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Activision Blizzard to take a stand on violent video game research
We may not know just what political stance Activision Blizzard has decided to take on the issue of S.134: The Violent Content Research Act of 2013, but we do know the company has hired lobbying firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to lobby the Senate over it. The bill calls for the National Academy of Sciences to study the correlation between children playing violent video games or watching violent video content and violent behavior -- and could be a stepping stone towards more legislation aimed at restricting game sales. There have already been studies on video games and violent behavior, but the results have been mixed: ask a dozen experts and you'll get a dozen different opinions on how violent content might affect violent behavior. To this end, the bill also calls for study to identify gaps in current research. However, it's questionable whether more research will give us a real answer or just more mixed signals. In the meanwhile, game-makers are definitely edgy about how this could impact their bottom line... which is probably why Activision Blizzard has jumped on the lobbying bandwagon.
US Supreme Court strikes down California law, says video games are protected as free speech
It's already been found unconstitutional by lower courts, and now the Supreme Court of the United States has finally weighed in on the infamous California state law that sought to ban the sale of violent video games to minors. In a seven-to-two ruling on the Brown v. The Entertainment Merchants Association case, the Supreme Court said that video games are indeed protected as free speech under the First Amendment, and noted that under the constitution, "esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature . . . are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority." Inevitable, perhaps, but still a fairly historic day or the video game industry -- and one that we're guessing will be a bit more positively received than a certain other milestone involving violent video games this year. You can find the complete ruling in PDF form at the source link below.
Vindictus beta key giveaway round 2: Don't miss out again!
OK, so we knew you guys would be interested in slicing demons in half, but we had no clue how much you really wanted to slice demons in half. We had 2,000 beta keys to give away for Vindictus, and you guys cleaned us out in two hours! Thank you so much! To celebrate how fast you cleaned us out the first time, we've been given 2,000 more beta keys from our friends at Nexon! Just like last time, these keys, once redeemed, will get you into the beta and give you two more keys to give to your friends! Each key redeemed spawns two more, like the never-ending Fomor forces you're about to face! If you'd like to help us out, post your unused friend keys in the comments so we can help spread the love! Or, if you want to chat with your fellow MMOers, come join us in the Massively.com chat room, where you can trade keys, talk about your favorite games, and meet the Massively.com editors! Either point your IRC client to irc.quakenet.org and go to the #massively channel, or hook up with us on our webchat, located at http://webchat.quakenet.org, and put massively in for the channel name! But, you want Vindictus keys, don't you! Hit the continue reading button to find out how to claim a key!
MMO Family: Video game violence provokes aggression in some kids but not others
MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family. Sensible parents have long recognized that the way kids react to video game violence varies according to their personalities. A recent post at Bitmob illustrated one parent's recognition of the innocence with which his four-year-old son approached an opportunity to play Grand Theft Auto. "I understand not every kid is like mine, so I wouldn't recommend that every parent allow their child to play Grand Theft Auto," he wrote. "But I would recommend that you listen and pay attention to your little ones to determine what they are capable of handling and what they are not ready for yet." Now, new research tells us how to determine exactly that. A report in the June issue of Review of General Psychology has pinpointed the factors that determine why violent video games provoke hostile behavior in some teens but not in others.
China's Ministry of Culture approves WoW content
Blizzard has been having all kinds of issues trying to bring World of Warcraft back online in China, but here's one piece of good news for them: China's Ministry of Culture has gone through the game and approved all of the content in it. They apparently were concerned about some violent content (we know they've already made changes in the past to the Undead models), but that's now been cleared, and the only thing left is final approval by the General Administration of Press and Publication. There's no date on when that might happen, but it seems that will be soon (not soon(tm), just soon).Blizzard should be extremely happy to see these content checks cleared, as it means that they're not only that much closer to bringing the servers back online, but that they can also finally bring out Wrath of the Lich King there. The whole issue with Netease and The9 backed things up, and then these content checks were a problem, but hopefully most of the obstacles have been cleared by now, and Chinese players can soon start making their way back into the game and up to the snowy shores of Northrend.
Think tank pins Apple's iPod as possible culprit for increase in violent crime
We know what you're thinking, and trust us, we're right there with you. Nevertheless, The Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, has reportedly come to the conclusion that the reason US violent crime rose in 2005 and 2006 after declining every year since 1991 is because more iPods were on the streets. You heard right -- these researchers are suggesting that the "iCrime wave" occurred primarily due to the popularity of Apple's darling and the relatively high value of possessing one. Granted, the iPod has been the focal point of quite a few muggings in the past, but blaming a fruit-flavored PMP for a nation's sudden urge to take up larceny? Pfft.
