You better sit down, this gets really confusing really quickly.

Yesterday The Escapist broke the news that E3 keynoter Texas Governor Rick Perry stirred up some controversy by attending a Texas' Cornerstone Church sermon given by the Rev. John Hagee. During the service Hagee told the gathering that non-christians are going straight to hell. Perry later said he agreed with the sentiment. The story failed to mention that the sermon took place in 2006, something the Wired follow-up did explain.

Then Game Politics, a ECA site which follows the convergence of politics and gaming, picked up the story and added some commentary, calling Perry a bizarre keynote choice and asking the ESA to rescind their offer. It also said that E3 2008 was being politicized by ESA president Michael Gallagher.

In exchanges with Joystiq, Dan Hewitt, the ESA director of communication, called into question Game Politics' objectivity, pointing out that it was owned by ECA.

"If the ESA posted a blog and called it a news site, journalists would rightfully balk and it wouldn't pass a smell test. Remarkably, GamePolitics doesn't face the same scrutiny even though it's funded by the ECA and tainted with anti-ESA vitriol. At the end of the day, calling GamePolitics a news site is as laughable as saying there's a Cuban free press."

Game Politics' editor Dennis McCauley defended the site, saying he "stands by what he wrote regarding the appropriateness - or lack thereof - of having Gov. Perry deliver the E3 keynote."

Reached for comment this afternoon, Rich Taylor, senior vice president for communications and research at the ESA, had this to say:

“The ESA welcomes open, honest and frank exchanges with the media. Dan’s comments to Joystiq, which were directed specifically at GamePolitics, were an expression of frustration based on the consistently biased approach of reporting on that site. “

So two issues for the price of one: Is a religiously outspoken governor the appropriate choice for E3 keynoter? Does the fact that ESA rival, the ECA own GamePolitics call into question their objectivity.

ESA calls out GamePolitics for unfair coverage [update] [Joystiq]

Both Henry and Southern said Trujillo was never violent toward their children, and they never saw her use any Mortal Kombat moves. Southern said she thinks Roberts made up the Mortal Kombat story to look tough. "Lamar changed her. He was a thief and not a very good person," Southern said.

Is Brutal "Mortal Kombat Murder" Lacking the Mortal Kombat Part? [Game Politics]

Many of his campaign speeches have contained advice for parents to get kids to "put away the video games." This isn't anything new, either. GamePolitics.com also points out that he's been talking about video games and underachievement in the same breath since April 2006.

In his victory speech in Wisconsin last night, Obama reiterated this sentiment:

I know how hard it will be to alleviate poverty that has built up over centuries, how hard it will be to fix schools, because changing our schools will require not just money, but a change in attitudes.

We're going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that's going to take some time.

I'm fairly certain my prime minister doesn't know what a video game is, so for now, Canada is safe. But it's scary when a potential leader of a country so passively attributes video games with failure. It sounds like yet another instance of a politician not fully understanding what he's talking about, and jumping on the bandwagon, proliferating the popular sentiment that "video games are evil."

Obama Campaign Theme: Video Games As Metaphor For Underachievement [GamePolitics.com]

First up, we have one account of a raid in Ohio via Xbox-Scene - and while I'm sorry the guy is now up a creek without a paddle, supporting one's self via means of questionable legality is never a particularly smart plan:

... I have been out of work since early may, and modding is the only thing that was keeping me above water with the bills. Now I can't mod, and I can't even sell anything off to pay for bills either since it has all been confiscated due to a ludicrous interpretation of the DCMA. Now it's all said and done, and I just have to wait for them to decide what I did wrong, but while I'm waiting, I have NOTHING of any worth anymore, other than a computer monitor, and my car. Because of what happened I'm not allowed to see my girlfriend and our 4 month old daughter, and last night, I slept in my car and my girlfriend sent me a text message telling me it felt like someone was taking me away from her. They took my life away. I would like to formally thank Microsoft and Nintendo for cracking down on the little guy with a soldering iron in his garage, rather than going after the people that are responsible for the bootlegs being available.

Moving on to the nitty gritty, the Console Tech forums have a post with lots and lots of scans: a copy of the search warrant, and a surprisingly small list compared to what they had the scope to seize (and one, count it, one mod chip - hope the government feels that was worth the expense of manpower and resources to seize it). GP points out that "not shown is the probable cause affidavit, which would have explained the government's basis for the search. That document apparenly [sic] remains sealed by a federal court," which is more than a little odd, especially considering the results were less than thrilling. Wonder what they thought they'd be seizing?

