When the people can "mash-up"

There’s a lot of talk these days about how mash-ups are getting more usable for ordinary folks and how that means a more democratic use of the Internet (full disclosure: my company is in this space), but no one writing about the phenomenon is thinking about how this “power” can be extended to the truly powerless.

Think about the famous work that’s been done around mapping crime and disease. It shows a great inequality, right? Well, surely if the disempowered could easily use the same technology we’d see a lot more injustices “mashed-up” and displayed for the world, and those communities themselves, to see.

Technology vs. Humanity

Is technology working for us, or are we working for technology? Now that much of our lives depends upon computerized devices, audimated voice systems, and the reason for gasoline, its hard to know what we would do without it.

Technology vs. Humanity

Most people believe that as human beings, we can control the use of technology around us. Technology cannot make decisions on its own. It is as inanimate as a table or a chair, both objects of purpose and function. When a friend calls me to tell me of her late arrival to our meeting, the phone does not dial the correct numbers, my friend does.  Next week, my brother will drive through Massachusetts. The car does not choose the ways he will turn and how much pressure he will put upon the accelerator. My brother decides these things.

Technology allows us to travel at extraordinary speeds, listen to news from around the world, and stay in contact with friends and family by simply pushing one button. We can even do these things simultaneously. To make life easier and to get things done more quickly, we use technology to do a lot of our work. But, are we responsible for problems that might occur while using these tools? Humans have created and continue to create technology. Yet, we seem to let technology take over at certain times. If we allow technology to become an authority, aren’t we transferring and diffusing our feelings of responsibility onto the object, the technology, in authority? In situations like this, the outcome of events depends upon this technology. We as humans give technology a status equal to, and sometimes above, our own. We have invited technology to handle the outcome of certain events in our lives.

Problems and mechanical errors will happen when we rely upon technology. Many times society generalizes these problems. When our society generalizes, we no longer feel it is important to distinguish between what one should have done to prevent a problem and an unpredicted or unpreventable malfunction.  Humans need to remember their authority over technology and the responsibility that comes with this authority.

As we live amongst the rush of daily life with all our wants and needs, we depend upon technology to handle certain tasks. Of course we trust a calculator or a cash register to calculate numbers. That is its job, and unlike a human, it does it the same way, correctly, every time. But while trusting these objects, shouldn’t we also remember how to do these things on our own?

When a power outage occurs, we are rendered helpless and flustered as we have lost our own sense of control, power. Our own brains need to take center stage, and a wave of shock comes over them as they are accustomed to use as a back-up tool, a last resort to running our lives in many situations. Yes, we do need to know how to add up the right amount of eggs in our refrigerators so we can make an angel food cake, an omelet, food in general. We need to know how to find the best unit price for fuel, rent, and a mortgage so we can survive financially.

If half of all technology was taken from the earth today, wouldn’t many of the people we know struggle to survive? Many would burst in frustration and boredom when they find their days or evenings without a television. The immediate world appears uncomfortable, helpless and we are lost without a cell phone, the hand-held help line. Thinking, responding, and making good decisions would become an individualized activity, apart from other influences and authorities. Perhaps we simply live in a culture of technology, no different than a culture dependent upon a river as a water and food source. Yet, all over the world, technology is used and continues to become more frequently used in areas of life that many people did not think necessary or possible. Maybe the use of technology spreads because humans both create and then are able to understand it, inside and out? People are far too complicated to understand; unlike machines, they involve both rational and irrational thought and actively make decisions for themselves. People are able to use machines to manipulate life into a set of directions. By doing this, the work, complications, discussions, and interactions that human beings would have had in following these sets of directions or tasks, is taken away.

Like simplifying a mathematical equation or the invention of a more efficient vehicle, allowing a machine to do a once hand-done job sounds great. There is less to deal with, less mess. Machines have permanently replaced some of the jobs once occupied by humans. Two commonly known occupations of this type are a cashier or over-the-phone customer service. Is it possible that the heads of companies, people of the highest economic class, make decisions which directly affect others in society? Have they decided that it is too great an inconvenience for their business to deal with their customers concerns and complaints?

Horkheimer and Adorno write “No mention is made of the fact that the basis on which technology acquires power over society is the power of those whose economic hold over society is the greatest.” Doesn't it seem that our society's economic leaders say that they no longer wish to take the time to answer their customer's questions, except through technology, a façade to sincere customer service? 
   Perhaps the reasoning for these many companies is that if the irrational human being deals with another irrational human being, there is much risk for failure.  Machines work more quickly, and they are less expensive over time.  Employers are more certain that the job will get done if a machine does it, with the exception of a mechanical problem.  But then, isn't a machine different from a human being in the way that we may easily fix and even take away the flaws of technology? It is complete rational.

Human interaction is lost between companies and their customers.  Corporations dehumanize both their employees and their customers through the ways that they are measured, categorized, dealt with and labeled.  “Consumers appear a statistics on research organization charts, and are divided by income groups…the technique is that used for any type of propaganda. (Horkheimer and Adorno, 1225)”

What choice do most have but to be fed the culture that results from severe reliance upon technology? Humans need to somehow obtain food, clothing and shelter, in this, our, culture. They must buy it, and when they do, many become tricked into thinking that as the consumer, they are needed and praised because they have the opportunity to buy clothes similar to that of a modern day pop star, a drink that will make them powerful, or a car that is intelligent and in turn, will make them look smart. Our culture leads us to believe that when businesses rely upon technology to ensure us the best service, we are cared for physically, emotionally and then mentally.

