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Warhammer Online 'billing error' results in massively multiplayer overcharge
Just like that, we suddenly understand some peoples' stern distaste for subscription-based MMOs. A recent bug in the Warhammer Online billing system charged some players its $14.99 monthly fee dozens of times on their monthly due dates. The amount of the overcharge differs from user to user -- reports on this forum thread average between $200 and $500. One player, who claimed to be repeatedly charged for a $77.94 six-month subscription, was hit with fees totaling $1013.12. The cause of the error is currently unclear, as is the scope of its impact on the game's subscriber base. EA's billing support department is now in full-on crisis recovery mode, working with each affected player's financial institution to refund the fees within "24-36 hours." Considering that this debacle could have likely led to any number of overdraft fees and bounced rent checks for the over-charged, it could prove quite a costly recovery for EA. [Via Kotaku]
Brazilian senator hopes to ban sale of 'offensive' games
[Rondonia Digital] Though Brazil is no stranger to banning video games, a recently proposed bill from Senator Valdir Raupp certainly seems pretty drastic. Raupp's bill, which was recently passed by the Education Commission of the Senate, and will now go to vote in the Committee on Constitution and Justice, seeks to "curb the manufacture, distribution, importation, distribution, trading and custody, storage [of] the video games that affect the customs [and] traditions of the people, their worship, creeds, religions and symbols." According to Brazilian news site UOL, if the bill passes, folks caught violating the law could be subject to one to three years imprisonment. That's quite a bit of jail time to serve for just importing a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV, dont'cha think? [Via GamePolitics]
FCC to propose new net neutrality rules disallowing data discrimination
Based on what we're hearing, a slate of soon-to-be-proposed FCC rules may stop the likes of Comcast from discriminating against P2P applications on their networks, and AT&T sure will have a tougher time justifying why it won't let the iPhone's version of SlingPlayer run on 3G while giving WinMo and BlackBerry users all the bandwidth they can handle. Julius Genachowski, the new chairman of the entity, is slated to discuss the new rules on Monday, though he isn't expected to dig too deep into the minutiae. Essentially, the guidelines will "prevent wireless companies from blocking internet applications and prevent them from discriminating (or acting as gatekeepers) [against] web content and services." We know what you're thinking: "Huzzah!" And in general, that's probably the right reaction to have as a consumer, but one has to wonder how network quality for all will be affected if everyone is cut loose to, well, cut loose. Oh, and if this forces telecoms to deploy more cell sites to handle the influx in traffic, you can rest assured that the bill will be passed on to you. Ain't nuthin' free, kids.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Venezuela could completely ban the sale of violent video games
If a bill currently being reviewed by Venezuela's parliament is formally approved by the nation's president, then gamers living in the country may have (legally) purchased their last M-rated title. The "Bill for the Prohibition of Video Games and Toy Weapons" aims to completely ban the sale of violent video games (and, as you may have guessed, toy weapons) in the country. It was approved by the National Assembly yesterday, and now must be approved in one more debate and signed by the president to become a law.The bill was written out of concern for the negative effect violent video games and toys are having on the nation's youth (sigh), but was also created to prevent the use of toy weapons in real crimes. We'd scoff at this, too -- but we just watched a harrowing cinematic example of this type of criminal activity. It must be stopped!
T-Mobile to start charging $1.50 for the pleasure of slaughtering a tree in cold chlorophyll
Just how bad do you want a bill in the snail mail? Companies big and small have been putting serious effort for some time into getting consumers to bypass their paper bills in favor of "e-bills," "eco-bills," "paperless statements," and all other manner of semi-trademarkable terms for the same thing: getting your passive-aggressive request for payment in your email inbox, saving a tree (and postage) in the process. Now, T-Mobile's taking it to the next level and charging a whopping buck fifty for getting your bill the old-fashioned way, which by our rough calculation significantly exceeds the bulk postage they're paying to mail it out. Of course, the effort is as much about being environmentally conscious as it is about covering T-Mobile's costs, but still -- we bet they'll make themselves a little extra coin every month out of this deal. [Via Phone Scoop]
T-Mobile forgets the "un" in "unlimited," accidentally sticks texting record attempt with $26K bill
Most buddies like to while away the hours by, say, fishing down by the docks; maybe catch the game and put down a few brewskis. You know, standard-issue stuff. On the opposite end of the spectrum are Nick Andes and Doug Klinger -- 29 and 30, respectively -- who decided that they'd try to shatter the one-month texting record by exchanging a whopping 217,000 messages, most of which were apparently meaningless garbage like "LOL" and "hello" (why they weren't able to maintain a deep, emotionally healthy conversation for the duration of 216,000 consecutive 160-character communiques is beyond us). Both men figured they were golden since they'd added unlimited texting plans to their accounts, so imagine Andes' surprise when he received a bill in a box -- complete with $27.55 in postage -- on his doorstep. Inside he found a grand total charge of $26 grand -- and while we totally think that a Guinness record is worth $26 grand, you can imagine that a couple Joe Sixpacks from Philly had never intended to blow five figures on a bunch of "LOLs" exchanged during lunch breaks. All's well that ends well, though, and T-Mobile credited the account and is investigating how it happened; let's just hope that record gets certified now, eh?
