Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Political Game: NY video game bill barks, doesn't bite]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/the-political-game-ny-video-game-bill-barks-doesn-t-bite/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/the-political-game-ny-video-game-bill-barks-doesn-t-bite/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/the-political-game-ny-video-game-bill-barks-doesn-t-bite/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:



The video game world was buzzing last week following the New York legislature's passage of a video game statute. In voting overwhelmingly for the bill, New York became the first state to pass a video game law since June, 2006 when lawmakers in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Minnesota all sent restrictive game legislation to their respective governors for signature. The video game industry opposed all of those laws, of course, on constitutional grounds. Since Gov. David Paterson is expected to sign the New York bill into law, there's a natural assumption that the industry will also drag the Empire State into federal court.

But maybe not.

While earlier state laws placed content-based restrictions on video game sales, New York's proposed statute does no such thing. It is largely symbolic, perhaps designed to persuade voters that legislators are doing something to address that familiar cultural whipping boy, video game violence.

So, how impotent is the New York law?

Continue reading The Political Game: NY video game bill barks, doesn't bite

JoystiqThe Political Game: NY video game bill barks, doesn't bite originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>New-YorkThePoliticalGameMon, 30 Jun 2008 12:59:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: One vote against an EA Take-Two takeover]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/the-political-game-one-vote-against-an-ea-take-two-takeover/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/the-political-game-one-vote-against-an-ea-take-two-takeover/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/the-political-game-one-vote-against-an-ea-take-two-takeover/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:


Unless you've been watching Grand Theft Auto IV trailers nonstop for the last few weeks, you probably know that game publishing giant Electronic Arts is attempting an "all your base are belong to us" maneuver on GTA series publisher Take Two interactive.

Captained by new CEO John Riccitiello, EA launched its acquisition campaign in February by offering a bonus of 60% over Take Two's then share price. T2, led by chairman Strauss Zelnick, told EA to stick it, at least until after next week's GTA IV release. EA then appealed directly to Take Two shareholders. So far, however, that strategy is not working out. EA has accumulated less than 10% of the outstanding T2 stock and has been forced to extend its deadline until May 16th.

It's unclear how this will play out, of course. But let's hope it ends badly for EA. While acquiring Take Two may line the pockets of a few fat cat investors and transform some workaday EA execs into game industry Big Swinging Dicks, there's no way in Hell that this deal is good for gamers.

Continue reading The Political Game: One vote against an EA Take-Two takeover

JoystiqThe Political Game: One vote against an EA Take-Two takeover originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameTue, 22 Apr 2008 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Welcome to the Slippery Slope]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/the-political-game-welcome-to-the-slippery-slope/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/the-political-game-welcome-to-the-slippery-slope/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/the-political-game-welcome-to-the-slippery-slope/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

If you pay attention to the First Amendment arguments offered in defense of video games, you'll often hear reference to something called the "slippery slope." This does not refer to a downhill run in a new snowboarding game. The term is often used to warn against those who promise they will only censor us a little bit. For example, passing laws restricting video game sales might not seem to impact society at large, but it starts us down that slippery slope of censorship. Who knows where it might end? This month Grand Theft Auto IV might be restricted, but what do the hypocritical politicians and culture cops target next? Halo 3? Hip-hop? Comic books? Ulysses?

The video game industry is facing a bit of a slippery slope problem right now in Massachusetts - and it is, to a certain extent, their own fault. There, Mayor Thomas Menino is pushing legislation which would classify violent games as "harmful to minors" in the same legal sense as porn. Unlike most politicians, the blustering Menino freely tosses around the word "ban" and seems intent on enforcing his worldview on the population of Massachusetts. He recently told a Boston radio station, "Kids start at five, six, seven years old watching those video games. They think it's a way of life and I'm trying to make them understand there's a different way of life."

The Menino way, apparently.

Continue reading The Political Game: Welcome to the Slippery Slope

JoystiqThe Political Game: Welcome to the Slippery Slope originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameMon, 07 Apr 2008 18:59:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Stand up and be counted]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/the-political-game-stand-up-and-be-counted/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/the-political-game-stand-up-and-be-counted/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/the-political-game-stand-up-and-be-counted/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:


The video game industry finally stood up for itself this week when Electronic Arts called Fox News out over the network's lies about Mass Effect.

It's about time.

The theme of this column, in fact, was going to be a rant about game companies laying low and relying upon gamers to defend the industry against such controversies. By stepping up, EA ruined that column idea for me, but I'm glad they did.

It was great to see VP Jeff Brown pull no punches in protesting Fox News' Mass Effect hatchet job. Brown got it exactly right, pointing out that Live Desk anchor Martha MacCallum and guest Cooper Lawrence were dead wrong in their characterization of the game as, essentially, interactive porn. Brown also took Fox News to task for institutional hypocrisy. As the EA exec pointed out, Fox lambasted the critically-acclaimed Mass Effect over a single, tastefully done love scene, while nightly serving up far more suggestive fare on prime-time shows like Family Guy and The O.C..

