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On Saturday at PAX, Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin and Spike TV's Geoff Keighley veered from the typical panel format by offering a "casual conversation."

For the better part of an hour Hal and Geoff discussed a variety of topics of importance to gamers. Hal also took a number of questions from attendees.

We've got the video, and it's worth checking out...

FULL DISCLOSURE DEPT: The ECA is the parent company of GamePolitics.

Recently, GamePolitics reported that Xbox and Rock the Vote would be teaming up on voter registration at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Here's some brand-new video footage of Guitar Hero being played on a big screen at a Rock the Vote DNC booth. We presume the game is running on an Xbox 360.

Utah's KSL-5 reports that a 27-year-old man who led state police on a 100 MPH chase before causing a fiery accident said that such risky driving had always worked for him in video games.

Daniel Savino survived the crash with just a bad case of road rash but now faces a laundry list of criminal charges:

As for motive, Savino told troopers this was his own video game adventure.

 

"I don't know whether he was trying to act out a scene in a video game or what he was trying to do, but he said it always worked for him in video games," Roden said.

Tucson's News-4 has a report on a study being conducted by the American Library Association to see whether games can make kids smarter and more literate:

Pima County's library system is one of a dozen in the country participating in a study to find out if video games improve literacy... 

 

...Luis Aguilar, 11, helped organize a video game club.  In the process, he learned filmmaking skills to create a five minute movie about it. Luis believes the games are making him smarter, "Because it helps you with memory, memorizing stuff and hand eye coordination."

 

If national research verifies these kids' experiences, the American Library Association would like to create a video game curriculum for all libraries to use. 

The 2008 presidential campaign is getting ugly, what with a John McCain TV spot that paints Barack Obama as a celebrity lightweight in the grand tradition of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and the Obama campaign fighting back with sharp words about McCain.

Given the nasty political climate, Darren Gladstone of PC World (who clearly has too much time on his hands) decided to use Soul Calibur 4's custom character creator to let martial arts versions of the prez candidates go mano-a-mano:

Barack always struck me as a Jeet Kun Do master: nimble, deadly with his words--and with a pair of nunchucks. McCain? This guy's tough as nails. I don't know if I could've made it through half the stuff he did, so, of course, I have to equip him with the biggest mallet available.

 

Barack has youth on his side, so of course he's dancing rings around McCain... But stand still too long, and the cagey Vietnam vet is gonna deliver a haymaker: his mile-long service record.

Long Island's Regional News Network has a video report on New York's controversial video game law...

The much-anticipated Jace Hall Show segment with game-hatin' Florida attorney Jack Thompson is now live...

Clearly, as Thompson has suggested, the episode was scripted for laughs.

Want to show off your best GTA IV stunts?

You'd better post it on YouTube since video hosting site Vimeo has decided that it will no longer accept game play footage unless it is of the machinima variety. Currently hosted videos containing "game walk-throughs, game strategy videos, depictions of player vs player battles, raids, fraps," etc. will be deleted on September 1st.

A post on the service's staff blog explains the decision:

The Vimeo staff does not feel that videos which are direct captures of video game play truly constitute "creative expression". Further, such videos may expose Vimeo to liability from the game creator(s), as we have already seen action from popular video game companies against videos such as these... Gaming videos are by nature significantly larger and longer than any other genre on Vimeo...

 

This decision was not easy, and there was much debate internally; however, we feel this decision will benefit Vimeo in the long run and better benefit the video makers it was created for. Our resources are limited and they must be channeled towards maintaining our goals.

 

Negative reaction to the decision is beginning to trickle in. From Spinfocalypse:

The reasons cited seem to be a little contradictory and subjective... “Creative Expression” is not something I’d personally want to touch, because it gets into a social subjectivity issue. A game video for one person may not be ‘creative’ and a ‘lip-dub’ video may not be to another...

 

The second reason cited is the ‘processing time’... This part of Vimeo’s argument is rather weak– and as someone always looking for reliable video hosting– doesn’t give me much faith in the ability of their transcoders or stability of their bandwidth... Game videos can be one second or one hour, the same as traditional video...

 

What’s a bit disturbing about Vimeo’s decision is that a service is taking the role of editorial... Games, gamers, game videos– however you view them– will be forced into a box and segregated because of perceived notions about the space... I know I’ve personally exposed people to ideas and concepts, by way of games, that don’t require anyone to play or have an interest in games. That just won’t be happening on Vimeo anymore.

Just for Laughs serves up spoof video about a fictitious company engaged in making games with political themes...

With his remaining time as a licensed attorney likely numbered in days rather than decades, you might think that anti-game campaigner Jack Thompson would be in something of a funk.

However, Thompson has e-mailed GamePolitics with a YouTube link to a new G4TV parody called Jack Thompson Was Right. His subject line? "Very Funny, Really"...

However, when we jumped over to YouTube the video was gone, and the following notice posted: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by g4 Media Inc."

No worries. G4TV still has the video...

A fist bump?

A pound?

A terrorist fist jab?

With those words, Fox News talking head E.D. Hill ignited a bit of a controversy last month. Hill was referring to a small, celebratory bumping of fists between Barack and Michelle Obama. The "terrorist fist jab" comment would eventually lead to an on-air apology from Hill.

A parody video has placed Obama in a Mortal Kombat setting with the terrorist fist jab as his special attack.

GP: Pretty funny stuff and we thank reader Scott Snell for the heads-up...

When violent video game controveries flare, it's often said that critics are unintentionally increasing traffic to the game in question.

