Gamertell

A CBS 12 news story out of Florida is reporting the New York police union officials see the game as an abomination as it’s dehumanizing officers and making light of violent situations. They believe the game is a negative influence on children despite the fact that Saints Row 2 has a Mature rating which is meant to prevent children from purchasing the game…

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If you’ve been keeping up with video games in politics, you may or may not already know about HB1423, a bill being proposed in Massachusetts that would block the sale of violent games to minors. While there has been much debate amongst politicians since its introduction, best-selling author Stephen King cast his own personal vote on the matter in his latest Entertainment Weekly column.

King, who prefaced the article by stating that he was not a fan of video games at all, went on to blast the Massachusetts legislature, noting the hypocrisy of the…

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New Mexico Democrat Gail Chasey is getting set to draw the ire of some of her consumer constituents, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report. The lawmaker announced impending legislation last last week (January 25, 2007) that would levy a one percent tax on video games and televisions sold in the state. According to Chasey, the program will “Improve the academic performances of our kids” and help to fight child obesity.

Money from the fund, which is expected to garner four million dollars each year, will also be used to finance field trips to state parks and other outdoor areas. Chasey, a former educator, intends to use these outdoor classrooms to encourage healthy and active lifestyles for the students and bolster academic performance. The program is titled “No Child Left Inside,” a snarky homage to the current administration’s education policy.

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In the recent race to the White House, politicians are not the only people fighting to be heard. In a recent issue of CitizenLink parents fear ESA’s (Entertainment Software Association) most recent activity of funding game friendly candidates.

According to CitizenLink, parents fear that ESA’s latest actions would “sway lawmakers” into allowing video games to produce more violent and sexually explicit games. The fear is apparent in CNN’s latest situation room blog where the site asks, “Should the government be able to limit violence on TV?“

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Industry-friendly candidates will be getting financial support this election year from a political action committee established last fall by the Electronic Software Association (ESA). The New York Times spoke to ESA chief executive Michael D. Gallagher on Tuesday (January 15, 2008) regarding the status of the new committee and how it could affect politicians this year:

We will be writing checks to campaigns by the end of this quarter. This is an important step in the political maturation process of the industry that we are ready to take now. This is about identifying and supporting champions for the game industry on Capitol Hill so that they support us.

With the presidential candidates having already surpassed the twenty million dollar mark a full year before the election, $5,000 hardly seems like big money. But Gallagher’s action committee intends to write about $50,000 to $100,000 worth of donations, which is…

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According to Wired and KHQ news, a 20-year-old man was recently arrested for stalking and threatening a 15-year old girl he met playing Halo online. Joshua Stetar (the perpetrator) had apparently driven cross country from to Spokane, Washington to see the girl he met on Xbox live. His other obscenely creepy behaviors included driving by her house, leaving thousands of text messages on her phone (which he found online by googling her name and address), sending unwanted gifts to her house, and threatening to rape her and her sister.

Thankfully, the girl’s parents contacted the police, who found him at an econo lodge in Spokane before he could do any further damage. He’s facing a felony stalking charge.

Ouch - let this be a reminder to never give out personal information online. Maybe Nintendo’s friend-code system isn’t so bad after all.

Read [KHQ] Via [Wired]

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Common Sense Media reached out to a dozen presidential candidates (Republicans and Democrats) to ask each about policies they may implement should they be elected.

Senator John Edwards (D-NC), former Governor Barack Obama (D-IL), Bill Richardson (D-NM) and Mitt Romney (R-MA) were a few who responded to Common Sense’s inquiry. An inquiry was also sent to Senator’s Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee and John McCain but they did not respond by the deadline given, and Rudy Giuliani completely refused to participate.

According to Jacques Steinberg of the New York Times, Giuliani’s refusal could be that his children are older and a messy divorce. However, according to GamePolitics, Common Sense Media founder James P. Steyer is planning to invite the presidential nominees for a national forum on media issues Fall 2008.

Hmmmm. That’s kind of cutting it close isn’t it? Anyways, here are the responses given by the candidates to Common Sense Media:

Violent Video Game Legislation—To date, nearly 10 states have considered legislation to keep violent video games out of kids’ hands. Would you support this type of legislation at the federal level? What other strategies would you support to keep the video game industry and other media companies from marketing and selling inappropriate content to children?

