: Tell Congress That There's No Link Between Video Games and Real Life Violence

January 22, 2013

The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) issued an action alert asking the Internet community and ECA members to let Rep. Jim Metheson's colleagues in the House of Representatives know that his proposed bill, the "Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act" (H.R. 287), is a big mistake for a number of reasons.

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Developer Defends Game Based on Ongoing Syrian Civil War

January 18, 2013

The designer of an iOS game that focuses on Syria's ongoing civil war is defending his game and explaining why he created it in the first place: to inform those people around the world who might be ignorant about the conflict. The game, Endgame Syria, is decidedly pro rebel forces and gives players choices like negotiating peace with President Bashar Assad's regime or sending jihadist fighters to kill the pro-government military forces.

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NRA Practice Range Ratings Changed to 12+ by Apple

January 16, 2013

When the NRA-branded iOS app NRA: Practice Range launched earlier this week (nearly on the one month anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting that took place in Newtown Connecticut on December 14, 2012) it carried a rating of ages 4+.

2 comments | Read more

Super Podcast Action Committee - Episode 36

January 14, 2013

On this week's show hosts Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight talk about Anonymous putting forth a DDoS free speech petition to the White House, various violent video game buyback programs (Southington CT. and Melrose, MA.), the video game industry meeting with Vice-President Joe Biden's Gun Violence Commission last week, and a whole lot more. Download it now: SuperPAC Episode 36 (1 hour, 7 minutes) 61.5 MB.

No Ninja Gaiden 3 for Germany

January 11, 2013

While adult Australian gamers get to enjoy the latest Ninja Gaiden game thanks to the country's new R18+ rating, their German peers appear to be SOL.

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Sex And Violence Edited in Japanese Version of Far Cry 3

January 11, 2013

According to a report on Japanese gaming web site 4Gamer (as translated by Kotaku), the Japanese version of Ubisoft's Far Cry 3 had to be edited for content before it was released in the region.

10 comments | Read more

Wrestling Revolution Developer Claims WWE Compelled Google Play to Remove Android Game

January 11, 2013

According to indie UK game developer Mat Dickie, World Wrestling Entertainment has managed to get his wresting game, Wrestling Revolution, pulled from the Google Play Store. While the details on how the WWE accomplished this remain unknown, Dickie claims that the world's biggest professional wrestling organization had it pulled because it was doing better than their game, WWE WrestleFest.

2 comments | Read more

Massachusetts Department of Transportation Pulls 'Violent' Arcade Games From Turnpike Service Areas

January 11, 2013

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has removed several arcade games from a state Rest Stop after citizens complained about it because it is fairly close to Newtown, Connecticut. According to a Boston Globe report, Andrew Hyams, his wife Tracey, and their son Josh, said that hearing people playing arcade games at a rest stop in Charlton on the Massachusetts Turnpike on Christmas Eve reminded them of the of the Newtown massacre.

4 comments | Read more

Southington, CT. Group Cancels Violent Video Game Return Program

January 9, 2013

Last week SouthingtonSOS, a group comprised of Southington, Connecticut community organizations announced a violent videogame buyback program, where citizens could deposit violent games into what basically amounted to a trash bin for a gift certificate provided by local merchants. Those game discs would be snapped and tossed in the trash...

11 comments | Read more

Researchers Find that Web Site Blocking Has No Long-Term Affect in Combating Online Piracy

January 8, 2013

New research from Boston’s Northeastern University shows that blocking or censoring sites has no long-term effects on combating the proliferation or availability of pirated materials. If anything it has a short-term effect. Researchers monitored thousands of files across several of the most frequented file-hosting services and found that DMCA notices are a ripple in an ocean.

3 comments | Read more

Apple Rejects Game About Syrian Civil War

January 7, 2013

A game that explores the Syrian civil war, Endgame: Syria, has been rejected by Apple for distribution on its App Store.  A press release from the game's developer reveals that Apple's App Store guidelines forbid games that "solely target a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity."

2 comments | Read more

Connecticut Town Hosts Violent Video Game Buyback Event

January 2, 2013

The Escapist reports that community members in the town of Southington, Connecticut have put a bulls eye on violent video games in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that saw 20 children and six adults murdered by a lone gunmen in mid-December.

 
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Are you excited for the Xbox One?:

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E. Zachary KnightShe didn't address your questions because she doesn't have any answers.05/23/2013 - 3:38pm
Andrew EisenI replied to her comment. Maybe in a few weeks I'll get a reply.05/23/2013 - 3:24pm
Thomas Riordan@Andrew Eisen To what bowling alley does she go that puts sexual images in the faces of 6 year olds?05/23/2013 - 3:17pm
Andrew EisenWell, it took a month but Linda Stender finally replied to me... and didn't address a single one of my questions. http://aswlindastender.com/2013/04/23/follow-up-video-games-and-their-effect-on-children/05/23/2013 - 3:13pm
ImautobotAlso, from a tech perspective the PS4 is apparently already winning. http://bgr.com/2013/05/22/xbox-one-vs-playstation-4-specs/05/23/2013 - 3:12pm
ImautobotSony's PS4 motto should be "We play games." Microsoft's should be "We play games, when we're not rewinding your tapes."05/23/2013 - 3:11pm
Andrew EisenOh look, Dying Light was just announced For Everything But Wii U. That's 73.05/23/2013 - 2:06pm
james_fudgeZippy: they said the same thing about Cell. How did that turn out.05/23/2013 - 1:28pm
Andrew EisenNeed for Speed Rivals is coming out For Everything But Wii U - PS3, 360, PC, PS4 and Xbox One. That brings the grand total up to 72.05/23/2013 - 12:55pm
PHX Corphttp://wiiudaily.com/2013/05/microsoft-is-selling-the-wii-u-better-than-nintendo/ Wii U daily Opinion: Microsoft is selling the Wii U better than Nintendo05/23/2013 - 12:23pm
E. Zachary KnightZippy, they very well may be. But that will only last until they are released. At that time, they will be two generations behind.05/23/2013 - 11:14am
ZippyDSMleefor a good luagh, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124288-EA-Exec-Xbox-One-and-PS4-Are-A-Generation-Ahead-Of-PC05/23/2013 - 10:55am
james_fudgeIt's about time! I need W805/23/2013 - 10:49am
MaskedPixelanteLooks like Gamepot is more willing to play ball than Square Enix. Wizardry 6+7 and 8 are available on GOG.05/23/2013 - 10:36am
DorthLousAnybody tried Hiversaire? Thoughts?05/22/2013 - 5:48pm
E. Zachary KnightNew Humble Bundle Weekly Sale. Alan Wake: https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly No Linux or Mac support. :(05/22/2013 - 1:46pm
E. Zachary KnightMicrosoft talks about the lack of backward compatability. You're backwards. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/192801/If_youre_backwards_compatible_youre_really_backwards.php05/22/2013 - 1:39pm
E. Zachary KnightThat is absolutely nuts there. As bad an experience XBox Indie Games was, the problems weren't with the self published side of things. Forcing a publisher onto independent studios is not going to help.05/22/2013 - 10:43am
MaskedPixelantehttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-22-microsoft-wont-let-indies-self-publish-on-xbox-one And the hits just keep on coming.05/22/2013 - 9:20am
E. Zachary KnightAE: You beat me to it. That's what I get for taking the night off.05/22/2013 - 7:40am
 

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