The computer games industry has launched an unprecedented assault on illegal downloads, demanding payment from thousands of families who obtained the latest releases over the internet without paying.
Five of the world’s top games developers will serve notice on 25,000 people across the UK, requiring each one to pay £300 immediately to settle out of court. Those who refuse risk being taken to court. The companies will target their initial legal actions on 500 people who ignore the letters.
The companies involved – Atari, Topware Interactive, Reality Pump, Techland and Codemasters – make some of the popular games, including The Lord of the Rings,the Colin McRae Rally series and Operation Flashpoint. It is estimated that as many as six million people in Britain share games illegally over the internet. The aggressive action marks a dramatic change in the approach to copyright on the internet. The British music industry, hit hard by illegal file-sharing, has taken action against just 150 people in ten years.
The game makers have appointed the law firm Davenport Lyons. This week Isabela Barwinska, an unemployed mother of two, became the first person in the UK to be ordered to pay damages to a manufacturer. She must pay more than £16,000 to Topware after downloading Dream Pinball through a file-sharing site.
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Roger Billens, a partner at Davenport Lyons, said: “Our clients were incensed by the level of illegal downloading. In the first 14 days since Topware Interactive released Dream Pinball 3D it sold 800 legitimate copies but was illegally downloaded 12,000 times. Hopefully people will think twice if they risk being taken to court.”
The law firm is applying to the High Court for an order requiring internet service providers to hand over the names and addresses of 25,000 individuals suspected of illegally downloading computer games. They have already obtained almost 5,000 addresses after providing evidence that illegal file-sharing had taken place. The move has provoked strong criticism within the games industry. A source close to the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association said that most publishers would be reluctant to bring legal actions against their “core market” and would be likely to look for other ways to minimise losses due to piracy.
Sales of computer games are predicted to reach £2 billion in the UK this year. Sales of consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii are expected to hit 9.1 million, according to Screen Digest.
According to Peerland, which monitors games downloaded on three file-sharing websites, Operation Flashpoint was downloaded 691,324 times in one week. The most popular game was Battlefield 1942, which was accessed by almost 1.5 million people in seven days.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Big Ideas: Gender roles in video games
The last Big Ideas focused on the idea of identity, and what it means to see yourself truly represented in a video game. In this installment, we take a look at gender portrayals for both men and women and try to shine a light on some invisible assumptions.
To begin with, it used to be a commonly-held -- and trumpeted -- belief that "girls don't play video games". Certainly, the Boys Clubs that most video arcades became in the 1980's managed to make video games unattractive by sheer atmosphere. Dimly-lit, smoky, and raucously loud, is it any wonder that gaming might not have been a draw to females until it entered the home? Peering over the shoulder of a big brother as he played Combat on his Atari 2600 might have sparked some interest in a dormant gamer if she weren't brusquely told to go away.
Similarly, the rise of media coverage of the pastime perpetuated the stereotype of video games as a male-only pursuit, bolstered in the main by the focus of its advertising. Typically featuring sexy female models clad in ridiculously fetishized fantasy costumes, these ads titillated pubescent males into buying games based solely on the perceived value of the model. Sadly, content in the games themselves followed suit.
Take an all-too-common game story scenario: Game protagonist relaxes with his girlfriend. She is suddenly abducted by the antagonist. The hero must rescue her. Nothing more complex than that in either plot or ideology. The message: females are objects of worth, destined to be fought over merely for the sake of possession. After all, what was the antagonist going to do with the girl? It's never explicated. She's just been taken, and that's enough to rouse the hero to action.
If you are a female gamer, is it satisfying to play as the male? Do you identify with either figure? Because the medium was so new, perhaps these issues were simply dismissed in favor of enjoying the novelty of the experience. Yet the dissonance remained, unaddressed. Why is the hero always male? Why is the female always a girlfriend, never a wife or colleague -- never an equal? At best we see a developing industry built by socially stunted individuals with very little first-hand knowledge of what it's like to have positive interactions with the opposite sex; at worst, a closed society of chauvinists living out their puerile power fantasies, vicariously living through their creations. Either way, a change needed to occur -- or, rather, to be made.
At the opposite end of the equation is the representation of the male as fearless, super-capable, with an unrealistically-muscled body prone to superhuman feats well in excess of applied physics. Not only were game-playing males taught to view as acceptable only the mythically-stylized female form, but their own self-images could only suffer in comparison to the avatars they played in their games. With this much of a disparity between the video game aesthetic and reality, was a reversal just around the corner?