And from the Xbox-scene forums comes a long rant that GP describes as "probably the most lucid, detailed and passionate criticism we've seen concerning last week's Homeland Security raids on mod chippers":

The root of the problem is the DMCA. The ideals behind the DMCA are good but the wording really is far too broad... Digital Rights management is being... abused to technologically lock consumers into a fabricated monopoly... our laws work to criminalize anyone and everyone and designed not in the best interests of the American people but in the best interests of politicians and big businesses.

And finally, conservative and liberal blogs jump into the debate. On the right, we have Conservative Gamer, tying mod chips and the illegal alien debate together:

ICE appears to be diverting resources to going after people with mod chips instead of dealing with the illegal alien influx .... How wonderful. It's great to know our government is looking out for us. Next time I hear someone complain about illegal aliens in their town, I'll just remind them that ICE has more important things to do. They'll understand.

And from the left, Freedom Democrats:

The Copyright Mafia is going to greater and greater lengths to take ownership of American culture. First there is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which effectively allows electronics manufactures to own our equipment even after they have sold it to us. This past week, we received news that reminded us that the Feds are serious about enforcing this new form of ownership .... And to make it worse, Google and friends point out that several media companies have been deceitfully undermining our fair use rights, by forcefully claiming that such rights do not exist.

Well, at least there's something that all of us can agree on, even if it's not for the same reasons.

Time will tell what the long-term fall out over these raids (and subsequent crackdowns, perhaps?) will be, but the chatter probably won't die down any time soon. What - if anything - of substance was netted from these raids? What is in those still-sealed probably cause affidavits? What's next?

Check out GamePolitics for what I'm sure will be continuing coverage, and to see their take on the articles posted above.

There is fun to be had in the press release (see below). As Game Politics points out, Senator Lanza uses the V-Tech Rampage 'game' as an example of games that needed to be regulated, despite the fact that as a non-retail amateur flash program created by an Australian there is absolutely nothing they can do to regulate it. A little shock value goes a long way though, doesn't it?

The bill is now sent to the assembly, and is fully expected to complete the process to become law. Michael Fahey

NY Video Game Bill Is On Fast Track to Becoming Law [GamePolitics.com]

SENATE PASSES LEGISLATION TO CRACK DOWN ON VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE
Bill Would Establish Advisory Council On Interactive Media and Youth Violence

The New York State Senate today passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Andrew Lanza (R-I, Staten Island), that would take steps to crack down on video game violence, and combat and reduce children's exposure to violent and inappropriate materials within these games.

The bill (S.5888) would establish the Advisory Council on Interactive Media and Youth Violence to review the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system and its effectiveness, and recommend additional steps that can be taken to curb children's access and exposure to such "adult-only" material. The advisory council would consist of nine members and six ex-officio members.

The bill would also require New York State's retailers to place ratings labels on all video games, and establish a Parent-Teacher Anti-Violence Awareness Program to work with students and children on issues related to violence in video games and seek to increase awareness of the ratings system on games.

"The recent release of 'V-Tech Massacre,' a sick game which exploits the Virginia Tech University tragedy, is a painful reminder of the culture of violence which has severe consequences on our youth and society," said Senator Lanza, Chairman of the Senate Task Force on Youth Violence and the Entertainment Industry. "The emotions and behaviors of our children are far too often shaped by the virtual reality of violent movies and video games. It is imperative that we find a way to prevent these virtual realities from continuing to fuel and teach the violent behavior which is corrupting our youth. My bill will provide parents with important information about violent video games so they are better able to make informed decisions."

"Everywhere we look, violence surrounds us and it is unfortunate that our children are exposed to this explicit material, whether found in video games, movies or on television," said Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno. "Our children our spending too much time watching television and playing video games without any adult supervision, and we cannot sit back and allow them to be exposed to this senseless violence anymore. I applaud Senator Lanza for his leadership and we will continue to push the Assembly to take action against these issues."

"No child should be playing 'games' that involve mutilating people with chain saws, having sex with prostitutes, or dealing drugs," said Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C, Brooklyn), Chairman of the Senate Critical Choices Task Force. "This hyper-violent material is mind-boggling in its brutality, and our kids should simply not be exposed to it. These commonsense proposals will better inform and empower parents throughout our State, while also helping to prevent our kids from gaining access to these video games."