• John Edwards (D-NC)—“While parents must ultimately decide what video games their children play, a lot of the responsibility for restricting marketing should be placed on software manufacturers. The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a good example of industry responsibility, and I support its ratings program, guidelines for responsible advertising practices, and outreach to game manufacturers and retailers. I also support leading video console manufacturers’ use of parental controls. But we have more work to do. An investigation by the Federal Trade Commission found that, since 2000, the likelihood of a child under age 17 being able to purchase an M-rated game (intended for people 17 or older) has been cut in half, falling from 85 percent to 42 percent. That number is much too high, and the FTC has also reported continued problems with the marketing of these games, especially on the Internet. If the industry does not continue to make progress in keeping video games with intense violence and adult content away from children, we will need to consider further steps to ensure that parents’ decisions about their children’s exposure to these games are not being undermined by retailers, advertisers and manufacturers.”


• Barack Obama (D-IL)—“We need to give parents the tools and information they need to make choices about what programs their children are watching or what video games they are playing. As we move towards a digital environment, there is a golden opportunity for the industry to do this on their own—to use the latest in technology to give parents more information and more choice. For example, this technology could make it possible for parents to create their own family tier just by programming their television to block certain channels, block certain genres of programming like dramas, or block television at certain times of the day. The same can be said of video games, especially as we’re moving into an era when they can be downloaded as easily as today’s movies and television shows. I would call upon the video game industry to give parents better information about programs and video games by improving the voluntary rating system we currently have. Broadcasters and video game producers should take it upon themselves to improve this system to include easier to find and easier to understand descriptions of exactly what kind of content is included. But if the industry fails to act, then my administration would. And even if the industry does do some responsible self-policing, there’s still a role for the federal government to play. We need to understand the impact of these new media better. That’s why I supported federal funding to study the impact of video games on children’s cognitive development.”




• Bill Richardson (D-NM)—I would consider this legislation, but I truly believe that we should make sure parents are educated about the inappropriate content of many video games. We have to get parents—all parents—more involved in the education of our nation’s students. Legislation and teachers cannot do it alone, no matter how good they are. Parental involvement is more important to a child’s success than any test or book. As president, I will issue an executive order that provides all federal employees with eight hours per year of paid, one-to-one time with their children. And I will encourage businesses and the rest of the public sector to do the same.




• Mitt Romney (R-MA)—I want to restore values so children are protected from a societal cesspool of filth, pornography, violence, sex, and perversion. I’ve proposed that we enforce our obscenity laws again and that we get serious against those retailers that sell adult video games that are filled with violence and that we go after those retailers.

“In today’s 24/7 media environment, it is becoming more and more difficult for parents to remain the number one influence in their kids’ lives,” said Steyer. “American parents want to know that the candidates understand the media challenges they face, and how the candidates propose dealing with these issues.”

Sounds fair until Steyer refers to a “virtually irrefutable library” of studies proving the evils of media which, I personally think, are most likely inconclusive, outdated and used to death by local media outlets as a excuse crutch.

“Social scientists have built up a virtually irrefutable library of studies demonstrating that the amount of sex, violence and materialism that kids are exposed to in the media impacts their fundamental health and well-being,” Steyer continued. “As the election approaches, parents are going to want to know where the candidates stand on these important issues.”

Though I’m confused as to what Steyer’s plan may be, I do find that this list gives you an insight to where the candidates stand on the issue so that when it’s time for election. I’m not just checking off another pretty face or the least agonizing candidate with the most sound policy and agenda. I’ll be making an informed decision for myself.

Read [GamePolitics] Read [The New York Times Caucus Blogs] Read [Common Sense Media] Site [Presidential Candidate’s Response to Videogame Issue]

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The real meat of the report is on the recently released NIMA annual report card. The report detailed the results of 58 “sting” operations, which found that almost half the time children were able to buy games rated M (for “mature”). To that end, big retailers received a “D” from the organization. Parents didn’t fare much better, scraping by with a “C”

Well, clueless parents, opportunistic policymakers, and the violence in games debate are, collectively, the most overdone topics in game journalism and media criticism. ABC news unfortunately has nothing new to add to the discussion.

Read [ABC News]

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Jack Thompson, Miami attorney and anti-game activist who has been hounding the gaming and music industry for a while. Now his career is in jeopardy as he fights to keep his license at the Florida Bar hearings this week.

Looking through archives of news, news panels and blogs Thompson has been trouble off and on throughout his career as a lawyer and even in his younger college years.

His controversial actions include attempting to expose Janet Reno’s alleged sexual preferences, suing a radio station for mocking him after being fired for airing tasteless and offensive music, his campaign against rap music, starting a controversy about the violence of videogames and, more recently, his attacks on the Florida legal system. Let’s not forget his recent actions against the Game Politics’s blog writer who has been following and reporting on Thompson’s antics for a while.