T-Mobile launches 'My Account' app for tracking minutes, sweating bills
Tired of logging into your T-Mobile account in order to check your G1 usage figures, existing bill status and plan information? Just too lazy to even do it? If you've somehow managed to remain on the carrier as a customer despite your lackadaisical approach to paying up on a monthly basis, you just might want to give the 'My Account' app a look. Freshly loosed on the Android Market, the app gives G1 users easy access to current activity, bill summary, plan information, online payment, help guides, forums, battery info, storage info, etc. Anyone sucked it down yet? Is it amazing?
Jack Thompson writes bill for Utah, tries new angle
Shockingly, Jack Thompson still has people who'll listen to him, as the disbarred former attorney has gained some traction in his crusade against video games in Utah. State Rep. Mike Morley (R) has presented a new bill, written by Thompson, which hits retailers with false advertising charges for selling mature games or films to minors. A previous Thompson-written bill in Utah failed.Speaking with a lobbyist familiar with media content issues, GamePolitics notes that this new bill, along with the state of Utah, is a little different than the last time Thompson tried his shenanigans. Even with Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's support of the game industry, the conservative wing of the Utah legislature has recently been reinforced and could pass a bill that might pass judicial review. However, as always, we know the ESA's lawyers are sharpening their knives and getting excited about all those billable hours if Utah passes anything. If the past is any indication, the ESA will win and Utah taxpayers will foot the bill.
Proposed bill would require all cameraphones to make themselves heard
There's already similar laws in place in Japan and South Korea, and New York Representative Pete King is hoping that the US will soon have a law requiring that all cameraphones make a noise when they snap a picture as well. To that end, King has re-introduced the so-called "Camera Phone Predator Alert Act," which was actually first introduced in 2007 but went nowhere at the time. The bill, as the name not-so-subtly suggests, aims to prevent folks from taking cameraphone pictures without others people's knowledge by forcing the phones to make a sound that's "audible within a reasonable radius" and not able to be disabled. Somewhat curiously, however, the bill apparently wouldn't apply to digital cameras and, as blogger Thomas Hawk points out, it also doesn't take video into account, or do anything to address the millions of camera-equipped phones currently in use that are able to snap pictures silently. No word on any movement of the bill just yet, but it has picked up one co-sponsor and, on the odd chance it actually becomes law, it'd be enforced by the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Oklahoma senator proposes tax incentives for devs of non-Mature games
Oklahoma offers a surprisingly accommodating atmosphere for media producers -- the state offers tax incentives for many creators of TV shows, films and commercials, provided they do said production in-state. Now, Sen. Anthony Sykes (R) is attempting to offer the same sweet deal to creators of video games, but with one small caveat -- the incentives would only apply to developers of games that garner a Teen rating or lower from the ESRB.It's a policy that's not exactly equal to somewhat similar restrictions placed on the other types incentive-earning media -- for instance, to be eligible, films and TV shows cannot contain child pornography or obscenity, meaning an R rated film or TV-MA show could ostensibly earn the incentive, while a video game adaptation of said film/show likely would not. It's not clear whether the bill will pick up enough momentum to get passed, though a similar bill was successfully adopted in neighboring state Texas.
Windshield GPS mounting legalized again in California
Though one may assume Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would have, um, more pressing matters on his hands these days, the man has somehow found time to address a complaint put forth by a-many travelin' Californians. Just this week Mr. Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that was put forth earlier this year that will legalize windshield GPS mounting once more. Granted, stipulations are present, but at least you won't be forced to point your retinas down at the cup holders in order to see your navigation system after January 1, 2009. In the new year, drivers in the Golden State will be able to suction their GPS unit in the "lower 7-inch corner farthest away from the driver or in the lower 5-inch corner closest to the driver." If you go pressing your luck and throw it smack dab in the middle, be prepared for whatever fine you're due.[Via Gadling, image courtesy of GPS Tracklog]
In-flight calling ban passes hurdle in House
It looks like that proposed ban on in-flight calling has now passed its first major hurdle in Congress, with it snagging some much needed approval from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a voice vote on Thursday. While the so-called "Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace" (or HANG UP, really) would make permanent the current ban on in-flight cellphone use, it'd also go one step further and put a stop to all in-flight voice communications, which its co-sponsors hope will prevent airlines from charging some passengers to use their phones while also charging others to sit in a phone-free section of the plane. Of course, the bill still has a long ways to go before it becomes law, but giving the recent polling on the matter, it would seem to have a better than decent chance of going all the way.[Via Slashdot]
Bill proposes bill break: five-year wireless tax freeze on the table
Though it's been proposed and shot down before, a renewed effort to cap federal taxes on wireless service in the US has a fighting chance of making it through Congress this time thanks to bipartisan support and a pretty crappy economy that could use all the breaks it can get right about now. Senators Ron Wyden and Olympia Snowe, representing both sides of the chamber, are trying to push through a five-year ban on tax hikes -- welcome news to pretty much any subscriber who takes even a fleeting look at the buffoonery on page one of their bill. Unsurprisingly, it's also welcome news to carriers who embrace any opportunity to lower their bills without any action on their own part; Verizon for one has come out to say that it "applauds" the legislation. How about a bill to ban 20-cent text messages, hmm, Verizon? Would ya applaud that? Thought not.