Currently, video games are rated "E" for everyone, "T" for teens, "M" for mature, and "AO" for adults only. A study by a group of Harvard University researchers published in 2004 reviewed a random sample of 81 "T" rated video games and found that 48 percent contained violence, sexual themes, substance use, gambling, or profanity that was not noted on the game box as it should have been. In addition, a recent study published in Applied Developmental Psychology found that only twenty-five percent of parents surveyed said that they "always" check the industry rating of computer and/or video games before renting or buying them.

This legislation would establish the following:

> Advisory Council on Interactive Media and Youth Violence — would establish a new Advisory Council on Media, Entertainment Software and Youth Violence, which will review and make recommendations on the effectiveness of the current Entertainment Software Ratings Boards (ESRB) ratings system in keeping violent video games out of the hands of youth. The panel, which will include parents, educators, experts in child psychology, child welfare advocates, concerned citizens and industry representatives, will also develop policies relating to public education and advocacy against youth violence, examine efforts being undertaken in other states, and develop recommendations for additional ways of regulating the exposure of youth to these games.

> Rating System Labeling Requirement — under current State law, there is no requirement that retailers place labels on video games sold in New York. To address this shortcoming, would establish a new requirement that every video game sold in New York by a retailer or over the Internet, whether new or for resale, must have a clearly displayed rating indication on the game cover or elsewhere (such as on a website). Individuals who violate these provisions will face fines and penalties.

> Parent-Teacher Anti-Violence Awareness Program — would also establish a new Parent-Teacher Anti-Violence Awareness Program, which will empower parents and teachers to work with students and children on issues related to violence in video games. The program will also seek to increase awareness of the ratings system on games, and the importance of appropriate parental supervision. The Anti-Violence Program would be funded through fines on retailers who violate the new labeling law.

The bill was sent to the Assembly.

####

In what is just terribly shocking news, yet another politician is climbing on their "video games are eating the youth of America!" platform to curry favor for the 2008 presidential race. In this case, it's former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, speaking at Regent University, a Virginia university I'd never heard of before reading the GamePolitics & Washington Post articles, despite living in the state for 20-some odd years. What sparkling insights does he have to impart to us?

Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and TV and video games. The Virginia Tech shooter, like the Columbine shooters before him, had drunk from this cesspool.

What's that famous Cicero quote? "O the times! O the customs!" First it was lascivious lyric poetry, then it was jazz, after that Elvis and the Beatles - what's after video games? Keep your eye on GamePolitics to see who else gets on their shaky-yet-vote-getting soapbox. As for me, I'm off to wallow in my poisonous pornographic cesspool and play some Harvest Moon. Maggie Greene

Prez Candidate Romney: Violent Video Games in Cultural Cesspool [GamePolitics]

GamePolitics has another take on the recently released (and much discussed) British Board of Film Classification report on gaming, results culled from interviews with gamers and non-gamers alike. One of the interesting (if very broad) conclusions they reached was that

People who do not play games raise concerns about their engrossing nature, assuming that players are also emotionally engrossed. This research suggests the opposite; a range of factors seems to make them less emotionally involving than film or television.

I watch little-to-no TV, but this did get me thinking about my emotional involvement with games, films, and literature - and while I can get very engrossed in a game, perhaps alarmingly so from a non-gamer's perspective, my emotional ties to my favorite games do tend to be much shallower than with my favorite books or movies.

I think that is partially due to the time issue: games tend to be much more languidly paced, or at least the plot is spread out, whereas I'm done watching a film in 2 hours. Even the time commitment required to read some of the hefty tomes of yesteryear (War and Peace, I'm looking at you) is less than spending 80 hours on Final Fantasy. Some of my favorite movies took me repeated viewings to really fall for - I simply don't have the time to spend 40 hours plus playing through a game, again, if I had a lukewarm feeling the first play through.

And with the exception of a couple of friends who are rather avid gamers themselves, beyond recommending a title, my sense of immediate satisfaction in sharing something I really love is not really extant in my gaming life. It's easy to lend someone a book or suggest watching a film together - it's a lot harder to plunk someone down halfway through a game and expect them to get what's going on and why you're all fired up about it.

So while I hate to put down much-loved titles when I finally reach the end, I suppose I do have to agree with the conclusion that (for me, at least) games are less emotionally involving. I can only imagine what some corners of the anti-video gaming league are going to do with such a conclusion, though. Maggie Greene

Research Shows Varying Perspectives of Gamers, Non-Gamers [GamePolitics]

Software that features "violent racism" or "religious violence" was targeted by both (along with other distasteful displays of rape, incest, bestiality, etc.). Each proposal, dated about a week apart, would require specially designated areas for games that feature content they consider unsuitable for minors as well as proof of age checks.

