Showing posts with label Video games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video games. Show all posts
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Manual Restart
I haven't been buying many games recently. The reason is immaterial-possibly due to my lack of funds, possibly due to my backlog of games being taller than Shaq. I did, however, get Assassin's Creed, as a gift, and I bought a copy of Mass Effect. My favorite thing to do when I buy a new game-if I cant play it right then-is to read the manual. So imagine my surprise when I ripped the cellophane off my that brand-new, beautiful box, only to discover that the manual was nothing more than a glorified flyer trumpeting the joys of Xbox Live. Where, pray tell, are the pictures? The directions? THE INSTRUCTIONS? I miss that new game smell. I don't like being surprised and figuring things out. I want you to tell me! Tell me what button combination to hit to unlock all the cheat codes! Not only do I have to buy the game, but I have to use the game to learn how to play the game?!?!? Actually, I guess that is not that bad. Well, shit. Nevermind.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Soap box? Check.
Video games have been testing patience for years. Soon, they will face their biggest test yet: constitutionality. The Supreme Court will hear deliberations about a bill in California that restricts the sale of video games to minors. The bill chooses to ignore the fact that the video game industry self-regulates and has created the Entertainment Software Rating Board (http://www.esrb.org) to monitor exactly this subject.
The bill is vague as it defines terminology that will be critical to the determination of a game's rating, and equally vague about the enforcement strategy. Ultimately, the creator of the game will be responsible for branding their games. All game creators, however, will be reticent to declare their games Adult for fear of the stigma that this rating will attach to it's game. If the publisher chooses not to accurately define their game, and are found to be guilty this could result in huge liabilities for the publisher, the industry, and eventually, the consumer.
In addition to the possible concern for consumers, one must also consider the impact on government. The penalty under the bill is a 1000$ fine, but how will it be collected? Will the government create a new bureau to collect the revenues, and if so, will the revenues be exploited to shore up local, regional, and national government budgets? Also, this bill has far reaching implications for all forms of entertainment, and could be the impetuous for a strangle-hold on creative expression, that limits all forms of media.
I dislike this bill. I think it's stupid. I like my government like I like my women: vacant and incoherent. This bill should be scrapped, and the parents of the children purchasing games should be more actively involved in the process. The ESRB does a great job of regulation, and should continue to operate without government intervention.
For more information, go to videogamevoters.org.
The bill is vague as it defines terminology that will be critical to the determination of a game's rating, and equally vague about the enforcement strategy. Ultimately, the creator of the game will be responsible for branding their games. All game creators, however, will be reticent to declare their games Adult for fear of the stigma that this rating will attach to it's game. If the publisher chooses not to accurately define their game, and are found to be guilty this could result in huge liabilities for the publisher, the industry, and eventually, the consumer.
In addition to the possible concern for consumers, one must also consider the impact on government. The penalty under the bill is a 1000$ fine, but how will it be collected? Will the government create a new bureau to collect the revenues, and if so, will the revenues be exploited to shore up local, regional, and national government budgets? Also, this bill has far reaching implications for all forms of entertainment, and could be the impetuous for a strangle-hold on creative expression, that limits all forms of media.
I dislike this bill. I think it's stupid. I like my government like I like my women: vacant and incoherent. This bill should be scrapped, and the parents of the children purchasing games should be more actively involved in the process. The ESRB does a great job of regulation, and should continue to operate without government intervention.
For more information, go to videogamevoters.org.
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