<![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech - Kotaku Comments]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech - Kotaku Comments]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I think back in the early 80's/late 70's gamers as kids may not have had "political activism" high on their agendas. But I respect the fact that as we gamers get older, and games become more sophisticated, an association like this has tried to stick up for first amendment rights.

As far as our own voices are concerned, we don't necessarily need to be a part of the VGVN to send letters to our representatives. Form letters are just a way to involve more people faster by having them sign something which they agree with in principle.

devilmoon

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> "To get the rating that they want, the artistic team must often mold their original vision so that the film will achieve the rating that they want."

It usually doesn't work like that - for the most part, developers are willing to drop stuff that's a problem if their vision doesn't really rely on it. "Can we put tops on those topless backup dancers?", Harmonix may say. And they can, because they can make the game rock in other ways that don't get the censors upset.

I think Lowenstein has a point on the game press - they're not so much 'press' as 'enthusiasts who get paid to write about games'. That's changing - people like N'gai Croal, Jason Hill, Stephen Tolito are at the vanguard - but most of the gaming press are dreadfully smallminded. I think a lot of the popularity of the gaming blogs has been, well, they're blogs, so they're quicker off the mark, but also that they wear their biases on their sleeve. There's no need to be fully objective, and somehow that manages to keep the writers mostly objective.

That and 90% of gamers, like everything else in life, are idiots. This is no slight on them, after all 50% of people in the world are below average, but it does make me glad that the VGVN gives them a form letter rather than inviting them to crap on the page and send it to their congressman. I've seen what gamers have written to JT. A lot of it doesn't really paint a rosy or mature picture about the industry ("OMG U R AN ID1OT!!!!!11!!!!" sort of thing) - it's just lucky that JT doesn't matter.

Merusdraconis

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> "In the last six months, I cant tell you how many ridiculous rumors I've read. I've heard people say that I'm leaving the ESA because I'm upset with what happened with the E3 decision. This stuff is stupid and it's wrong. It's lazy reporting. I think the game industry press is capable of much better."

"You know who gives Jack Thompson more press than anyone else? The games press legitimizes Jack Thompson. Everyone gets so upset that Jack Thompson has so much ability." Becoming visibly flustered, he ends with, "I just think it's nuts."

From Lowensein's mouth to God's ear.

Too bad that, by this time next week, his words will be long forgotten.

-Spirit-of-

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I'm a big supporter of the video game industry and the right of artistic freedom. I'm signed up with the Video Game Voters Network, but I discouraged others from doing so.

Why would I do that?

The entire reason the Video Game Voters Network was created was so that gamers and developers would have a voice to combat game legislation. This is a good thing and I support it fully. We needed some centralized organization that allowed us to speak our minds on the topic, so that Senators and the government wouldn't ignore us like they had been doing.

Upon joining the VGVN, I was treated with having a chance to directly send a message to legislators about an upcoming bill that was making the rounds in Congress. "Great," I thought. "Here's my chance to make a difference."

However, much to my dismay, I found out that the letter had already been typed out for me. It said what it wanted to say, and I got no voice in the matter. I only got a chance to basically sign and send it.

These were not the words I wanted to write. I wanted to let them know how I felt as a gamer, not how the industry thinks I should feel. While, yes, by giving us our own voice, you may get gamers that are a little "less influential" than others. However, I personally believe it to be more important if we were allowed to say what we wanted to say, and not have some organization that we barely know supply those words for us.

Luckily I had (mostly) agreed with what was said, so I felt confident enough to send the message anyway. But what about those people who didn't like what was said? What about those people who wanted to say something else? Their voice would be ignored, just like the it was being ignored by Congress.

After I sent the message, I was immediately greeted with something along the lines of, "Spread the message! Enter your friends' email addresses below and get them to join! For every additional address you enter, you get blah-blah-blah!" This didn't belong in a website about the First Amendment and artistic freedom. This belonged on a chain letter, or an ad site.

To make a long story short (too late), I felt like the VGVN was one gaint cattle call, and therefore didn't feel comfortable telling my friends to join. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about joining (or who already has) to really examine what message the VGVN is trying to say, and make sure that it properly matches the message you want the government to hear.

Firefly

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> "I'm also annoyed with the game media. I think there's a lot of maturity that needs to happen with the game press. I think the game industry press needs a higher level of maturity and seriousness."


This is so true.

Barbara

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> it's a shame that the man decided to go, and at first i questioned why he was saying what he was saying to end it, but i completely understand where he's coming from.

i'm a member of the video game voters network, but i live in california so i rarely get a chance to participate in anything....

coolyfooly88

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I would like to have Bubsy 8 and Bonk 12...where the hell are they?

Darkest Daze

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I definitely agree with him to a certain extent that publishers are often afraid of the reaction of the vocal few, but I didn't see that he really showed where the ESA was also to blame. It is widely known that the MPAA ratings are largely arbitrary; minor changes make the difference between an NC-17 and an R or a PG-13 and an R. What I have always found more disturbing is the self-censorship aspect of the ratings system. To get the rating that they want, the artistic team must often mold their original vision so that the film will achieve the rating that they want. So instead of the rating as a reflection of the film itself, the film is molded into what will achieve a specific rating. If the team chooses to have the film go unrated by some nameless, faceless panel, the film will not be eligible for many of the distribution venues of the self-censored film. An NC-17 rating is the kiss of death.

And when the government pushed, the ESRB was created. When people like Joe Lieberman push for censorship with threats that the government will need to get involved in censoring art, we back down and roll out an even more restrictive policy of ratings than the MPAA. Hot coffee would get an R rating in a film, but gets the equivalent of an NC-17 for games. So, our industry self-censors, turns blood green or eliminates blood altogether. We live in a world where morality bullies determine what everyone else can play or watch. In a country that is often viewed (mistakenly) as the champion of free speech, we have internalized the censors. When you cut content to fit a rating or to avoid a confrontation, they win.

kingofallcosmos

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I'd be pissed too. That point about pushing the envelope then just putting your head in the sand is 100% on the money.

Take Two... he means you

Jabbertrack

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> Although I don't care much for games which exist simply for violence sakes, I am highly against censorship and I think many developers take the fact that they CAN develop these games for granted.

We will definitely miss you, Doug.

Now where are all the AO games!

ojisan

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I would love to see a video of this speech.

Atheist Jew

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> I applaude Lowenstein. He's right about the industry, the consumers, and the media. It's just a shame he's leaving.

mfelps

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> Pale, the quotes seem to have been lifted from a Gamespot story on Lowenstein, as well as the linked Kotaku post just prior to the quotes.

Michael McWhertor

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> He makes a good point about JT.

Has Kotaku seriously thought about just completly not talking about him? just completly scrub him from your reports, try to encourage all the other game sites to do the exact same thing.

Nothing better than having him on some Main-Stream news channell with some gaming 'experts' who proclaim "No, ive never heard of you, are you important?".

Unfortunatly I doubt this will ever happen, sensationalism is too good to pass up I guess.

The_Truth

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> It's nice to see the honesty you get when someone is moving on after a time at a job. It's quite refreshing. Does anyone have a source of the press quotes at the end? I'd love to know which sites said what.

Pale

]]> <![CDATA[ESA Prez Goes All Out On Final DICE Speech]]> It kinda' sucks for him, spending so much time fighting the good fight, and most any common Madden NFL player doesn't know who the hell he is.

I however, thank him greatly for all that he's done.

Tensong

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