Now and then, a female video game combatant would appear as a playable choice, though functionally she was no different than her male counterparts. To be fair, it could be argued that this was an example of gender equality -- males and females having equivalent value on the combat field -- but it was more likely a response to some dimly perceived notion of innovation. Imagine, being able to play against your own gender! Games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage opened the door to increasing usage of female characters able to stand on their own as more than just trophies to be won, but it wasn't until the arrival of Lara Croft that a woman would take center stage as the hero of a game.
Finally, here was a hero that female gamers could call their own, a "strong female character" able to stand among the until-then male-dominated field of gaming heroics. Lara Croft, however, calls into question the notion of the "strong female". Lara had all the qualities the strong male characters held at the time -- combat ability, proficiency with firearms, no-nonsense attitude -- and combined them with the by-now expected supermodel physique and skimpy costumes that showed off her figure to best advantage. Does behaving like a man make for a strong female role model to female gamers? Isn't this just an image swap, posing as equal time for women? Does it take having to be a man for a woman to be acceptable to men?
A different sort of backlash began to be seen in the 1990's. As competitive gaming grew as a phenomenon, and then later as a viable sport, gaming clans featuring recognizable player luminaries were on the rise. It was only a matter of time that the first all-female clans appeared as a reaction against them. Considered the best answer to the "girls don't play games" stereotype, clans like the Frag Dolls counted as members young attractive females with strong gaming skills. Yet even there can be found the further pandering to the male libido: these girl gamers presented themselves as much as models to be gawked at for their beauty as for any actual skill they possessed. Rather than advancing the cause of gender equality, some argued, this simply extended the life of the common preconceptions. They adopt a double standard: Give us respect because we're good gamers, yet afford us special notice because we're pretty.
To begin with, it used to be a commonly-held -- and trumpeted -- belief that "girls don't play video games". Certainly, the Boys Clubs that most video arcades became in the 1980's managed to make video games unattractive by sheer atmosphere. Dimly-lit, smoky, and raucously loud, is it any wonder that gaming might not have been a draw to females until it entered the home? Peering over the shoulder of a big brother as he played Combat on his Atari 2600 might have sparked some interest in a dormant gamer if she weren't brusquely told to go away.
Similarly, the rise of media coverage of the pastime perpetuated the stereotype of video games as a male-only pursuit, bolstered in the main by the focus of its advertising. Typically featuring sexy female models clad in ridiculously fetishized fantasy costumes, these ads titillated pubescent males into buying games based solely on the perceived value of the model. Sadly, content in the games themselves followed suit.
Take an all-too-common game story scenario: Game protagonist relaxes with his girlfriend. She is suddenly abducted by the antagonist. The hero must rescue her. Nothing more complex than that in either plot or ideology. The message: females are objects of worth, destined to be fought over merely for the sake of possession. After all, what was the antagonist going to do with the girl? It's never explicated. She's just been taken, and that's enough to rouse the hero to action.
If you are a female gamer, is it satisfying to play as the male? Do you identify with either figure? Because the medium was so new, perhaps these issues were simply dismissed in favor of enjoying the novelty of the experience. Yet the dissonance remained, unaddressed. Why is the hero always male? Why is the female always a girlfriend, never a wife or colleague -- never an equal? At best we see a developing industry built by socially stunted individuals with very little first-hand knowledge of what it's like to have positive interactions with the opposite sex; at worst, a closed society of chauvinists living out their puerile power fantasies, vicariously living through their creations. Either way, a change needed to occur -- or, rather, to be made.
At the opposite end of the equation is the representation of the male as fearless, super-capable, with an unrealistically-muscled body prone to superhuman feats well in excess of applied physics. Not only were game-playing males taught to view as acceptable only the mythically-stylized female form, but their own self-images could only suffer in comparison to the avatars they played in their games. With this much of a disparity between the video game aesthetic and reality, was a reversal just around the corner?
Now and then, a female video game combatant would appear as a playable choice, though functionally she was no different than her male counterparts. To be fair, it could be argued that this was an example of gender equality -- males and females having equivalent value on the combat field -- but it was more likely a response to some dimly perceived notion of innovation. Imagine, being able to play against your own gender! Games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage opened the door to increasing usage of female characters able to stand on their own as more than just trophies to be won, but it wasn't until the arrival of Lara Croft that a woman would take center stage as the hero of a game.
