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The Lawbringer: Let's read Activision Blizzard's 2010 10-K annual report
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? One of the best perks associated with living in a free society is transparency. In a society of rules and laws, transparency helps keep people honest. Does it always work? Of course not, but to me, it's better than the alternative. Activision Blizzard filed and released its Form 10-K earlier this year and, as usual, made this filing public to all investors of the company and subsequently to the world. What is a Form 10-K, anyway? In the United States, companies that meet certain criteria and more than $10 million in assets have annual filing requirements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each fiscal year, a new document in filed discussing the company's structure, executive compensation and pay, audited financial statements, risks, and more. Basically, Activision Blizzard files this form to let the government and the public know about the company's performance. The best part is we get to see it, too.
The Lawbringer: Avatar rights as expectations
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Last week, I introduced the concept that the denizens of a virtual world may have gained, over time, the right to rights within that virtual world. Raph Koster, the lead developer of Ultima Online, explored the idea over 10 years ago when the MMO genre was in its developmental infancy. These rights synced up with a world where there was a distinction between free-to-play MUDs and for-pay subscription worlds in the U.S. and European markets. Today, the MMO has transformed into a new beast from the close-knit communities of MUDs and the relatively forgiving user base of EverQuest and Ultima Online. The people who made WoW are the contemporaries of Raph Koster and children of the MMO genre that EverQuest cemented as important. How then, in over 10 years, has Koster's declaration of the rights of avatars held up to the incredible growth of the industry and Blizzard's own impressive growth? The short answer: The code of conduct you follow in World of Warcraft is pretty lenient, all things considered. The long answer: Well, there's always a long answer.
The Lawbringer: A prelude to avatar rights
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? The concept of avatar rights is a strange and new concept, only really going back as far as people have demanded rights for their virtual counterparts. In the early days of the MMO genre, players would populate MUDs (multi-user dungeons) or similarly designed constructs online and do pretty much the same things we do today -- hack, slash, chat, and adventure with other users. From MUDs, we got graphical MMOs, and from graphical MMOs, we got the second and third generations of the massively multiplayers we know today. World of Warcraft comes from a rich history of all of the games that came before it, as did the concept of the virtual self. The one thing all of these games have had in common over the years is the avatar. This week's Lawbringer is the first in a multi-part series discussing avatar rights -- where the concept came from, where it's going, and who has the power to set the rules. We're going to talk about the venerable Raph Koster and his avatar rights manifesto, who your avatar is and what is so damn special about him, and some really interesting concepts dealing with what people feel they are owed. Strap in -- this may get crazy.
The Lawbringer: Privacy talk, rockets, and auction houses
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Hello, friends. While I brainstorm for this week's Lawbringer, I am frantically packing for a little weekend shindig and will need to look my best. Suits and ties, how I've missed you. When I asked for Lawbringer questions, you guys and girls delivered. I talk about how much I love questions all the time, but it's true. The more questions I get, the more diverse topics get covered. This week, we've got a great question about privacy and the armory, as well as an automation question relating to the terms of service.
The Lawbringer: Mailbag 2.0
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? I love getting emails with questions in them! Incidentally, people also love mailbags. Right? Right? Of course you do. Also, based on my images, can you tell that I've been leveling through Grizzly Hills? After the last two weeks of gold selling/hacking and crazy currency discussions, I found my email littered with questions that I had neglected. At the end of last month I also ran a mailbag feature, but some of these questions were so fun and provoking that I had to answer them publicly. One interesting thing about legal questions and answers is that you're obviously not getting the whole answer, because there are a million and one factors that go into questions and answers in the legal world. Rather, you're getting the beginnings of a concept that you might want to further your knowledge of. Fun times! Learning is fun! Let's learn together. If you have a question for the column, please email me at mat@wowinsider.com, and include a subject with "Lawbringer Question" or something easily categorized/sorted like that!
The Lawbringer: Fighting the gold fight -- how the strategy must change
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Last week on The Lawbringer, I introduced you to the world as it is, a battlefield littered with the corpses of stolen accounts, inconvenienced players, and a priceless reputation on the line. This week, we look at concrete solutions to actually helping the gold selling system wind down and remove many of the hurdles that instant gratification with purchasing gold sets up for Blizzard. You might have mixed and angry reactions to what I'm going to talk about, but do give me the benefit of the doubt. I think being open-minded might win this fight. So what can Blizzard do besides selling its own currency? Here are my suggestions for the first steps that Blizzard needs to take in the new war against gold selling.
PAX East 2011: Law In Games panel hits home for WoW
PAX East is home to all sorts of panels and discussion, ranging from sexism in video games to mechanics and motivations in the games we play. Legal issues are present in all things, and video games -- even World of Warcraft -- are no exception. Two of the biggest topics at the panel, hosted by prominent legal minds in the video game industry, were End User License Agreements and damages in game as part of tort law. All in all, it was a very interesting panel of Q&A from some of gaming's smartest minds.
