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France's anti-drone drone can spot malicious pilots in under a minute
Paris has been hit with a spate of anonymously-piloted drones flying over key landmarks, government buildings and even a nuclear power station. It's not been clear if it's a group of amateurs with bad timing or something more coordinated, which has spooked the locals and law enforcement alike. Thankfully, French firm ECA has been quick to respond to the potential threat, building an anti-drone drone that can hunt down drones and identify their pilots.
The Lawbringer: Letters to Rogers, letters to Congress
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Mathew McCurley takes you through the world running parallel to the games we love and enjoy, full of rules, regulations, pitfalls and traps. How about you hang out with us as we discuss some of the more esoteric aspects of the games we love to play? We've got two stories to talk about on The Lawbringer today, both interestingly involving letters. That's right -- letters. To you from me, that sort of thing. These letters, however, are instruments of change in a world where we as consumers seem not to have much control or ability to change the big picture concepts that dot our path to consistent entertainment. The amount of energy that we have to put into just getting in a decent WoW session is staggering at times. The first story revolves around Rogers, one of the largest Canadian internet service providers, famous for its lame bandwidth caps and my old Canadian guildmates shouting "Rogers sucks!" as much as they could on Mumble. Yes, it is another chapter in the Mathew McCurley Guide to Awful Bandwidth Throttling -- but hopefully, this new information and story chapter will get us on the path to better WoW experiences in the face of the immense throttling of WoW data as peer-to-peer traffic. The second story is all about letters that you will want to send. Last week, I wrote The Lawbringer about Senate Bill S.978, colloquially being referred to as the anti-streaming bill. While not directly prohibiting video game streaming or even mentioning video games anywhere in the proposed legislation, video games are nonetheless obliterated in the crossfire of the entertainment industry and would-be illegal streamers making millions off of pirated entertainment, movies, music, and more. The Entertainment Consumers Association has begun a letter-writing campaign to inform and implore Congress to not pass a bill with such broad and language lacking description.
Supreme Court's Brown v. EMA opinions: A digest
Between the majority, concurring and dissenting opinions published in today's Supreme Court decision on Brown v. EMA, there's a good 92 pages of legalese for enthusiastic gaming activists to pore over. If you don't feel like flipping through a novella of legal documents in search of relevant, easily digestible bits, feel free to check out some highlights from each opinion, which we've compiled after the jump!
Analysis: What today's Supreme Court decision means to us
In 2005, California state legislature passed Assembly Bill 1179, a law penned by Democratic state senator Leland Yee which prohibited the sale of violent video games to minors. The law mandated the application of special stickers to titles deemed too violent, and slapped retail employees who sold those games to anyone under the age of 18 with a maximum $1,000 fine. The law was signed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but was struck down by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California before it could be enforced. Following an unsuccessful appeal of that decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the law's progenitors petitioned for a hearing in the United States Supreme Court. The petition was successful, the case was argued last November and, earlier today, seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices decided to uphold the decision of the lower courts: California Assembly Bill 1179 violates the First Amendment rights afforded to all forms of media in the United States. This decision obviously doesn't just affect Californian teenagers with a penchant for video games above their maturity level. It represents a vote of confidence in games and the non-governmental agency (see: The ESRB) which regulates their sale.
PSN Breach: What it means for you, and for Sony
It's been nearly one week since the PlayStation Network servers were taken down due to an "external intrusion," and nearly one day since we learned PSN users' personal information was stolen during said intrusion. We're still not quite sure of the full scope of the security breach, but the latest update from Sony paints a fairly upsetting picture: Gamers' personal (and, possibly, financial) data has been exposed on a scale more massive than the gaming industry has ever seen. To help get a grasp on the situation, we spoke with consumer advocates and tech industry figures about what gamers can expect in the aftermath of this security breach. For instance: What financial or legal repercussions might Sony be facing in the coming months? And what can PSN users do to protect themselves from potential identity theft?
Alter-Ego: DCUO's console conundrum
With the first month of DC Universe Online now in the past, the time has come for that all-important MMO decision -- is the game worth renewing? For some, the answer is no. The first major patch still has not dropped; it's meant to offer us many fixes and the new content we've been told is coming. Some players have hit the level cap and aren't interested in leveling alts or doing endgame content. Whatever each person's reason may be, the shine is wearing off for some. Meanwhile, Hal Halpin, President of the Entertainment Consumer's Association, recently wrote a piece that presented another reason that some may not be renewing: Console gamers are feeling that Sony Online Entertainment has been less than open about the game's being locked to a single account. Many are upset about not being able to trade DC Universe Online in for another game now that their free month is up. His reasoning? "The problem, of course, is that console games are sold and the ownership conveyed, along with rights." There's only one flaw in that statement: This isn't anything new -- not even on consoles.