Continue reading The Political Game: Stand up and be counted

JoystiqThe Political Game: Stand up and be counted originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameFri, 25 Jan 2008 12:04:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: When it came to games, 2007 was politician heaven]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/31/the-political-game-when-it-came-to-games-2007-was-politician-h/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/31/the-political-game-when-it-came-to-games-2007-was-politician-h/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/31/the-political-game-when-it-came-to-games-2007-was-politician-h/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

It may be Game Over for 2007, but the political ripples of the past twelve months will be felt long into the New Year. And while Jack Thompson made a lot of noise - as usual - the culture war over video games extended far beyond the city limits of Miami. It was, more than ever before, truly an international struggle as game violence raised concerns among politicians in Italy, Germany, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Holland, Mexico, Chile and elsewhere. Even Pope Benedict XVI took time to criticize video game violence.

There were controversial games aplenty, led of course, by Manhunt 2. In June, Rockstar's controversial title was officially banned in Britain and effectively deep-sixed in the United States thanks to the sales-killing Adults Only label slapped on by the ESRB. Rockstar eventually made sufficient changes to get Manhunt 2 onto U.S. store shelves. At that point we learned that the controversy was far more interesting than the game itself, which garnered lukewarm reviews. As 2007 winds down, Rockstar still faces a court fight to get Manhunt 2 released in the U.K.

Continue reading The Political Game: When it came to games, 2007 was politician heaven

JoystiqThe Political Game: When it came to games, 2007 was politician heaven originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameMon, 31 Dec 2007 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Hey, Guv, your hypocrisy is showing]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/the-political-game-hey-guv-your-hypocrisy-is-showing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/the-political-game-hey-guv-your-hypocrisy-is-showing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/the-political-game-hey-guv-your-hypocrisy-is-showing/#commentsFiled under: ,


Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

A lot of nasty stuff is happening in the world these days: war, poverty, terrorism, racism, and the collapse of the housing market, to name just a few.

And yet Mitt Romney, the pretty boy among Republican presidential candidates, has time to fret about the cartoon violence in video games and other forms of media. Okay, he's entitled to his view. But his view looks hypocritical - even bizarre - when you consider the fact that real-world torture is okay with Mitt.

If you caught the recent CNN/YouTube Republican debate, you saw Romney refuse to condemn the use of waterboarding as an interrogation technique. Now, waterboarding is acknowledged as a form of torture all over the world, except for two places: the Bush White House and Romney campaign headquarters.

Continue reading The Political Game: Hey, Guv, your hypocrisy is showing

JoystiqThe Political Game: Hey, Guv, your hypocrisy is showing originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameFri, 14 Dec 2007 12:29:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Manhunt 2, the gift that keeps on giving]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/the-political-game-manhunt-2-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/the-political-game-manhunt-2-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/the-political-game-manhunt-2-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/#commentsFiled under:

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

There's the Jelly-of-the-Month club, and then there's Manhunt 2.

Like the el Cheapo holiday bonus which sparked Clark Griswold's comic spazzout in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Rockstar's blood-soaked game is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Manhunt 2, of course, has provoked more than a few spazzouts of its own recently. And while the most frothy barking has originated in Miami, Jack Thompson isn't the only one riding the Manhunt 2 gravy train these days - far from it. The game has, of course, earned Thompson a few more of his precious TV appearances, even while the Florida Bar seeks to dispossess him of his license to practice law. But the media - both the video game press and mainstream variety - have had a field day with it as well.

Continue reading The Political Game: Manhunt 2, the gift that keeps on giving

JoystiqThe Political Game: Manhunt 2, the gift that keeps on giving originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameFri, 02 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The Battle of Britain]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/12/the-political-game-the-battle-of-britain/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/12/the-political-game-the-battle-of-britain/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/12/the-political-game-the-battle-of-britain/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Suddenly, surprisingly, the UK has become Ground Zero in the political and cultural war surrounding video games.

For a long time, England was a backwater in this fight. The video game struggle raged primarily in state legislatures and federal courthouses around the United States. Oh, there was Keith Vaz, of course, a Labour Parliamentarian who made some noise about the original Manhunt in 2004 and would occasionally surface to criticize this game or that.

But in 2007 the video game issue simply exploded in the UK as one major game controversy after another made headlines. At the same time, game legislation tailed off in the US. While six states passed laws in 2005-2006, none have been passed so far this year. American politicians, seemingly, are getting the message that games are protected by the First Amendment. Not so in Britain, however.

Continue reading The Political Game: The Battle of Britain

JoystiqThe Political Game: The Battle of Britain originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BBFCBritainManhunt2RockstarThePoliticalGameFri, 12 Oct 2007 12:28:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The Public Nuisance]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/27/the-political-game-the-public-nuisance/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/27/the-political-game-the-public-nuisance/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/27/the-political-game-the-public-nuisance/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

nuisanceOnce again, Miami attorney Jack Thompson is attempting to have a video game -- Halo 3 this time -- declared a public nuisance. He failed badly in such an attempt in 2006 with Rockstar's Bully.

Under Florida law the term "public nuisance" is generally applied to the likes of brothels and illegal gambling operations, things which, as the law states:

"...tend to annoy the community, injure the health of the citizens in general, or corrupt the public morals..."