Both proposals, virtually identical in their text, require that anyone who appears to be under 30 years of age show ID to purchase a mature title. I hope this bill passes, just so I can be carded by the nice man at EB when I try to buy Bonestorm DS next time I'm in New York. Michael McWhertor

N.Y. Bill Limits Racial & Religious Violence in Games and Proposed New York Law Would Block Sale of Violent Games to Minors [Game Politics]

We found the Pribyl boy. He is in Illinois holed up with crazed gamers. We found him because of my going public and good police work. Tell your sycophantic, panting audience that.

In the end everything turned out all right. The MMORPG player had called his parents on Tuesday night to assure them he was okay. He was visiting a female gamer he had met online, and as many male gamers will agree, a chance at sweet lovin' always wins out over common sense.

What intrigues me the most about this story is the odd team up of SOE, GamePolitics, and J-Money, who I am sure was in no way influenced by the lure of free publicity. Sure, the Florida lawyer seems to hate us crazed gamers, but maybe deep down under that gruff and manly exterior he cares for us, and just wants to make sure we are safe and sound.

Could this incident lead to a more industry / rabid lawyer collaborations? In a perfect world, JT and the games industry use this experience as a launching pad for a super team of mystery solving adventurers. I imagine it would be something like this...

SOE, GamePolitics, Jack Thompson in Search for Missing Gamer [GamePolitics]

"There's been an amazingly positive reception for the ECA from the industry ... which has helped to support and strengthen our cause," said Halpin, its president. "The games industry companies for years has been saying they are committed to gamers, and with the help of the ECA, I believe that goal can be achieved as we strive to enable and empower the consumers and their voices."

New group gives voice to gamers [Stamford Advocate, via ECA partner Game Politics]

My preference would be to have a real heavy hitter in the job - someone with a legal background, who knows their way around D.C. but isn't necessarily a part of it. The federal-level legislation is significantly less threatening to the category than is state-level action, so being engrained in the politics on The Hill need not be a priority. Having the coalition partners (EMA, IGDA, ECA) involved in the search, too, would be prudent.

That seems to match up with what I've been saying: We need our own Jack Valenti. Brian Crecente

Hal Halpin: Rumors swirl around Lowenstein departure [Game Politics]

That law made it illegal to sell, rent or lease a game if it met certain conditions. Those are:

(1) The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the video or computer game, taken as a whole, appeals to the minor's morbid interest in violence.
(2) The game depicts violence in a manner patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable for minors.
(3) The game, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.

This ruling follows a temporary injuction filed by the judge in August which now sounds permanent. Maybe next time, guys.

Details are still scarce at this point, but we'll let you know more when we know more. Michael McWhertor

BREAKING: **** ********'s Louisiana Game Law Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal Judge
Louisiana Passes ******** Bill [Kotaku]

Governor Brad Henry posted a brief statement in a release posted Friday.

"The violence in videogames has grown to epic proportions," the Governor said. "Some video games glorify violence to a degree seldom seen in even the bloodiest movies. While parents have the ultimate responsibility for what their children do and see, this legislation is another tool to ensure that our young people are not saturated in violence. This gives parents the power to more closely regulate which games their children play."

GamePolitics has much more on the story. Concerned Oklahoma-based gamers should take note and watch for developments on the Constitutionality (my new word!) of the bill. Michael McWhertor

Oklahoma Guv Signs Game Bill; 1st Amendment Battle Looms

Pixelante T-shirt Contest Finalists Now Available

Game Politics has an item up about a game-related piece that will be showing up on Dateline NBC tonight. The episode will look at the murder of Randi Trimble, who was stabbed to death by her husband and a friend. Both are serving life for the crime.

The motivation for the murder was Trimble s intrusion on her husband s gaming time and refusal to let him buy gadgets. That and the guy s a fucking psycho. I mean, come on, you can dress this murder up how ever you want, but this was a crime of passion. He was pissed at his wife and so he killed her; the rest is window dressing, not motivation.

Tivo Alert [Game Politics]

Never one to hang about long, Thinkgeek have brought out a special commemorative tee: subtle it ain't!

While we're on the subject of JT, Gamepolitics has the latest news about Jack on CNN up which has garnered a walloping 350 comments already (at time of posting).

Eds Note: This might not be new, but one can never show too much Thompson disdain.