Issues/Your Take

Resale of used games – consumer protection issue?

Resale of used games – consumer protection issue?

Hot on the heals of yesterdays discussions (both Jas & I) regarding contractual prohibitions on the legalities/cases dealing with the re-sale of digital property (as well as Michela’s musings on digital property – scroll down under “What is Your Take”), check this out: German Consumer Advocacy Group Files Complaint Against Valve for Steam’s Used Games […]

Chinese console ban under review – report (via GamesIndustry.biz)

Chinese console ban under review – report (via GamesIndustry.biz)

“Government source claims 13-year console ban is being reassessed by Chinese ministries The Chinese government is reviewing its nationwide ban on the sale of game consoles, China Daily reports. According to an anonymous source inside the Chinese ministry of culture, the government has opened discussions between the seven ministries that agreed on the ban in […]

Class Discussion: Ian Verchere – Chief Creative Director at Roadhouse Interactive

Class Discussion: Ian Verchere – Chief Creative Director at Roadhouse Interactive

In the hopes of continuing the discussion from Wednesday’s guest lecture as well as Jon’s portion of the class, Brendan and I have outlined a few key topics below. If anyone has any additional thoughts or questions on these matters or anything else related to the class, please feel free to get involved here. Parody […]

Buying, Selling and Stealing Virtual Property – Does the current law protect or disrespect? by Michela Fiorido

Buying, Selling and Stealing Virtual Property – Does the current law protect or disrespect? by Michela Fiorido

After such an interesting guest speaker last week who talked a bit about in-game purchases, I got to thinking a lot about virtual property – the acquisition of it, the sale of it, the theft of it – and how the rise of virtual property might change the face of the law. Consider the following […]

Asking the Wrong Questions and Looking in the Wrong Places – By Michela Fiorido

Asking the Wrong Questions and Looking in the Wrong Places – By Michela Fiorido

Obama calls for game violence research: http://www.gamespot.com/news/obama-calls-for-game-violence-research-6402483 It is truly baffling to me that people immediately jump to blame violent video games when a shooting happens and that now $10 million dollars will be spent on game violence research. What ever happened to plain old criminology? There are a myriad of other ways to explain […]

Has the Video-Game Industry Lost the Gun Debate: What is Your Take

Has the Video-Game Industry Lost the Gun Debate: What is Your Take

First check out:  How the Video-Game Industry Already Lost Out in the Gun-Control Debate by Ian Bogost. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/01/how-the-video-game-industry-already-lost-out-in-the-gun-control-debate/267052/ What do you think? How are real and virtual guns the same/different from the perspective of causality? Are they lines on a continuum or “apples and oranges”? Comments/critiques/thoughts? jon

Aaron Swartz RIP

Aaron Swartz RIP

Lawrence Lessig is a well deserved legend in digital media legal circles. See Prof. Lessig’s comments below, but before you do to better understand the background at least scan the introductory article (or many others like it you will find this morning on the web). Prof. Lessig’s comments go to one of the themes of […]

What’s “next” for games (& discussion)

What’s “next” for games (& discussion)

…Participation for marks? Bonus points for initiating. I agree with the comments in class concerning the plateauing trends for previous technologies; though we may note that vinyl is making a comeback with the advent of the newer record players having built in ipod docks. What overtakes video games? I suspect we are reaching the categorical […]