Smith& Jones Addiction Consultants is opening Europe’s first detox clinic for video game addicts in Amsterdam. It is reported that about a dozen clinics already exist in the United States and Canada, and even one in China, as problem gaming gains recognition as an ailment requiring treatment. According to the article referenced below, Keith Bakker, director of Smith& Jones Addiction Consultants, has stated that although video games may look innocent, they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs. Others, like Richard Wood, a professor of International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, are reported to be sceptical about viewing heavy gamers as addicts. The medical debate on whether heavy gaming can be deemed an addiction will necessarily have an impact on the legal field. Already violence in video games is being used to explain, if not justify, the violent actions of players. Will video gaming addiction stand as a defense, or as a mitigating factor, in criminal law? What about employment law? In many jurisdictions some addictions are recognized as a handicap protected by human rights and employment standards legislation. Will an employer have to accommodate and offer treatment of an employee’s video gaming addiction? coverage at: http://shorl.com/fugipralihyve Nintendo has announced that it is rebranding some of its hand-held games. The new brand is “Touch Generationsâ€, and will include a distinctive logo. Touch Generations games are amied at those with little or no video game experience (although Nintendo says the games will appeal to experienced gamers as well). The rebranding is part of Nintendo’s attempt to broaden its pool of game players (and therefore game buyers) – the hope is that the new brand will allow inexperienced and casual gamers to identify games which they can easily enjoy. This move reflects the importance of branding and trade-marking in the video game industry. Branding is an important method of building your business, and trade-marking is the best way to protect and enforce your brands. Coverage at:http://shorl.com/gakustajibufra(TechNewsWorld) A judge of the U.S. District Court in Louisiana has granted a temporary injunction against Louisiana’s newest video game law in response to a first amendment challenge by the ESA and EMA. HB1381, which was signed into law on June 16, 2006, sought to treat video games as “harmful to minors†using the standard used to judge obscenity. Meanwhile, SB340, another bill to regulate video games, has been unanimously passed by the Louisiana House and is expected to be signed into law by the Governor. Unlike HB1381, it enjoys the support of entertainment trade groups such as the ESA and the EMA. SB340, which aims to regulate descriptions or depictions of “illicit sex or sexual immorality†in video games sold to minors, is silent as to violent video game content. Both bills, however, carry the same potential penalty: a fine of up to $2,000 and up to a year in jail. Yet another bill to regulate video games - HB254 - is still in the pipeline, currently before the Louisiana Senate Judiciary Committee. HB245 mandates that commercial establishments require customers to show ID verifying their age before such customers can purchase video games with an ESRB rating of Mature or Adult Only Content Coverage at:http://shorl.com/dykagradrapovo Link to temporary injunction of HB1381:http://shorl.com/hujokekemypri We reported, in April 2006 (click The video game industry was quick to react to this news and the ESA has already officially voiced its opposition to the new law, stating that it intends to contest its constitutionality. The new law, which is set to come into effect on November 1, 2006, would make it a felony for anyone in Oklahoma to sell, rent or display games which contain inappropriate violence, with stores required to keep such games hidden in a similar manner to pornographic magazines and videos. The bill ignores the ESRB age rating for games, and instead makes its own definition of inappropriate violence. This definition considers inappropriate any game which “lacks serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic or political value†and which features glamorized or gratuitous violence; uses that violence to shock or stimulate; features violence that is not contextually relevant to the material; has violence so pervasive that it serves as the thread holding the plot of the material together; trivializes the serious nature of realistic violence; does not demonstrate the consequences or effects of realistic violence; uses brutal weapons designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain and damage; endorses or glorifies torture or excessive weaponry, or depicts lead characters who resort to violence freely. The ESA’s legal challenge can certainly not be said to be baseless, since the ESA has recently succeeded in having a similar law overturned, in Utah, on the basis of free speech. For coverage:http://shorl.com/gutenistutydeandhttp://shorl.com/gibrekybystyhy Square Enix is taking steps to stop the trading of in-game currency (called "gil") from Final Fantasy XI online multiplayer game for real money (artfully referred to as Real