This week is the start of Thompson’s ethics trials. The Florida Bar is pursuing several complaints concerning Thompson’s professional behavior and conduct in court cases against the gaming industry following several complaints and Thompson’s attempt to block the trial from continuing on November 21, 2007, with an emergency motion to stay. As if grasping for straws as he sinks deeper into a quicksand pit, he even offered to take a three-month voluntary suspension to avoid the trials, which didn’t work. This is following several of his motions denied on November 20, 2007.

The court is already holding Thompson accountable for “making false and disparaging comments about a judge and several lawyers.”

The complaint is based on grievances filed by Judge James Moore of Fayette County, Ala., lawyers at Miami-based Tew Cardenas and Blank Rome, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., lawyer Norman Kent and the Bar itself. And the list of complaints is pretty long, 24 pages long, in fact.

What does Thompson have to say in his own defense on the matter?

“This is frankly, once again, just the Bar going off the deep end trying to use Bar rules to limit my First Amendment activism,” he said.

Meanwhile on Game Politics, readers have created a poll to see if anyone thought Thompson will be disbarred or not. So far out of 3772 voters, here is what the readers think:

Q: As his Florida Bar trial begins, do you think Jack Thompson will be disbarred? A: Out of 3,772 voters 2,087 said yes he will be disbarred permanently, 1,100 said yes but he would only be on a temporary basis, 248 said no and 337 were not sure of the outcome of the trial.

Read [Neoseeker] Also Read [Law.com] Vote [GamePolitics] Case Docket [Order on Pending Motions (PDF)] Case Docket [Order of Dismissal Without Prejudice (PDF)]

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Just as we thought the Manhunt 2 issue was over, Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) have cooperatively written and sent a letter to the ESRB president, Patricia Vance, on November 21, 2007, concerning the Mature rating assigned to the revised version of Manhunt 2.

No surprise since these four particular politicians have been attacking the videogame industry since 2005. Brownback’s pending legislation to the senate to mandate that the ESRB play the game to its entirety before giving it a rating and Lieberman, Bayh and Clinton’s unsuccessful Family Entertainment Protection Act all sounds like nothing more than drudging up old news, polishing it off and putting a new spin on the sex and violence in videogames issue.

Did I mention this may be a political move on Clinton’s part? She is of course a presidential candidate *shudder in fear* In the letter, the senators basically state that they advise the ESRB to raise the ratings for Manhunt 2 and goes into why the British banned the game. The issue is over the Wii version of the game is the best I can figure out reading the letter.

The letter reads:

Dear Ms. Vance,

We are writing to suggest that it may be desirable to revise or enhance the current ESRB rating system. We continue to believe that the ESRB takes seriously its responsibility with respect to the ratings and their enforcement. However, we believe that a number of issues have been raised regarding the release of Manhunt 2.

As you know, in June 2007 the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) refused to rate Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 video game, effectively banning its sale in British stores, stating that it contains “unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone… which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing.” The BBFC Director concluded that any other action “would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors.” Consistent with your British counterpart, this version received an “Adults Only” (AO) rating from your Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

In October 2007 the BBFC again refused to rate a revised Manhunt 2 stating that “[t]he impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the ‘execution kills’, but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature.” Other countries agreed and have also banned the game.

Unlike the British Board, the ESRB reduced the revised version’s rating to “Mature” (M) effectively opening the door to its widespread distribution and its licensing approval by game system manufacturers Sony and Nintendo. And, while significant progress has been made, the FTC reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can still successfully purchase M-rated games meaning that the practical difference between an AO and M rating affects more than simply 17-year-olds. ...

Then, near the end of the letter, the foursome chided the ESRB’s capabilities of reviewing a videogame, which is funny since Clinton and Lieberman both congratulated and applauded the ESRB for their rating systems in 2006.

...Further, do the same reviewers view the original and the revised version of a game after an AO rating is received? How frequently do you use more than your minimum of three reviewers when evaluating a game? Are three reviewers adequate for the more violent games? How often do your reviewers disagree in their initial ratings and how frequently is the final rating a majority opinion rather than a consensus?

In sum, we ask your consideration of whether it is time to review the robustness, reliability and repeatability of your ratings process, particularly for this genre of “ultra-violent” video games and the advances in game controllers. We have consistently urged parents to pay attention to the ESRB rating system. We must ensure that parents can rely on the consistency and accuracy of those ratings.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Joseph I. Lieberman United States Senator

Sam Brownback United States Senator

Evan Bayh United States Senator

Hillary Rodham Clinton United States Senator

Read [Video Business] Read [Game Politics] Site [Senator’ Lieberman]

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