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Minnesota's game bill loses again on appeal
The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld a ruling from 2006 stopping a Minnesota bill which attemped to fine minors $25 for trying to buy M- or AO-rated games. The Star Tribune reports a three-judge panel concluded that violent video games fall under First Amendment free speech protections and therefore the law can only hold if it is proven as "necessary to serve a compelling state interest and ... is narrowly tailored to achieve that end." The state introduced evidence, but could not prove a causal relationship between violent video games and aggressive behavior in children. Massachusetts politicians should probably take note, as they drive eyes wide open into a similar legal wall.In a statement sent to Joystiq (full text after the break), the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) stated it is both "pleased and encouraged" by today's ruling. The organization believes a combination of parental choice and oversight is the "only legal, sensible, and most importantly, effective way to empower parents." Expect a bill for the court fees soon enough, Minnesota.[Thanks Chris, Via GamePolitics]
University of Minnesota orders up 108- by 48-foot HD scoreboard from Daktronics
The University of Minnesota has finally found a way to one-up OSU and the other U of M's football squads by ordering up the first Daktronics HD-16 scoreboard in the Big Ten (Will you be able to watch the Big Ten Network on it?). Second-largest in college football to Texas' Godzillatron, the 108- by 48-foot display takes advantage of all the company's latest technologies, and should be ready for Minnesota's home opener against Air Force in 2009. Some fans may wonder how the big screen will make the football team better, but if top-notch facilities help recruit the next Marion Barber III-Laurence Maroney connection then it should be well worth it.
Duluth, Minnesota blessed with three new HD options on Charter
While Charter subscribers in Madison, Wisconsin are expecting to gain access to TLC HD and Discovery HD in the not-too-distant future, neighboring customers in Minnesota (Deluth, to be precise) can get cozy with Golf / Versus HD, Discovery HD and The Movie Channel HD right away. We're not so sure these additions aren't a regional thing, so be sure and shout if you too spotted these newcomers on your Charter STB.[Thanks, Bob D.]
Minnesota gamer calls cops after virtual theft, cops shrug
What do you do when you find out your MMO account has been looted and pillaged of all its other-worldly goods? Many of us would make a quick phone call to a friendly CSR to see what they could do about things, but not one Minnesota gamer named Geoff Luurs, who woke up one morning to find his Final Fantasy XI character had been stripped of four years' worth of gear and gil. Suspecting a friend (man, they really use that term loosely in Minnesota) of having committed the theft, Luurs turned to the local police for help. Unfortunately, given the way virtual property is treated in the U.S., there wasn't much they could do besides shrug and give him in their number in case anything tangible turned up missing.Of course, the point left unemphasized in the original story is that Luurs willingly forked over his account details to this "friend," basically bringing the hurt on himself. He cites "loss of trust" as the largest personal fallout of this episode, which isn't surprising considering he was tossing around his password all mamby-pamby on the 'net. We don't agree with the lack of legal consideration for virtual property either, but we also know our responsibility as gamers in this crazy mixed up online world of ours.[Via Eurogamer]
Comcast gives Twin Cities 11 new HD options
It is the season to give, you know, and while we've heard that Comcast will be on the receiving end of things when it hikes rates in 2008, at least users across the nation are receiving a boost in their HD lineup before having the family over this holiday season. Up next on Comcast's list is St. Paul / Minneapolis, Minnesota (and western Wisconsin), which is receiving 11 new channels to complement the 22 already available. Among the newcomers are CNN HD, Animal Planet HD, Discovery HD, Food HD, Sci-Fi HD, TLC HD, Universal HD, USA HD, TBS HD, History HD and FSN North HD. Reportedly, customers in the area are already able to view USA, Sci-Fi, Universal and Food, and the rest of the gang is slated to go live on or before December 17th.[Thanks, Ed]
Standoff over breathalyzer source code in DUI case
Not too long ago, we reported on a case brought to the Minnesota Supreme Court wherein a defendant in a DUI case asked (and was allowed) to view the source code of the breathalyzer machine which was used on him. Well, there's a new chapter in this book, it appears, as Minnesota authorities have missed the deadline for handing over the code to defense attorneys, thus dramatically increasing the chances that the defendant will be getting his case dismissed. Apparently, the Minnesota state public safety commissioner would not supply the source code, and the Department of Public Safety offered no explanation for the refusal. The state previously argued that it doesn't have the rights to hand over the data, as it is actually the copyrighted property of CMI -- the company who manufactures the machines. CMI has not been forthcoming with the source code in the past, leading to blunted or thrown out cases, though Court judges say the state must do whatever it takes to procure the software, even if it means suing CMI. A court hearing scheduled for September 19th will likely decide the defendant's fate, though we doubt this is the last we've heard of this case.