Humanity is viewed and compared in a few broad and generalized categories by businesses and commercialism. This is also how we perceive our technologies. Is our society treating the individual as a technology, a piece of equipment that has a function, a purpose, and can be made to work for another's intentions and gain? This type of comparison and speculation that has happened to Americans, and humans in general, takes away the power and truth of the human spirit.  Technology is not unique in the ways that it functions, and we can and should generalize technology to allow understanding of the ways that it works and can be then fixed.  But when we simulate our views of technology and humanity, don't we devalue what a child is capable learning, the sensitivities we should demonstrate towards one another, and the importance of an individual’s culture, family and personal life?

With all our uses and misuses of technology, humanity continues to become more reliant upon mechanically enhanced tools in hopes of allowing less complicated living. Different Technologies are developed daily to satisfy the plans of those that head our society’s leading businesses and marketing industries.  As our reliance upon these technologies continues, the foundations of life will become forgotten. Communication with the human soul and with each other will lessen as humanity speaks louder to automated voice systems.

When we continuously look to and value the answers that Computers, car gauges, and TV provide us with, do we not look to technology for our truths, the final and correct answers? We speak, listen, think about and value the interactions we make with our machines as truth.  We then compile these new truths with our morality, ethics, and values.  Art, the expression of the human spirit, is no longer relied upon as a guide for honest individuality.

Technology subconsciously conditions humans to look to it for the answers. And, Humanity does not recognize that we as human beings give technology a high position of power. When we allow technology to become our guide, we allow technology to become a source for human truth. Allowing technology to take over our lives is simple, passive, and easily done. Preventing extinction of a trend such as this is difficult, and it goes against what others around us do and think. However, to allow the human spirit to die is similar to that of total, physical extinction. Life, of every kind, exists no more.

Crying at "In the Valley of Elah"

I saw Tommy Lee Jones’s anti-war film “In the Valley of Elah” last night. And not for a second do I have reservations about what I’m about to say.

Three times, while sitting in my theatre seat and watching this movie, I cried. The person (a woman) with whom I saw “Elah”, criticized me afterward for my quiet display of emotion. American men are not supposed to be human, not supposed to empathize and express these wholly natural emotions. This is an old and tiresome view of masculinity. Very tiresome indeed. It is also dangerous.

This American myth of “machismo” has, since the inception of this nation, instilled “rugged stoicism” as the only acceptable persona a man may publicly assume in the face of tragedy. Thus we see, in this patriarchal society, a history of male leaders who eventually do not empathize with others, who have narrow-minded, aggressive worldviews, which have led to narrow-minded, aggressive policies. Both domestic and foreign. This has contributed to America’s 200-plus year history of institutionalized racism, class oppression, and violent imperialism in other lands.

Until we, as a culture, dismiss this tradition of myopic ideologies, until we realize that America is not the center of the universe (if it ever was, our policies have allowed China, Russia, Japan, and the European Union to replace us), until we disavow our culture of narcissism, we will continue to dwindle as a civilization. We are our worst enemy.

“In the Valley of Elah” intends to provoke critical thought by evoking emotion. It, as a work of art, aims to get us thinking that the status quo in this MILITERIZED SOCIETY needs to be reevaluated. Our culture needs to be replaced NOT with more blind nationalism and flag-waving in the face of war. No, our culture needs to adopt humanism, compassion, and an understanding of those who are different. It leads us to one logical conclusion. We will destroy ourselves if we do not change ourselves.

Yet, if American males (like myself), those who (rightly or wrongly) traditionally hold the power in this society, cannot empathize (and cry) with the characters in this film, they will not reach the critical thought-level this film demands. The more we feel this “fictional pain” the more we wish to end the “real pain” it represents: pain caused by our adoption of aggressive, stoic, anti-intellectual, male bravado. This is key. Critical thought separates us from the rest of the creatures in this world. If we abandon this capacity, we truly cease to be human. Our INHUMANITY takes over our lives. This possibility is closer than you think.

Last night in the theatre, had I rejected and restrained my tears, I would have denied my own humanity. I would have been like a dumb beast, indifferent to other beings’ pain. We have already seen what happens when we fail to recognize the dumb beasts already among us… We elect them as president. We allow our own end.

Only through empathy comes understanding.

Only through understanding comes peace.

How can a CMS/mash-up company help?

My company is about to launch - it provides/sells a hosted content management system and mash-up system - and I’ve been thinking a great deal about how we can be involved to create change.

“A Platform for Change” is Rethos’ ethos, and that’s a good place to start. How can BricaBox join in and be a platform for change? What sort of information can we bring in and help folks organize to spread it further?

So the question is this: what information and data exists but is not in enough hands. What data can we help spread with our platform?

CSR@Intel

I just found out this blog.

I like it! Intel’s employees can share thoughts about their footprint as part of such a big company. You can also download their latest CSR report.

Intel inside, isn’t it? We can find Intel technology everywhere. Let’s find out if they are really thinking ahead.

http://blogs.intel.com/csr/

OCIC Global Citizens Forum 2007

From October 25th-27th OCIC held a Global Citizens Forum on “arts and technology for social change” with a gala and series of 15 workshops with artists and IT folks. There were over 100 youth, Ontario-based international development organizations and four of their Southern partners from El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica and Uganda.

