Gamertell

At the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, many Japanese developers admitted that western game development was beginning to surpass that of eastern development.

So what do you do if you can’t beat ‘em? Hire ‘em.

It seems that’s exactly what Square Enix plans to do according to Gamasutra. The developer posted a listing for programmers, product managers and pretty much every position you can think of for a planned studio in El Segundo, CA. The studio will be working on…

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In an op-ed published last month, we covered California’s attempt to renew their anti-gaming campaign. The Associated Press covered the Court of Appeals hearing to overturn a court decision that said California’s anti-violent games sales law was unconstitutional.

California Deputy Attorney General Zachery Morazzini asked the courts to uphold the law. He noted that it’s the state’s right to help parents who don’t want their children exposed to violent games. As a rebuttal, Paul Smith, the attorney for the Video Software Dealers Association and Entertainment Software Association in this case, noted that if you restrict or censor one form of entertainment, in this case video games, there’s no telling where the line will finally be drawn…

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As reported by San Jose Mercury News, on Wednesday (October 22, 2008), the State of California will try to revive its crusade against violent video games. This will be contesting a law deemed unconstitutional in 2007. This decision will be reviewed by the 9th District U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It is in reaction to the pending release of Mad World for the Nintendo Wii.

The law itself bars sale or rental of violent video games to minors. Other such similar laws have been repealed nationwide in the US, often being cited as attempts to limit both freedom of speech and of expression.

Law-makers seem to be in agreement that…

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According to a recent article published in the SouthTown Star and written by GateHouse News Service, online gamers may have been wrongly stereotyped.

Of the 7,000 online gamers researchers interviewed who played EverQuest 2, a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game), they are not the overweight rotund teenage boys most people once thought they were…

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BlizzCon 2008 is offering a free pay-per-view package to new DirecTV subscribers for its upcoming World of Warcraft tournament starting at 1:30 p.m. on October 10, 2008, and 2 p.m. EST on October 11, 2008, broadcasting live from the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA (USA).

The DirecTV special promotion can be subscribed to only through the BlizzCon website and is available only to those living in the United States that subscribe to service before September 30, 2008, and activate it before October 9, 2008.

Current DirectTV subscribers can…

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Arnold Schwarzenegger has been deeply involved in his activism against violent video games. He gave his assent to California’s video game law (or anti-game law as many believe), which found legal force in 2005, only to be overturned by a federal court as unconstitutional. This, however, didn’t dampen Schwarzenegger’s spirits and he sought an appeal. Schwarzenegger found himself in an ethical fix when a supposedly violent hack-and-slash game, Conan, based on a 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the same name, was released.

Schwarzenegger had reprised the role of Conan in the movie but is not featured in the videogame. However, the game being based on his movie was reason enough for people to point fingers at the Governor, who himself has acted in many action-packed violent movies and still opposes in-game violence.

The Governor has spoken finally - well, sorta. Arnold’s spokesman said, in an ABC interview, that the governor had nothing to do with the game which has been censured heavily for in-game violence by State Sen. Leland Yee, a staunch anti-violent game activist. The National Institute on Media and Family has even asked for the game to be made unavailable to children and teenagers during Christmas.

Maybe Arnold’s past of violent movies is a little disconcerting for him today. Hopefully he doesn’t end up disowning that past of his just to keep his fight against violent video games alive.

Read [Game Politics] Also Read [Ironic Gamer]

• Study debunks belief that playing with your Wii can lead to aggression
• Square Enix posts jobs for future El Segundo studio
• Gamertell Review: Dead Space Downfall on DVD, Blu-ray

The Entertainment Software Association has won a lawsuit against the state of Califronia’s Videogame Legislation and now seeks reimbursement for attorney fees and other expenses incurred during the court battle.

ESA filed a motion asking for $324,840 that would bring the organizations recouped fees and expenses close to $1.9 million. ESA’s President, Michael D. Gallagher, said the court battle could have been avoided if California state government considered ESA’s suggestion to work with policyholders on meeting the needs of concerned parents and raising awareness about videogame ratings as well as…

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Across the Atlantic, Manhunt 2 bore the brunt of the fierce campaign against excessively violent games. In the US, however, the Manhunt 2 episode doesn’t seem to have set any precedents, at least that’s how it appears for federal judge Ronald Whyte. In his recent ruling ruling, Whyte decided a California state law baring minors from playing violent games was unconstitutional. In anticipation to California Governor - and former movie star - Arnold Schwarzenegger’s expected appeal against the judgement, the Entertainment Software Association’s Video Game Voters Network (VGVN) is gathering support.

VGVN has uploaded the lengthy ruling on its website and is urging gamers to write to the Governor through the website in protest of the appeal. VGVN has also launched a diatribe against Gov. Schwarzenegger, labeling his movies as “violent.“ The group’s main contention is…

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