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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: 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!]
The ECA, a consumer advocacy group for gamers [update 1]
In addition to having a great alliterative name, Hal Halpin likes to start things with acronyms. He started the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) which merged with the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) to form the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA). Fifteen years after his journey began, and seven letters later, Halpin noticed there was one big letter missing in his career: C, for consumer. So, his trusty alphabet in hand, Halpin formed the Entertainment Consumers Association, an advocacy group focusing on (cue the press release) "consumer rights, anti-games legislation, and a host of other public policy concerns." The ECA will seek to provide gamers with "a voice" by presenting the issues that gamers care about to state and local politicians (not federal?). With console manufacturers taking to the streets, criticism of the ESRB growing, court cases taking turns for the worse, and an upcoming election, the timing couldn't be better. Annual membership, available at their site, will set you back $20 big ones, but in exchange they're offering " substantial community and affinity benefits." But don't worry about your money going into some fat cat's silk-lined billfold, the ECA is a 501(c)(4) membership organization, which means they're not making any money. The closest analogy we can come up with for the ECA is the National Rifle Association, a consumer advocacy group dedicated to protecting citizen's Second Amendment right to bear arms. Sound familiar? Considering the NRA reports nearly half of all families own a gun while, according the ESA, 69% of American "heads of households" play video games, it sounds to us like they may have a strong backing. So, Joystiqers, are you in?[Update: Hal perhaps took some umbrage with our NRA comparison (we totally saw that coming), and he emailed us his thoughts: "As for analogous membership organizations, I'm not sure that there are any that fit well given what we're up against and the scope and scale of our efforts. I can tell you that I have admired three other membership organizations which we try to emulate in differing ways: AAA, AARP and MoveOn.org: AAA because they provide a wealth of services to members that easily clears the value proposition; AARP because they do an outstanding job at community building; and MoveOn.org because they have been very effective at galvanizing their constituents using digital advocacy and grass roots empowerment."Fine, your analogies were better. Thanks, Hal!]Read - The ECA's websiteRead - GameDaily BIZ's interview with Hal Halpin
