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Check out the latest headlines from GamePolitics:
Senators on Hand as NIMF Report Card Zings Game Biz for “Ominous Backslideâ€
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.â€
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 Zoneâ€.
Detroit Prosecutor Issues (outdated) List of 10 Violent Games to Avoid For the Holidays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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.â€
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.
The fabulous GamePolitics Forums have moved onto the main site of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA).
The move has been planned for some time and, save for the color change, should be quite seamless to users. All existing forum data (user names, post counts, etc.) has been ported over to the new server.
ECA president Hal Halpin commented on the forum move:
We are really excited about all of the new modules and other applications that are coming online. One of the existing resources is the GamePoliticsForums, which our web team has re-launched.
They managed to capture all of the existing data and port it to a new site which will benefit from the cross-pollination of the other ECA properties (GameCulture, GameJobs, and ECA Today). Our goal is to have the new forums be a great place for interaction, an important channel for information flow and yet another resource for ECA members and those interested in the association and our publications.
Here’s the week in news provided by Gamepolitics.com.
Last week
GamePolitics reported that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
blamed video games – at least in part – for a wave of knife violence in English cities.
A prominent member of the U.K. gaming press, gamesindustry.biz editor Rob Fahey, has
taken Brown to task over his remarks about knives and games.
Like a bad penny, allegations that highly-regarded Xbox 360 title
Mass Effect is porn disguised as a video game keep turning up.
The smear campaign crossed over to the mainstream yesterday with a Fox News report which aired on the network’s Live Desk program.
It’s the same old story…
Boy plays video games… Boy meets girl… Boy puts girl’s eye out during a paintball rampage… Crusading congressman reacts…
However, in Chick Harrison’s new novel,
Boardwalk Ambush, there’s a plot twist: this time, the politician just might win.
As
GamePolitics reported yesterday, video game watchdogs in the U.K. have issued harsh criticism of the upcoming
Bully: Scholarship Edition.Recently,
GamePolitics was the first Western news outlet
to report that Indian government officials were considering a violent video game ban.
Now,
Televisionpoint, a site that reports on Indian broadcasting, offers additional information on the subcontinent’s simmering video game debate.
The government of Brazil has imposed a ban on a pair of well-known PC games.
The video game industry’s
recently-announced plan to build political support via campaign contributions has drawn sharp criticism from a well-known media watchdog group.
Games for crabs?
It’s certainly not your typical software pirate story.
The idea of parents and kids bonding over video games seems like a no-brainer to us.
MSNBC examines the issue in conversation with parents as well as a Seattle-based pediatrician.
In the past,
GamePolitics has reported on various games, both indie and commercial, the very concepts of which have raised hackles.
But what if a game designer wanted you to feel outrage, but
also hoped to motivate you to do something about it?
What a week gamers shared with conservative talk show host and author Kevin McCullough.
On Monday GamePolitics reported that McCullough had wrong-headedly trashed Mass Effect, treating the popular and well-regarded 360 title with the kind of disgust usually reserved for snuff films.
On Wednesday we were outraged by McCullough’s Thompson-esque bashing of “gamer nerds.â€
But now McCullough has backed off a good bit, even issuing an
apology of sorts.
Here’s the news provided by Gamepolitics.com.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
…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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jeff Brown, VP of Communications for Electronic Arts, has requested that Fox News correct Monday’s disgraceful trashing of Mass Effect.
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.
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 GamesVideo games and TV sets could be subject to a 1% sales tax in New Mexico if a coalition of environmental groups has its way.
A
Second Life resident known for biting political commentary has turned his attention to Republican Mike Huckabee.
A web-based game which pits the major presidential candidates against one another in cartoon combat has raised concerns.
You can find the up to date news at Gamepolitics.com
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 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.
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.