Detroit prosecutor makes outdated violent games list for holidays
Detroit has a bit of a crime problem and prosecutor Kym Worthy is looking to bring that down by issuing her third annual list of the "Top 10 Most Violent Games" for parents. As GamePolitics points out, the list isn't looking to be topical or specific; wide brush strokes will do. For example, if reading literally, the original Grand Theft Auto, the original Manhunt, and last year's Scarface round out the top three. 50 Cent Bulletproof comes in at number four -- because that already forgotten 2005 title is on every any kid's wish list for 2007.The problem with Worthy's list is its basic redundancy of what one would hope is common sense, because every title on her list is rated M. How about just telling parents not to buy M-rated games for their kids? Blanket statement, end of story. Why pick and choose games when the ESRB has been kind enough to slap an M on the cover, giving parents adequate warning in the first place?
Church of England demands donation for violent PS3 title
It's not like Sony hasn't been under fire from outlets in America and abroad before, but the latest quibble is coming from none other than the Church of England. Turns out that Sony reportedly took it upon itself to recreate the historic interior of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man without first asking permission, and now there could be hell heaven to pay. Currently, the Church has asked Sony to "apologize and contribute a large donation from the game's profits as it did not pay a commercial fee to use the cathedral as a backdrop." Additionally, Sony could face two other demands -- one that requests the withdrawal of the game altogether, and the other to modify the section of the cathedral's interior. Notably, it's been no secret that certain sects of the UK have been dealing with rashes of gun crime, and while Sony hasn't succumbed to paying up or recalling all copies of the game just yet, it did say that it would "contact the cathedral authorities to understand their concerns in more detail."
Game addiction on the rise, but 'stable' genes should prevent violent outbursts
When combined, a pair of new studies (conveniently stacked on GamePolitics.com) suggests that game addiction is a rising concern among American youth, but, if we also trust Aussie researchers, violent side effects are not. According to a new Harris poll, 8.5% of the US's youngsters are now clinically addicted to games, and as many as 23% have felt the jonesing itch for a fix. Thankfully, Australia's Swinburne University of Technology has published findings which indicate that violent games ('cause let's face it, violent games are the only kind American tweens get lifted on) don't increase the likelihood of a "stable" child becoming more aggressive.The Swinburne study seems to define "stable" as non-hyper. So, considering that about 7% of children are currently diagnosed with ADHD, presumably about 0.6% of America's young people (percentage of ADHD-diagnosed kids addicted to games) pose a potential threat to society. A small percentage no doubt, but with a reported 73.5 million children in the US in 2005, we could be living among something like 450,000 latent killer gamers -- hit the panic button![Disclosure: blogger's math skills have not been evaluated since December 1999; some calculations may be inaccurate. Call for panic still very real!]Read - Poll Indicates Game Addiction on the Rise Among YouthRead - Study Says Stable Kids Unaffected by Game Violence
Wii ad 'too violent' for some in UK
Red Steel and Twilight Princess are reminiscent of terrorist videos ... at least to one individual in the UK. Apparently, this ad was a bit too "violent, offensive, and disturbing" for seventeen (yes, seventeen) television viewers in Britain, and they made their displeasure known. After a review by Britain's Advertising Standards Authority, however, the ads were deemed okay to go. "We also considered that viewers were unlikely to link the ad to recent events in Iraq. We concluded that the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence," the Authority said. Translation? Damn, y'all are sensitive.Obviously, we've now won the console war. Sony and Microsoft can just go home. Good game, guys. Good game.
More "proof" that violent video games breed rage
While we've already learned that television shows pull double duty as entertainment and a sedative, and that launching a console with a widely understood shortage hitting stores can cause all sorts of madness and criminal activity to break loose, the last thing we needed was one more "study" claiming that video games breed rage. But nevertheless, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered that "teenagers' brains become fired up" (read: angered) after playing violent video games. A survey using 44 same-sexed humans with "similar IQs and age" showed that a half hour of violent gaming "increased activity within the amygdala (involved in emotional arousal)" while simultaneously decreasing activity in "parts of the brain involved in self-control" -- unsurprisingly, the opposite effects were seen when gamers were forced to play non-violent titles. However, when all the fMRIs were completed and reports were being compiled, the doctors still noted that "further studies were needed to determine whether these physiological changes actually make individuals behave more violently," so until that's proven absolutely, we're sticking to our (pixelated) guns.[Thanks, Nate W.]
Absolutely brutal banned PSP ad
This can not be real. PSP ads have been terrible for the most part, but this takes it one step further into the "what the f--- were they thinking?" category. The video is embeeded after the cut, but I'll have a FOX-like warning for you: Due to the violent nature of this advertisement, viewer discretion is advised.See also:ASA rules UK PSP ads inoffensive