It's difficult to imagine anyone but Thompson trying to shoehorn a video game into that legal definition. But this isn't really about public nuisances, or even Halo 3.

It's video game legislation -- through the backdoor.

Continue reading The Political Game: The Public Nuisance

JoystiqThe Political Game: The Public Nuisance originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Jack-ThompsonJackThompsonJoystiqFeaturesThePoliticalGameThu, 27 Sep 2007 10:22:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The Mod Squad]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/the-political-game-the-mod-squad/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/the-political-game-the-mod-squad/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/the-political-game-the-mod-squad/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Somewhere in the mountains of Pakistan, Osama bin Laden is lounging in a cave, chuckling into his goat stew.

It's surely a well-equipped cave, complete with all of the electronic accoutrements one might expect a modern terrorist CEO to have: satellite phone, laptop, plasma TV, GPS. Hell, OBL maybe even has a Wii or a PS3 running on a generator for little Osama.

Here at home, it has been nearly six years since that terrible, gut-wrenching day when World Trade Center towers came crashing down. Six freaking years, and the mightiest military and law enforcement apparatus in the world can't find one sickly, middle-aged guy hiding in a cave.

But they can find American citizens, hiding in plain sight in places like Ohio, Iowa and Hawaii.

Continue reading The Political Game: The Mod Squad

JoystiqThe Political Game: The Mod Squad originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>JoystiqFeaturesmodsThePoliticalGameMon, 13 Aug 2007 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Gamers like Mike]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/27/the-political-game-gamers-like-mike/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/27/the-political-game-gamers-like-mike/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/27/the-political-game-gamers-like-mike/#commentsFiled under:

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

 The new head of the video game publishers' association actually plays video games!

Who knew?

I certainly didn't when I wrote a snarky advice column to incoming ESA president Mike Gallagher during his first week on the job. But, two months into his tenure, I like what I see. I'm willing to bet a lot of other gamers do, too.

In fact, we should create some kind of JFK award for the guy just for having the guts to stand up and proclaim, "ich bin ein gamer." In interviews, the new ESA boss immediately outed himself as the setup man for the office multiplayer Doom network when he worked as a congressional staffer. Of course, I had a great deal of respect for Gallagher's ESA predecessor, but Doug Lowenstein wouldn't know a space marine from the man in the moon. He was no gamer. To his credit, he didn't pretend to be. But it feels better to have someone who is in gut-level touch with the medium at the industry's helm.

Continue reading The Political Game: Gamers like Mike

JoystiqThe Political Game: Gamers like Mike originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESAMikeGallagherThePoliticalGameFri, 27 Jul 2007 12:13:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Winners & losers in Manhunt 2 meltdown]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/the-political-game-winners-and-losers-in-manhunt-2-meltdown/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/the-political-game-winners-and-losers-in-manhunt-2-meltdown/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/the-political-game-winners-and-losers-in-manhunt-2-meltdown/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Perception is reality, except when it isn't. And in the case of Manhunt 2, it's not as easy as you may think to pick out the winners and losers from this week's craziness.

Start with the Adults Only rating that the ESRB slapped on Manhunt 2. That may seem like a bad thing, but it's not. Just as new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently cracked down on thug players for the good of the sport, the ESRB needed to prove to parents and politicians that the video game industry could police itself. By assigning an AO to Manhunt 2 ESRB president Patricia Vance certainly did just that. Surely new ESA top dog Mike Gallagher was in on the final decision as well.

In any case, Gallagher and Vance did what needed to be done. The bottom line is that the industry comes out smelling like a rose. And -- bonus cliché -- the proverbial line in the sand has now been drawn. While some content creators will understandably chafe at any sort of limits, the fact is that video games are not only big business but a form of entertainment which people invite into their homes. There needs to be a certain amount of public trust. Designers who can't deal with the realities of the market are welcome to go the Ryan Lambourn route.

Continue reading The Political Game: Winners & losers in Manhunt 2 meltdown

JoystiqThe Political Game: Winners & losers in Manhunt 2 meltdown originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AdultsOnlyESRBmanhunt2PS2PSProckstartake-twothepoliticalgameWiiFri, 22 Jun 2007 11:59:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Dear ESA n00b]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/the-political-game-dear-esa-n00b/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/the-political-game-dear-esa-n00b/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/the-political-game-dear-esa-n00b/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

The following is an IM exchange that I wish I had with Michael Gallagher, who took over as new head of the ESA on Tuesday:


Me: yo, u there?

ESA n00b: yup

Me: how's the new office?

ESA n00b: nice, but @#%$!*&!&! Lowenstein took the stapler with him ...

Me: bummer. Did he leave any CD's around? Doug was big into 70's music.

ESA n00b: no CD's ... just an autographed picture of some guy named Thompson

Me: ewww .... Want some advice?

ESA n00b: um ... sure

Me: I know you're hired to represent the big game publishers, but don't forget about the gamers

ESA n00b: wait now, the who????