In its Winter newsletter, the ESRB has released the breakdown of ratings which it assigned to video games in 2007.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 VP Dan Houser expects Grand Theft Auto IV to be controversial when it launches on April 29th.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You can catch all the news at GamePolitics.com:
Jack Thompson, Seeking Killer's Video Game History, Threatens NIU with Lawsuit
The Northern Illinois University campus is still reeling from Thursday's rampage shooting by an apparently deranged 27-year-old man.
But that hasn't stopped anti-game violence activist Jack Thompson from threatening NIU with a lawsuit. Over video games.
New Game Tracks Plight of Immigrants in U.S.
A newly-launched video game hopes to raise awareness about one of today's hot-button political issues - immigration.
Child Advocates See Wii Controller as Violence Training
While the Nintendo Wii has been riding a wave of nonstop positive press since its November, 2006 launch, a physician and a child psychologist in Boston are concerned that the system may train younger players for violence.
British Bank Blocks Blizzard Bucks
World of Warcraft subscribers will have difficulty paying their monthly game fees if their credit card was issued by U.K. bank Halifax.
Illinois Legislator on NIU Rampage: Don't Blame Guns, Blame Video Games
In the wake of Thursday's tragic shooting at Northen Illinois University, a state legislator was quick to defend guns while attempting to shift blame for the rampage to other targets - including video games.
NIU Shooting: Why Are Games Even Under Discussion?
With his Friday appearance on Fox News, Miami attorney Jack Thompson has managed to once again introduce the video game violence issue into the aftermath of a tragedy.
What is a "Murder Simulator," Exactly?
Given Jack Thompson's current screeching that the NIU rampage killer "trained" on violent video games, a recent article on Gaming Steve seems quite timely.
NY Post: "College Killer Crazy for Violent Vid Game"
The New York Post, a daily tabloid, has a story in this morning's edition with this screaming headline:
College Killer Crazy for Violent Vid Game
Game Over for New Mexico Video Game Tax
New Mexico's much-discussed No Child Left Inside Act has been left out in the cold by state legislators.
Utah Wooing Disney Game Biz with Huge Tax Incentive
As state governments begin to recognize the economic potential of the video game sector, tax incentives have become an increasingly common strategy to lure - or retain - game developers.
ECA Issues Statement on NIU Rampage
This just in from Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin:
We'd like to extend our condolences to the families, friends and classmates of those who were affected in the school shooting at Northern Illinois University.
Separately, we are disgusted, but no longer shocked, to find that anti-game activists are again rushing to conclusions about what drove Stephen Kazmierczak, the clearly disturbed 27-year-old who police say was responsible for this tragedy, to commit such an act.
Blaming video games for the behavior of the mentally-challenged is vile on many levels. And, as Generations X and Y mature, it is extremely likely that just about all of us have played at least one video game at some point in our lives.
Drawing a parallel between games and violence without any substantive proof is sensationalism for its own sake. This is a sad event, made worse by the irresponsible actions of attention-seekers and the media that has given them a platform for their reckless venom.
Jack Thompson Sees Violent Video Game Link in NIU Campus Shooting
Anti-video game violence activist Jack Thompson appeared on (where else?) Fox News this morning and once again tried to draw a link between violent video games and a deadly school shooting. In this case, Thompson related games to yesterday's rampage at Northern Illinois University.
1up Details Game Biz Campaign Contributions
1up has a story detailing the presidential campaign contributions made by a variety of video game industry employees.
Crime Files: Return Those Game Rentals on Time
It goes without saying that if you rent a video game, you should return it - preferably on time.
ECA, Save The Internet Coalition Laud Net Neutrality Bill
For the average gamer, Net Neutrality is - or should be - an important issue.
You can catch all the news at GamePolitics.com.
Minuteman Group Targets New Immigration Game
Issue-oriented PC game ICED (I Can End Deportation) continues to attract negative attention from anti-immigration activists.
The well-known Minuteman Civil Defence Corp (MCDC) has now turned it attention to ICED, which was launched on February 18th by human rights organization Breakthrough. In a solicitation on the Special Guests website, a trio of Minuteman officials are offering themselves as potential guests for talk radio programs.
