Regulations - Unit 07 Day one DLC Assignment Blog

 Understanding the creative industry - Regulations

Regulatory bodies affect the way games end up in the users hands in many different ways. In this blog I'll discuss these bodies and how they affect the industry. 

Out of the three topics I'll be discussing, I believe that regulations in games are one of the most crucial factors in determining how a game will turn out. By this, i mean ethical issues can be easily changed by, for example, simply changing the image of a character to a less offensive status (as in the case of Counter Strike: Global Offensive I discussed in my last post). Regulations determine what age rating the game will receive, what they can and can't show, and categories that the game will fall into.

PEGI (Pan European Game Information) determine what age rating a game will receive and what categories the game will get in Europe. For example in the UK, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has to display that the game can only be played by users 12 and over, and that it contains depictions of violence and the ability to play online. The reason they do this is  to ensure that the person is "mentally" and "physically" ready to play the game. As this game is based on defeating the opponent by by fighting until knocked out of the arena, I believe these ratings are justified as the game based around fighting. The addition for the online capability is added, because Nintendo cannot control what happens in online servers. For example, people could receive racist or sexual abuse through no control of Nintendo, so putting this label on shows parents and users that online gaming is possible.This dictates how the game will end up in the market, as it restricts the audience who can play the game, therefore may lower the profit generated. On the other hand, it may encourage people who enjoy games with a sense of violence to buy the game. These ratings on the case will give customers more insight into what the game could be like if they have no knowledge on it otherwise.


Regulations and censorship can also determine where a video game is allowed to be shown and played. Battlefield 3 has been banned from the country Iran by the government, due to the fictional invasion by the US to Tehran and the Grand Bazaar. It's said that even before the ban, retail stores were removing the game due to the offensive setting of the game. Many gamers in Iran protested and demanded for an apology from EA. This could of affected EA's already tarnished reputation of being the worst company, by adding to that fictionalising a war in a country the US already has trouble with. This could of also lowered the profits gained as a whole country cannot play the game, and the copies of the game sent to Iran would have been scrapped. On the other hand, there will be people in Iran who would want to play the game regardless. By the Iranian government banning this game, these people are now not able to play it. This can relate back to ethics, as this person is wanting to play this game but is being forced not to.

The ESA (Entertainment Software Association) also play a big part in regulating video games. One of the main goals of the ESA is to prevent piracy in the gaming industry, as ofcourse, a game stole is a profit lost. In the states of Illinois, Michigan, and Louisiana, the ESA have put in regulations to stop games being sold to minors (more to the point, those not 'old' enough to buy the game), and each state has had to pay over $2 million in attorney fees. This in turn I think could damage the gaming industry in these states as the money lost from the governing bodies could of been passed onto the companies working there. Also the shops selling the games illegally will be under scrutiny from the press and head offices, and will feel pressured into putting the problem right again. In Michigan, 2005,  Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed a law which could see any retailer caught selling a game to underage minors could face 3 months in jail and $25,000 fine. The fine alone would be enough to put retailers off selling the game, but the 3 months in jail is a sure fire way to put and end to selling underage. This will also effect people buying the games, as they now will not be able to purchase the games they once were able to, which will give a knock on effect on profits made by companies in the area. People who have been playing games with age ratings higher than their age for a long time may be annoyed, as who has the right to say "you're not old enough!" when they've been playing the game for years? This could see a huge drop in profits made as people may just stick to the games they already own instead of investing in newer games. This then can lead to the company having to cut back on staff or push staff to work harder, making the workplace more desolate than it already is. 


In my opinion regulations in games are very important. Without them, games could go "too far" and people could get offended. Although some some censoring is unnecessary as in the case of the Left 4 Dead cover where a thumb had to be added before sale. What is right and wrong depends on the individual game, and the circumstances of the time.

Bibliography
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=smash+bro&agecategories=&genre=&organisations=&platforms=&countries=&submit=Search#searchresults (6/10/12)
http://www.cheatcc.com/extra/supersmashbb/images/ssbb_mario.jpg (6/10/12)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Iran#Video_games ( 8/10/12)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games#United_Kingdom (8/10/12)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_3#Reception (8.10.12)
http://www.geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/xboxl4d_japan2.jpg (8/10/12)
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132300/video_game_regulation_where_we_.php?page=2 (12/10/12) 
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2005-09-14/esa-suing-michigan-over-violent-games-law (12/10/12)

This wound me up

 Relatively old video but this got me livid. How can they comment in such a biased way with a clear lack of knowledge of the subject? Get back to presenting wars and stuff, or at least do some back round reading before poking holes in something you know nothing about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzF173GqTU

Ethics - Unit 07: Day One DLC Assignment Blog

Understanding the creative industry - Ethics

In this blog I'll discuss the some of the main issues effecting the creative industry. This topic - ethics, contain very controversial items, such as the attempted rape in Tomb Raider (2013), which I will explore and explain.