Money Trading, or RMT). The game’s user agreements expressly prohibit players from engaging in RMT activities. According to Square Enix, a detailed investigation identified a group of players who were using “illicit methods†to produce large amounts of gil and then selling that in-game currency for real-world money. As a result, Square Enix has terminated 250 user accounts and removed more than 250 billion gil from circulation. Square Enix announcement at:http://shorl.com/dotubrostutuse Square Enix statement about RMT (December 2004) at:http://shorl.com/fusafastosodra Coverage at:http://shorl.com/byrutogijusti(GameSpot) The US Federal Trade Commission announced today that it has reached a settlement with Take-Two and Rockstar Games regarding GTA: San Andreas. GTA: San Andreas sparked enormous controversy last year when it was revealed that the game contained hidden sexual content. As a result, the game was re-rated from M to AO by the ESRB, and there was great public and political outcry (and not a few lawsuits). The FTC complaint alleged that Take-Two and Rockstar undermined the game industry ratings system and deceived consumers by failing to disclose that the game contained unused but potentially viewable nude images and a disabled but potentially playable sexual mini-game. Highlights of the proposed consent agreement (which is subject to public comment for 30 days, after which the FTC will decide whether to make the agreement final) include: * Take-Two and Rockstar will clearly and prominently disclose on product packaging, and in any promotion or advertisement, content relevant to the rating, unless that content has been sufficiently disclosed in prior submissions to the rating authority. * The companies cannot misrepresent the rating or content descriptors for an electronic game. * The companies must establish, implement and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority. * Once the order becomes final, the companies will be subject to civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. The agreement does not deal a great blow to Take-Two and Rockstar (who have already incurred large costs in dealing with the Hot Coffee incident), but imposes strict requirements regarding how the companies’ video game content is rated. FTC Statement at:http://shorl.com/fafripastytaso Coverage at:http://shorl.com/danigrusohapo(Gamasutra) and at:http://shorl.com/haprygygrebrive(GameSpot) THQ and The Tetris Company have settled a dispute over licensing rights to Tetris. As a result, THQ has acquired the rights to publish a Tetris game for the Xbox 360 in North America and other territories (a Tetris game for the 360 was published by AQ Interactive in Japan). The legal dispute between THQ and The Tetris Company started in 2005, when THQ accused The Tetris Company of breaching an existing licence and preventing THQ’s planned release of a Tetris game for the Nintendo DS. In the interim, Nintendo published a successful Tetris game for the DS. It’s not clear whether the new settlement agreement will also give THQ the right to publish Tetris games for the DS; THQ may have to be satisfied with limiting itself to the Xbox 360. Coverage at:http://shorl.com/dugrilifrinopo(GameSpot) and at:http://shorl.com/dodrifepromomo(Gamasutra)
June 30, 2006
June 28, 2006
VIDEO GAMING AS AN
June 27, 2006
June 26, 2006
June 25, 2006
LEGO Star Wars II
The Gamespy team recently got the opportunity to visit LucasArts, where they got to sit down and preview"LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy", the sequel to the 2005 sleeper hit"LEGO Star Wars". Today's Gamespy feature article reveals…
Yahoo Games has a comprehensive seven page feature comparing the X360 to the PS3. If you've been following the recent next-gen console news, then there is nothing really new in this piece. However, if you need a good recap of…
Microsoft has announced this week twenty-seven previously released Xbox titles which are now playable on the Xbox 360. While I do wonder why they wasted their time with The Minority Report, I am pleased as punch to see titles like…
We're very happy to report we have completed the final draft of our LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the PS2, Xbox, X360 and PC versions of the game. We had to make quite a few changes…
Today, Major League Gaming, announced the unprecedented signing of'Halo 2'team, Final Boss, to a $1 million contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, however, the four player team easily garnered the most money ever for a professional…
Lunabean's"Hitman Blood Money"Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is all you need to get through each of the game's 13 missions and earn the highest rating (Silent Assassin). This means we focus on getting you through the game as it…
It took a week but we have successfully completed the first draft of our LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. We wrote the walkthrough for those…
June 24, 2006
June 23, 2006
June 22, 2006
PS2 outselling Xbox 360
ArsTechnica has crunched the numbers and has found that, since the Xbox 360 release, Microsoft has averaged 246,000 X360 console sales per month. During that same period, Sony has seen 473,000 PS2 console sales per month. What do these numbers…