ESA Boss Talks Politics, Prez Candidates, Piracy
GameDaily BIZ serves up a lengthy interview with ESA CEO Mike Gallagher. It's definitely worth a read as the first-year CEO dishes on a number of topics, starting with piracy.
Video Games Linked to Rape in Parliament Debate
Although we can't think of a single commercial video game with an interactive rape scene, British MP - and frequent game critic - Keith Vaz made sexual violence sound like a gaming staple in a debate on Friday.
Hot Coffee Rewind: Famed Dutch Modder Talks to EGM
Aside from the April Fool's jokes (our fave: Lego Halo), the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly offers a massive - and genuine - preview of Grand Theft Auto IV. The highly-anticipated game, of course, is due to launch on April 29th.
Researcher's New Book Cuts Through the Negative Hype About Video Game Violence
Gamers and parents of gamers will likely find Dr. Cheryl Olson's new book reassuring.
What a Guy… Jack Thompson is Ready to Help EA with T2 Takeover Bid
Describing himself as a longtime Take Two shareholder, controversial attorney Jack Thompson has written to Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello (and, naturally, cc'd several media outlets) with an offer to assist EA in its effort to acquire the Grand Theft Auto publisher.
Prof: Game Industry Barbaric, Continually Chooses Violent Themes
A McGill University professor has slammed the video game industry for producing violent games.
Immigration Game Attacked… Publisher Fires Back
In recent months, GamePolitics has been tracking the development of ICED, a serious game designed to publicize the issues faced by immigrants in the United States. The final version launched earlier this month.
Of course you can catch all the news at GamesPolitics.com.
He may be opposed to violent video games like Hitman: Codename 47, but an FBI document alleges that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) was known as Client 9 to an upscale, international prostitution ring.
Nintendo told the New York Times that there are no plans for North American distribution of Imagination is the Only Escape, an under-development DS title.
Recently GamePolitics reported on a move to create an R18+ rating for video games in Australia.
Last week GamePolitics tracked the story of Wafaa Bilal, an artist whose Virtual Jihadi exhibit at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute was cut short following
protests from some students and alumni, as well as a visit from the FBI.
Legislators in West Virginia are considering a bill that would authorize the training of public school students to hunt.
GamePolitics readers will likely recall the intense media coverage which attended the December slaying of 7-year-old Zoe Garcia.
A Canadian legislator has weighed in with support for a teachers' group which is seeking to regulate Rockstar's controversial Bully: Scholarship Edition.
Bully…
It's back and so is the absurd controversy surrounding it.
As GamePolitics readers know, controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson has
been involved in a protracted legal struggle with the Florida Bar and
the Florida Supreme Court.
As
planned, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met yesterday with Giselle
Pakeerah, mother of 14-year-old murder victim Stefan Pakeerah.
On Monday GamePolitics reported on a brewing video game controversy at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute in Troy, New York.
A
unnamed blogger who teaches in a Brooklyn public high school sees
racial bias in the ultra-popular Grand Theft Auto series - even though
he claims to be a fan.
Could Georgia become the latest destination state for video game developers and filmmakers?
After
bowing out of the Republican presidential race, former Arkansas Gov.
Mike Huckabee retired to Little Rock where he accepted condolences from
President Bush and decompressed by playing Rock Band.
…so by now you've read Electronic Arts stinging dismissal of controversial attorney Jack Thompson's offer to help it acquire Take
Two Interactive. We've just received from Thompson this copy of his
response to EA.
An ex-employee has pulled the curtain back a bit on the enigma that is the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Steve Tilley, who covers games and gadgets for Canada's Sun newspapers, writes that he is disheartened by the Canadian Teachers' Federation targeting of Bully: Scholarship Edition.
Forget the nonsense that says playing Counter-strike causes shooting rampages or firing up Bully leads to dishing out swirlies. When it comes to pop culture, iPods may be the real cause of crime.
