GamePolitics News

Writer: Obama Should Regulate Sales of Used Games... GP: No

gamepolitics — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:07:28 -0600

Over at kombo, Nick Michetti has penned a thoughtful article titled How Barack Obama Can Bring the Change the Video Game Industry Needs.

While some of his ideas have merit, a suggestion that Obama regulate the used game market marred the piece for me. Michetti writes:

We also need to rein in the used games market and not with DRM. It is fundamentally unfair that developers are being robbed of profits for work that they've done. If the ESA will not offer a mandate, then we'll need the government to do so. Publishers and developers should be entitled to at least half of the price from the sale of every used game.

However, we need for there to be caps on used game prices and a Blue Book system for video games to prevent price gouging. We also need for developers to respect our tradition of the second hand market and have part of the mandate state that developers cannot use DRM to inhibit used sales.

Ignoring the fact that the ESA, which represents game publishers, has no wherewithal to issue any type of mandate to game retailers, I just don't get Michetti's point. Actually, I don't get the point of anyone who is whining about used game sales (like Epic's Michael Capps).

The reason is simple. Industry types - capitalists, all - who seek to restrict used game sales would interfere with the way markets work. And they want to interfere in a way that is purely for their own benefit and decidely anti-consumer. In this case, anti-gamer.

By way of example, let's say that a carpenter builds a table under contract from a furniture manufacturer. The carpenter gets paid and the manufacturer in turn wholesales the table to a furniture store. The furniture store adds their markup and sells the table to a homeowner. Later, the homeowner remodels and picks up a few bucks by peddling the table through an ad on Craigslist.

Now, replace "table" with "video game." The game developer is the carpenter. The game publisher is the furniture manufacturer. The game retailer is the furniture store. The gamer is the homeowner.

In both cases, there was an economic chain. Everyone got paid for the services. Are we now going to allow the carpenter and the furniture manufacturer to say to the homeowner, "Hey, you can't sell that table. We want everyone to be forced to buy a new table."

Of course not.

Along this line, I was impressed with a recent blog post by veteran game developer Soren Johnson (Spore, Civ series), who writes:

Many factors come into play when a consumer decides if a specific game purchase is worth the money, and one of those factors is the perceived value from selling it back as a used game. In other words, people will pay more for a new game because they know they can get some of that money back when they trade it in at the local Gamestop.

Importantly, this perceived value exists whether the consumer actually sells the game or keeps it. Wizards of the Coast has long admitted that the existence of the secondary market for Magic cards has long helped buoy the primary market because buyers perceive that the cards have monetary value.

Bill Cosby: Grand Theft Auto is Entrance Exam for Prison

gamepolitics — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:06:04 -0600

Comedian and activist Bill Cosby likened Grand Theft Auto to a prison prep course during an appearance in Greenwood, Mississippi on Thursday.

Cosby, who urged the local African-American community to take an active role in bettering their neighborhood, dismissed Rockstar's controversial game series, saying:

Cost your mother $250 to buy that for you so you can practice your entrance exam (to prison).

Cosby's remarks were filmed for an upcoming documentary. Among his other comments:

The drug dealer is not in your culture, nor is the prostitute, nor is the glorified pimp if you teach black pride. They have no pride. They don’t know their culture.

Via: Greenwood Commonwealth

Suddenly, a New Diagnosis: PlayStation Addiction

gamepolitics — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:18:39 -0600

You may or may not buy into the idea that game addiction exists, but doctors at southern Italy's Lecce Hospital (note to self: don't get sick in Lecce) recently diagnosed a 13-year-old boy with "PlayStation addiction."

Then again, the news is coming through the filter of a politician. As reported by Ananova:

At first doctors... thought Lorenzo Amato was suffering from a stroke or a severe brain disorder.

The teenager couldn't speak and didn't seem to understand anything going on around him. Then doctors discovered he'd just finished a marathon session on his new Playstation.

Local politician Antonio Buccoliero, who spoke to the doctors, said: "They eventually managed to take care of him once they understood that this was a strange kind of mental detachment connected to his Playstation."

The boy supposedly told his father to get rid of the PlayStation, saying, "If I even think about it I want to throw up."

PETA Responds to Majesco Responding to PETA on Cooking Mama Game

gamepolitics — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:55:30 -0600

That was quick.

On Monday, Animal Rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) took a bite out of Majesco's new Cooking Mama title for featuring too many meat-eating recipes.