Finally, here was a hero that female gamers could call their own, a "strong female character" able to stand among the until-then male-dominated field of gaming heroics. Lara Croft, however, calls into question the notion of the "strong female". Lara had all the qualities the strong male characters held at the time -- combat ability, proficiency with firearms, no-nonsense attitude -- and combined them with the by-now expected supermodel physique and skimpy costumes that showed off her figure to best advantage. Does behaving like a man make for a strong female role model to female gamers? Isn't this just an image swap, posing as equal time for women? Does it take having to be a man for a woman to be acceptable to men?
A different sort of backlash began to be seen in the 1990's. As competitive gaming grew as a phenomenon, and then later as a viable sport, gaming clans featuring recognizable player luminaries were on the rise. It was only a matter of time that the first all-female clans appeared as a reaction against them. Considered the best answer to the "girls don't play games" stereotype, clans like the Frag Dolls counted as members young attractive females with strong gaming skills. Yet even there can be found the further pandering to the male libido: these girl gamers presented themselves as much as models to be gawked at for their beauty as for any actual skill they possessed. Rather than advancing the cause of gender equality, some argued, this simply extended the life of the common preconceptions. They adopt a double standard: Give us respect because we're good gamers, yet afford us special notice because we're pretty.
Download Full Psp Games the Right Way
Many people may not know that you can download full PSP games. This is not hard and very simple to do. As long as you have an internet connection on your PSP. Downloading games can be done in a matter of a few minutes.
First off, all you need is an internet connection. The cool thing about the PSP is you can acquire a Wi-Fi connections from almost anywhere now days. Unless of course your in the middle of nowhere. Hooking up is a simple process the PSP scans and finds the open wireless connections almost on its own. I have to say this is one the best features on the PSP.
Now once you have the device connected. The PSP has it's own site that is simple to go to from your game system. You can search and choose through all the games on the site.
From there, all you need to do is created a user name and password. On the PSP you also have a way type out these. Almost like using a phone. Once you do this you can search and find all the games available for download.
Even though there are demo's you can also download the full versions of the games. Believe it or not the quality on this is no different from actually buying the game in the stores.
Putting in your information to but the games even through the PSP is very simple. It really is no different the doing it from your computer. If your used to texting on a phone. It basically is set up the same way. Once your are done paying for your game. You can download it immediately right onto your PSP. This takes just a few minutes.
Now if you don't like doing it this way. You can also download them straight to your home computer or laptop. Some prefer it this way. Once it's downloaded you can hook up your PSP through a USB and send it straight to your gaming system.
It's that easy. Now the older days are gone. Instead of driving clear to the store. All you need to do is hook up, pay for it, and download full psp games from almost anywhere. This is a very cool device. To top it off the other features even make it better.
First off, all you need is an internet connection. The cool thing about the PSP is you can acquire a Wi-Fi connections from almost anywhere now days. Unless of course your in the middle of nowhere. Hooking up is a simple process the PSP scans and finds the open wireless connections almost on its own. I have to say this is one the best features on the PSP.
Now once you have the device connected. The PSP has it's own site that is simple to go to from your game system. You can search and choose through all the games on the site.
From there, all you need to do is created a user name and password. On the PSP you also have a way type out these. Almost like using a phone. Once you do this you can search and find all the games available for download.
Even though there are demo's you can also download the full versions of the games. Believe it or not the quality on this is no different from actually buying the game in the stores.
Putting in your information to but the games even through the PSP is very simple. It really is no different the doing it from your computer. If your used to texting on a phone. It basically is set up the same way. Once your are done paying for your game. You can download it immediately right onto your PSP. This takes just a few minutes.
Now if you don't like doing it this way. You can also download them straight to your home computer or laptop. Some prefer it this way. Once it's downloaded you can hook up your PSP through a USB and send it straight to your gaming system.
It's that easy. Now the older days are gone. Instead of driving clear to the store. All you need to do is hook up, pay for it, and download full psp games from almost anywhere. This is a very cool device. To top it off the other features even make it better.