Continue reading The Political Game: Dear ESA n00b

JoystiqThe Political Game: Dear ESA n00b originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESAMikeGallagherthepoliticalgameFri, 01 Jun 2007 11:52:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: How old is too old for game blame?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/25/the-political-game-how-old-is-too-old-for-game-blame/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/25/the-political-game-how-old-is-too-old-for-game-blame/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/25/the-political-game-how-old-is-too-old-for-game-blame/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

School shooting? Mass murder? Horrific homicide?

If the killer is of a certain age, video games are sure to be blamed, at least in certain quarters. But that age might be older than you think. When pundits, culture cops and massacre chasers espouse their theories about the forces that drive real-world killers, exactly how old does the perpetrator need to be before video games get a pass?

Based on recent events, that magic number is ... 30. As Joystiq readers know, it's practically a given these days that video games will be mentioned anytime there's a school shooting. But what if the shooter is no kid?

Consider that Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech killer, was 23.

Kimveer Gill, who shot up Montreal's Dawson College last year, was 26.

Kevin Ray Underwood, 26, butchered a little girl in April of 2006.

Charles McCoy was 29 when police arrested him in 2004 for a series of sniper shootings along interstates in Ohio.

Continue reading The Political Game: How old is too old for game blame?

JoystiqThe Political Game: How old is too old for game blame? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 May 2007 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameFri, 25 May 2007 11:58:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Dangerous times for gamers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/04/the-political-game-dangerous-times-for-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/04/the-political-game-dangerous-times-for-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/04/the-political-game-dangerous-times-for-gamers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

You can draw a picture of your school.

You can sketch it in charcoal or paint it in bright pastels or subdued watercolors. You can take an artsy black-and-white photograph of your school or a high-pixel color shot with the sunset in the background. Frame it, crop it for a web page or iron it onto the front of a t-shirt. But whatever you do, however you choose to express yourself, do not recreate your school building within a video game.

That's the lesson coming out of Texas, and it's a hard one for 17-year-old Paul Hwang, a senior at Clements High in Fort Bend. By all accounts a decent kid, Hwang was adept enough with Counter-Strike's built-in level design tools to map his school. His handiwork is quite detailed and rather impressive. Joystiq, in fact, posted some screenshots of his level design yesterday.

Gallery: Clements High maps

Continue reading The Political Game: Dangerous times for gamers

JoystiqThe Political Game: Dangerous times for gamers originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 May 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clementshighcounterstrikethepoliticalgameFri, 04 May 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Take Two and the golden parachute]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/the-political-game-take-two-and-the-golden-parachute/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/the-political-game-take-two-and-the-golden-parachute/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/the-political-game-take-two-and-the-golden-parachute/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

News Item: Fired Take Two CEO Paul Eibeler exits with a golden parachute ...

Damn, damn, double damn.

In a flash of devastating comprehension it dawns on me that I've got this "road to success" thing completely wrong. All these years I thought working hard, doing the right thing and making my boss look good would help me climb the ladder - and maybe make a few bucks along the way.

But the verdict out of Manhattan last week is clear. That's not the way to do it. If you want to tuck a check for a cool $2.5 mil into the pocket of your Armani jacket, if you'd like an $800 monthly car allowance and free health care, here's the game plan:

Continue reading The Political Game: Take Two and the golden parachute

JoystiqThe Political Game: Take Two and the golden parachute originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PaulEibelerTakeTwoThePoliticalGameMon, 09 Apr 2007 12:16:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Throwing free speech under the bus]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/the-political-game-throwing-free-speech-under-the-bus/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/the-political-game-throwing-free-speech-under-the-bus/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/the-political-game-throwing-free-speech-under-the-bus/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

M-rated games can't ride the bus anymore in Boston or Portland, Oregon. Can't ride the train, either. The respective transit authorities in those towns have banned all future ads encompassing M-rated games.

Of course, the game they were really gunning for -- but missed -- was a Grand Theft Auto title, Vice City Stories. Transit ads promoting GTA:VCS which ran last November set the Boston censor-crats off. But by censoring GTA, critics like the Parents Television Council and the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood have closed the door to advertising for every other M-rated game as well. Victims of the ban will include some very artistic titles like Jade Empire 2 and God of War 2 as well as games like Halo 3 that, while violent, don't include hot button content such as shooting cops or robbing hookers.

Why then are games singled out? Why is it okay for HBO to place a huge advertisement for the final episodes of The Sopranos on buses in Boston and Portland while the M-rated video game based on the hit show would be banned from such advertising?

Continue reading The Political Game: Throwing free speech under the bus

JoystiqThe Political Game: Throwing free speech under the bus originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ThePoliticalGameFri, 30 Mar 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: ESRB's extreme makeover]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/23/the-political-game-esrbs-extreme-makeover/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/23/the-political-game-esrbs-extreme-makeover/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/23/the-political-game-esrbs-extreme-makeover/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Have you taken notice of the kinder, gentler ESRB?

In recent months the video game industry's ratings board seems to have been quietly, yet determinedly, remaking itself into a more open, inclusive organization. Not that they would ever admit it, but as Bob Dylan sang, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."

Of course, from the dreadful Hot Coffee summer of 2005, there was really no place for the ESRB to go but up. Back then the ratings board was at an all-time low. The ESRB was besieged by all manner of political, cultural and media critics, including Senator Hillary Clinton, various members of Congress and a determined California Assemblyman named Leland Yee who exploited the ill will caused by the Hot Coffee incident to push through video game sales legislation in the very heartland of the U.S. video game industry.