By Wednesday, Majesco had issued a rather mild response, pointing out that roughly half of the recipes in Cooking Mama: World Kitchen are meatless.

Eager for the last word, PETA closed out the week by petitioning Cooking Mama to commit to an all-veggie edition of the popular game franchise:

Dearest Mama,

…It’s great to hear that you want to “make the world a happier place,” because that’s pretty much what we want to do too (though it seems that we might have different tactics …). I do hope that you seriously consider making a vegetarian diet a part of your strategy for world happiness.

By adopting a vegetarian diet, you can save more than 100 animals per year. Plus, vegetarians live longer and have a considerably lower carbon footprint. I know that—as you are a digital being—these benefits don’t exactly apply to you, but I still urge you to take the pledge to be veg for 30 days.

-Reporting from San Diego, GamePolitics correspondent Andrew Eisen...

UPDATE: Popzara has an interview with a PETA spokesperson on the Cooking Mama saga...

Taliban Burns Down Pakistani Video Game Shop

gamepolitics — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:24:15 -0600

GP sister-site GameCulture, citing Indian newspaper The Hindu, reports that Taliban thugs burned down a video game shop as part of a sweep through the Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan.

Stores selling videos and electronics were also attacked.

In Wake of Election, ESA Boss Sees Historic Time for Game Community

gamepolitics — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:36:26 -0600

In an op-ed published at 1up, Michael Gallagher, CEO of game publishers trade group the Entertainment Software Association, frames the recent presidential election as "a historic time for America and the computer and video game community."

Recapping many of the campaign-related game developments (Obama's XBL ads, McCain's Pork Invaders game), Gallagher writes:

The campaign produced a milestone of its own in the use of our technologies to engage and communicate with voters.

For the first time, American gamers and the entertainment software industry played an active role in the political process...

With the U.S. recession deepening, Gallagher also cites the benefits that the game industry provides to the U.S. economy and lays out the ESAS's agenda going forward:

working closely with all levels of government
preserving the First Amendment rights of gamers
supporting parental education efforts around video game ratings
protecting our industry's intellectual property
leveraging broadband to increase the connected experience
working to improve our industry's contributions to the economy
supporting state-level tax incentive legislation

Gallagher concludes with:

We look forward to working with the Obama administration, the new Congress and state leaders around the country and ensuring that America's governments recognize the positive effects of the computer and video game industry.

UPDATE: For more of Gallagher's thoughts, see GameStop's interview.

GP at Independent Game Conference Today

gamepolitics — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:06:45 -0600

Posting was a bit light yesterday as I was traveling from Philly to Texas for the Independent Game Conference in Austin.

I'll be presenting at the conference later today. My ramblings aside, the IGC has some terrific speakers lined up, including Gordon Walton of BioWare Austin, Alex Seropian of Wideload Games and author/developer Sheri Graner Ray (Gender Inclusive Game Design-Expanding the Market).

It should be a fun day. I'll try to post a recap later on.

UPDATE: The group which attended my session was an interesting mix. The conference is mostly attended by game developers and game development students. As I traced the nexus between video games and politics for the audience, I was a bit surprised to hear from a couple of attendees who were quite concerned about violence in games. I don't normally hear that from industry types and I was pleased to see that it kicked off a spirited discussion.

Kansas & Missouri A.G.s Remind Parents of Game Ratings

gamepolitics — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:42:12 -0600

With the holiday shopping season upon us, a pair of Midwestern attorneys general have reminded parents to be mindful of ESRB ratings as they purchase video games for their children.

In Kansas, WIBW reports on comments by Attorney General Steve Six (D, left):

As a parent of four young children, I know how important it is to be informed about the content in video games and to make sure games purchased as gifts are age appropriate for your child. The ESRB computer and video game rating system is the best guide parents can use to determine if a game’s content is right for their children.

Meanwhile, Ozarks First reports on a more generic warning from the office of Missouri Attorney General. No comments are provided. That's likely because current A.G. Jay Nixon (D) was elected governor on November 4th and is in the midst of transitioning to his new role.

Majesco Bites Back at PETA Attack on Cooking Mama

gamepolitics — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:29:19 -0600

Earlier this week, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) took a bite out of Majesco’s Cooking Mama: World Kitchen.

To make its point, PETA offered Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals, a parody which features a blood-thirsty Mama coaching the player through slicing and dicing a Thanksgiving turkey (already dead, despite the title).

