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Post by leunas on Oct 5, 2006 3:07:32 GMT -5
 The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed through congress last week as a rider to a port security bill, like a tick clinging to a deer. The gambling legislation intends to make online poker and other money-winning internet games illegal in the United States. (Business Week mentions that some gaming companies are counting on loopholes, but most U.S. operations have a dire outlook.) President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law within the next few weeks. Card Squad says, and we agree, that laws should be created on their own merits. The site covers Shelley Berkeley (D-Nevada) debating the act, expressing her disappointment that the bill was tacked on to critical security legislation. While we usually leave the poker playing to Card Squad, these bills make us nervous for impending legislation in the videogame industry. Will the Video Game Decency Act pass or fail on its own merits, or will it ride on the back of a more important law? Would U.S. lawmakers try to save Springfield from a comet if they had to allocate $30 million to "support the perverted arts?"
feeds.joystiq.com/~r/weblogsinc/joystiq/~3/32590978/ |
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Post by Stuff on Oct 5, 2006 19:48:13 GMT -5
In my humble opinion, this has nothing to do with actual video games. Perhaps somewhere down the line someone in the company might propose a poker playing game, or mini-game. But even if they did, I doubt they would want an internet connection to make it legal gambling; because that would make it something completly separate from the video game industry.
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Post by leunas on Oct 5, 2006 20:47:05 GMT -5
Maybe it doesn't matter, maybe it does.
One thing's for sure, if history tells us anything, it's that things tend to repeat themselves.
You have books, rock n roll, rap music, tv and movies to name a few of "society's woes" back in the day. Now video games are the new proverbial "punching bag" to cluesless and responsibility-dodging parental units, politicians, etc.,
They may foresee this as a victory and further attack with other legislation.
You and I know it, but is it enough?
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Post by leunas on Oct 17, 2006 2:39:42 GMT -5
U.S. Government online gambling ban threatens MMORPGs? At long last, online legislators have succeeded in banning online gambling transactions. Online gambling operators are scurrying around for the next best place to put their stocks into, now that gambling shares have plunged. You're asking, what has this got to do with gaming? Obviously, online gambling and gaming are two different worlds, but they share something in common. MMORPGs, for example, require online transactions, in order to trade valuable items in the virtual worlds. Now, fear has spread among MMO communities, since it's likely that this legislative move by the U.S. Congress might somehow in the future affect our MMO transactions as well. Using credit cards or online payment systems for Internet betting is now a crime. In the world of online gambling, "real money" is the equivalent of valuable items traded online in MMO games. Now, we won't fall into any political argument against this Congressional ban on online gambling transactions, but we won't feel so complacent, either. For one, MMORPGs make use of online transactions too. In time, these politicians may jump on to the gamers and developers and threaten the industry that thrives as a form of entertainment. We like what Sony did with its Station Exchange. If all MMO operators are going to follow Sony's example with its secure handling of "real money" online transactions, there would be less reasons for the Congress to spread their claws on these games and force to regulate them. We hope.
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/qj/mmo/~3/37975055/69609
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