Continue reading The Political Game: ESRB's extreme makeover

JoystiqThe Political Game: ESRB's extreme makeover originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESRBHotCoffeeThePoliticalGameFri, 23 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Doug Lowenstein shoots the messenger]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/12/the-political-game-doug-lowenstein-shoots-the-messenger/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/12/the-political-game-doug-lowenstein-shoots-the-messenger/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/12/the-political-game-doug-lowenstein-shoots-the-messenger/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Doug Lowenstein took his leave of the video game industry last week with a stirring "I'm outta here" speech delivered at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas. By all accounts, Doug's comments were blunt and from the heart. But, hey, Doug's the guy who started the ESA and he toiled in its fields for a dozen years. Why shouldn't he get a chance to vent on his way out the door?

Among other targets, Lowenstein laid out unnamed developers - cough, Rockstar, cough - who "make controversial content and then cut and run when it comes time to defending their creative decisions."

"Nothing annoys me more," Lowenstein said "If you want the right to make what you want, if you want to push the envelope, I'm out there defending your right to do it. But damn it - get out there and support the creative decisions you make."

Good point, Doug. But Hell, it's your last day. You could have named names. It's not like they're going to escort you out of the building or take away your key to the executive men's room. And while I will generally look back on Doug's watch with admiration, I've just got to say that the ESA boss got it all wrong when he took shots at the gaming press over, of all things, Jack Thompson:

"It drives me crazy. You know who gives Jack Thompson more attention than anyone else? The games press ... I just ... I just think it's nuts."

Continue reading The Political Game: Doug Lowenstein shoots the messenger

JoystiqThe Political Game: Doug Lowenstein shoots the messenger originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>D.I.C.E.DICEDoug LowensteinDougLowensteinESAJackThompsonpoliticsthepoliticalgameMon, 12 Feb 2007 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Industry should distance itself from Columbine game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/the-political-game-industry-should-distance-itself-from-columbi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/the-political-game-industry-should-distance-itself-from-columbi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/the-political-game-industry-should-distance-itself-from-columbi/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Super Columbine Massacre creeps me out.

Maybe that's what designer Danny Ledonne had in mind. If so, mission accomplished. Ledonne clearly wanted to use the game medium to explore the motivations of killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Whether you like his methodology or not, there's a famous piece of yellowed paper resting under glass in the National Archives that says he's free to express himself however he pleases. But whatever Ledonne's purpose in creating SCMRPG, the negative mainstream publicity surrounding the controversial game is not good for the video game industry. Game publishers ought to be proactively making it clear that Super Columbine Massacre isn't a product of their tribe.

Why?

Because the idea that a game company might be so craven as to profit from the Columbine massacre is hurting the industry. Because non-gaming types simply don't understand the difference between LeDonne's self-made art project and a multimillion dollar commercial game product like, say, Rockstar's Bully.

That was never more clear than during last week's hearing of the Public Utilities and Technology Committee of the Utah House of Representatives. There, confusion reigned as one legislator asked what Bully, "the Columbine game," was rated. A second legislator, the sponsor of a video game bill before the committee responded, "The Columbine game's rated Teen."

Scary, huh?

Continue reading The Political Game: Industry should distance itself from Columbine game

JoystiqThe Political Game: Industry should distance itself from Columbine game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columbineColumnthepoliticalgameFri, 02 Feb 2007 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Pax Jack? Don't count on it]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/15/the-political-game-pax-jack-don-t-count-on-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/15/the-political-game-pax-jack-don-t-count-on-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/15/the-political-game-pax-jack-don-t-count-on-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Can Jack Thompson lead the video game industry out of society's doghouse and into a peaceful co-existence with its critics?

Sure, when pigs fly.

Earlier this week, everyone's favorite game-bashing attorney grabbed a few headlines by extending what some news outlets interpreted as an olive branch to video game publishers. In an e-mail to departing ESA boss Doug Lowenstein and ESRB president Patricia Vance, Thompson suggested that the game publishers warn the game retailers not to sell M-rated titles to those under 17. According to Thompson's plan, if retailers failed to comply, the publishers would simply stop shipping games to the offending stores. And then all of this nasty video game legislation would go away.

Brilliant! ... except for those oh-so-annoying realities.

Continue reading The Political Game: Pax Jack? Don't count on it

JoystiqThe Political Game: Pax Jack? Don't count on it originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnpoliticsThePoliticalGameMon, 15 Jan 2007 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The 2006 Political Mix]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/29/the-political-game-the-2006-political-mix/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/29/the-political-game-the-2006-political-mix/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/29/the-political-game-the-2006-political-mix/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

It's game over for 2006, the craziest year ever in video game politics. And that's saying something, given the Hot Coffee hoopla that plagued 2005. Here are some of the major political stories that rocked the video game world in 2006:

Jack Thompson's failed Louisiana video game law: the controversial Miami activist attorney convinced the Louisiana legislature that he had crafted a piece of video game legislation that would withstand the inevitable industry legal challenge. The reality was, he hadn't - not even close - and things got ugly between Thompson and the Louisiana attorney general's office by the time Federal Judge James Brady tossed Thompson's bill onto the scrap heap of history.