The Lawbringer: WoW launching in Brazil
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? In the near future, Blizzard will be launching a localized World of Warcraft, complete with language localization and specific servers, in Brazil with a Portugeuse version of its signature virtual world. This localization accompanies a potential Japanese release, with servers for both Japan and Brazil, much as there are already US, EU, Oceanic, and Chinese/Taiwanese servers. The World of Warcraft gaming community and Blizzard especially are excited to welcome these two markets into the fold with their own local servers. We're talking all things Brazil this week on The Lawbringer -- well, not everything Brazilian. I think all of the waxing and juijitsu questions are better left for The WoW Insider Show or perhaps The Queue. No, this week is all about the video game climate in Brazil, why Brazil is a huge up-and-coming market for MMOs, how a Portuguese localized version of WoW benefits a huge number of gamers, and the potentially pitfalls of the anti-video game sentiments in the South American powerhouse market.
The Lawbringer: Questions and answers from the mailbag
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Welcome, friends. Take a seat. Your journey must have been long and difficult. Fear not, we are a house of respite here at The Lawbringer, where you get to kick your feet up on the chair in front of you before going back to the drudgery of Friday afterno -- Oh. Well, then. Answering mail is fun. In fact, it's something I do a lot of. As WoW Insider's addon and UI columnist, I get many questions a day about all sorts of user interface problems, concerns, and opinions. After writing The Lawbringer, I began to get a new brand of email that was all about readers having awesome thoughts and questions about Blizzard policy, types of decision-making criteria, and issues all over the board. I love it! So this week, I'm dedicating some time to answering a few questions from my email that I think are worthy topics. And, just a reminder: If you've got a question for The Lawbringer column or me, please drop me an email at mat@wowinsider.com. I love taking questions, and they make some pretty great article-fodder for columns such as the one you are about to read.
The Lawbringer: A world without remedy
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? One of the very basic tenets of our society and our social structure is that when we are wronged, there is remedy. If your car is totaled by a careless driver, you have recourse through insurance companies or the driver's own wallet. There's someone you can sue, usually, and get enough money to make you whole again. The thing you lost, your car, has a certain value. The money puts you back in the position you were before you were wronged. Late last week, we learned about a startling occurrence in the games industry -- Crysis 2 was leaked. And not just any leak: Rock Paper Shotgun reported that not only was a developer build of Crysis 2 leaked with the full single-player content available, but also the multiplayer experience as well as a keystone master online authentication key, making CD key facilitation magnitudes easier for pirates. Leaks happen, but Crysis was mere weeks from release. The most interesting and potentially saddest aspect of this story is that when games leak out from the watchful gaze of their developers, there is little to no recourse for these companies on the scale that is required to be made whole. This week, I'm going to talk about a world without recourse, the location of one of the game industry's biggest and scariest problems, the world of online activation, and how Blizzard's tight-lipped security still doesn't prevent leaks even as one of the biggest gaming concerns running now.
The Lawbringer: The power of licensing
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? You guys seemed to very much enjoy the last edition of the Lawbringer, discussing some of the more interesting facets of virtual currency valuation and the Zynga hacking story. Writing about virtual worlds, currency, and everything associated with MMOs is my greatest pleasure, and I just wanted to let you all know how happy I am that you read and enjoy my work. So, thank you from your loyal author. This week, we're going to talk about the power of licensing. No, we will not be talking about licensing in the context of whether or not you own the copy of World of Warcraft on your computer. Rather, we're going to embark on an adventure of brand recognition and financial wonderment, into the world of licensing characters, creations, names, and likenesses. This, friends, is the world of products, to illustrate the ungodly importance of content licensing.
The Lawbringer: Hacking and valuing virtual currency
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? I can't stop talking about virtual currency! As virtual worlds and economies penetrate every aspect of our lives, we are faced with the new and daunting challenge of identifying the seedy criminal element present in every human venture. There will always be someone breaking the rules, skimming off the top, or finding a way to steal their way up the ladder. Generally, as a society, we accept this as part of the process and make our rules accordingly to punish and dissuade against future criminals and all that jazz. This week, we read about a very interesting virtual theft over Zynga poker chips, in which a 29-year-old British IT businessman named Ashley Mitchell pleaded (or pled, depending on your colloquial acceptance) guilty to stealing $12 million worth of the virtual currency. You know what Zynga is -- it is responsible for FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Zynga Texas HoldEm Poker, and about 8,000 other social networking entities. The company is ubiquitous. It also sells an ungodly amount of virtual currency online and offline for its games. Zynga poker chips, however, cannot be bought offline.