Ethical Issues

Maintaining 'good' ethics in a video game (or to that, any media in the creative industry), can be a vital part in determining how the product will end up for the user, and the company. Tomb Raider (2013) is one that has apparently lacked in good ethics. 

This picture shows where this villain in Tomb Raider attempts (subtly) to rape Lara Croft. The subject of rape is very serious, and the fact that Crystal Dynamics included this scene is very controversial. Many argue that rape is too serious to trivialise, and that by playing it in a game is mocking victims of rape. But non of these critics mention on the fact that this is the first person Lara kills - so is killing another human being OK? Of course neither murder or rape are in 'the real world', but as this is just a game, in my opinion this scene is fine. If the man actually did rape her, then yes, that is too far. I believe that this scene gives the player a strong connection with Lara, as they build an interactive, emotional connection with the character They may feel like they have to protect Lara from this horrible event. There is the old belief that playing violent games makes people violent, but in this case, would it make people more protective over women, and change peoples minds on rape? Surely this won't encourage the idea of rape, as the scene is very unappealing and gritty.

As all this controversy unfolds, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are at the center of it all. I see this 'bad' image that the companies have earned from this scene as a double edged sword. All the bad press and media exaggeration of the trailer received is bound to put people off purchasing this game. As of course, if all you've heard of the game is "Lara Croft almost gets raped", who would? But then as many people and I alike don't believe everything the media put in front of me, I had to investigate. By reading into the game play and watching the full trailer as well as studying in class, (which not being a big Lara fan, I normally wouldn't of done), I'm suddenly intrigued by the game. Not because of the rape scene, but by the game itself.  Square Enix will suddenly receive a lot more attention for this game, as it appeals to a market it never once had by people interested in all the controversy.This can benefit the company as this extra money can be used to patch the game after it is released, and to release downloadable content (DLC's) to benefit the game. The companies may then of created a bigger market for themselves, as new games start playing the rest of the Tomb Raider series and other games that they make.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive, the new installment from Valve Corporation, has also been involved with ethical controversy. It was announced before the release, that on certain levels of the game you would be able to play in the Terrorist team looking similar to the ETA (A nationalist, separatist organisation in Spain). When Spanish officials got wind of this, they immediately requested that this faction should be removed from the game, as they believed it would offensive to victims of the attacks and could make the ETA look trivial. I agree with this point, as the latest ETA attack was only April 9th 2011, and by including them in the game could be offensive as there is still violence in Spain. This affected the way Valve ended up making the final game, as they would of have to re-written  some parts to exclude these factions. This could of possibly delayed the release, or made working life making this game difficult as new parts to the game would of needed to be added. This links into the terrible history and image the games industry already has with poor working conditions, as already this year giant EA got voted worst company in America. But on the other hand, many games such as Call of Duty series, and Battlefield 2, include factions similar to Al Queda, the Taliban, the Nazi's and the Japanese. All of whom have been included in recent terrorism or in terrible wars and mass killings. These two games are two of the most popular games in the modern world, yet they receive little controversy about these playable factions. I believe the regulatory bodies such as PEGI and the ESA (in which I will discuss in more detail in the next blog), and gaming officials feel more lenient into letting these games publish factions in this way, as their profit margin will be a lot higher due to this. 


Many ethical issues arise in games. Although the changes to games such as the issue with Counter Strike: Global Offensive have been quickly altered for the best intentions, I believe that the market is biased towards more profitable organisations. Ethical issues in games will gradually fade, as the public become desensatised to violence and topics such as rape. This can be shown from Death Race (1976), where the game received heavy controversy from the apparent violence in this game (the basic idea being you drive the car and run people over). As of the standards of today, this game seems childish in comparison to Grand Theft Auto and others alike. To conclude, I believe most ethical controversy is due to the media exaggerating, although some issues can be pushing the boundaries of what is "acceptable".

Bibliography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3HfmcDRbn8 (29/09/12)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_Raider_%282013_video_game%29 (29/09/12)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CS_GO (03/10/12) 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ETA_attacks (3/10/12)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8qC8qTarF44yYAbDcOZ4EpDAtm0H4HBIuDwjVuiXIK8okBkMGrPN00uZK1gCy6jtNSh4MlTDWv6_aBe6sxRpYV2WP5OsUh2ZIU4KzcQ_aScvrruLBlLKA4fCYxb-BWGnD-MbhDvkQaXF/s1600/eta_eta_gara.jpg (3/10/12)
http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/death_race/clock%20scr%20cap%202.JPG (4/10/12)

FTL basic gameplay

 Just a quick video I made of Faster Than Light showing the basic gameplay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBdj1gPWc1g

First review for college - excuse the lack of detail, hard to copy from word

Joshua James

Group 8

Game Review

This is my review of the game Pokémon Heart Gold. In this piece I will talk about the history of Pokémon, the game play and features of the game.