As a follow-up, OCIC is planning to launch a Postcard Project on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, with grassroots exhibitions for International Development Week, February 3-9, 2007. Stay tuned for more info..

Blog Round Up for December 4, 2007

Check out the latest headlines from GamePolitics:

Senators on Hand as NIMF Report Card Zings Game Biz for “Ominous Backslide”

Dr. David Walsh of the National Institute on Media & the Family issued his 12th Annual Video Game Report Card this morning. In doing so he criticized the video game industry for “an ominous backslide on multiple fronts.”

Flanked by a pair of U.S. Senators (Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota) as well as Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Walsh awarded an overall grade of C to the game business.

Annual Video Game Report Card: The Grades

Parental Involvement: C
Ratings Education: B-
Retailers’ Policies: C-
National Retailers: D
Game Specialty Stores: B
Game Rental Shops: F

ESRB: Video Game Report Card Flawed, Contradicts Govt. Findings

ESRB president Patricia Vance wasted little time in responding to criticism leveled against her organization by this morning’s release of the National Institute on Media and the Family’s annual Video Game Report Card.

D.C. Smackdown Parodies Politicians & Pundits

John McCain battling Anne Coulter?

Hillary Clinton vs. Bill O’Reilly?

It could happen in D.C. Smackdown.

Former Disney animator Dave Holbrook’s new PC parody allows players to stage 16 levels of comedic combat. The game’s 17 recognizable characters include politicians, pundits and celebrities. As with most fighting games, each character possesses a signtaure move. Hillary Clinton, for example, can employ the “Intern Trample,” while Bill O’Reilly can rely on the “No Spin Zone”.

Detroit Prosecutor Issues (outdated) List of 10 Violent Games to Avoid For the Holidays

Detroit is the second most dangerous city in America, according to 2006 crime statistics.

Top Prosecutor Kym Worthy thinks violent video games may play a role. As reported by the Detroit News, Worthy has issued her 3rd annual list of the Top 10 Most Violent Games.

GameCulture Launches

The ECA has launched the beta version of its newest website, GameCulture. The Gameculture website will focus on how videogames, game technology, and game culture are changing the world around us.

ECA President Hal Halpin had this to say:

“We couldn’t be more excited to introduce GameCulture, or more blessed to have Aaron heading it up. It’s absolutely core to our [ECA] mission that we redefine the label ‘gamer’ and in doing so reverse the negative stereotypes which anti-games legislators and anti-gamer advocates have created.”

GameCulture was designed and will be managed by veteran journalist Aaron Ruby, co-author of Smartbomb, a 2005 New York Times Editor’s Pick. Aaron had this to say:

“I’m really looking forward to the launch of GameCulture. One of the best kept secrets about videogames is that regardless of whether you like them or hate them, games are profoundly influencing every facet of our culture, from the esoteric to the everyday.

It’s not just about entertainment anymore. The intersection of games and culture is a fascinating place, and the ECA web team did an amazing job of building a site that offers something new to dedicated gamers while remaining relevant for those who don’t normally follow game media.”

You can check out the new GameCulture website at http://www.gameculture.com/, and let us know here in the comments your thoughts.

Blog Round Up for December 5, 2007

You can check out all of the below posts at Gamepolitics, www.gamepolitics.com

ECA Unveils New GameCulture Site

There is some big news this morning from Hal Halpin and the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA).

The ECA is launching the beta version of GameCulture, a brand new destination for gamers, mass media outlets and entertainment consumers of all sorts. GameCulture will feature a unique editorial voice which will provide a sense of how videogames, game technology, and game culture are changing the world around us.

Oklahoma Politician Who Authored Video Game Law is Now ESRB’s Pal

We’ll say it again:

Politics makes strange bedfellows.

Yesterday, an ESRB press release trumpeted yet another partnership with a state-level politician. This time it is State Senator Glenn Coffee (R) who is teaming up with the video game industry’s content rating board on a parental awareness program.

Congressmen Want More Openness in ESRB Rating Process

For years, Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) has been a critic of video game violence.

Now Baca has been joined by fellow Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) in a call for greater openness in the game industry’s rating process.

Game Retailers Dispute NIMF’s Video Game Report Card

The Annual Video Game Report Card issued yesterday in Washington, D.C. by Dr. David Walsh and the National Institute on Media and the Family didn’t sit well with many in the game industry.

ESRB head Patricia Vance quickly issued a counterpoint to NIMF. The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), representing video game retailers, followed suit later in the day.

ABC’s Jake Tapper Covers the NIMF Annual Report Card

In a well balanced video report, Jake Tapper of ABC News looks at criticisms leveled against the video game industry in yesterday’s Video Game Report Card.

Meanwhile Chicago’s ABC-7 offers a pretty straightforward piece which mentions the Report Card in relation to game ratings issues.

Blog Round Up

Here are the latest headlines from GamePolitics.com.

Colorado Church Shooter Was Kept Away from Video Games By Parents

Matthew Murray, who killed four people and wounded several others during a pair of horrific church shootings over the weekend, apparently wasn’t permitted to play video games while growing up.

U.S. Army Creates Video Game Squad

Training and Simulation Journal Online reports that the United States Army has established a project office to create and deploy video games for the training of soldiers.

