Videogames have been making the press more recently with states penning legislation to prevent the sale of M-Rated games to minors and wrongful death cases claiming that games trained the killer. Whether gamers like it or not, video games have become so mainstream that they are finally making headlines. In some ways, this benefits the gaming industry and promotes understanding and awareness. In others, it's harming the very creaters and stifling the industry.
Since this is a big topic, I sat down with a group of gamers, and we discussed the issue at length. Granted, we're all a little biased, but we managed to have a nice rational discussion, something that seems rare for other groups to do at times.
Joining me on the discussion were:
Name |
IRC Nick |
Title |
Jordan Jackson |
J_Sensei |
Roundtable Moderator |
Janelle Berscheid |
Tiptail |
RPGamer Staff |
Ryan Bell |
Schubaal |
RPGamer Staff |
Matt Demers |
Wonderslime |
RPGamer Staff |
Stephanie McArdle |
Angel0886 |
RPGamer Staff |
Theo Litowski |
Vigivalgus |
RPGamer Staff |
Justin Girty |
Wataf |
Reader |
Philip Bloom |
Dracos |
Reader |
We kicked things off by discussing the idea of whether or not games were protected speech. We also looked at current legislation and discussed the necessity of government intervention. The second section looks at the industry and what it needs to do. We wrapped things up by discussing Strickland vs. Sony and its possible repercussions.
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