The Japanese company Nintendo created Pokémon, in 1996. Developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has become the second biggest franchise in the world based on a video game. The original Pokémon games were Red and Blue on the Gameboy console, released to the international market in 1998. Following the success of these games, the Yellow: Special Pikachu version was released for the Gameboy Colour. This hit a massive market, and set the Pokémon trend as Gold, Silver and Crystal versions were released a year later, also for the Gameboy Colour. The third generation, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald were released on the Gameboy Advanced console in 2002. From these, remakes of the originals were made which included Fire Red and Leaf Green on the Advanced console, then Heart Gold and Soul Silver on the Nintendo DS. Some people do not like this though, as they believe it is ruining the series by remaking original versions, though I personally welcome them as many aspects of the game change.

Pokémon Heart Gold is a Role Play Game. While playing this game you view game-play from a bird’s eye view whilst giving a three dimensional perspective. The basic goal of the game is to train and level-up your Pokémon by fighting your Pokémon against opponents in battles to eventually becoming champion. Along the way you can catch new Pokémon, trade and evolve members in your party.

Pokémon Heart Gold is set in “Johto” (a fictional region of the world). You play as a young Pokémon trainer, of which you name yourself. The ambition is to become the greatest Pokémon trainer, and you set off on your journey with one of three starter Pokémon: Cyniquil, Totodyle and Chikorita., given to you by Professor Elm. Along the way you make friends in the game which give you useful hints, as well as rivals. Your nemesis in the game is a character (of which you also name), who steals a Pokémon from Elms Laboratory. You encounter him many times throughout the game, and he challenges you to battles in which you cannot continue the game until you beat him. As well as this, Team Rocket (a criminal organization) disrupts life in the game and you have to solve puzzles and defeat there members along the way. Most city or town in the map has a gym, in which a powerful trainer called the Gym Leader stays. In simple terms, to complete the game, you must defeat all 8 of the Gym Leaders, then go to the Pokémon League and defeat the Elite Four and Champion (though some would argue that you haven’t truly finished the game until you have caught all of the Pokémon).

The addition to Heart Gold is that Kanto, the map and story from Fire Red (the previous game), is also playable after you defeat the Elite Four and Champion. It is assumed that you have completed Fire Red before playing this game, as many aspects from Fire Red’s story line have already been completed. For example, in Fire Red, you capture the legendary Pokémon Zapdos from the power station and fix it. In Heart gold when you get to the same power station it is fixed and there are no problems. The champion in Kanto is a person simply named “Red”, who is the character you play as in the Fire Red game. This is the big argue point of the game. Many believe Pokémon Heart Gold should stay strictly to the original Gold Version, but others argue that then defeats the point of remaking it. I think that adding new side quests and stories makes the game more dynamic and enjoyable, as it feels like a different game but still has the ‘old feel’ to it.

By crossing the line of sight from a trainer, you have accepted the challenge and must battle with your Pokémon. After this, the battle scene opens in which the first Pokémon in your party is used against the opposition.

You have the option to select to fight, use an item, and switch Pokémon or to leave to battle (which you can only do against wild Pokémon).

 To win the battle, simply defeat all of the opposing Pokémon by making them faint. You then get experience points, which level up your Pokémon, making it stronger and teaching it new attacks. The fighting style is very basic, though I believe a lot of strategy is needed. This is because Pokémon have different “types”, for example, fire type and water type. Water type Pokémon will do super effective damage to fire types, so choosing your Pokémon and what move you do is critical.

You can trade Pokémon wirelessly to other games, as well as battle real people using the Nintendo Ds’ Wifi. You can also transfer the Pokémon to a “pokewalker” devise, in which one Pokémon will stay on and gain 1XP point every step you take when you walk with the pokewalker. You can also gain special and rare items from the pokewalker. This means you can battle with old Pokémon from other games. As the game is single player, there are little other features to the game. This could be a downside because once the game has been completed there is little else to do, where as many other role play games have mini games and more side quests to complete. Though you could say that adding more to the game will simply be “trying to hard”, and that the more simple the game the better.

The graphics of the game is made up of pixels. Sprites are used in battle scenes with the battle moves starting from the centre of the platform which the Pokémon stand on.

In the Pokémon world, there are different songs depending on where you are. There are different songs for each city/town and for every section of the map where routes are. The graphics and music are very basic and some argue that ‘more’ could be done in the battle scenes. For example, using moving animations in battle scenes instead of still pictures of the Pokémon would make the game a lot more interesting to play and watch.

To conclude, in this review I have talked about the history of the game, gameplay, features and graphics of the game. I have added my own opinion where necessary, and balanced arguments accordingly.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_HeartGold_and_SoulSilver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon

Self experience.