Think Tank Issues Study on Video Game Ratings

The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank with a free market orientation, has issued a detailed position paper on media content ratings, including those of the ESRB.

Schwarzenegger Distances Himself from THQ’s Conan Game

Although California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger® helped build his acting career by starring in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, he is carefully distancing himself from THQ’s recent Conan video game release.

Postal 2’s Vince Desi Talks Manhunt 2, Game Censorship, Politics

Vince Desi, head honcho at Running with Scissors, is no stranger to controversy. His Postal franchise remains a target for video game violence critics long after the last game in the series (2003’s Postal 2) was released. During a lengthy 1up interview, Desi dishes on a variety of topics related to the politics of video games today.

Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Video Game Legislation

GamePolitics readers are obviously quite interested in where the presidential candidates of both parties stand on video game issues.

But so far, there hasn’t been much hard information available on this topic.

Now, watchdog group Common Sense Media has helped fill in the blanks

Members Update

Re-posted from 12/19/07 ECA Today:

2007 ECA SUMMARY Hal Halpin, President, ECA

I was recently asked by a reporter to try and encapsulate briefly all of the accomplishments, challenges and tasks that were undertaken in the past year since we soft-launched. I groaned in response and said something flip like, “how much time do you have?” In reflecting back after hanging up, I realized that it has been some time since our last Member Update and while our staff, and many in the media, know well what we’ve been up to, that we could be doing a better job of communicating that to you, our members.

To that end, we’re going to do two things: one is recycle a summary piece that I put together for the reporter because it succinctly captures the cross-section of what the ECA has been doing:

Public Relations – like all ECA effort, PR is truly a team one. It’s a collaboration between ONE PR Studio and our management team, and utilizing those resources effectively to maximize the exposure of the association is a daily – sometimes hourly – task. We have done hundreds of press interviews, articles, news mentions and feature stories. We make sure that when there’s an issue that affects game consumers, the ECA is there to weigh-in. Additionally, the president writes guest columns for GameDaily, 1UP and EGM, all of which further establish the organization. PR, like most other things in our first year, was challenging. We needed to educate the endemic and non-endemic media, explain the basics of what a non-profit membership org is and why it’s needed and then quickly ramp up to meet the needs as they arose. Tracking for all the press that ECA received can be found here. The best thing I can say about the Herculean PR efforts is this: I run into executives all the time who think that the ECA is older than it is; they’re shocked to find that we’re brand new because we’re omnipresent.

Government Relations – our Government Affairs department was fortunate enough to hire on some amazing talent to staff it. Head up by former ESA legal exec, Jennifer Mercurio, the ECA is now part of a broad coalition of organizations (the list of which is going to be a separate press release in early Q1). We have set position statements on key matters concerning gamers which can be found here. We have established a digital advocacy initiative, which will commence more publicly with the roll-out of our new related module in the next 60 days. There are ECA groups on FaceBook, MySpace, LinkedIn, MeetUp, and others. Coalition partners are excited to have consumer interests at the table and believe that our presence alone may represent a paradigm shift. Motivating and empowering our members to become active, involved and passionate, while channeling that energy remains the key.

Marketing – the largest internal department has arguably been challenged with the most; establishing our presence as a credible and formidable force in the space. Directed by our seasoned marketing guru, Heather Ellertson, the ECA has had a presence at every major trade and consumer show related to the games space and next year will attend over 120 events. We impress over 11 million gamers with our advertising campaign via bartered ads that would have otherwise cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. We established an affiliate program that will ensure a regular and steady influx of new paying members. And we have branded the association, our innovative logo and our name as the defacto standard. ECA stands beside ESA, ESRB, EMA and IGDA in reputation and in perception because of the regular and impressive marketing efforts in totality. Members join because of the value proposition of receiving many times more in goods and services than their dues cost, a list of which can be found here (and is only in its infancy).

Advertising – during the research phase of our evolution, just a year and a half ago, we retained Ignited Minds as our ad agency of choice. Run by industry expert, Eric Johnson, the agency helped– and indeed continues to help – shape first impressions. We’ve run three major ad campaigns over the past year, ranging from the shock of the “needle and gun” ad to the “half the games in this magazine” campaign, and found one to be more compelling than the next. What good would the 11M people exposure be if our messaging wasn’t on-point and engaging? After PR, advertising is our public face – it represents exposure to many more people than would normally see or understand the product. We now have full-page ads running in most of the endemic media outlets, banners and buttons on many of the leading gamer newsletters and websites and partners helping us to hammer home that same message.

IT – as a web-based organization, we knew going in that IT would be our backbone. We’d need to have web-based services that replaced real-world ones because of our target audience. In the past year we have introduced several key modules which enable the website. We’re also integrating digital advocacy into the very fabric of the site. Everything we do is for the benefit of the community, and as a result the solution needs to be effective in the near term, but scalable in the long term. Modules introduced or under construction include: Membership, Community, Ads, Accounting, Forums, Directory, Survey & Polls, Subscriptions, Career Center, and Member Manager. While not overt, these modules are the engine that drives the machine. Our IT director, Nasim Islam, along with our web design firm, Acro Media – and three internal project management teams – work to ensure that our presence on-line is what it is, and will be so much more.

