Lawyer Highlights Challenges Facing Game Industry
Gamasutra has the rundown of a GDC presentation by game industry attorney Larence G. Walters, and it’s an interesting read. Walters notes that despite the steady shutdown of game-regulation laws on First Amendment grounds, the industry isn’t out of the woods yet. Of particular concern are the ongoing “junk science” attacks on gaming from pro-regulation groups. Walters argues for a more proactive, research-based approach from the industry, and says it should be in the business of advancing scientifically valid counterclaims:
The video game industry needs to clearly and overwhelmingly debunk these theories with its own extensive research on the subject. To the extent that the industry can develop a research bank and debunk this junk science and addiction theory, it should do so before it needs it and not at the 11th hour.
And, he argues, it’s a PR battle as much as it is a legal battle, for “the hearts and minds of consumers.”
Before I forget, Colleen Hannon recently wrote an excellent article on the subject of the unsettling relationship between junk science practitioners and media regulation groups over at Gamers With Jobs.