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Games Industry Gains Lobbyist
Gamasutra is reporting on a first: a paid lobbyist for the games industry. The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association has hired Stuart Spencer to represent the industry's interests in Washington. From the article: "Spencer's experience as a lobbyist comes from his founding role in the Stanton Park Group, where he also served as principal and general counsel. While at Stanton Park, Spencer represented several technology and health care clients. Prior to that, Spencer was a staffer for Rep. Louise Slaughter from 1996 to 2003, where he eventually became the House member's chief of staff."
The general consumer needs a lobbyist. We, as a people, need our rights protected from the big businesses. We are defenseless against the industries.
Is this guy going to be an anti-Jack Thompson with just as much of a crackpot sensationalist view... or is he going to actually relay his point in a sane manner?
Bury me in mashed potatoes.
Should OSHA regulations be applied to parents' basements?
It's both heartening and depressing to hear this. While this will be good for the games industry, it's sad that they have to buy into the system of corruption to avoid being the target of legislation. After all, there aren't any laws restricting children from seeing R-rated movies, yet politicians seem eager to jump on the anti-games bandwagon. Of course, the MPAA doesn't just lobby, they br^H^Hcontribute to campaigns.
English is easier said than done.
I find it somewhat ironic that Capitalism is the cancer of Democracy.
Of the people, by the people, for the people.*
*replace people for money
or
*only for people with money
All forms of government fail because they all forget to factor in 1 key element. Human Nature.
Communism doesn't work because some people will realize that they don't have to work hard and still get the same benefits.
Democracy doesn't work because of greed.
Socalist governments don't work for the combined reasons of above.
Monarcy doesn't work because you are the victim to the whims of 1 person.
It seems like it's a lot like the prison system,
It's broken, it doesn't work, we need something better.
It's the best we have.
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
-Eric
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
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If you can't beat 'em, you might as well join 'em. I think I just puked in my mouth a little.
Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
It should be noted that the "games industry" doesn't always have interest that coincides with gamers. More particularly, the industry's interests don't coincide well with industry employees.
While it might be nice to see the anti-gaming crusaders put in their place a bit, the possibility of employees taking a hit and more attacks against those who make anti-CD cracks (or more promotion of Starforce or other such evils) doesn't necessarily make this a good thing.
Which Games Industry is he representing? If he's representing the Id Softwares of the US then this could be good. I highly doubt this, however. My guess is he's lobbying for Vivendi, EA, or Take2. If this is the case, we can look forward to seeing emulation labeled a terrorist activity in the near future.
Finally someone can threaten the politians in a way that can scare them. With voters.
The youth vote jumped 11% in 2004 to reach 47% turnout in 18-24 age voters. The feared Elderly Voting Bloc has a whopping 66% voter turn out. We are gaining ground.
If the numbers we attained forthe 2004 election hold, or perish the thought, we gain ground, we could actually see social security legislation that, you know, DOESN'T SUCK. Private accounts indeed.
The "Gamer" lobby could reach over into health care reform, drug reform (pot? okay! meth? WTF?!?!), industry oversight reform (you're dumping WHAT into the lake? I fish there!). With a democratic majority but still a republican presence, the Gamer lobby could deal with both sides, and focus on issues for the future. Our future.
Gamers Unite! And vote!
There are no gods but ourselves.
The good news is, the politicians will no longer be screaming to ban video games any more...
:)
The bad news is, now the government will pay subsidies to video game makers not to make video games (like they give to farmers to not to grow things).
Rep. Slaughter's old Chief of staff hired as the gaming industry's first lobbyist. Yeah, that's about the political quaivalent of the Congress announcing it picked up its first game console this week, a used Sega from ebay. And unless the dems win the hosue and senate in 06, this guy won't be coming from the side that runs the show in DC. Dick Cheney would have to start shooting a lot of people for the Dems to have a shot in 06 - it's just a numbers game, and the odds favor the incumbents in a big way. So don't expect the gaming industry to be safe from attacks by Congressional Committees eager to "protect the children". Just because they hired a former staffer from a rather insignificant member of Congress, and yes, even as ranking Member on Rules, Louise Slaughter can be described as insignificant. I'm sure she'd be an entirely different force in a majority party, but that and the tooth fairy will get you a quarter to call someone who cares.
I see this as a double edged sword. On one hand the industry will be using the lobbyist to better protect them from their own employees (http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/06/1 231236). On the other, they can gain some protection for their games and their creators from Jack Thompson types and the popular media in general.
So in the future, you will be able to rape cats in GTA12 if you feel like it, but the game will be developed by abused Taiwanese children in exchange for small morsels of bread.
I always giggle a bit when I see Ayn Rand cited as a source for the failure of communism and/or the support of capitalism. She wrote fiction. And not particularly good fiction either; one dimensional morality tales that at heart were relatively boring.
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . .
And, as the game industry is in the business of making money, they should choose a lobbyist whose legislative history isn't in destroying businesses and having contempt for any money earned from a source other than the gov'ment.