 | NJ task force recommends game regulation Apr 16th 2013, 16:27 State's SAFE group calls on Gov. Christie to take steps to stamp out mass violence by regulating games, educating parents. 
The New Jersey SAFE Task Force has released a comprehensive report calling on Republican Governor Chris Christie to regulate games sold in the state, increase educational efforts about games, and review violent media overall as a means to help stamp out mass violence. "The interactive nature of video games, as opposed to other forms of media, may dictate particular regulation of such games," the group wrote. The first regulatory action the group recommends is requiring minors be accompanied by an adult when purchasing games with an M or AO rating, as judged by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). The task force also recommends a "request for identification" for the sale or rental of games with M or AO ratings. On top of this, the group seeks to require game retailers to "conspicuously" display ESRB ratings at the point of sale. These retailers should also develop, maintain, and display their own policy on selling M or AO games, the group said. Another bullet point on the task force's recommendation list to Christie is the removal of violent games from state property, namely highway rest areas. The appropriate authority with jurisdiction over such property should "consider the practicality and feasibility of regulating those video games to ensure that violent games are not made available to children," the group wrote. The New Jersey SAFE Task Force also would like to see the state conduct a review concerning whether or not violent media is inappropriately marketed to young people. "Specifically with regard to violent video games, the Task Force encourages the appropriate agency to explore the question of whether retailers should be required to label video games with stickers, in addition to the ESRB rating symbol, to make clear the appropriate age range for a particular video game," the group said. Concerning education, the task force said it recommends that the Department of Education (or another appropriate agency) help educate parents about how to make "healthy" media choices for their children. On top of this, the group said it advises industry associations within the state to conduct a comprehensive public information campaign to bolster understanding of media ratings systems. "Our recommendations are provided cognizant of the fact that violent media has received a great deal of blame for youth violence in the recent past, but most people agree that exposure to media violence alone does not cause a child to commit a violent act," the group wrote. "While several major public health organizations have voiced their shared conviction that exposure to violent media leads to more aggressive attitudes, values and behavior, they have also acknowledged that it is not the sole, or even the most important, factor contributing to youth aggression, anti-social attitudes, and violence," the statement goes on. Recommendations for action regarding video games are just one part of the task force's five-chapter, 83-page report to Christie. Other highlights include calls for new gun control measures, new strategies to combat urban violence, various mental health initiatives, and new school safety guidelines. Christie is in no way bound to follow through on any of the recommendations, as the report is first and foremost a guide to help the governor prioritize these initiatives he feels are most appropriate and pressing. One of the report's recommendations is already being acted upon. Following the publication of the report, assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Middlesex/Somerset/Union) announced plans to introduce a bill that would ban video games containing mature and adult content in public places. "Games that are meant for older, more mature audiences have no place in places where children can easily access them. Video games alone do not influence violent behavior, but they can play a role. Some of the most prolific mass shootings not just in this country, but in the world had links to violent video games," Stender said in a statement. "The longer a child is exposed to video games where killing is the sole objective, the greater the chance that he or she will become numb to this type of behavior and even consider it acceptable. This bill would ensure that video games with graphic adult content would not be available to children who are not old enough to make a distinction between fantasy and reality." If signed into law, the legislation would prohibit M- and AO-rated games from public spaces and carry a fine of no more than $10,000 for a first offense and no more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. On top of the monetary fines, a violation could result in cease and desist orders from the Attorney General, punitive damages, and the awarding of treble damages (three times the amount), and cost to the injured. Stender's bill is not the only such piece of game legislation to go before the New Jersey Assembly. Earlier this month, republican state lawmakers Sean Kean and Holly Schepisi introduced a bill that would make unlawful the sale of an M- or AO-rated game in the state to any person under the age of 18 without parental consent. In this case, consent means the purchaser's parent or guardian is present during the transaction and consents to the sale either verbally or through writing. The bill specifies that anyone caught selling such games to minors would have committed an unlawful practice, which under the Consumer Fraud Act is punishable by a penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. Violators could also face further legal action from the state Attorney General, similar to Stender's legislation listed above. Video games have been a much-discussed topic since December's Connecticut schoolhouse massacre. A reportedly "deranged gamer" killed 20 children and six adults before taking his own life on December 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Most recently, Democratic California Senator Dianne Feinstein argued that violent games can serve as simulators for would-be mass murderers. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Battlefield 4 dev ignoring motion control 'gimmick' Apr 16th 2013, 15:35 DICE executive producer says companies have been "throwing money" at the studio in an effort to get them to code support for motion controls. 