The USAF has begun a search for 300 PlayStation 3 systems, according to GameDaily. In fact, the Air Force has spec'ed out a specific model - the 40GB PS3.
GamePolitics readers will recall last week's report detailing Miami attorney Jack Thompson's generous offer to assist Electronic Arts in its bid to acquire Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two Interactive.
Controversial
Miami attorney Jack Thompson has filed a new federal lawsuit against
the Florida Bar. It's at least his fourth such case since late 2006. To
tell you the truth, we've lost count.
When
14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah was brutally murdered in 2004, there were
claims that his killer, 17-year-old Warren LeBlanc, was inspired to
commit the crime by playing the original Manhunt video game.
In an
unusual move, the National Institute on Media & the Family issued a
newsletter alert last Thursday under the heading, "Does your teen understand illegal downloading?"
Did you notice that no one raised the issue of video games following Monday's tragic shooting spree at a Wendy's in West Palm Beach, Florida?
That's likely because the shooter, Alburn Edward Blake, was a 60-year-old man.
The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA)
has announced new strategic partnerships with a variety of
corporations, non-profits and coalitions that want to lend their
support to the ECA and its gamer members.
Is Net Neutrality an important issue for gamers?
You bet.
With a new round of controversy brewing over today's release of Bully: Scholarship Edition, we happened across a cautionary story about the game on the website of Ontario radio station CD98.9.
An international coalition of teachers is targeting today's launch of Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Xbox 360 and Wii.
An Iraqi video artist's "Virtual Jihadi" exhibit is stirring controversy at the Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute campus in Troy, New York.
The Massachusetts legislature will hold a hearing on Tuesday to consider House Bill 1423, a video game measure introduced last year but not acted upon.
In its current form the bill closely resembles the Jack
Thompson-authored Louisiana video game law, which was ruled
unconstitutional by a U.S. District Court judge in 2006 (see: Judge Trashes Louisiana Govt. Over Failed Jack Thompson Law, Orders State to Pay Legal Fees). Indeed, Thompson was involved in drafting the original version of the Massachusetts bill, as GamePolitics reported in January of 2007.
Although Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has been an advocate of HB1423,
the main legislative sponsor is Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry (D, left).
HB1423 is a “games-as-porn” bill which would seek to restrict minors
from buying violent video games under the same rationale used to block
them from buying sexually explicit materials. That is, HB1423
would define violent games as harmful to minors in the same legal sense
as pornography. From the bill:
Matter is harmful to minors if it is obscene or, if
taken as a whole, it… depicts violence in a manner patently offensive
to prevailing standards in the adult community, so as to appeal
predominantly to the morbid interest in violence of minors; is patently
contrary to prevailing standards of adults in the county where the
offense was committed… and lacks serious literary, artistic, political
or scientific value for minors.
Given the history, it is unclear why Massachusetts is pursuing a bill of this sort. Last year an aide to Mayor Menino told GamePolitics that officials were aware of the failure of the similarly-worded
Louisiana law, but would were hopeful a Utah bill - also authored by
Jack Thompson - would succeed.
It didn’t - after contentious deliberations in which Thompson called for Utah’s Attorney General to be impeached, the Utah legislature dropped the bill over concerns about its constitutionality.
At this point it is unclear whether Thompson has been participating
in the recent activity surrounding HB1423. In an e-mail sent to GP
following the publication of this story, Thompson writes, “Of course
I’m involved, today even.”
UPDATE: The Entertainment Consumers Association has issued an alert regarding the Massachusetts legislation to its members via the
ECA website. By way of disclosure, we note that the ECA is the parent
company of GamePolitics.com.
UPDATE: This morning’s Boston Herald has more, including comment from Larry Mayes, Mayor Menino’s human services director:
Children aged 17 and under should not be sold this
stuff, so they are not getting into the hands of 9- and 10-year-olds.
