Toys for Kids & Adults

ILLINOIS GETS SPANKED

The Entertainment Software Association has announced that the video game industry was successful in forcing the State of Illinois to pay its legal bill for challenging a law that the judge said it knew to be unconstitutional from the outset. Kennelly J. issued the order against Illinois "for its unconstitutional effort to enact a law banning the sale of violent video games".

The Judge is further reported to have stated "As we said from the outset of this debacle and repeatedly since then, instead of squandering taxpayers' money on frivolous lawsuits and attempting to enact clearly unconstitutional laws, we encourage policymakers to focus their resources on a cooperative effort with industry, retailers, parent groups and health groups to work together to educate parents about the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings and content descriptors, and the parental controls available in all next generation consoles to help parents make sound choices about the games their kids play."

The total bill?  US$510,528.64.

coverage at:http://shorl.com/gimigrostubrojy(GameDaily)

Another day, another large-scale banning of MMORPG accounts

Square Enix announced on July 21, 2006 that it had banned or suspended more than 2,000 accounts for its popular Final Fantasy XI video game, citing violations of the user agreement on account of “malicious” use of third-party programs that enabled “abnormal in-game movement”. Use of such programs, states Square Enix, can destroy in-game balance and encourage trade of in-game gold for real world money. 

The ban by Square Enix is but the latest in a series of similar account suspensions in MMORPGs, with similar events occurring in games such as Ultima Online and World of Warcraft.

Coverage at:http://shorl.com/bofabrajedyky(Gamespot)

TAKE TWO TAKES MORE

We reported earlier this month that Take Two Interactive had settled the FTC complaints regarding GTA: San Andreas. However, this step forward was recently offset by a lawsuit filed by Take Two shareholder Richard Lasky in the US District Court of New York. Lasky claims breaches of fiduciary duty with respect to executives’ sales of stocks.

This lawsuit follows the grand jury subpoenas from the New York County district attorney, a lawsuit brought by the families of slain police officers, a lawsuit by the LA. city attorney, lawsuits in other jurisdictions including Delaware, North Carolina and Connecticut, and investigations from US security regulators. 

Coverage here: http://www.shorl.com/fedrevukydyne (Reuters)

MS DEPLOYS COUNTER HACKING EFFORTS IN KOREA

Microsoft is confident that the DVD firmware hack will be countered by its Xbox Live updates.

Sales of security upgraded consoles in Korea have increased over the past month after hackers tinkered with the embedded DVD software drive to allow copied CDs to run on the machine. Xbox is confident that the problem will be “neutralized” through software updates (detected and prompted for installation upon connecting to Xbox Live).

Apparently more consumers are attempting to bypass Xbox’s security in order to be able to use cheaper pirated software. The additional cost for a modified console is said to be approximately KRW 70,000 (60 Euro) and users are tempted by the saving of about KRW 25,000 (21 Euro) from the purchase of pirated software.

coverage at:http://shorl.com/gybrestigribinu

TRUTH IN VIDEO GAMES?

US Representative Cliff Stearns has introduced a new bill (HR 5912) titled the “Truth in Video Game Rating Act”. The bill, which is directed at the Federal Trade Commission, prohibits activities such as rating games only on partial content (i.e., the ESRB will have to play games in their entirety before rating them), withholding content for rating, and gross mischaracterization of content. It also calls for a study of the ESRB’s rating system, whether there should be an independent rating system, etc.

The Text of Bill HR 5912 ishere.

GAMESTOP SUED OVER TIME

Six managers have filed a class action suit for unpaid overtime, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). They seek to have managers denied overtime since 2003 because they were classified under the FLSA as “executive, administrative, or professional capacity" to opt into the class action and obtain redress (including overtime, interest, damages and lawyers' fees).  They claim to have been forced to work 50 to 60 hours a week without proper compensation.

GameStop has asked that the lawsuit be dismissed because of a similar 2004 case pending against Electronics Boutique.

coverage at:http://shorl.com/basahalesara