The gaming industry's current state of motion controls is a "gimmick" and won't be featured in Battlefield 4, according to the DICE executive producer Patrick Bach. Speaking to Edge, Bach added that companies have been "throwing money" at the studio in an effort to get them to code support for "quirky" control schemes, but added that DICE is not interested. éWe are not interested in things that donét make the game better,é said Bach. éThere are a lot of gimmicks--people throwing money at us--écan you implement support for this quirky control thingé. No, it doesn't make the game better.é éWe are extremely open to innovation, but if ités a gimmick, thereés no point unless it adds value to the player. Touch screens used to be a gimmick, because no one could get it to work until iPhone came out and used it right. It adds to the experience, and now everyone is doing it. To us ités the same with motion control and perceptual gaming in general; if it adds, great. If ités a gimmick, ignore it.é Battlefield 4, which uses the next iteration of DICE's Frostbite engine, was announced with a 17-minute gameplay video at GDC 2013. The game is due to be released later this year, but so far only Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions have been confirmed. Promotional material spotted at US retailer GameStop suggests Battlefield 4 will feature three playable factions and see a return of Commander Mode. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Jaffe to devs: 'You are worth what you can negotiate' Apr 16th 2013, 14:58 God of War, Twisted Metal creator rejects "tired accusation" that publishers keep developers down. 
Outspoken God of War and Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe has a message for game developers: "You are worth what you can negotiate. Period." In response to an anonymous Kotaku guest editorial that claimed developers suffer under the power of publishers, Jaffe shared a response on his blog presenting a different opinion. "I reject the tired accusation that it's the publisher keeping game developers down," Jaffe wrote. "Don't like the way a publisher treats you? Don't sign a contract with that particular publisher. Or if you do, make sure you have what you will and won't tolerate written into the contract." The industry veteran added that if a studio is good enough, it will be able to find funding one way or another. Otherwise, "you deserve what you get," he wrote. "Because at the moment the real world is making something very clear to you. And that is this: For the time being anyway, you are not as good as you think you are," Jaffe said. "The people who fight against this and complain that the world is not fair are spinning their wheels and wasting their time." Jaffe left Twisted Metal studio Eat Sleep Play last year and is currently in the process of creating a new company in San Diego, California. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Gears of War and God of War sales suffering in the US, says analyst Apr 16th 2013, 14:48 Judgment and Ascension are estimated to have significantly failed to match the sales of their predecessors. 
Microsoft and Sony first-party blockbusters Gears of War: Judgment and God of War: Ascension have both suffered from disappointing first-month sales in North America, according to Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz. In an investor note released ahead of the official NPD data this week (via GamesIndustry), the firm estimated first-month sales of Gears of War: Judgement to be around 420,000 units, less than a quarter of the two million Gears of War 3 managed in September 2011. Sony's God of War: Ascension is estimated to have shifted 360,000 units, compared to predecessor God of War 3's 1.1 million. High-profile third-party titles performed better, with Creutz estimating that BioShock Infinite sold 665,000 copies in the US after ten days on sale. Tomb Raider is also estimated to have shipped 696,000 units after 33 days of sale, although publisher Square Enix has said that the game did not meet its worldwide sales expectations. The analyst firm expected overall sales trends to have improved in March 2013, but now believes the NPD group will announce that US software sales have fallen 21 percent year-on-year. The NPD group will announce its official market data on Thursday. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | PS4 price to appeal to gamers 'in the broadest sense' Apr 16th 2013, 13:57 Sony VP comments on lessons learned from PlayStation 3 pricing; "We listen and learn...from every console launch." 