Publications – the association publishes several well-known publications in the interactive entertainment space that serve the needs of our members as well as the broader community. GamePolitics, edited by founder Dennis McCauley, is our game news site focused on anti-game/gamer legislation and political issues that affect gamers. GameJobs is the industry’s leading career portal and job board. GameCulture, introduced in beta form in December 2007 and edited by well-known journalist Aaron Ruby, is our mass market publication which publicizes the positive impact games and gamers have had on society. And ECA Today is our nightly newsletter which consolidates the day’s news from partner media outlets and is mailed to all ECA members, which is maintained by Pete Gallagher, the former EIC of GameDaily. Our publications are our communications vehicles, our education outlets and our means of providing true worth and value to the community. They help define who were are and how we’re perceived.

Chapters – we have established six new chapters in the past six months, a testament to gamers and their belief in the association. We established a quick reputation on college campuses nationwide by simple outreach. Gamer clubs exist at more than 300 universities, with many of them teaching coursework, or even granting degrees, in interactive entertainment. We simplified the chapter agreement so that it wasn’t an intimidating process and talk with educators and students about their ECA chapter existing like any other school-sanctioned organization. Chapters will, in the future, also be how we mobilize physical grass roots efforts; working with our GR and PR folks and having those members testify, sign petitions and speak with legislators. Our chapters will be a means for getting gamers together, for LAN parties, tournaments, festivals, career fairs or other networking opportunities.

………………………………………………………………

Secondly, we’re close to launching a few more of the back-end modules that we’ve been talking about and one of those will contain a blog. We haven’t finalized the framework of how it’ll work or if it’s purely a member information portal (similar to, but clearly different from, the ECA section of the GamePolitics Forums). It will be a way for us to more regularly keep you in the loop. And as the association grows, in size and influence, it’ll be increasingly important to have you be aware of things – because the diversity of what we’re doing on your behalf is impressive… if I do say so… ;)

So the below will be the first step in the process and in addition to being mailed out to the membership via email, it’ll also be posted on the forums so that you can ask follow-up questions or make suggestions. You should also check us out at the following social networking sites (ECA forums, MySpace page, FaceBook Group, Gather, and LinkedIn) as we have a presence and would love to hear from you.

And finally, I’d like to take this opportunity – on behalf of team ECA – to wish you all a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

Best,

-Hal

Catch ECA President Hal Halpin on the iGame Radio Podcast

http://media.macradio.com/mp3s/iGame_Radio_2007_12_17.mp3

Hal was interviewed by Omaha Sternberg for her December 17th episode of the Macradio Podcast, iGame Radio. You can listen to the first part at the link provided as Hal explains what the ECA is, what it stands for, and what it’s doing for gamers.

This is a great interview for those who want to find out more about what the ECA is, and for those wondering about what’s currently being worked on. Hal’s interview starts about half way through the podcast.

Part II of Omaha Stern

http://media.macradio.com/mp3s/iGame_Radio_2008_01_01.mp3

Host Omaha Sternberg interviews Hal Halpin of the ECA about the advocacy group in the second of a two-part series…what it does, what it stands for, and what it is doing for gamers.

CNET Posts Their Presidential Technology Questionnaire Responses

In late November, CNET sent questionnaires to the top candidates-measured by funds raised and poll standings-from each major party. They asked each candidate the same 10 questions. Six of the candidates responded. Topics such as digital copyright, surveillance, internet taxes, and net neutrality were covered.

You can check out the six candidates responses here, http://www.news.com/News.com-2008-Technology-Voters-Guide/2009-1028_3-6221134.html?tag=st.nl

Blog Round Up

Here’s the week’s news provided by GamePolitics.com.

Conservative Site Charges “Explicitly Graphic Sexual Intercourse” in Mass Effect

The Cybercast News Service, a conservative site, claims in a report published this morning that best-selling Xbox 360 title Mass Effect contains “explicitly graphic sexual intercourse.”

If Candidates Were Consoles…

Game scribe Wagner James Au considers the top tier of Democratic presidential candidates and finds them rather like video game consoles.

Custom Xbox 360 Keeps You Company During Hospital Stay

Whether it’s a car crash or an errant Wiimote to the cranium, sometimes we end up in the hospital.  It can be scary, it can be boring, and your doctor isn’t always there to answer your questions.

California Files Appeal on Video Game Law Ruling

According to a press release from the office of State Sen. Leland Yee (D), California has filed its planned appeal of a U.S. District Court ruling which struck down the state’s 2005 video game law last August.

Video Game Voters Network Targets Wisconsin State Senator’s Game Tax

Suddenly, Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach has become Public Enemy #1 for the video game industry.

Player Succeeds at World of Warcraft Non-violently

Can you make it to level 70 in WoW without killing anything?

WoW Insider reports on a player who does just that.

Stuck in 3rd Place, Edwards Campaign Begs for Avatar Attention

While top contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton slug it out for the Democratic presidential nomination, that gurgling sound you hear could be the death rattle of the John Edwards campaign.

But Edwards isn’t giving up without a fight. A post on the John Edwards 08 Blog rallies young supporters to push the former North Carolina senator in online worlds.

Gamer Builds Nuclear Reactor in Home; FBI Pays a Visit

This game is rated M for… Mushroom cloud?

We joke, of course.

But the FBI recently paid a visit to a Texas gamer who was attempting to build a small nuclear reactor in his basement. They were accompanied by local cops as well as officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Conservative Authors Accuse Hillary of Video Gamesmanship

With a narrow win in yesterday’s New Hampshire primary, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has survived to fight another day.