Is it going to be an uphill battle? Sure. But it’s absolutely a battle
that the mayor feels he should take on.
You can catch all the news at GamePolitics.com
This is the second part of an investigative series that Miami attorney Jack Thompson apparently doesn’t want you to read.
Last
Month, British Parliamentarian - and frequent video game industry
critic - Keith Vaz sparked a bit of controversy by claiming that interactive rape is depicted in video games.
A
top aide to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino apparently offered similar
commentary at yesterday’s hearing by the Massachusetts
Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary concerning HB1423, a proposal designed to restrict the sale of violent video games to minors.
Although Ron Paul’s presidential hopes are rapidly fading, ConnieTalk reports
that a group of "grassroots artists" have released an impressive,
minute-long, video game-like commercial for the upstart Republican.
As previously reported by GamePolitics, Miami attorney and video game industry nemesis Jack Thompson underwent a career-threatening, nine-day trial on Florida Bar misconduct charges late last year.
As GamePolitics reported yesterday, elected officials will gather in Massachusetts today to consider HB1423,
a law that would restrict the access of minors to violent video games
in the same way in which they are blocked from purchasing sexually
explicit material.
Recently, former ESRB game rater Jerry Bonner penned a critique of the video game industry’s content rating system for Electronic Gaming Monthly.
Over at Water Cooler Games, game designer and Georgia Tech prof Ian Bogost takes a look at ICED! (I Can End Deportation), the immigration issue-oriented game from human rights organization Breakthrough.
The Entertainment Software Association reports via press release that Mexican law enforcement authorities recently staged a crackdown on video game bootlegging operations in Mexico City.
Veteran GamePolitics readers may recall Minnesota’s unusual "penalize the buyer" approach to restricting sales of mature-themed games.
The Massachusetts legislature will hold a hearing on Tuesday to consider House Bill 1423, a video game measure introduced last year but not acted upon.
The video game violence debate is parodied at humor site the Onion this morning, where the headline is Wii Video Games Blamed For Rise In Effeminate Violence.
CNN offers a touching profile of Wurud, a 14-year-old trying to cope with the stress of living in war-torn Iraq.
You can catch all the news at GamePolitics.com
Variety Game Writer Troubled by "Exclusive" Reviews (including GTA IV's)
Ben Fritz, who writes The Cut Scene blog for Variety, questions the journalistic ethics underlying exclusive game reviews.
At the center of Fritz's concern is IGN's recent perfect score for Grand Theft Auto IV.
"Morally Responsible" Mutual Fund Won't Invest in GTA IV Publisher
The Timothy Plan, a Maitland, Florida-based mutual fund group which offers a "biblical choice when it comes to investing," has issued a press release slamming Take Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO), publisher of Grand Theft Auto IV.
As GTA IV Launches, Harvard Med School Author Advises Parents: Relax
Today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer features a front page article on GTA IV which includes an interview with one of the authors of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games.
Rockstar North Boss Compares GTA IV Fears to 1950's Elvis Panic
Are critics of the Grand Theft Auto series the same breed of culture cops who were mortified by Elvis Presley's hip shaking style of rock'n'roll in the 1950's?
Big Business: GTA IV Launch Will Top Halo 3
The Associated Press reports that Tuesday's GTA IV launch will be the biggest video game release of all time, easily topping the $300 million in first-week sales generated by Halo 3 in 2007.
GTA IV Protagonist an Unfair Stereotype, Says UK Immigration Advocate
Niko Bellic, the Eastern European protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV, represents a damaging stereotype, according to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, an advocacy group based in the U.K.
GTA IV Culture: More Parodies & a GTA IV Munny
Last week we gave a mention to Minusworld's tongue-in-cheek GTA IV Activity Book for Kids.
This morning we note that Crackle.com has posted a pretty funny GTA IV parody video.
Minusworld takes another (not quite as clever) bite of the GTA IV apple with a satirical article explaining why Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is begging Rockstar to create Grand Theft Auto: Montreal as its next installment in the series
Finally, an artist by the name of Scave has apparently created a custom GTA IV munny for Rockstar.