The Lawbringer: A primer on private servers
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? The history of private MMO servers goes back to the heyday of the massively multiplayer, when the concepts of these virtual worlds were still in their formative stages. World of Warcraft private servers, also called emulated servers, boast numbers in the thousands, usually running off donations and providing a limited amount of the full WoW experience due to the nature of the reverse server engineering and implementation needed to run the game. One thing is for certain, though: Using the game client to connect to an emulated server is against the World of Warcraft EULA and cuts into Blizzard's profits.
The Lawbringer: The lessons of globalization and gold farming
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Back in 2008, I wrote an article for The Escapist titled Crossing Boundaries, a piece all about globalization as the greatest issue facing video game developers and producers at the time. Guess what, ladies and gentlemen? It's 2011, and globalization still takes the top spot as the prime issue challenging video game development and production. Rather than rewrite an article on the effects of globalization and the problems the phenomenon causes for the video game industry at large, I thought it might be fun to use globalization as a rubric for discussing the very global industry of gold farming, especially when it comes to the legal nature of things, whatever things may be. We will talk about the lack of predictability in the global market, gold farming as globalization, and the problems with fighting the good fight against the grey market. Won't you join me?
The Lawbringer: Net neutrality and MMOs
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Everyone is talking about net neutrality these days, on each end of the spectrum. Regulation will fix it! Regulation won't fix it! The end of times! To be honest, content companies and internet service providers alike would like nothing more that to make their margins wider, and nothing will stand in the way of profit. This week, I want to take a look at some of the potential issues and hypothetical situations that could come about as a result of an internet that lives under the watchful eye of a filter. Preferring some internet packets over another could one day be a huge problem for MMO creators, because so much of the business is dependent on your information getting from one place to another at a speedy clip. Yes, I am aware that ISPs already use deep packet inspection to make sure the internet works, period, but we're talking about a world where anything goes, where regulation lets internet service providers play their own game.
The Lawbringer: Lagpocalypse 2010-2011
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? The Lawbringer is taking a little detour today to discuss one of the more esoteric issues (like I try to do here) that many players are facing today dealing with World of Warcraft. It is interesting that one of the biggest hurdles to playing an MMO is present outside the game rather than within. Today, I want to talk about Time Warner/Brighthouse and the intense lag of 2010 and 2011. In fact, we'll visit the past and see how these companies interacted with Blizzard, and then take a stroll into the present and try to understand what's going on right now. Confused? You might be, especially if you aren't a Time Warner or Brighthouse customer. There are some other ISPs affected by all this mess, but for now, I'm sticking to the most complained-about. Here's a quick little rundown of what's been happening over the last few weeks (and for some people, months) due to issues with Time Warner and Brighthouse internet service.
The Lawbringer: What does B(viii) even mean anymore?
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Part B, section viii of the World of Warcraft Terms of Use state that players are not allowed to communicate directly with players who are playing characters aligned with the opposite faction. This makes sense for a game that has a heavy faction-based player versus player system, as well as a comprehensive achievement system with numerous milestones based on interaction with the opposing faction. However, over time, Blizzard's own actions and the ever-evolving customs of the community have made B(viii) something of a mystery. We communicate with the opposing faction moreso than ever today, in game and out. And while the Terms of Use makes the point that this communication is in-game only, one has to wonder where the forums and the player collusion that goes on there fits into Blizzard's understanding of cross-faction communication. This week, The Lawbringer is all about player communication and, in light of B(viii), some issues regarding how such communications between the Horde and Alliance have either gone completely unnoticed, not cared for, or are even necessary and tolerated by Blizzard. At the end of the day, I'd like to find out for myself what B(viii) really means, and what something like Tol Barad win-trading does in the face of such a provision in the Terms of Use.
The Lawbringer: Glider's Neverending Story
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? Back in October, I made the case that Blizzard was in the best position to fight for a stronger EULA because it has the money, industry sway, and a very specific set of lawsuits pending that could allow for stricter End User License Agreement provisions. In the simplest terms, EULAs are hard to hold up in court. They aren't airtight -- yet. Game companies would love to strengthen EULAs since enforcement of their provisions would then be easier.
The Lawbringer: Armory annulment
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? The internet used to be a fairly private place, for the most part. Sure, things were sharable, but it was a close-knit community of people doing the sharing. The technology at the time was not ready for the Facebooks and Flickrs and everything else the world has dreamed up while we punched our keys and killed internet dragons. Now, the internet is a public sphere where nothing is private and the allure of privacy is a battle we fight every day against those who would sell our personal data or snoop into our lives.
The Lawbringer: The dangers of addon auto-updaters
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world 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? As new people flood into the new and exciting World of Warcraft that Cataclysm has brought us, security concerns become heightened and the number of people targeted becomes greater. No one wants to get hacked, and no one wants to have to deal with all the mess that comes with the hacking hassle. This week, The Lawbringer continues an important discussion about account security by talking about addons, auto-updating programs, and the potential risks involved.