So do accusations that she is a nanny state proponent. Writing for Human Events, Cord Blomquist and John Berlau of conservative think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute, (CEI) accuse Clinton of not trusting parents to raise their own children, particularly in regard to video games.

McDonald’s Claims that Video Games Super-size Kids

Last month it was the soda makers who blamed childhood obesity on video games.

This time around, Mickey D’s is pointing its greasy finger at your console.

Editor: Upset with Coverage, GameCo’s Cut Ties with EGM

Did three major game companies decide to stop cooperating with Electronic Gaming Monthly?

That’s what EGM editor-in-chief Dan “Shoe” Hsu writes in an editorial in the January issue. As reported by Video Game Media Watch.

Liz Woolley, Prof, Destructoid Blogger Debate MMO Addiction

The debate over video game addiction has fallen off the radar ever since the American Medical Association declined to classify it as an official diagnosis last summer.

Blame Game: Cops Finger Video Games in Separate Incidents

We’re not quite sure of the connection, but WSOC-9 reports that police in Gaston County, North Carolina say three 19-year-olds who set fire to eight cars and a vacant home were inspired by the ultra-violent 2003 PC game, Postal 2.

Blogger: Barack Obama Puts Tiger Woods Golf Game Stare To Good Use

Today is a huge day for Barack Obama.

If his expected strong showing in the New Hampshire primary materializes, the first-term U.S. Senator from Illinois could be crowned the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee by nightfall.

ESA Boss Slams Wisconsin Video Game Tax Proposal

GamePolitics has, in recent weeks, been tracking a proposal by Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach to add a 1% surcharge to video game purchases in order to fund a juvenile justice program.

Call of Duty 4’s Modern Combat Theme Makes Dad Think Twice

Modern-day first-person shooter Call of Duty 4 made it onto just about everyone’s Game of the Year list.

But, GOTY attention notwithstanding, a Florida newspaper columnist and parent is troubled by the game’s ultra-realistic modern war theme. Writing for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Ralph De La Cruz discusses his angst.

Economists: Violent Films Prevent Actual Violence

Do ultra-violent films like Saw and Hostel actually increase public safety?

And, if so, what is the implication for violent video games?

God Save the Queen (from Nintendo)

Add Queen Elizabeth II to the growing ranks of seniors who are learning to love video games thanks to Nintendo’s popular Wii console.

Irish Censorship Board Censors Out “Censor” From its Name

When last seen by readers of GamePolitics, the Irish Film Censor’s Office was in the process of banning Manhunt 2 from the Emerald Isle.

But the Irish Independent reports a name change is in the works for the IFCO, which feels it no longer does much censoring.

Get RETScreened!

RETScreen is the World’s most prolific project assessment tool for renewable energy projects. It also allows the user to do Combined-Heat-and-Power assessments (CHP), and now allows for Energy Efficiency modelling as well.

In December I attended a presentation in Victoria by Gregory Leng and Urban Ziegler, about the new features of RETScreen 4.0. The presentation was one of a number of cross-Canada dates to promote the software amongst the public.

Mr. Leng is the innovator behind the software, which now has over 130,000 registered users worldwide. About 35,000 of those users are in Canada. Mr. Ziegler is the lead engineer on the 4.0 evolution. If you’re not familiar with RETScreen, however, don’t worry you’re not alone.

There is a major effort underway right now by Natural Resources Canada to spread the adoption of the software more widely througout Canada. It can be effectively used by everyone from college classes to municipal planners.

The program is the most radical use of Excel ever witnessed, and is available in 26 different languages. It includes an international ‘technology marketplace’ that allows the user to review renewable energy goods and services from all the major sectors. Explore at http://www.RETSCREEN.net

The program has always been and will continue to be available at no cost. Download it now, and start playing/training. Its like a Sim game for the renewable energy project enthusiast! Energy modelling work opportunities become much more viable for a person who has a working knowledge of RETScreen 4.0. And the more sustainable energy projects we can model, the more that can be built. Achieving an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 will require a lot of modelling and building.

Read more sustainable energy Canadian content at http://www.RenewableRecruits.com/News

Cellphones are the new cigarettes

They don’t want to make a cellphone that lasts, and they don’t want it to be just a phone. It can’t simply serve a purpose, it has to create a need. It has to enter our lives from moment to moment, to reorganize our lives according to what it needs, what its object is. Unnecessary functions: games, pictures, text messages are new ways to parcel out time, new things that need to be checked and checked again. We live in a world of updates. A restless world never content to have what is has. No moment then is complete without checking in, confirming, updating, replying, editing. We jones for change. Somewhere in it all is communication, supposedly. These are all supposed to be vehicles for communication, but aren’t they just further mediations of communications, more things to come between us? Of course everything is just a tool, nothing possesses a moral or immoral nature, a positive or negative being. We apply that to anything we do – but how involved in the business of seduction are we? Do we trade away our self-determination in the pursuit of excitement, and the allure of the new. It is our habit to seek out the original, to pursue authentic explorations of ourselves, be they manifest in design, technology, the world of ideas etc. – because the original is always new. But we forget to easily that the reverse is not true. And in the end obsolescence is planned, it necessitates new purchases, new consumption. Something is always better, what we have is never good enough.