PETA apparently took issue with the new Wii title's meat-heavy menu, calling the game "so heavy on dishes that are made from dead animals that the only things missing are the blood and gore...”

Not surprisingly, Majesco disagrees with that view. Yesterday the game publisher issued a response to PETA:

[Of 51 total recipes] Cooking Mama World Kitchen includes more than 25 vegetarian-friendly recipes including delicious breakfast, dinner, dessert and snack options. And, while Mama is not a vegetarian, she fully supports the humane treatment of animals, particularly for her canine protégé Max who makes his doggie debut in World Kitchen.

While a press release is not as awesome as responding with a parody flash game of its own, Majesco still had a bit of fun by including a quote from Mama herself:

I would never put rat in my Ratatouille. Like any accomplished cook, I create my recipes to appeal to a broad range of tastes and preferences. My only goal is to ensure you leave the table well fed.

-Reporting from San Diego, GP Correspondent Andrew Eisen is an omnivore…

"Series of Tubes" Senator (and crook) Ted Stevens Concedes Election

gamepolitics — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:58:11 -0600

Following more than two weeks of counting ballots, Ted Stevens, the 85-year-old Republican Senator from Alaska, has conceded the Nov. 4th election to Democrat Mark Begich.

The Seattle Times reports that Stevens' concession came by way of a written statement issued yesterday.

Among gamers, Stevens is best known for a rambling 2006 attempt to describe the Internet in which he referred to it as "a series of tubes." He was lampooned over the remarks in a Mario-like video (left).

When Democrat Mark Warner made an appearance in Second Life later that year, one SL resident showed up in a tube-like avatar (left) intended to mock Stevens.

Stevens was recently convicted of corruption charges by federal prosecutors.

Did Jack Thompson Lose Weight? He Looks About $42K Lighter

gamepolitics — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:41:46 -0600

As part of Jack Thompson's permanent disbarment by the Florida Supreme Court, the anti-game crusader was also ordered to pay $43,675. The figure represents the Florida Bar's cost to prosecute Thompson's case.

That amount was later reduced to $42,525 by the Bar. It now seems that Thompson has paid up.

As Duke Nukem would say, That's gotta hurt...

This piece of Thompson news comes - as it so often does - by way of Thompson himself. The ex-attorney circulated an e-mail today complaining that the Florida Supreme Court had not yet cashed his check:

Dear Chief Justice Quince:

Please advise today what you and the Court have done with my check for $42,525.27 that was sent you on November 6 to be held in trust by the Supreme Court.

I find today, in talking with my bank, that the check has not been negotiated. I’m not paying any interest on this amount. You all had it from me on the date it was due.

Regards, Jack Thompson

GTA IV Ads Back on Chicago Buses, But Future M-Rated Game Ads Banned

gamepolitics — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:01:55 -0600

Shortly before the April 29th Grand Theft Auto IV launch, the Chicago Transit Authority pulled ads for the game from its vehicles and facilities. Prompting the move was a rash of unrelated shootings in Chicago and a Fox News hit piece that linked GTA IV to the violence, even though the game hadn't yet been released.

Just a week later, Take-Two warmed the hearts of censorship opponents by suing the CTA in U.S. District Court for breaching its $300,000 contract. The case dragged on through the summer, but in late September GamePolitics reported that the parties were nearing a settlement.

Chicago Breaking News is now reporting that, as part of that settlement, GTA IV ads will appear on CTA buses for the next six weeks, which should give T2 a little boost for the holiday season. CTA spokesperson Noelle Gaffney explained:

The CTA made the earlier decision to remove the ads from the system following some violence in the city. The CTA felt that, based on the circumstances, it was in the best interest of our customers to remove the ads and further review the circumstances.

But wait - the CTA dropped some discouraging news as well, saying that it will accept no further ads for M-rated games once it works off its GTA IV debt. Here, the agency employs some highly questionable - read: highly political - logic:

Last week, the CTA board voted to ban advertising for video games rated "M" and above. The ordinance, which takes effect Jan. 1, cites a "demonstrable correlation" between intensely violent video games and violent or aggressive behavior.

Thus, Chicago joins Boston among major U.S. cities in which public transit systems will not accept M-rated game ads. Miami also yanked its GTA IV ads after now-disbarred attorney Jack Thompson raised a stink.