The munny features, of course, GTA IV protagonist Niko Bellic.
New Zealand Gets Same Watered-Down GTA IV as Australia
According to the New Zealand Herald, Kiwi gamers who purchase Grand Theft Auto IV will be getting the same edited version as their Australian neighbors.
How Games Get Rated in the UK
The 2007 ban on Manhunt 2 and, more recently, the report of Dr. Tanya Byron, have helped make the U.K. a hotbed of gaming controversy during the past ten months.
Jack Thompson Gets GTA IV Ads Yanked from Miami-Dade Transit
A complaint by Jack Thompson has prompted Miami's transit authority to remove ads for Grand Theft Auto IV from local bus shelters.
ESRB, NIMF Jointly Remind Parents that GTA IV is Not For Kids
The relationship between the National Institute on Media & the Family (NIMF) and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has often been a contentious one.
PlayStation Under Fire in Saudi Arabia
There is a sketchy report out of Riyadh today indicating that PlayStation and unspecified games have come under attack from Islamic leaders.
Send Us Your GTA IV Bus Pix (Before they're all gone)
So I'm out and about this morning when I stumble upon a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) bus idling in a nearby strip mall.
Calgary Police: GTA IV a "Grave Concern"
A spokesman for the police department in Calgary has expressed "grave concern" over the impending release of Grand Theft Auto IV.
Game Biz Guru Talks GTA IV & the Politics of Violent Games Deadline Hollywood Daily has detailed comments about GTA IV from video game IP expert
Keith Boesky, who sees the game as a cultural milestone.
Pokemon Politics
Game With a Brain asks:
What if politics were more like Pokemon? Well, one of the political parties would be guided by Meowth and Mew would be the equivalent of a Mount Rushmore type president, right?
The short article is accompanied by a must-see Pokemon parody animation which employs the three major US presidential candidates instead of standard Pokemon characters.
Rockstar's Dan Houser: GTA IV Controversy "Frustrating"
Grand Theft Auto IV, the most controversial game of the year, should not be so controversial, according to Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser. Houser also termed video game critics as Luddites.
Leland Yee Issues Warning on GTA IV
California Sen. Leland Yee (D), the architect of his state's contested video game law, has weighed in on the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV release.
Violent Video Game Controversy Rages in Switzerland
There appears to be quite a video game controversy raging in Switzerland.
SCEE president David Reeves
hinted as much during an ELSPA meeting with Dr. Tanya Byron two weeks ago.
You can catch all the news at GamePolitics.com.
Last week we were treated to Jack Thompson's view of Grand Theft Auto IV on the Glenn Beck program.
This evening we'll hear what should be quite a different perspective as Drs. Cheryl Olson and Lawrence Kutner, authors of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games will appear on Beck's show.
Here in the GamePolitics command bunker we've grown weary of this campaign season's unending parade of online fighting games featuring presidential candidates.
According to a report on The Impudent Obersver, police in one Indonesian municipality will be enforcing a ban on videos games and TV during a two-hour evening period designated for children to do their homework.
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune, columnist Katherine Kersten has a lengthy whine about Grand Theft Auto IV.
A Canadian legislator who criticized Bully: Scholarship Edition in March has taken note of the GTA IV release, advising parents to monitor what their children play.
It is the nature of the U.S. video game market that parents make the final decision about what constitutes appropriate content for their child.
Not so in New Zealand, where the government's chief censor has ruled that parents may not purchase Grand Theft Auto IV for their children.
The attorney general of Rhode Island has warned parents about the mature content in Grand Theft Auto IV, according to Legal Newswire.
The United Arab Emirates has banned Grand Theft Auto IV, according to a report in The National.
Grand Theft Auto IV developer Rockstar North may be one of the most successful high tech firms in Scotland, but company president Leslie Benzies laments a perceived lack of respect by government officials.