Minnesota's nutty "fine the buyer" law: The Minnesota legislature must have been suffering from a collective case of cabin fever when it passed State Senator Sandy Pappas' bill, which called for $25 fines against underage buyers of violent games. That would be the same Sandy Pappas who told GameSpot that, "Legislators don't worry too much about what's constitutional." Obviously, since the bill survived for about three seconds once Federal Judge James Rosenbaum got his hands on it. By the way, His Honor tried out Jade Empire on his clerk's Xbox while considering the case. Pretty cool for a guy who wears a long black dress to work.

Continue reading The Political Game: The 2006 Political Mix

JoystiqThe Political Game: The 2006 Political Mix originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Columnsleft behindLeftBehindThePoliticalGameFri, 29 Dec 2006 11:58:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Censorship in Beantown]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/15/the-political-game-censorship-in-beantown/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/15/the-political-game-censorship-in-beantown/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/15/the-political-game-censorship-in-beantown/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

I don't much care for Grand Theft Auto.

Aside from occasional review duties, I don't play Saints Row, either, or Reservoir Dogs or Scarface. Crime games are just not my thing; however, I don't dispute your right to enjoy those titles.

In Boston, though, political pressure has forced the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) to agree that it will no longer carry ads for GTA or any other M-rated game. This came about after an organization known as the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood objected to subway ads for GTA Vice City Stories on the MBTA's Green Line.

Faced with a politically tenuous situation, the transit authority folded, deciding that it could ban M-rated game ads under the same rationale by which it refuses ads for X-rated movies. This is the games-as-porn approach that failed so miserably in Louisiana recently.

Continue reading The Political Game: Censorship in Beantown

JoystiqThe Political Game: Censorship in Beantown originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnGTAMBTAThePoliticalGameVice City StoriesViceCityStoriesFri, 15 Dec 2006 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Don't worry, be happy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/the-political-game-dont-worry-be-happy/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/the-political-game-dont-worry-be-happy/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/the-political-game-dont-worry-be-happy/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

If you haven't caught this week's edition of Time Magazine, put down EGM or PC Gamer or whatever gaming mag you read and be sure to pick up a copy.

The cover story, "Why We Worry About the Wrong Things" isn't written about the raging controversy over video game content, but it easily could have been. As I read through Jeffrey Kluger's terrific article, I was reminded over and over again about the current political battle surrounding games.

How so?

Continue reading The Political Game: Don't worry, be happy

JoystiqThe Political Game: Don't worry, be happy originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>The Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 08 Dec 2006 11:25:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: It's the Economy, Stupid]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/17/the-political-game-its-the-economy-stupid/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/17/the-political-game-its-the-economy-stupid/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/17/the-political-game-its-the-economy-stupid/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Canada gets it.

The Canadian government is offering grants and a contest to support emerging game developers. The program is called the Great Canadian Video Game Competition, and ten small firms will receive funding. The best of their game projects will be recognized at next year's GDC. The overall winner will receive a half-million dollar award.

Okay, that's Canadian dollars, but still. Why is Canada doing this? To help create Canadian IP and Canadian jobs.

So why do American politicos expend so much time and energy on futile video game content laws instead of helping grow the industry and work to keep the jobs it creates from going to New Delhi or Saigon or even Montreal?

It's baffling. Like moths to a flame, U.S. elected officials waste incredible amounts of time and energy each year on video game laws that aren't worth the paper they are printed on. In Utah this week, the legislature decided to once again consider a "games-as-porn" bill in the upcoming session, against the advice of the state's Attorney General. The Utah pols also chose to ignore the fact that a very similar bill has been blocked by a federal judge from taking effect in Louisiana.

Continue reading The Political Game: It's the Economy, Stupid

JoystiqThe Political Game: It's the Economy, Stupid originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columncolumnspoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 17 Nov 2006 14:25:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Going negative]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/10/the-political-game-going-negative/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/10/the-political-game-going-negative/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/10/the-political-game-going-negative/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

It's obvious to anyone who watches T.V., listens to the radio or gives a second glance to their junk mail: political campaign ads these days are almost exclusively of the negative variety.

The just-completed 2006 mid-term elections saw video game issues raised more than ever before. In the run-up to Tuesday's Democratic sweep, a number of campaign commercials either touted their candidates' positions on regulating video game content or attacked opponents for failing to do so.

U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Rick Santorum both had commercials that mentioned video game content issues. She won, he lost.

In Indiana, incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Sodrel's campaign ran a nasty attack ad bashing his opponent, Democrat Baron Hill, for voting against a 1999 amendment to a juvenile crime bill that would have placed restrictions on video game sales.

The dramatic ad featured a black screen with audio of young boys, apparently playing GTA, and saying things like:

"Hit the hooker with the tire iron!" "Steal the old lady's car." "Shoot her first!"