GP: Even though many M-rated games are fantastic examples of the creative arts, the transit agencies are essentially equating such games with smut. The industry needs to stand up for itself on this issue. Take-Two was right to sue the CTA over its GTA IV case, but the larger ban on M-rated games in general needs to be addressed by the ESA.

Obama's FCC Transition Team Has MMO Background

gamepolitics — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:09:28 -0600

The co-chair of President-elect Barack Obama's FCC transition team is a World of Warcraft geek.

That word comes by way of GigaOm, where Wagner James Au writes that Wharton Prof. Kevin Werbach (left), a Net Neutrality advocate is steering the Obama team's takeover of the FCC (presumably between WoW raids).

In fact, Werbach belongs to a pair of WoW guilds. He wrote of his gaming in a 2006 blog post:

I play Warcraft because it’s fun. It’s taking time away from watching TV, reading books, and other entertainment pursuits. But I’m also playing because I believe MMOGs will be one of the primary forms of social software for the next decade. Defined broadly, they may become the dominant form of social software. And you can’t understand games without experiencing them first-hand...

What [WoW] does is provide an incentive for people to develop new software and ideas for collaborative production. Many of those ideas will translate to other group activities, including those within the business world...

As Au notes, Werbach's WoW experience is a plus, since online gamers have a major stake in the Net Neutrality issue. Also of note, Werbach's co-chair, Michigan Prof. Susan Crawford, is an admirer of Second Life:

Professor Crawford, a board member at ICANN, also counts herself “a huge fan of Second Life” for the way it lets users retain IP rights to their content (though she confesses to difficulty when it comes to moving her SL avatar around.)

GP: We're dying to know - does Werbach play Horde or Alliance?

Sudden Death For CGS Game League (and we don't mean overtime)

gamepolitics — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:49:24 -0600

Direct TV has deep-sixed its Championship Gaming Series professional gaming league, according to the Hollywood Examiner.

An announcement on the CGS website calls the league "an idea whose time came too early" and laments that "profitability was too far in the future for us to sustain operations in the interim."

The Examiner notes:

The CGS, was founded in 2007... and was sponsored by major brands in gaming and mainstream like Moutain Dew, Fatality gaming gear, Alienware and Xbox 360.

The league launched its first season with six franchises in six major cities in the United States including Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, San Fransico, Chicago and Carolina. In 2008, they launched new franchises in major international markets like Berlin, Spain, England and Mexico...

CGS was also the only league with international television coverage where the players where able to get more then bragging rights, but was also paid a salary like professional athletes.

Report: Game Consoles Waste Energy

gamepolitics — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:31:04 -0600

My wife already thinks that I waste too much time on video games. Wait until she finds out that I'm wasting energy, too.

A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council maintains that game consoles can significantly add to consumers' electric bills. In fact, across the United States, consoles consume as much juice in a year as the combined total of residential electricity users in San Diego.

The solution? One piece of the puzzle is not to leave your system on when you're done playing. NRDC Senior Scientist Noah Horowitz commented:

If you leave your Xbox 360 or Sony Play Station 3 on all the time, you can cut your electric bill by as much as $100 a year simply by turning it off when you are finished playing. With so many struggling in today’s economy – it’s important to realize there are simple steps gamers can take to lower their energy costs. And if manufacturers make future systems more energy efficient, they’ll be doing the right thing for consumers’ pockets, for our clean energy future, and for the environment.

Among the big three, the PlayStation 3 is the energy hog of the bunch, consuming 150 watts per hour in active mode. The Xbox 360 isn't far behind, at 119. The Nintendo Wii, on the other hand, is the console of choice for the conservation-minded, drawing just 16 watts in active mode.

The NRDC claims that a combination of more efficient console hardware and educating gamers to use power-saving features currently built into the 360 and later PS3 models would save consumers a billion dollars a year and cut down on the type of pollution that leads to global warming.

Other goodies from the must-read report:

watching a movie on your PS3 consumers 5 times the power of using a stand-alone Blu-Ray player
average annual energy cost for a launch model (2006) PS3 user is $160
the 2007 PS3 is more efficient: annual cost is $134
For launch (2006) Xbox 360 users, it's $143; drops to $103 for 2007 models (GP: less RROD as well!!)
it costs $10 per year to operate a Wii
the game industry and game media should encourage console owners to use auto power-down features built into the 360 and PS3
the next hardware generation should be more efficient and have auto-power down
an auto-save feature should preserve game progress when the system auto-powers down
controllers should have a "sleep" button

Grab the full report here.