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Game Genie v. Nintendo – Case Overview and Opinion
Hi everyone, In our presentation last week on cheating in video games, we talked about different ways players can “hack” their games—whether it’s using cheat codes, mods, or external devices. During the discussion, Professor Festinger brought up the Game Genie case (Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.), and our guest speakers also […]
Pokémon Special – Presentation Discussion Outline
Hi everyone, Welcome to the world of Pokémon…lawsuits! We (Celine, Chloe, Clara, Jenny, Scott, and Victoria) are excited to bring you our discussion outline for our presentation next Tuesday. As you may have guessed, our presentation will feature Nintendo and the various cases and legal questions that have emerged around Nintendo’s popular franchise Pokémon. We […]
When Game Characters Get “Duped”: The Case Of Amazon.Com Inc v. Chen Jing
Hey All! While looking through Lexis, I found a decision out of the U.S. District Courts in Western Washington that might be of interest to some people. There is not much information out about the case since it just concluded earlier this week. It concerns the practice of copying and distributing the physical manifestations of […]
Activision vs. Cheaters
Hi all, In light of today’s presentation on cheating in games, I thought it might be interesting to share this news on one of the most prominent Call of Duty cheat developers announcing shutdown of its operations in 30 days. The cheat developer, Phantom Overlay, claims that this is not an exit scam but does […]
A License to Play vs Ownership – California’s New Law Regarding Digital Media
Hi everyone, I wanted to follow up on yesterday’s class discussion regarding digital storefronts using the word “buy” when customers are purchasing a game despite us only obtaining a license to play the digital game rather than actually owning the game. In California a new law has been signed that requires digital storefronts to make […]
Leaks and Legality
Hi everyone, I came across this article today on leaks relating to the much anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, published just six days before Nintendo released an official trailer for the console last month. The article discusses the Switch 2 mockup leaked by Genki, an accessory manufacturer. In response to the leak, Nintendo claimed that the […]
Hot Off the Press! Panic!
This month, a new article was published in Computers in Human Behavior called “The relationship between loot box buying, gambling, internet gaming, and mental health: Investigating the moderating effect of impulsivity, depression, anxiety, and stress.”[1] This research confirms already established correlational relationships between loot box spending, problem gambling symptoms and internet gaming disorder. However, it […]
The Pokémon Company’s Legal Battle Against ‘Copycat’ Game Developers Ends in Settlement
Hello friends, I hope you all had a restful reading break! I wanted to highlight a major update in a long-running legal battle in the video game law world. If you haven’t been following, The Pokémon Company has been involved in a lawsuit with ‘copycat’ game developers for years, and they recently announced that the […]
Rated C for Censorship: Legal Discussions Around Video Game Censorship
Hi everyone! We hope everyone is having a fantastic and restful reading week! Next Tuesday, we will be discussing topics around the censorship of video games around the world. The outline for our presentation is as follows: Pre-censorship Video Games Introduction of Censorship Video Game Ratings & Sales Censorship Content Censorship Sociopolitical Issues & Developments […]
How Modders Fixed a Broken Sonic Game
Hi everyone, In light of this week’s presentation on modding, I thought I would make a discussion post about a Japanese developer that is receptive to mods and an example of modding where modders essentially fixed a broken game (similar to Grand Prix Legends). While it is true that Japanese developers in general do not […]