Blog Round Up

Here’s the news provided by Gamepolitics.com.

Islamic Site Accuses “America’s Army” Game of Brainwashing

Even in the United States, the belief that the Defense Department uses the America’s Army game series as a military recruitment tool is  controversial.

It’s probably not surprising, then, that Empowered Muslim Youth, an Islamic blog, accuses America’s Army of “brainwashing.”

Fine Print: Lawyers Get $1M, you get (up to) 35 bucks in Hot Coffee Deal

As the gaming press widely reported recently, Take Two has settled a class-action lawsuit filed against it in the wake of the 2005 Hot Coffee scandal. Gaming Steve has dug into the fine print of the deal and discovered that the big winners are - surprise! - lawyers.

GTA IV Gets Dated, Triggers Obligatory Jack Thompson Threat

Last week’s announcement that the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto IV would be released on April 29th did not escape the notice of Miami attorney Jack Thompson.

Cooper Lawrence: “I Misspoke” about Mass Effect

The pop psychologist and author who so enraged the gaming community this week with her condescending attitude and false characterizations of BioWare’s Mass Effect has ‘fessed up to the New York Times.

Video Game Retailers Come Out Against New Mexico Tax Proposal

Yesterday, GamePolitics reported on the Entertainment Consumers Association’s opposition to a Sierra Club proposal that would impose a 1% surcharge on video games and TV sets sold in New Mexico.

We’ve also heard from the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), a trade group which represents a large bloc of video game retailers. The EMA has likewise taken a position against the proposed levy and shared with GamePolitics a letter sent to the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club in Albuquerque.

GP on Joystiq: Stand Up & Be Counted

…the one in which GP explains why EA’s decision to fight for Mass Effect means as much to gamers as it does to the video game industry.

Mass Effect Saga Continues: Fox News Says it Has Invited EA

There’s a new twist in the Mass Effect saga…

MTV Multiplayer reports that an unnamed Fox News rep claims the network has invited Electronic Arts to appear.

Parents Television Council Wants Video Game Legislation

Recent word that the Entertainment Software Association would begin making political contributions on behalf of the video game industry brought a sharp response from watchdog group the Parents Television Council.

Within days of the ESA announcement, PTC president Tim Winter issued a statement essentially threatening that his organization would target any elected official who “cashed a check” from the ESA

In an interview with Ars Technica PTC’s national grassroots director Gavin McKiernan, explained that video game legislation is central to its dispute with the video game industry.

ECA Opposes New Mexico Video Game Tax

Earlier this week GamePolitics reported on a New Mexico proposal which would impose a 1% sales tax on video games and TV sets.

The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) has now issued a statement in opposition to the New Mexico tax.

British Court Sends Manhunt 2 Back for Reconsideration

If you were waiting to purchase Manhunt 2 in the U.K., plan on waiting a bit longer.

As reported by GameSpot, a ruling by a judge in London’s Royal Courts of Justice will force a re-review of the game’s status by Britain’s Video Appeals Committee.

EA Calls Out Fox News Over Mass Effect Smear

Jeff Brown, VP of Communications for Electronic Arts, has requested that Fox News correct Monday’s disgraceful trashing of Mass Effect.

British Game Biz to Work with Government on Obesity Issue

Should the video game industry have a role in combating the obesity epidemic?

MCV reports that ELSPA, the trade group representing U.K. game publishers, has said it looks forward to working on the issue with the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Games Offer Biting Satire on Role of Religion in Politics, War

Here at GamePolitics we’re sensitive to the various religious persuasions (or not) of our readers. I mention that right up front because the pair of mini-games discussed in this article will surely be offensive to some.

New Mexico Considers Tax on Video Games

Video games and TV sets could be subject to a 1% sales tax in New Mexico if a coalition of environmental groups has its way.

Second Lifer Parodies Presidential Candidate Huckabee

A Second Life resident known for biting political commentary has turned his attention to Republican Mike Huckabee.

Presidential Paintball Game Causes Alarm

A web-based game which pits the major presidential candidates against one another in cartoon combat has raised concerns.

Blog Round Up

You can find the up to date news at Gamepolitics.com

Who Are the Tech-Friendly Candidates?

Last week, GamePolitics reported on Yahoo! Games’ recap of where the major presidential candidates stand on video game issues.

Cnet’s Declan McCullagh has now penned an insightful article which outlines how the top candidates view some critical technology issues. While not game-specific, some of these issues will certainly affect gamers in a significant way

One Doom Game Per Child? Classic Shooter Fires Up Controversy

One of our favorite do-good projects, One Laptop Per Child, finds itself in the midst of an unexpected game violence controversy. OLPC’s goal,of course, is to spread the power of personal computing and the Internet to children in poverty-stricken areas.

More Criticism of New Mexico Video Game Tax Legislation

New Mexico Rep. Gail Chasey’s recent proposal to tax video games and TV sets is controversial, to say the least.

HB583, the No Child Left Inside Act, would levy a 1% tax on games and TV’s. It enjoys the backing of environmental group the Sierra Club.

ESRB Releases Rating Breakdown for 2007

In its Winter newsletter, the ESRB has released the breakdown of ratings which it assigned to video games in 2007.

BBC Program: Brainy DS Game Discriminates Against Scottish Accents

Computer and Video Games reports that Nintendo DS title Brain Training (known as Brain Age in the U.S. market) was accused of discriminating against Scottish accents on a U.K. news program this week.