We have called and confirmed that our local retailer has received its shipment of Hitman Blood Money for the Xbox, PS2, PC and Xbox 360. I plan on sitting down and spending some gettin'to know ya time with Agent…
Lunabean's"Hitman Blood Money"Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is all you need to get through each of the game's 13 missions and earn the highest rating (Silent Assassin). This means we focus on getting you through the game as it…
We are pleased to announce the start of the LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. We are writing it as a Silent Assassin guide, the best rating you can achieve on a mission. So far, the game is…
It took a week but we have successfully completed the first draft of our LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. We wrote the walkthrough for those…
We're very happy to report we have completed the final draft of our LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the PS2, Xbox, X360 and PC versions of the game. We had to make quite a few changes…
June 21, 2006
See You Sept. 19
Many sources are today reporting that the Xbox Live Vision camera will debut on Sept. 19. The accessory will allow players to view each other as they play on Xbox Live. Obvious uses for the camera include poker games and…
We are pleased to announce the start of the LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. We are writing it as a Silent Assassin guide, the best rating you can achieve on a mission. So far, the game is…
Yahoo Games has a comprehensive seven page feature comparing the X360 to the PS3. If you've been following the recent next-gen console news, then there is nothing really new in this piece. However, if you need a good recap of…
We're very happy to report we have completed the final draft of our LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the PS2, Xbox, X360 and PC versions of the game. We had to make quite a few changes…
Lunabean's"Hitman Blood Money"Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is all you need to get through each of the game's 13 missions and earn the highest rating (Silent Assassin). This means we focus on getting you through the game as it…
June 20, 2006
'Tomb Raider: Legend'for GCN,
Eidos today announced that Tomb Raider: Legend will be available this Fall for the GameCube(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), and Game Boy(R). I'm guessing that the GameCube version will be the same as the PS2 and Xbox version, which means that the…
While reviews of Nintendo's latest Gamecube release, Odama is receiving some mixed reviews, everyone seems to agree that the game is hard as all hell. Truthfully, I find this quite appealing, and I think now I'll be picking up a…
Thanks to Eurogamer for publishing some new details for LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Among the changes from the LEGO Star Wars original is character customization, free-roam vehicles, a general improvement of vehicle levels, a co-op camera that…
There is only so much"Hand's on with'x'Game"reading you can do before you go crazy. Yes, the gaming press does an adequate job, but how many times can you hear,"It was fun and intuitive,"or,"You'll…
We are pleased to announce that we are currently writing a LB'Over the Hedge (TM)'Walkthrough and Strategy Guide (PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC).'Over the Hedge'is the companion game for the Dreamworks animated movie of the same title,…
Here is San Diego Serenade blogger Conor Lastowka's entry in YouTube's Cybersmack contest, which called for the creation of the internet's bet viral video, with a re-enactment of Game Six of the 1986 World Series as played on the NES's…
Lunabean's"Tomb Raider(TM): Legend"Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is all you need to explore, solve and shoot your way through each of the game's levels. Whether you can't move the gears, can't get the water flowing, or can't find that…
June 19, 2006
June 18, 2006
June 17, 2006
Oklahoma Gov. Signs Video
Will it ever end? Why can't we just write one all encompassing headline,"Idiot Gov. Signs Idiotic Bill into Law."The article would of course state that all such laws will be overturned due to the fact that they are…
The Nintendo DS Lite sold more than 136,500 units in its first two days of US sales. To boot, Nintendo DS software has been selling extremely well. The number 1 game for the month of May was'New Super Mario…
ArsTechnica has crunched the numbers and has found that, since the Xbox 360 release, Microsoft has averaged 246,000 X360 console sales per month. During that same period, Sony has seen 473,000 PS2 console sales per month. What do these numbers…
Lunabean's"Hitman Blood Money"Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is all you need to get through each of the game's 13 missions and earn the highest rating (Silent Assassin). This means we focus on getting you through the game as it…
Microsoft has announced this week twenty-seven previously released Xbox titles which are now playable on the Xbox 360. While I do wonder why they wasted their time with The Minority Report, I am pleased as punch to see titles like…