Download Free Computer Games…
...right from NVIDIA! I am sure that thousands of people are looking to download free computer games, but too many of them end up with...well, not-so-legal downloads, and of those, a very large number are also infected with various viruses. If we look at this whole matter and say the truth and nothing but the truth, there are only a few free computer games really worth your time. Don't get me wrong - I've seen a lot of promising ones, but most of them have been in the "eternal Beta stage" for a few years, and then simply faded away. The good part is that, when the battle for hardware supremacy enters the scene, providing free games for download turns into something really easy to do for the big ones, as it just happened with NVIDIA on Tuesday...
Top 13 Free Computer Game Websites
Acid-Play
Overall Rating: 5/5
Acid Play has grown into one of the more reliable free gaming websites around. It offers more than 860 free game downloads. All games listed on AcidPlay.com are reviewed and given a percentage rating. The reviews and ratings are a great guide on determining the quality of the free game.
Read Review
AllGamesAtoZ.com
AllGamesAtoZ.com is a newer site that offers fewer than 100 freeware games. Most of the games can be found on other freeware game sites as well.
More Info
Caiman.us
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Caiman.us is a purely freeware game website, you won't find any demos or shareware games here. It boasts an impressive 4,630 games (3,395 unique games) and is one of the most frequently updated freeware gaming websites I've seen.
Read Review
Fullgames.sk
Fullgames.sk lists a decent number of free computer games both downloadable freeware and free online game but they are also listed along with other retail game assets such as demos and trailers.
More Info
GameHippo
Overall Rating: 5/5
With more than 1000 rated games Game Hippo is a a great website for finding free computer games. Unlike many other free game sites, Game Hippo contains only freeware games. All games listed on Game Hippo have been installed, played and reviewed by the GameHippo Staff.
Read Review
Home of the Underdogs
Overall Rating: 5/5
Home of the Underdogs is a freeware/abandonware site that offers a vast number of titles for download. It is a virtual gold mine for many classic out of print games and has grown to a library of over 5,000 games. The list of freeware game titles is fairly impressive but it's been quite some time since this site has been updated.
Read Review
Mega Games
MegaGames has more info on retail game assets such as cheats, demos, and patches but it does have an excellent free computer game section that is definately worth a look. Most games are hosted on MegaGames and/or provide links/info to the offical game sites.
More Info
Noodan
Noodan had loads of freeware games and free online games. Navigation could be better but once you get use to the site it's fairly easy to see what's new and there is a text search available.
More InfoRead Review
Planet Freeplay
Planet Freeplay is a great source for finding quality freeware games by offering easy to use navigation and more than 1500 downloadable freeware and online games. Listed front and center of the Planet Freeplay home page are the latest freeware titles that have been added to the site. These listings provide the game title, a small preview screenshot and a short description.
Read Review
Reloaded Abandonia
Reloaded provides is a free computer game site dedicated to remakes of classic/retro video games and community made freeware games. Layout and navigation of Reloaded is very nice with screenshots and descriptions of all games listed in it's directory.
More Info
Overall Rating: 5/5
Acid Play has grown into one of the more reliable free gaming websites around. It offers more than 860 free game downloads. All games listed on AcidPlay.com are reviewed and given a percentage rating. The reviews and ratings are a great guide on determining the quality of the free game.
Read Review
AllGamesAtoZ.com
AllGamesAtoZ.com is a newer site that offers fewer than 100 freeware games. Most of the games can be found on other freeware game sites as well.
More Info
Caiman.us
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Caiman.us is a purely freeware game website, you won't find any demos or shareware games here. It boasts an impressive 4,630 games (3,395 unique games) and is one of the most frequently updated freeware gaming websites I've seen.
Read Review
Fullgames.sk
Fullgames.sk lists a decent number of free computer games both downloadable freeware and free online game but they are also listed along with other retail game assets such as demos and trailers.
More Info
GameHippo
Overall Rating: 5/5
With more than 1000 rated games Game Hippo is a a great website for finding free computer games. Unlike many other free game sites, Game Hippo contains only freeware games. All games listed on Game Hippo have been installed, played and reviewed by the GameHippo Staff.
Read Review
Home of the Underdogs
Overall Rating: 5/5
Home of the Underdogs is a freeware/abandonware site that offers a vast number of titles for download. It is a virtual gold mine for many classic out of print games and has grown to a library of over 5,000 games. The list of freeware game titles is fairly impressive but it's been quite some time since this site has been updated.
Read Review
Mega Games
MegaGames has more info on retail game assets such as cheats, demos, and patches but it does have an excellent free computer game section that is definately worth a look. Most games are hosted on MegaGames and/or provide links/info to the offical game sites.