Continue reading The Political Game: Going negative

JoystiqThe Political Game: Going negative originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnColumnspoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 10 Nov 2006 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Can you create a gaming city?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/03/the-political-game-can-you-create-a-gaming-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/03/the-political-game-can-you-create-a-gaming-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/03/the-political-game-can-you-create-a-gaming-city/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

At the vgXpo in Philly last weekend I was asked to serve on a panel discussing how to make Philadelphia into a video game Mecca. Tough question. Among life's imponderables, that's right up there.

At first blush it seems like a mega-long shot. Sandwiched between New York and Washington, Philly has a long-standing municipal inferiority complex. And even though it's the nation's fourth largest metropolitan area (behind NYC, Los Angeles and Chicago), this Rodney Dangerfield of a town seemingly gets no respect.

Although Philly area people are avid gamers, from a game development standpoint, there isn't a whole lot happening in or around the City of Brotherly Love. A suburban company, eGames, cranks out some nice casual fare for the PC crowd. Majesco, more familiar to console and handheld fans, is headquartered in New Jersey, closer to New York than Philly, truth be told. Maybe the most happening thing in town right now is Newgrounds.com, the Flash portal operated by Tom Fulp, who also designed the indie hit Alien Hominid.

Continue reading The Political Game: Can you create a gaming city?

JoystiqThe Political Game: Can you create a gaming city? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Nov 2006 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alien HominidAlienHominidComcastG4TVNewgroundsPhiladelphiaPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGamevgXpoFri, 03 Nov 2006 11:47:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The Bully bash]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/20/the-political-game-the-bully-bash/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/20/the-political-game-the-bully-bash/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/20/the-political-game-the-bully-bash/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Is the Bully controversy overdone?

When was the last time a video game got the attention of British Prime Minister Tony Blair? Name another game title which spawned multiple protest marches, or got tagged as a "Columbine simulator?"

You can't, because it never happened. Not until Bully came along.

Calling the game a "Columbine simulator," of course, is pure, unadulterated nonsense. It's just a slogan, designed to be memorable and help drive an anti-game agenda, much like "Hello, Moto" was created to pitch you a mobile phone.

But setting aside the game-hate coming out of Miami for just a moment, let's focus on the rest of the world. Frankly, no one should be surprised by the negative reactions to Bully among non-gamers. There are several factors at play here.

Continue reading The Political Game: The Bully bash

JoystiqThe Political Game: The Bully bash originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BullyColumnsPoliticsRockstarThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 20 Oct 2006 12:57:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Do game laws help or hurt candidates?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/13/the-political-game-do-game-laws-help-or-hurt-candidates/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/13/the-political-game-do-game-laws-help-or-hurt-candidates/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/13/the-political-game-do-game-laws-help-or-hurt-candidates/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

There's a guy who posts on GamePolitics, the website I run. Good guy, works for one of the big three console makers. He has a user icon that says, "Vote Pro-Game."

Nice idea. But would you? Vote pro-game, I mean.

When you slip into the voting booth in November, you'll have a lot of other things to worry about, like Iraq, Iran, Al Qaeda, and North Korea, not to mention jobs, healthcare, the environment and net neutrality. So would you vote for or against a candidate strictly on the basis of where he or she stands on video game legislation?

Me neither.

Between two roughly equivalent candidates, however, that could be a decisive factor. So let's take a look at the political fortunes of game legislating politicians in this election year. And if you just want the executive summary, here it is: game legislation doesn't seem to be hurting politicians.

Continue reading The Political Game: Do game laws help or hurt candidates?

JoystiqThe Political Game: Do game laws help or hurt candidates? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Oct 2006 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 13 Oct 2006 11:57:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Video games made me do it]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/29/the-political-game-video-games-made-me-do-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/29/the-political-game-video-games-made-me-do-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/29/the-political-game-video-games-made-me-do-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Ladies and gentlemen of the Joystiq jury, I direct your attention to Independence Day, 2004. On that morning, Cody Posey, just an average 14-year-old boy, picked up a gun, walked into his home and gunned down his stepmother in cold blood.

The video games made him do it.

Cody's dad, Delbert, a caretaker at ABC newsman Sam Donaldson's New Mexico ranch, heard the shots and came running. Cody shot him dead, too, along with his 13-year-old stepsister, Marilea. Sam Donaldson actually discovered the crime scene and called the police. The adolescent killer was arrested, tried, and sent away. Cody Posey, average American teen, had become a homicidal maniac.

The video games made him do it.

Continue reading The Political Game: Video games made me do it

JoystiqThe Political Game: Video games made me do it originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 29 Sep 2006 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Who will save gamers? [update 1]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/22/the-political-game-who-will-save-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/22/the-political-game-who-will-save-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/22/the-political-game-who-will-save-gamers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Despite an uninterrupted string of constitutional defeats, politicians continue to seek ways to legislate video games. In state capitals from Salt Lake City to Albany, political Captain Ahabs are poring over court opinions, seeking the Great White Legal Loophole. Elected officials and culture cops are tweaking the legalese and experimenting with new tactics - such as equating violent games with pornography. For all their bluster, however, they haven't yet been able to pass even a single law that has survived judicial review.

And they probably never will. The First Amendment, it's a powerful thing.