June 16, 2006
June 15, 2006
June 13, 2006
LB's Best of E3…in
There is only so much"Hand's on with'x'Game"reading you can do before you go crazy. Yes, the gaming press does an adequate job, but how many times can you hear,"It was fun and intuitive,"or,"You'll…
We are oh so pleased to announce the completion of our LB Chibi-Robo Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. The online guide will take you through the Chibi-Robo storyline. After all, there's much more for a 4 inch domestic robot to do…
Eidos today announced that Tomb Raider: Legend will be available this Fall for the GameCube(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), and Game Boy(R). I'm guessing that the GameCube version will be the same as the PS2 and Xbox version, which means that the…
We are pleased to announce that we are currently writing a LB'Over the Hedge (TM)'Walkthrough and Strategy Guide (PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC).'Over the Hedge'is the companion game for the Dreamworks animated movie of the same title,…
June 12, 2006
LB's Best of E3…in
There is only so much"Hand's on with'x'Game"reading you can do before you go crazy. Yes, the gaming press does an adequate job, but how many times can you hear,"It was fun and intuitive,"or,"You'll…
Lunabean's"Tomb Raider(TM): Legend"Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is all you need to explore, solve and shoot your way through each of the game's levels. Whether you can't move the gears, can't get the water flowing, or can't find that…
We are pleased to announce the completion of the LB'Over the Hedge (TM)'Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. The guide will help you through all 35 missions, 135 objectives and details the location of all Cookie Boxes, all Chip Cans,…
Thanks to Game Daily for pointing out and confirming the rumor that the Nintendo Wii games being shown at E3 were actually running inside of GameCubes. Prior to confirmation from Nintendo PR that the Wii hardware exhibited at E3 was…
Here is San Diego Serenade blogger Conor Lastowka's entry in YouTube's Cybersmack contest, which called for the creation of the internet's bet viral video, with a re-enactment of Game Six of the 1986 World Series as played on the NES's…
Eidos today announced that Tomb Raider: Legend will be available this Fall for the GameCube(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), and Game Boy(R). I'm guessing that the GameCube version will be the same as the PS2 and Xbox version, which means that the…
Thanks to Eurogamer for publishing some new details for LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Among the changes from the LEGO Star Wars original is character customization, free-roam vehicles, a general improvement of vehicle levels, a co-op camera that…
June 11, 2006
June 10, 2006
June 9, 2006
LB's'Over the Hedge'Walkthrough Complete!We
We are pleased to announce the completion of the LB'Over the Hedge (TM)'Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. The guide will help you through all 35 missions, 135 objectives and details the location of all Cookie Boxes, all Chip Cans,…
We have called and confirmed that our local retailer has received its shipment of Hitman Blood Money for the Xbox, PS2, PC and Xbox 360. I plan on sitting down and spending some gettin'to know ya time with Agent…
We are pleased to announce the start of the LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. We are writing it as a Silent Assassin guide, the best rating you can achieve on a mission. So far, the game is…
Variety.com is reporting French video game publisher Ubisoft has struck a deal with Touchstone Television, giving them the rights to develop games based on the hugely successful"Lost"TV show. According to the article, Ubisoft is now speaking with"Lost"…
We are pleased to announce the completion of the LB The Da Vinci Code: The Game Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. In it you will be guided through each of the game's story levels and puzzles. For all SECRET locations and…
It took a week but we have successfully completed the first draft of our LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. We wrote the walkthrough for those…
June 7, 2006
MINNESOTA BILL TARGETS UNDERAGE
The Minnesota House of Representatives has passed a bill which targets the customer side the video game retail transaction – the bill makes it a petty misdemeanour for a person younger than 17 to knowingly rent or purchase a video game with an ESRB rating of M (Mature) or AO (Adults Only). Violators will be subject to a fine of up to $25. Jeff Johnson, one of the bill’s authors, says that video games are full of “absolutely disgusting stuffâ€. Mr. Johnson, who is running to be Minnesota’s Attorney General, acknowledges that the bill is open to constitutional challenge. Information on Minnesota Bill SF0785:http://shorl.com/gofrividrehabu Coverage at:http://shorl.com/dujugostosapry(GameSpot) Stream Theory, which provides streaming application technology, has filed a patent infringement suit against three other companies (Softricity, AppStream and Exent). Stream Theory has a Games on Demand series with over 550 PC games available.