More Info
Noodan
Noodan had loads of freeware games and free online games. Navigation could be better but once you get use to the site it's fairly easy to see what's new and there is a text search available.
More InfoRead Review
Planet Freeplay
Planet Freeplay is a great source for finding quality freeware games by offering easy to use navigation and more than 1500 downloadable freeware and online games. Listed front and center of the Planet Freeplay home page are the latest freeware titles that have been added to the site. These listings provide the game title, a small preview screenshot and a short description.
Read Review
Reloaded Abandonia
Reloaded provides is a free computer game site dedicated to remakes of classic/retro video games and community made freeware games. Layout and navigation of Reloaded is very nice with screenshots and descriptions of all games listed in it's directory.
More Info
Safety Rules For Parents - Video Games
Parents are always concerned about the well being of their offspring. Video games and the internet are good as well as bad. In order for gaming and the internet to be positive experiences you need to set rules that will protect your child and take certain steps to ensure your child is safe.
As a concerned parent:
1. Know the risks posed by video games and the internet. Even if a game is rated as safe on the box, very often, downloadable and alterations to the game online turn the game dangerous. Ratings are not based on alterations and download. So educate yourself everyday.
2. Use the US Department of Education’s Parents Guide to the Internet (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/index.html) and other websites like Child Safety on the Information Highway.
3. Set down strict gaming and internet rules. Monitor the sites your child uses and learn how to use parental controls offered by Windows and other systems.
4. Play the video games yourself so that you have hands on experience.
5. Allow the children to play video games with only known players. If you are unsure of what kids may be doing at a friend’s house, drop in unexpectedly and check on them.
6. Gaming consoles like Xbox 360 have settings parents can use to protect their kids. Read about these at the Xbox 360 website. Read the Xbox code of conduct http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/codeofconduct.htm .
7. Ensure that the kids understand they must never reveal personal information on the internet and that they must use “dummy” identities for play. Sit down with the kids and create fun ids for them.
8. Ensure that the kids do not use live chats or forums online. This would of course depend on how old the children are. Befriend your child/children so that they will come to you when they encounter strange happenings or foul language. Win the trust of the children.
9. Be in touch with other parents and exchange information on video games. Networking works well and several PTAs even have websites that give tips on video gaming.
10. Play time according to child development specialists must be a reward and not a right. Set down the video gaming time say 30 mins thrice a week or everyday depending on your personal choices. Do not permit gaming to be an addiction or obsession. If you notice any behavioral changes and you feel its gaming seek expert advice/help.
The responsibilities of parenting are constantly changing and are more demanding with developments in technology. Parents need to stay young and have a fingertip on developments in gaming, online activities, child safety and more.
As a concerned parent:
1. Know the risks posed by video games and the internet. Even if a game is rated as safe on the box, very often, downloadable and alterations to the game online turn the game dangerous. Ratings are not based on alterations and download. So educate yourself everyday.
2. Use the US Department of Education’s Parents Guide to the Internet (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/index.html) and other websites like Child Safety on the Information Highway.
3. Set down strict gaming and internet rules. Monitor the sites your child uses and learn how to use parental controls offered by Windows and other systems.
4. Play the video games yourself so that you have hands on experience.
5. Allow the children to play video games with only known players. If you are unsure of what kids may be doing at a friend’s house, drop in unexpectedly and check on them.
6. Gaming consoles like Xbox 360 have settings parents can use to protect their kids. Read about these at the Xbox 360 website. Read the Xbox code of conduct http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/codeofconduct.htm .
7. Ensure that the kids understand they must never reveal personal information on the internet and that they must use “dummy” identities for play. Sit down with the kids and create fun ids for them.
8. Ensure that the kids do not use live chats or forums online. This would of course depend on how old the children are. Befriend your child/children so that they will come to you when they encounter strange happenings or foul language. Win the trust of the children.
9. Be in touch with other parents and exchange information on video games. Networking works well and several PTAs even have websites that give tips on video gaming.
10. Play time according to child development specialists must be a reward and not a right. Set down the video gaming time say 30 mins thrice a week or everyday depending on your personal choices. Do not permit gaming to be an addiction or obsession. If you notice any behavioral changes and you feel its gaming seek expert advice/help.
The responsibilities of parenting are constantly changing and are more demanding with developments in technology. Parents need to stay young and have a fingertip on developments in gaming, online activities, child safety and more.
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