Sony has commented on lessons learned from the PlayStation 3, saying that PlayStation 4 pricing will appeal to gamers "in the broadest sense." Worldwide Studios vice president Michael Denny offered the comment to Edge, saying official details on pricing will come at a later date. "I guess the first thing to say is that we listen and learn and take the judgement from every console launch we ever have and we have to be informed by what the strengths of our PlayStation 3 system have been, but also the challenges of that," Denny said. "Thereés plenty of time, we've got lots of information yet to give out on PlayStation 4. The initial announcement phase that weére in now is just to explain the vision to everybody. Part of that vision is we have created a console absolutely focused on gamers--and we want that to be gamers in the broadest sense as well," he added. "I think to some extent I can ask you to draw your own conclusions." Sony launched the PS3 in 2006 at $499 for a 20GB unit. A 60GB model was available for $599. Industry analyst Michael Pachter said this week that he believes Microsoft and Sony may offer subsidized versions of their next-generation consoles to make the platforms appear more affordable. Microsoft currently offers a subsidized Xbox 360, which sells for $99 if consumers commit to a two-year Xbox Live Gold subscription at a cost of $15 per month. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Next-gen must 'blow people away' says Witcher dev Apr 16th 2013, 12:45 Marcin Iwinski says platforms need to astonish gamers to succeed, calls for greater communication between creators and gamers. 
Sony and Microsoft must "blow people away" with their next-generation platforms if the systems are to succeed in a changed games market, according to CD Projekt Red CEO Marcin Iwinski. Speaking with Edge, Iwinski said not only will the technology itself be important for the PlayStation 4 and rumored Xbox 720, but also the method of delivery, given how iOS and Android devices have "turned it all upside down." "I'm really curious what the platform holders will deliver this generation because they really have to surprise and blow people away," Iwinski said. "The technology is one part, and then there's the method of delivery--this is the part Iém super-excited about. We have GoG.com and direct relations with consumers there, of course thereés Steam, and I'm really excited to see what will happen on the next-gen consoles, because iOS and Android consoles have completely turned it all upside down." Iwinski also claimed that dialogue between creators and gamers will be instrumental to the success of the upcoming platforms. If there is a communication breakdown, game quality could suffer, he argued. "Hereés the developer, here's the gamer--they should talk," Iwinski said. "If there's a chain of people in the middle that is kind of muffled. The more direct the communication, the better the games are. It's that simple." Iwinski and CD Projekt Red are currently working role-playing games The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for PC, PlayStation 4, and other "high-end" platforms and Cyberpunk 2077, which has been confirmed only for PC thus far. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Buy toothpaste, get SimCity DLC Apr 16th 2013, 12:02 US Gamers who buy specially marked Crest or Oral-B toothpaste will receive choice of Attractions Set, in-game cash, or Origin coupon. 
Electronic Arts has announced (via PC Gamer) a new SimCity promotion that offers free downloadable content to toothpaste purchasers. Gamers in the United States who buy specially marked Crest or Oral-B dental hygiene products will receive their choice of the SimCity Attractions Set, in-game cash for Facebook game The Sims Social, or a $5-off Origin coupon. As announced yesterday, The Sims Social will close in June. More information about the promotion is available on a special landing page and through the EA support site. The SimCity Attractions Set includes five attractions: Giant Garden Gnome, Dolly the Dinosaur, Llary the Llama, MaxisMan Statue, and the World's Largest Ball of Twine. Each adds overall happiness to a player's city and also serves as a tourist destination. This is not the first sponsored promotion for SimCity. Last month, EA partnered with Nissan for an in-game Nissan Leaf charging station and branded vehicles that filled players' cities. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Climax Studios teases Prince of Persia-esque title Apr 16th 2013, 11:49 Now-removed images show a tech demo for an unannounced "character action platformer." 