Cellphones failed again after Minnesota bridge collapse
When major disasters strike, cellphones have a bad habit of being about as useless as that morning piece of burnt toast. At least, that's what those working Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks found out, and those who were directly involved in the Minnesota bridge collapse more than a few weeks ago witnessed as well. Again, the culprit In Minnesota appeared to be overloaded cellular towers and switch traffic that apparently affected all carriers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area where the collapse happened. With cellular service being integral to everyday life, should there not be contingency plans in place for continuing service in the event of a disaster? A recent suggestion of cellular "peer-to-peer" service that bypasses towers and switches in an emergency sounds intriguing to us. Maybe in 2015 or so we'll see it happen.
Would you trade your child for a PS3?
We didn't think that this PS3 stuff could get any more ridiculous, what with the theft, chaos and death that has ensued. But the lengths that some people are willing to go to get Sony's next-gen console are pretty insane -- besides braving the elements for days at a time, apparently folks are willing to sacrifice their own offspring for the chance at a PS3. Dave Ryan, a morning radio host at the Twin Cities' KDWB, earlier this week made a joking offer that the station would give a PS3 to anyone who turned their baby over to the station for 24 hours. A dozen people apparently jumped at the opportunity, with one caller offering her one-month-old infant, and another offering more than one child for three days. Callers were apparently very disappointed when they found out that it was just a gag. To his credit, the host tried to alleviate the callers' requests by saying "Listen, you're not the only one who fell for this," though we're not sure why wannabe negligent parents really deserve any reassuring.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Where do Blu-ray and HD DVD discs come from?
Surprisingly enough, blue laser media isn't the result of a licensing deal with Gargamel and the subsequent disappearance of the Smurf population. Imation and Memorex have produced a short (14 minute, 68MB) video podcast about their facility in Minnesota producing Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. Sure there's quite a bit of marketing fluff, but by fast forwarding to the last few minutes, there's some interesting information about manufacturing blue laser discs. From the original master recording, to the plants ability to produce either format depending on the coating applied to the disc. Maybe once supporters of both sides see both formats come from the same place, they'll see we all aren't really that different. Can't Blu-ray and HD DVD just get along?
Phantom Sentinel, the new invisible, boomerang-like UAV
This whole "war on terror" thing sometimes reminds us a bit of that comic "Spy vs. Spy" -- each time we turn around, another company comes out with a way to ratchet espionage tech up a notch. We thought that the Lethal Frisbee UAV was cool, but we just found something that might in fact be a bit sweeter. Meet the "Phantom Sentinel," the latest from VeraTech Aero in Minnesota, which is a boomerang-like device for spying on our crafty foes on the other side. Apparently, as the UAV rotates it becomes nearly invisible in the sky while its cam takes quick snapshots of the scene below, then transmits them back to a soldier on the ground. We're assuming that those crazy goggles the other G.I. is wearing in this photo are able to translate that dizzying number of spinning images to something that a human brain can make sense of.[Via DefenseTech]
The Political Game: Anti-game candidate works the crowd
Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:Picture a crisp Saturday morning in early November, 2006. Elections are only three days away. A flatbed truck draped in red, white and blue bunting cruises slowly through the parking lot of a busy shopping mall. A four-piece brass band, its members seated on bales of hay, belts out John Philip Souza tunes from the back of the truck. Signs on both doors read "Mike Hatch for Governor."It's a campaign stop. A middle-aged man dressed in a pinstripe suit works the crowd of shoppers near the mall entrance. He is the candidate."Hi, I'm Attorney General Mike Hatch and I'm running for Governor of Minnesota.""Hi, Mike, my name is Dave and I'm a gamer."