Continue reading The Political Game: Who will save gamers? [update 1]

JoystiqThe Political Game: Who will save gamers? [update 1] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDaily ShowDailyShowDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyJon StewartJonStewartPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 22 Sep 2006 11:57:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The blame game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/15/the-political-game-the-blame-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/15/the-political-game-the-blame-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/15/the-political-game-the-blame-game/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Wednesday's tragic shooting spree at Montreal's Dawson College has prompted yet another media feeding frenzy over violent video games. Word that 25-year-old shooter Kimveer Gill played Super Columbine RPG, a non-commercial game design, was enough to push the video game angle into lead paragraphs in newspapers from London to Washington, D.C. to China. Hell, it even made the Drudge Report.

To be sure, the clearly unbalanced Gill was no stranger to games, especially first-person shooters. His blog on VampireFreaks.com names Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R. and Call of Duty 2 among his favorites. He also played some of the commonly-cited poster children for game violence, including Manhunt, Postal and the GTA series. Gill also played less controversial titles like Warcraft III, Need for Speed Underground and Command & Conquer Generals.

But Super Columbine RPG is the sound bite here, and it's no surprise that the media has jumped on that angle with both feet. Think about it -- a game based upon a horrendous school massacre being played by a lunatic who then commits his own deadly school shooting. If you're writing headlines, it's practically irresistible.

Continue reading The Political Game: The blame game

JoystiqThe Political Game: The blame game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyGame PoliticsGamePoliticsKimveer GillKimveerGillSuper Columbine RPGSuperColumbineRpgThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 15 Sep 2006 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The Virtual Candidate]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/08/the-political-game-the-virtual-candidate/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/08/the-political-game-the-virtual-candidate/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/08/the-political-game-the-virtual-candidate/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:


Is it youthful and hip -- or just geeky and weird -- for a major political candidate to shake hands with a furry or kiss a baby avatar in the virtual world?

We'll find out in 2008.

When presidential hopeful Mark Warner visited Second Life last week, it represented a milestone for both online gaming and American politics.

For the online game community, the former Virginia governor's Second Life stop was a definite boost. Most notably, it marked the first time anything but negative political attention -- violence! addiction! -- has ever been paid to an MMO. Moreover, Warner's visit was a tacit admission that there is something worth tapping into within the Second Life space -- that, despite the game's virtual landscape and offbeat avatars, SL is a real place, populated by gamers with genuine concerns, and, most importantly, gamers who vote.

Continue reading The Political Game: The Virtual Candidate

JoystiqThe Political Game: The Virtual Candidate originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyGamePoliticsMacMark WarnerMarkWarnerPCPoliticsSecond LifeSecondLifeThe Political GameThePoliticalGameVirginiaFri, 08 Sep 2006 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Anti-game candidate works the crowd]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/01/the-political-game-anti-game-candidate-works-the-crowd/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/01/the-political-game-anti-game-candidate-works-the-crowd/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/01/the-political-game-anti-game-candidate-works-the-crowd/#commentsFiled under: ,

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."

Continue reading The Political Game: Anti-game candidate works the crowd

JoystiqThe Political Game: Anti-game candidate works the crowd originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyGamePoliticsMike HatchMikeHatchMinnesotaPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 01 Sep 2006 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: The circus comes to Louisiana]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/25/the-political-game-the-circus-comes-to-louisiana/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/25/the-political-game-the-circus-comes-to-louisiana/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/25/the-political-game-the-circus-comes-to-louisiana/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

If you think back to this time last year, you'll surely recall the State of Louisiana being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Traumatized residents there are still trying to rebuild their lives. These poor souls need all kinds of help - loans and subsidies, jobs and infrastructure repairs.

So the Louisiana legislature gave them a video game law.

Just why a state that is best known for its annual, drunken, boob-flashing street party felt squeamish about, of all things, video games has never been clear. But Rep. Roy Burrell, a Louisiana Democrat, harbored strong feelings about the issue. Apparently frustrated by the failure to get his first effort passed in 2005, Burrell called in a legal gunslinger from out of town:

Jack Thompson.

Continue reading The Political Game: The circus comes to Louisiana

JoystiqThe Political Game: The circus comes to Louisiana originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Aug 2006 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyGamePoliticsLegislationPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 25 Aug 2006 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: A brief history of video game legislation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/18/the-political-game-a-brief-history-of-video-game-legislation/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/18/the-political-game-a-brief-history-of-video-game-legislation/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/18/the-political-game-a-brief-history-of-video-game-legislation/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley will contribute The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

A well-known philosopher - I think maybe it was Doug Lowenstein - once said, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

How true.

Since this a brand-new column about the politics of video games, it seems like a good idea to kick things off with a short history lesson on video game legislation in the USA. That way, if I get canned, some geek can collect these columns for the Wikipedia and they'll have a logical starting point (today's column) and a logical ending (a future Joystiq e-mail with the subject line, "You're fired").

So, pay attention. This means you, Jack Thompson.

Continue reading The Political Game: A brief history of video game legislation

JoystiqThe Political Game: A brief history of video game legislation originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnsDennis McCauleyDennisMccauleyGamePoliticsLegislationPoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 18 Aug 2006 14:25:00 EST