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories developer Climax Studios has uploaded screenshots for an upcoming title that resemble a Prince of Persia-style game. The now-removed images for the unannounced title--dubbed by Climax as a "character action platformer"--were marked as a tech demo. The leaping, bounding protagonist is shown sporting a white vest and red sash, and the architecture in the background of one shot resembles the Middle Eastern aesthetic of Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series. Ubisoft has said the Prince of Persia series is currently "paused," but that the game remains part of the publisher's portfolio. "Prince of Persia is part of Ubisoft's portfolio," said Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat in January. "As a matter of fact, we sometimes iterate on franchises and sometimes we give them time to breathe and time to grow, or time to rest. Prince of Persia is as important as any other franchise for Ubisoft. As soon as we have something to show, we will." The last Prince of Persia title--Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands--was released in 2010. Climax Studios is also working on another project, which also remains unnamed, though the framing of the screenshots suggests a game with horror themes. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Bethesda: Used games 'absolutely' a concern Apr 16th 2013, 11:43 Marketing VP at Elder Scrolls, Fallout studio says company has tried to mitigate second-hand market with DLC, other initiatives. 
Used games are "absolutely" a concern for Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda. Speaking with Destructoid, marketing vice president Pete Hines said his company has attempted to lessen the impact of second-hand sales by supporting games with downloadable content that encourages users to hold on to their discs, among other things. "Absolutely it's a concern," Hines said. "We have tried to mitigate it by creating games that offer replayability, by supporting them with DLC that's worth hanging onto the game for, or offering tools that let them take things further." Hines conceded that Bethesda does not have all the answers when it comes to the multifaceted issue of the used game market. He said an solution that works for everyone--retailers, publishers, and developers--may be hard to come by. "There's no doubt that being a videogamer is expensive. Games are not cheap to buy because they're expensive to make, and people are looking for ways to keep it affordable," Hines said. "I'm not sure anyone has figured out a solution that works for everyone, and there simply may not be one until someone figures out how to include developers and publishers in the loop on used games sales instead of keeping it all for themselves." Most recently, debate and discussion has surrounding the second-hand market has related to the possibility of the PlayStation 4 and still-unannounced Xbox 720 blocking used games. GameStop management said last month that it has a "high degree of confidence" that the PS4 will play used games, while reports have claimed the next Xbox will block second-hand titles. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | EA offers bigger payouts in extended $27m football monopoly settlement Apr 16th 2013, 10:48 Claimants are now eligible for almost three times as much per any EA football title purchased between 2005 and 2012. 
New terms in the long-running Pecover vs. Electronic Arts lawsuit have extended the time those affected will be allowed to make a claim for monetary reimbursement, as well as offering claimants almost three times the amount. The original cut-off date for the football-related lawsuit was March 5, but more time is being made available because a lower-than-anticipated number of claims have been made. Customers who have purchased any Madden, NCAA Football, or Arena Football game between 2005 and 2012 will be eligible for reimbursement in the settlement. Owners of last-gen football titles will receive $20.37 per game, while current-gen titles will pay out $5.85 a piece. These figures are up from the previously offered $6.79 and $1.95, respectively. If total claims exceed $27m then the payout figure will be adjusted. Any leftover money from the settlement, which previously would have been donated to gaming charity Child's Play, will now go to the US federal government. In July 2012, EA agreed a settlement of $27 million for the long-running class-action lawsuit, which alleged the company's licensing agreements "monopolized an alleged market for interactive football software." The class action lawsuit had been running for four years, and the settlement covered EA's licenses for the NCAA Football and Arena Football series of games. Licenses pertaining to EA's long-running Madden franchise are not affected. As part of the proposed settlement, there will be a five-year ban on exclusive licenses between EA and both the NCAA and Arena Football after the current contracts expire in 2014. "We made a business decision to settle this lawsuit and put the matter behind us. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with the NFL and NCAA," said an EA representative to GameSpot at the time. EA's last Arena Football title--Arena Football: Road to Glory--was published in 2007, and the last non-EA NCAA title was made by Sega in 2002. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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