If you've experienced the "drunk driving" aspect of Grand Theft Auto IV, you know that it is pretty annoying. It makes it very difficult to control your ride.
Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal's controversial video game exhibit, which culminates in the player attempting to shoot President Bush, has triggered a lawsuit against the city of Troy, New York, according to the Albany Times-Union.
Anti-game attorney Jack Thompson and Gavin McKiernan of the Parents Television Council appeared on the Glenn Beck program last night on CNN Headline News.
Neil Conan, host of NPR's Talk of the Nation gave Jack Thompson the bum's rush during a three-minute appearance that also featured G4TV's Adam Sessler and a guy named Jim from BushLeague.TV.
One of the bloggers at Ladies Lotto has raised the issue of GTA IV's potential for violence against the game's female characters.
Labour MP Keith Vaz, a longtime critic of violent video games, was quick to relate a recent London stabbing to Grand Theft Auto IV.
Kids shouldn't play Grand Theft Auto IV, says Knoxville, TN child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. John Robertson, and almost everyone would agree.
Actor Wil Wheaton, who rather bluntly dissed anti-game attorney Jack Thompson at PAX 2007, has weighed in on the GTA IV controversy via his blog.
The Raw Story has a lengthy expose on Tony Krvaric, head of San Diego's GOP committee.
Okay, so it wasn't the funniest bit we've ever seen on The Daily Show.
But host Jon Stewart and "Senior Virtual Correspondent" Aasif Madvi take a look at GTA IV in this video.
Although TV shrink Dr. Tanya Byron has recommended that video games sold in the U.K. carry both Pan European Game Information (PEGI) and British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) ratings, the video game industry wants to deal with PEGI alone.
At a campaign stop in Indiana, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama referred to the frenzy of publicity surrounding Grand Theft Auto IV as he repeated one of his regular themes: kids studying more and playing video games less.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has issued a statement critical of the opportunites for virtual drunk driving in GTA IV.
It's difficult to imagine the sense of shock and loss experienced by the loved ones of a police officer killed in the line of duty.
While public transit agencies in Chicago and Miami have pulled ads for Grand Theft Auto IV, it looks as if GP's local bus company will permit the ads to stay.
A member of New Zealand's Parliament has called for a ban on Grand Theft Auto IV.
San Diego's 10news has a video report on John Douglas, described as a 20-year video game industry veteran. Douglas likens Grand Theft Auto IV to porn.
Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) president Hal Halpin appeared on the CBS Evening News last night during tech reporter Daniel Sieberg's segment on the Grand Theft Auto IV launch.
A representative of Philadelphia's Fraternal Order of Police has criticized Grand Theft Auto IV.
Police in San Diego arrested a 27-year-old man yesterday and charged him with robbing a GameStop location, pepper-spraying two employees there and stealing a launch day copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.
Tim Rutten, media critic for the Los Angeles Times, flays GTA IV - and its fans - in today's column.
With today's GTA IV launch, criticism of the series has risen to a whole new level.
GTA bashers invariably point to two instances of GTA violence as particularly worrisome.
Despite claims by game violence critics and some law enforcement personnel, video games like Grand Theft Auto IV are not motivating youthful players to join gangs.
Fox News reports that Monterrio Davis, a member of the notorious "Nut Case" gang is on trial in Oakland, California for the murder of two laborers who were taking a break from an English language class.
While the make-pretend crime in Grand Theft Auto IV is the subject of an enormous amount criticism from politicians, activists and media pundits, a police chief says it's only a game.
Ars Technica has a report on Jack Thompson's claim that the sexual content in Grand Theft Auto IV is essentially pornographic.
Richard Bartle, a co-creator of the multi-user dungeon (MUD) game format, has a go at anti-game types in an energetic op-ed for yesterday's Guardian. Bartle writes.
One of our favorite blogs is Overlawyered, where overzealous attorneys (including you-know-who) are skewered on a daily basis.
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