ECA Institute launches Gamers for Health program
Need a little encouragement to get started on your New Year's resolution to cut your body fat in half while simultaneously doubling your muscle mass? Well, it sounds like that particular goal might require some elective surgery to achieve -- but if you're looking to get generally healthy, the Entertainment Consumers Association wants to help. The ECA Institute has put together an initiative dubbed Gamers for Health, which will "provide ECA members and the gaming community with the tools and resources necessary to help incorporate gaming activities into healthy lifestyles." We doubt that mission statement translates into "free Wii Fits for everyone" -- rather, the program will allow ECA members to create a profile and list their daily exergaming activities, sharing goals and tips with fellow users. That's not a terrible idea; we've long searched for a way to share our "Pokémon and Pilates" technique with the masses.
ECA rally before the Supreme Court violent game hearing captured on video
Though you've probably heard plenty of empirical evidence on Xbox Live to the contrary, gamers are capable of being angry about something without totally losing their minds. Check out the video below of the ECA rally held before Schwarzenegger v. EMA to see how cooler heads prevailed in D.C.
Schwarzenegger vs. EMA, the recap
Yesterday's Supreme Court hearing was one for the history books. The great state of California – represented here by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, ironically no stranger to media violence himself – versus the Entertainment Merchants Association, "the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry," according to its website. At stake: just the future of free speech in video games, is all! ECA lawyer Jennifer Mercurio puts it succinctly, "I'd say it's clearly the most important and influential decision that the video game industry has ever faced." To get you up to speed on yesterday's goings-on, we've prepared this handy post. We've got pictures from the ECA-organized Gamer's Rally held before the court opened yesterday morning; pictured above is Jenner and Block LLP Partner Paul M. Smith, lead counsel for the video game industry in yesterday's proceedings. For the readers out there, try the full transcription of the oral arguments and, should 72 pages be a little dense for your lunchtime reading, we've encapsulated it all for you in our handy writeup here. Give it a read and impress your coworkers over lunch. "Did you read the Supreme Court transcript from yesterday? No? Well, I did and ..." If you're looking for some background on what exactly Schwarzenegger vs. EMA could mean for consumers, look no further than our interview with the ECA's Jennifer Mercurio. If you're more interested in how the game industry sees itself in this mess, then you need to read our interview with ESA General Counsel Kenneth Doroshow. If you're curious about how things went for the ol' game industry, read ESA prez Michael Gallaghers comments following the Supreme Court session. "The argument today was very lively, the justices were very informed and the dialogue clearly established that video games are entitled to the same treatment as movies, music, books and other forms of entertainment." There's one final option, though. You could skip all that and simply read our highlight reel of SCOTUS quotes featuring additional commentary from the NBA Jam guy and well, that's fine too.%Gallery-106537%
How tomorrow's Supreme Court violent game case could affect consumers
Tomorrow, the United States Supreme Court will convene to hear oral arguments for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association -- a case most gamers are likely familiar with. The court will decide whether or not to overturn the decisions of the Northern District of California Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals -- both of which found California law AB 1179, which bans the sale of "violent" video games to minors, to be unconstitutional. According to Entertainment Consumers Association vice president and general counsel Jennifer Mercurio, there's a lot more at stake in this case than whether or not mature titles will be legally withheld from Californian teenagers. Much, much more, in fact -- should the Supreme Court overturn the ruling of the two lower courts, certain First Amendment protections currently afforded to video games (and, by association, other forms of entertainment media) could be abolished, completely changing the landscape of the industry. Mercurio sums it up nicely: "I'd say it's clearly the most important and influential decision that the video game industry has ever faced."
ECA to stage Washington rally prior to Supreme Court battle
Oral arguments for the Schwarzenegger v. EMA Supreme Court case are set to begin on November 2. In the run up to the historic court battle, which could result in the restriction of sales of violent video games, the Entertainment Consumers Association is planning to organize a rally on the steps of the Supreme Court itself. The event is set to take place on November 2 at 9:00 am at the US Supreme Court Building, with the ECA calling on gamers to join the rally "in support of free speech." If you're planning on going, why not organize a carpool in the comments? After that, read through our litany of coverage on the issue, from its humble beginnings as a failed California state law to its upcoming moment in the spotlight before the Supreme Court. After all, we're sure it's a long ride to D.C. Might as well bone up on current events, right?