Such appears to be the case with The Torture Game 2.

The amateur, online game has been attracting no small amout of attention lately, including a parental alert from watchdog group the Parents Television Council.

The free game is available at online gaming portals Newgrounds and Kongregate.

But a message posted by Newgrounds guru Tom Fulp documents that the controversy is actually bringing many new players to the game:

The latest controversy has been surrounding The Torture Game 2, a fun little ragdoll physics engine that lets you do all sorts of horrible things to a lifeless dummy. Sensible Erection put together a gallery of all the fancy artwork you can create with TG2... at which point Derek Yu made a post about it on TIGSource and a whole debate erupted.

 

MSNBC picked up on the TIGSource debate and posted their own article about the game, but the real fun came when FOX News weighed in with a Fair & Balanced video, expressing their disgust while showing real-time footage of the person being tortured. Hey! At least we slapped a MATURE rating on the game and made you click a link to view it... Fox just dumped it into every living room in America!

 

As a result of their efforts, many more people are now enjoying The Torture Game 2.

 The Fox News video mentioned by Fulp appears at left.

Did you catch Tobacco Free Florida's terrific Halo-like video? GamePolitics covered it earlier this week.

Now, GameCouch has the 411 on how it all came together in an interview with adman Jason Piroth, who wrote the script:

It started with a discussion of what’s relevant to the 11-17 demographic today... Given the explosion in the gaming market that has accompanied the recent release of games like Halo III, Bioshock, etc...  using a format similar... seemed appropriate...

 

Making the “game” a familiar form of first-person shooter was absolutely intentional, but we were careful from the outset not to make it look too much like any one game in particular...

 

We’ve had inquiries as to where people can buy the game... and ample evidence of people truly embracing the spot’s message and declaring that they will think twice about smoking as a result...

Host Jon Stewart has some fun with Pork Invaders, the Facebook game app released by the McCain campaign last week.

Stewart's comments on the McCain game come at about 4:25 into the video segment.

This video is a product of Tobacco Free Florida...

Via: GamerTag Radio

If the background music for a recent McCain campaign commercial (see video) seems familiar, there may be a good reason. 

The piece featured is, in fact, from EA's Medal of Honor: European Assault – undoubtedly the first time music from a videogame has been used in such a manner.

As it happens, though, this has caused the game's composer no little chagrin.  Christopher Lennertz, an ardent supporter of Barack Obama received many calls and letters regarding the campaign ad.

So how did Lennertz's music find its way into McCain's commercial? The composer told GamePolitics:

It turns out that there was a mix-up as to which company controlled the rights to the music. The McCain campaign did nothing illegal. I do think however, that they should have checked to see if the creators of content that they are using to promote their views are in fact in sync with them…

Lennertz also released a statement on the McCain ad:

I have been receiving many emails and calls for the past week regarding the use of my music in a national television ad for John McCain's presidential campaign. The ad is called "Safe" and prominently features a track entitled "Casualties of War" that I wrote for Medal of Honor: European Assault. While I do not control the ownership of this piece, I am extremely disappointed its placement in this commercial. I did not authorize the use and was not made aware of the situation. Regardless of party affiliation of support, I would like to think that someone who believes in the American ideals of business and creativity like Sen. McCain supposedly does, would not want to disgrace or inflict any hardship or ill-will on the artists who create in this country by using their works to promote products and agendas which with they disagree.

 

As an American, I have the utmost respect and admiration for our troops and all of their sacrifices. In fact, much of the inspiration for my music in this piece came from having a grandfather who served this country honorably as an officer in World War II. I respect John McCain for his service to this country, both in the military and in Washington, but I do not and have never supported his candidacy nor his agenda for this country. I am dismayed that my music has been used to promote his platform and even more disappointed that a candidate who claims to be the best voice for American entrepreneurs and business owners in this troubled economy so flagrantly ignored the most basic values and tenents of copyright and intellectual property. What, I ask, does such an action or oversight say about Mr. McCain's regard for the intrinsic value of American products, services, or creations? Where does the line get drawn? Is it reasonable to use my music to sell tobacco, alcohol, or pornographic materials? Is it reasonable to use it to promote a religion in which I do not believe? Is it legal?...yes, perhaps, is it ethical?...I don’t believe so. Is it American?...definitely not by my standards.

 

 

As an artist, business owner, and patriot, I proudly support Senator Barack Obama for the Presidency of the United States of America...

GP: This special report provided to GamePolitics by: Alex Van Zelfden

WoW is popular fodder for satirists these days. This time, it's The Onion with World of World of Warcraft...

Can't wait for this one to launch!

Via: Destructoid

Author Salman Rushdie, who has been dodging a fatwa ever since outraging the Islamic community with his 1988 book The Satanic Verses, mentioned video games during a recent appearance on The Colbert Report.

RUSHDIE: ...I think the only good sign is that a lot of the younger generation in Muslim countries really wants that change. So maybe they will bring it.

 

COLBERT: What can we do to help? Can we send them video games?

 

RUSHDIE: I think video games, YouTube, you know, these are the things that will change the world. Because when people see what garbage everybody else is consuming, they want it too.

A bit of a backhanded compliment, no? But still...

Via: Kotaku

This video uses the music from Bright Eyes' When The President Talks to God to parody anti-game activist Jack Thompson.

The new lyrics were penned by Super Columbine Massacre RPG creator Danny Ledonne and singer/guitarist Cory Antiel, who performs the song.

Here's a great video from Super Deluxe for frustrated WoW widows...

Via: Los Angeles Times