Mainstream Media Shoots Self in Foot with Sensationalized Game Coverage

Watching Fox News’ recent Mass Effect hatchet job, it became immediately apparent that the network knew nothing about the game and was in fact making outrageous claims about non-existent sexual escapades.

Perhaps the most frightening thing is that when confronted with the facts afterward the network didn’t seem to care that it got the story wrong.

Perhaps it should.

Publisher Gamecock Launches Site to Promote Voter Registration & Upcoming Game

E3 2007 convinced us that the crew at upstart publisher Gamecock Media Group are a little bit… different.

By way of reinforcing that idea, Austin-based Gamecock has debuted **#@ The Vote!, a new website which is designed to encourage voter registration as well as promote Gamecock’s upcoming political parody Hail to the Chimp.

Immigrant Detainees’ Wii Play Sparks U.K. Protest

The question comes up from time to time: Should prisoners be allowed access to video games?

A member of the British Parliament and a taxpayer watchdog group say no, and have weighed in against the use of Nintendo’s Wii system by foreign detainees held in a U.K. prison.

Study: Men More Likely to Become Game-Addicted

A Stanford University researcher claims that men are more likely to develop a video game addiction than women.

As reported by Palo Alto’s KCBS-AM.

MIT’s Henry Jenkins: Why the Chinese Fear Game Addiction More than Game Violence

In the United States and Europe, the cultural struggle over the video game medium typically focuses on graphic portrayals of violence and sexuality.

In China, however, concerns over so-called video game addiction are fueling the debate. At least, that’s how MIT professor Henry Jenkins sees it. Writing for his Confessions of an Aca-Fan blog, Jenkins details a recent trip to China, where he attended the International Games and Learning Forum.

Rockstar’s Houser Expects GTA IV Controversy

Rockstar VP Dan Houser expects Grand Theft Auto IV to be controversial when it launches on April 29th.

Could Game Industry Nemesis Lieberman be VP Candidate?

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman has long been a thorn in the side of the video game industry. The Independent Democrat brought to bear the pressure that led to the formation of the ESA and ESRB in the mid-1990’s.

So how would he deal with video game issues as vice-president?

In Finland: Political Party Wants Games Screened for Violence, Sex

The Finnish Christian Democratic Party (CDP) has issued a call for video games to be screened for violent and sexual content before being made available to the public.

Most Gamers Willing to Forgive Cooper Lawrence

GamePolitics has been running a poll for the last two days in order to determine if the gaming community is willing to forgive (but certainly not forget) Cooper Lawrence’s trashing of Mass Effect.

Yahoo! Games Rates Prez Hopefuls on Video Game Issues

Where do the leading presidential candidates stand on video game issues?

Ben Silverman of Yahoo! Games summarizes the positions of the top three candidates from both parties. Included in the recap is Democrat John Edwards, who announced yesterday that he is dropping out.

ECA’s Hal Halpin Calls on Fox News to Retract Mass Effect Story

Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), has weighed in on the Mass Effect episode, calling on Fox News to correct its smear of the popular Xbox 360 game.

Blog Round Up

You can catch all the news at Gamepolitics.com.

Gaming "Cesspool" will Flow on Without Mitt Romney

Among 2008 presidential candidates, Republican Mitt Romney was one of the more strident critics of video games.

It's the Law: ECA Can't Endorse a Prez Candidate - Hal Halpin Explains Why

Clinton? Obama? McCain? Huckabee? Ron Paul?

Differentiating between the major presidential candidates - especially when it comes to video game issues - can be confusing.

For that reason, Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association, is often asked which candidate the gamer-centric organization endorses for the 2008 presidential race.

Arab World Frets Over Video Games

While the great majority of video game controversies seem to flare up in either the U.S. or Great Britain, concerns over video game content are increasingly being expressed in the Arab world.

ESA Touts Malaysian Pirate Sting

The Entertainment Software Association, which represents the interests of U.S. video game publishers, is crowing about the recent takedown of a game pirating operation in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

ESA Boss Talks Trends at D.I.C.E. Summit

ESA president Michael Gallagher spoke at his first D.I.C.E. Summit this week, and had a message for attendees.

Fears Emerge that British Prime Minister Will Use Byron Report Against Game Biz

As GamePolitics readers will recall, TV self-help psychologist Tanya Byron has been conducting a review of media influences on children at the behest of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

MCV reports this morning that the U.K. game industry now fears that the PM will use the Byron report to wage a political campaign against video games.

Tennessee Senate Resolution Calls for Study of Violent Games, TV

The Tennessee State Senate will consider a measure which seeks a legislative study into the "adverse societal impact" of violent electronic media.

ELSPA Lauds Tory Report on Childhood; Scant Mention of Video Games

Next Generation reports that ELSPA, representing game publishers in the U.K., has welcomed a report on childhood prepared by the British Conservative Party.

Child Psychologist Scoffs at Video Game Violence Arguments

Writing for the SoutheastPsych blog, a child psychologist has expressed disdain for video game violence concerns.

One Million PS3 Owners Folding@Home

Do you fold?

If you've got a PlayStation 3, perhaps you should join a million other PS3 owners who are providing vital assistance to Stanford University's research into protein folding. The efforts could lead to advances in the fight against diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and cystic fibrosis.