Violent video game case gets its date in Supreme Court on Nov. 2
It's been a long road for the California bill backed by Governor Schwarzenegger that seeks to keep violent video games from being sold to minors. But the end is finally in sight: The Entertainment Consumer Association has announced that the case, known as Schwarzenegger vs. EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association), will go before US Supreme Court on November 2. As an outside party, the ECA will submit an amicus brief in the case and has set up a website for a petition and more information about the pending arguments. So far, lower courts have judged the proposed law, which would set up legal rules and penalties against selling violent video games to minors, to be unconstitutional. Of course, this time around, we're talking about the United States Supreme Court, so any decision in favor of the bill would overturn previous rulings in lesser courts. Take that, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals! Oral arguments in the case begin November 2, and the judges should have a decision soon after that. This will be the first time the Supreme Court looks at video games and the First Amendment, so a ruling either way should be pretty historic.
Eleven states issue support for California game law
[Image Source] If you thought a bill banning the sale of violent video games to kids was misinformed, unfair and wrong-headed when it it was being pushed forth by California, you'll be tempted to add "downright scary" to the list when you read this: Gamasutra reports that 11 states have joined together to form a Voltron of Wrong in support of the bill. If you: (1) Believe that a medium that's doing a fine job of regulating itself shouldn't be regulated by the government just because their old, old thumbs can't work the controllers and (2) live in Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas or Virginia, now would be a fine time to call your local representative.
EA's Jeff Green chimes in on California game law Supreme Court case
[Image Source] If you were looking for a concise explanation of why you should care about the upcoming Supreme Court review of California's oft-defeated measure to outlaw the sale of "excessively" violent games to minors, look no further than the blog of EA's Jeff Green. Then again, you've probably heard his argument before: Films have the MPAA, and games have the ESRB. Why does Gov. Schwarzenegger think the first can be self-regulated, while the second must be restricted by state law? Green worries that, should the law be reenacted, it could have "a chilling effect on the gaming industry as a whole," forcing developers to constantly second-guess the content that goes into their games. He encourages everyone who wants to voice their opinion on the bill to speak up on this ECA-penned petition.
ECA: Supreme Court case is 'single most important challenge' ever for game industry
This October is the earliest we could possibly see some movement on the US Supreme Court appeal of AB 1179, the California-based violent game bill that would fine retailers who sell M-rated titles to kids. But that's not stopping the Entertainment Consumer's Association from submitting an amicus brief to the court, not to mention a recently created online petition "which will be attached and submitted along with the brief, both formally becoming part of the official court documents," the lobby group announced today. "The gaming sector, as a whole, has arrived at perhaps the single most important challenge it has ever faced in the US," ECA prez Hal Halpin notes in the release. "Anyone who cares about gaming should feel compelled to both sign the petition and encourage their friends and family to do similarly." Given the online nature of the petition, we're also encouraging all of our pets and invisible friends to sign up. In all seriousness, though, signing wouldn't hurt, and it only takes a few seconds -- less time than it takes to convince your mom that, no, Grand Theft Auto IV is not a murder simulator!