One of the defendants – Extent – is known for providing games on demand; the other two defendants provide other forms of streaming software. Coverage at:http://shorl.com/jefyfafrifredy(Gamasutra) Several news agencies are reporting that students from the Union of Islamic Student Societies are designing a video game where Commander Bahman, an Iranian special forces hero, must rescue the country’s top atomic scientist from U.S. troops, to allow him to continue his scientific work. Is this an answer to video game titles like “U.S. Attacks Iran†or Assault on Iran� coverage at: http://shorl.com/bypryfatradreda The Maryland House and Senate unanimously passed its video game bill into law on May 2. It comes into force on October 1, 2006. Surprisingly, the Entertainment Software Association not only failed to challenge this bill but actually supported it. This may be because the new law does not deal with video game violence; instead it prohibits the display of an obscene video game to a minor. The new law centers its definition of what is “obscene†around nudity and sex, to the exclusion of violence. Some say that this law is merely an extension of existing laws barring minors’ access to pornography. coverage at:http://shorl.com/bohetrahifame The WWE and THQ aren’t the best of friends. THQ has a merchandising licence from the WWE, but the WWE says it was obtained by commercial bribery. In 2004, the WWE sued THQ and its joint-venture partner Jakks Pacific Inc., seeking to nullify the licence. Then, last year, the WWE came off the top rope and body-slammed THQ CEO Brian Farrell by adding him as an individual defendant. THQ appears to be unscathed. It recently announced a long-term multi-platform deal with Yukes to produce further WWE games. THQ said the lawsuit was not a factor in the deal. Coverage here: http://www.shorl.com/gatrepylotapro(gamesindustry.biz) Our blog has over two dozen categories of video game law material, including advertising law, IP law, privacy law and more. We now have a new category and RSS feed for virtual property in video games. This is a hot topic in the video game law world, and we have lots to say about it. To prove it, here’s a great overview of the subject written by our Dave Spratley (the guy who insanely believes that an Imperial Star Destroyer could take the USS Enterprise an in a one-on-one fight): He’s obviously off his rocker on Star Wars vs. Star Trek issues, but fortunately for him he’s a great writer. An abbreviated version of the article was published in the April 21, 2006 issue of The Lawyers Weekly
June 6, 2006
The latest from the
The good: NPD Funworld, a leading marketing information provider for the video game industry, has reported a 16% boost in sales for the month of April 2006 ($699 million), when compared with sales for April 2005 ($602 million). This boost…
Many sources are today reporting that the Xbox Live Vision camera will debut on Sept. 19. The accessory will allow players to view each other as they play on Xbox Live. Obvious uses for the camera include poker games and…
Eidos Interactive has announced Hitman: Blood Money, the latest installment of the Hitman franchise, has"gone gold"in all of its versions. This means the PS2, Xbox, Xbox360 and PC versions of the game are complete, master copies have been…
We are pleased to announce the completion of the LB'Over the Hedge (TM)'Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. The guide will help you through all 35 missions, 135 objectives and details the location of all Cookie Boxes, all Chip Cans,…
We are pleased to announce the completion of the LB The Da Vinci Code: The Game Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. In it you will be guided through each of the game's story levels and puzzles. For all SECRET locations and…
We are pleased to announce the start of the LB Hitman Blood Money Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. We are writing it as a Silent Assassin guide, the best rating you can achieve on a mission. So far, the game is…
Variety.com is reporting French video game publisher Ubisoft has struck a deal with Touchstone Television, giving them the rights to develop games based on the hugely successful"Lost"TV show. According to the article, Ubisoft is now speaking with"Lost"…
June 4, 2006
June 3, 2006
Build-A-Bear To Make McDonald's
The Build-A-Bear Workshop has entered into an agreement with the fast food giant McDonald's to produce special mini stuffed animals as a give-away with their Happy Meals. 16 stuffed animals…
The Bratz Genie Magic line of dolls has me really ooh-ing and aah-ing! For one thing, I really love the color in their eastern-style costumes, and their chunky accessories. The…
There are so many toys out in the stores today. Some of them are great toys, toys which stimulate your kid's imaginations, toys which are non messy, toys which are…
Disney Pixar's Cars is a fantastic adventure/comedy movie about an assortment of animated cars. The cars go through various ups and downs throughout the movie, and emerge much wiser at…
Polly Pocket, the mini-sized doll, is absolutely adorable. Little girls love playing with Polly Pocket, her friends and all the itty-bitty accessories that come with the dolls. This season, Mattel…
This year there are a couple of classic toys which are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Hasbro's Play-Doh is one of them, and another well loved classic toy which is turning…