Tennessee governor signs cable franchising bill into law
Remember that legislation we mentioned early last month which, if passed, could pave the way for AT&T's U-verse to infiltrate The Volunteer State? Governor Phil Bredesen just signed said bill into law, creating statewide TV cable franchising in Tennessee. Beyond that, details are few and far between, but don't be shocked to see yet another programming provider pop up in the not-too-distant future.[Thanks, roflercopterer]
Federal legislation proposes ID checks for video game retailers
A bipartisan bill proposed in the House seeks to require video game retailers to check IDs before selling M- or AO-rated games to minors. Variety reports Reps. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Lee Terry (R-Neb) have proposed the Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act to protect children, as Terry puts it, from some games where "scores are often earned by players who commit 'virtual' murder, assault and rape."As GamePolitics points out, both representatives have tried and failed at taking on video games before. If the bill becomes law, retailers who don't post a sign explaining the ratings system or sell an M-rated game to a minor would be charged a $5000 civil penalty.[Via GamePolitics]
House bill proposes ban on in-flight cellphone use
This could -- at least temporarily -- put an end the nightmarish scenario involving you, lack of sleep, and some freakish chatty Cathy plopped next to you by the airline. Lead co-sponsor Rep. Peter DeFazio, hopes the "Hang Up" -- madly clever name here -- bill will stop Airlines from finding yet another avenue to gouge you and maintaining peace and harmony by banning any in-flight calling. Of course, the door will remain wide open for SMS, mail, IM, and other types of electronic conversation, but we're hoping Skype and friends are on the muzzle list, too.
Proposed bill aims to set minimum auto sound levels
Fisker Karma's recently announced hybrid sports car that generates motor noise through some external speakers might have received a good bit of derision when it first made itself known, but it now looks like it may actually be a bit ahead of the game, at least if a bill expected to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives ever actually becomes law. As AutoWeek reports, the bill was apparently prompted by concerns that hybrid and electric vehicles are a little too quiet, and pose a risk to pedestrians, especially the blind. To address that supposed danger, the bill reportedly demands that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation initiate a study to determine if a minimum sound level is in fact needed and, if so, require that automakers comply with it (possibly as early as 2010).
New legislation could pave the way for U-verse in Tennessee
Although the matter has generally been swept under the rug nationally, folks in the great state of Tennessee yearning for more choices when it comes to receiving cable may be one step closer to getting just that. Just this week a compromise cable bill -- which would enable companies such as AT&T to "avoid having to seek hundreds of municipal permits to offer TV service" -- unanimously passed the House Commerce Committee. Still, select committee members questioned the aforementioned carrier's ability to deliver public, education and government (PEG) programming, and in order to avoid having firms roll out their networks to wealthy areas first, a provision was included that would force them to offer service to a certain amount of "low-income" neighborhoods or else face fines. Granted, there's no word on AT&T's immediate plans in The Volunteer State, but don't be shocked to see braids of orange fiber laid down in the future.[Thanks, Brent]
Boston Herald editorial questions Mass. game bill
As Massachusetts legislators meet today to discuss HB1423, a bill that would restrict access of minors to video games deemed too violent by the state, the normally obtuse Boston Herald has weighed in on the issue with a shockingly sane editorial.The newspaper lays out that the bill is another example of Boston Mayor Menino, who drafted the bill with Jack Thompson, trying to throw a "big idea against the wall in the hope that it might stick." The paper points out that just yesterday a similar, constitutionally murky bill failed, and asks if "lawmakers sponsoring the bill [are] willing to find money in their budgets to fight the inevitable court challenge?" The Boston Herald piece concludes that the mayor needs to make better use of his time than going after "such low-hanging fruit." We don't know about low-hanging, but it's definitely rotten and is going to cause taxpayers financial pain later between court costs and inevitably paying back the ESA for wasting its time.[Via GamePolitics]
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]