Minnesota's game law ruled unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge James M. Rosenbaum exercised his judicial muscle today, striking down Minnesota bill HF1298, a bill that sought to impose a $25 fine on minors who purchase M- or AO-rated games. Like a gamer to an automatic weapon a moth to a flame, the ESA filed a lawsuit shortly thereafter.The sagacious sponsor of the bill, Minnesota state representative Jeff Johnson, correctly predicted Judge Rosenbaum's ruling in May when he said, "... we are using the ESRB ratings. I can see a court saying you can't use private industry to create the law, but there's no way around that because everything else anyone has tried has been unsuccessful. The other piece is that so far no court has found a strong enough link (between game violence and youth violence)."So they tried to circumvent the constitutional problems by relying on ESRB ratings to determine inappropriate content, to which Rosenbaum returned, "The First Amendment ... was certainly established to keep the government from becoming the arbiter of what constitutes 'worthless' or 'disgusting' speech." Zing! Johnson also acknowledged the shaky scientific grounds his law was predicated on, to which the ruling said "the state has shown no convincing evidence that children are harmed by [video games]."For those keeping score at home, let's review: St. Louis unconstitutional Indianapolis unconstitutional Washington State unconstitutional Illinois unconstitutional Michigan unconstitutional Maryland (doesn't really count, so we'll let 'em have it) California (currently under review by Federal District Court Judge Ronald Whyte) Louisiana (lawsuit has been filed) Oklahoma (lawsuit has been filed) ... and now ... Minnesota unconstitutional Your move, opportunist politicians of all stripes. [Thanks, Nick]
Minnesota Apple Store opens today
I know that the Garrison Keillor movie opens this weekend, but perhaps a few Minnesota-based Mac fans will be able to attend the opening of the Ridgedale Apple Store that opens this Saturday at 10:00 AM. This store is located at 12401 Wayzata Blvd, Space 1245 in Minnetonka, on the south side of the mall between JCPenny and Sears, lower level, Center Court. You can find complete travel directions here. As usual, the first 1000 visitors will be rewarded with commemorative t-shirts. Visitors can also enter to win the "Grand Opening Sweepstakes," which will award one winner with an iMac, an iPod nano, a Canon digital camera, a Sony Handycam CCD-TRV138, and an HP inkjet printer.If you're going to attend the opening in Minnetonka, please send us links to your photos and reports! Good luck and have fun.
Minnesota targets minors in new gaming law; ESA to file suit
Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty signed into law yesterday bill SF0785, which targets minors attempting to purchase M and AO-rated games. Such persons under the age of 17 (and thus, likely their parents) will be required by law to pay a fine "civil penalty of not more than $25." ESA president Doug Lowenstein has expressed his intentions to file a lawsuit to have the law struck down, citing how "six courts in five years ... have struck down similar laws, ruling that they were unconstitutional."We doubt the law, which theoretically could see 12-year olds receiving fines, will survive the lawsuit. According to Lowenstein, "to enact 'feel good' bills knowing they're likely to be tossed by the courts is the very height of cynicism." What both sides need to remember, however, is that they share one common principle: that children should not be playing ultra-violent games like Grand Theft Auto.Call us cynical, but frivolous legislation (and the subsequent lawsuits that strike them down) will be around for a very long time, until lawmakers have another target or ideal they can use to exemplify their "pro-family" platform. Books, dancing, film, rock and roll, television ... video games is just the latest in a long line of entertainment decried as moral decadence.
Minnesota fines minors $25 for M-rated games
Despite constitutional setbacks regarding similar bills across the country (most recently in Michigan), Minnesota state representative Jeff Johnson seeks to limit the sale of violent video games to minors with a new approach: fine the underage consumers of M or AO-rated games and not the retailers. Bill HF1298 also requires that retailers display signs explaining (the evidently not self-explanatory) ratings system that prominently marks (mars?) the packaging of every game sold in this country. While the bill has passed the Minnesota House, it still requires the signature of Governor Tim Pawlenty before it becomes law ... and before the gaming industry mounts its challenge. Speaking with GamePolitics, Johnson was cognizant of the constitutional issues saying, "...we are using the ESRB ratings. I can see a court saying you can't use private industry to create the law, but there's no way around that because everything else anyone has tried has been unsuccessful. The other piece is that so far no court has found a strong enough link (between game violence and youth violence)."I would urge Representative Johnson so consider why that is. It's not for lack of trying.
