This week we learn that the studio responsible for Angry Birds not so angry about Chinese piracy, Australia confirms that violent videogames are dangerous and the Australian Attorney General wants to ban violent games.
Angry Birds Studio Happy About Chinese Piracy
Piracy, as it applies to counterfeiting, copyright infringement and so forth, is not cool. It not only deprives content creators of income, it can also hinder future projects [just ask any PC gamer about that] and can lead to some pretty gross overreactions from companies determined to protect their work. [Just ask any PC gamer about that.] But despite the runaway piracy of Angry Birds merchandise in China, Vesterbacka is determined to focus on the upside. (Link)
Australian Study “Confirms Dangers of Violent Videogames”
The debate over the impact of violent videogames on impressionable minds has been raging for almost as long as videogames have been around. The concern is that their interactive nature makes them far more influential than other media, such as television or movies. Watching a guy get shot on the screen isn’t nearly as impactful as pulling the trigger yourself, the thinking goes, even if “pulling the trigger” just means clicking a button on a mouse or controller. (Link)
Prisoner Builds Final Fantasy Arsenal Out Of Matchsticks
The guards of a prison located in Monmouthshire, Wales were surprised to find an impressive arsenal of replica knives that a prisoner had assembled entirely out of matchsticks and glue. The prisoner in question, though, must have a soft spot for JRPGs, as some of his creations are clearly from Final Fantasy. (Link)
Gearbox Claims Reviewers Were Unfair Toward Duke Nukem Forever
“Everybody should really be thankful that it existed to some degree at all.” Those were the words spoken by Brian Martel, one of Gearbox’s five founders, in response to the negative reaction gamers and critics shared regarding Gearbox’s latest FPS, Duke Nukem Forever. DNF had difficulty across the board, earning a bevy of poor reviews generally sharing words like “incomplete,” “deeply flawed,” and “forgettable.” According to Martel, that’s only because reviewers weren’t giving it the credit it deserved. (Link)
Australian Attorney General Calls For Violent Videogame Ban
The name Greg Smith may not be as instantly recognizable as, say, Michael Atkinson, but that might be about to change. Despite making hopeful noises about Australia’s slow but seemingly inexorable march toward an R18+ videogame rating, Smith, the Attorney General for New South Wales, now says that games like Grand Theft Auto should be banned outright. (Link)