ECA members cry foul over auto-renewal cancellation hassles [update: Halpin responds]
In an attempt to bolster its ranks with thrifty members of the gaming community, the Entertainment Consumers Association recently partnered with a few online retailers to offer its members some nice deals on video games, including a pretty sweet discount on purchases from Amazon. To accompany these offers, the ECA had its own spectacular deal: One free year of membership, which would normally cost $19.99. All applicants had to do was provide their credit card information, sign up and enjoy the discounts that were being passed along to ECA members. Sadly, this is where the idyllic tale begins to go south. Shortly after the ECA began offering the free year of membership, the Amazon offer mysteriously disappeared. This drew the ire of the group's new members, but would be quickly forgotten when the option to cancel the auto-renewal of the membership fee, through the ECA's website, also vanished without a trace. An ECA forum moderator explained the option only appeared "for some browsers, but it wasn't intended to be there, wasn't a working option and was removed as soon as we became aware." Now, users who were drawn in by these discounts can only cancel their memberships (and subsequent annual $20 fees) by sending a letter directly to the ECA's accounting department (the address is posted after the jump). What's worse, those who canceled their auto-renewal plans with the temporarily available online option could still be locked into the annual fee, if the moderator's claim that it "wasn't a working option" is accurate. We've contacted the ECA to find out if anything is being done to inform these honorable, due-paying members that they're still, you know, due-paying members. Update: ECA president Hal Halpin issued a statement in response to the complaints, the full transcript for which can be found after the jump. He explains that the Amazon deal was taken down due to an exploit the ECA's new members found within the offer. He adds that simultaneously, the ECA updated its site as part of a "long planned for Content Management System upgrade," at which point they found a non-functioning feature which "looked to give some members the option to opt-out of the association." The option, which Halpin claims was never functional, was quickly removed. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
ECA creates Gamers for Digital Rights movement
When it comes to dealing with the politics of software piracy, most lobbying groups side with the creators of the content that's being buccaneered. While groups like the Entertainment Software Association are serving a just and noble cause, the Entertainment Consumers Association is worried that this one-sided representation could end up with non-pirates getting the royal shaft. To better voice our plight to agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the ECA recently formed an initiative called "Gamers for Digital Rights." The GDR's mission is to "get the information out to consumers on the ins and outs of content protection," instructing its members on their rights in relation to restrictive DRM and unfair EULAs. Those interested in joining the group can sign up on the ECA's Facebook page. If you're hoping to get into the action right this second, ECA president Hal Halpin has penned a petition you can sign and send to the FTC, who's currently holding town hall meetings to discuss the future of DRM. Or you can, you know, do none of that stuff. Just don't let us hear you complaining when the next Sporegate debacle starts up. [Via Shacknews]
The ECA wants you to tell Obama how cool video games are
Video games are totally cool, right? The Entertainment Consumers Association thinks so, and wants you to let the US President know how you feel about video games and their effect on your life, via an email form on its website. Specifically, the folks at the ECA want you to "point out some ways that video games have empowered and educated you." Like that time you were empowered by GTA IV to rob someone, right? (That's a joke, Mr. Thompson.) The political lobbying group is of course responding to the continuing message from President Obama during speeches to "put the video games away." While we're sure Mr. President would love to read all about how World of Warcraft taught you about time (mis)management or how Drop7 makes you see things in groups of seven or less everywhere you go (is that just us?), we're thinking the "intellectual stimulation" and "problem solving" routes might be a bit more advantageous. [Thanks, Jack!]
ECA president encourages action against negative gaming stereotypes
Let's take a step back from all the hard hitting news for just a moment and listen to some conventional wisdom from Hal Halpin -- ECA president and certified defender of gamers everywhere. Over at IndustryGamers, Halpin wrote a touching (and personal) editorial piece about the perception of gamers, the perpetual stigmas we (all of us gamers) allow to be placed on us and what we should do about it.Essentially, the article tells gamers not to just sit idly when being slapped with negative stereotypes. Our cherished culture is just a bit misunderstood, but it's up to you to make others understand it -- define it for them. So ... get off your fat lazy asses, read Halpin's editorial, and keep in mind the next time someone slurs you because you're a gamer.[Thanks, Jack!]
Gaming industry advocates form Entertainment Media Council
There are plenty of organizations representing all aspects of the gaming universe. Professionals have the Entertainment Software Association, regular Joes have the Entertainment Consumers Association, and lonely, lonely gamers have NerdPassions.com. However, who's tending to the needs of the industry itself? Yes, even nonliving business sectors need tender loving care -- a need the recently formed Entertainment Media Council intends to fill in the coming years.The EMC is a California-based non-profit with a relatively simple objective: "advancing the interactive entertainment business in the United States." Though the organization is young, it's already boasting an impressive roster consisting of gaming journalists, analysts, developers and other industry leaders. Morgan Ramsay, CEO for the group (and former IGDA chairman) explained that the role of the group will be that of a "navigator" for the gaming industry.In a Gamasutra interview, Ramsay went on to explain that, though their responsibilities may overlap somewhat, he doesn't see the newly formed group as being in combat with the already established ESA, ECA or IGDA. He explained, "I think we have a better chance of making real our visions of transformation and enlightenment when we work together, not when we compete." We think he probably said this because he just knows Hal Halpin could take him in a fair fight.
