The PC Centric Extravaganza 4.01.08
Posted by Chris Evans on 04.01.2008
The Byron Review, British Press and much more!
The PC Centric Extravaganza 1st April 2008
Welcome one and all to this week PC Centric Extravaganza! Not much to report personally, I didn't watch WrestleMania, but from all accounts it was pretty good. Great to hear that Punk won MITB, hope he does something useful with it!
What we have this week, The Byron Review and my views on it and a whole host of other less important things. Really the Byron Review has been the key thing to appear this week in gaming news. So lets crack on with the weeks fun!
The Byron Review
My Take
The long awaited Byron Review has been published. This report has been carried out by Dr Tanya Byron and was commissioned by the UK Government.
The report is entitled 'Safer Children in a Digital World' and takes a look at the internet and video games and their impact on society and children today.
Dr Byron has presented a string of recommendations to the government on both the internet and video games.
While I have not read the full report in its entirety yet, I have looked at the sections relating to video games.
Dr Byron has certainly provided a balanced report in regards to video games. She looks at two methods of research and provides a balanced report on their analysis.
The overall recommendations for video games are as follows:
Video Games Recommendations
By Autumn 2008
Consultation on changes to classification system underpinned by clear plans
for potential legislative change.
Industry commits to develop minimum standards for parental controls.
Campaign to raise awareness of age ratings and parental controls underway.
Retailers make improvements to in-store information.
UK Council for Child Internet Safety establishes sub-group on online gaming
Industry and classification bodies commit to develop single set of standards
for managing safety in online games.
By Spring 2009
BBFC and PEGI agree and publish standards for managing safety in online
games.
Research into role of video game advertising on underage game play
completed.
Industry guidelines on advertising of video games produced.
Summer 2010
Changes to classification system in place.
Ongoing Monitoring and enforcement of sales of age-rated video games.
Government identifies ways for game based learning to be evaluated in
different educational environments.
These are very good recommendations. There is no hint of increased censorship of video games, Dr Byron simply recognizes the need to provide clearer rating systems and provide more information to parents so they are able to make a more informed decision regarding how their children approach and play video games.
However Dr Byron is in favour of a hybrid-system of games ratings, she recommends using both the BBFC and PEGI rating systems.
To address these concerns I suggest that a partnership approach between the BBFC and
PEGI should be pursued. I recommend a hybrid classification system in which:
BBFC logos are on the front of all games (i.e. 18,15,12,PG and U);
PEGI will continue to rate all 3+ and 7+ games and their equivalent logos (across all
age ranges) will be on the back of all boxes.
7.48 This system would involve BBFC rating games from 12+ upwards (under the extension of the statutory underpinning from this age recommended above). Ratings for 3+ and 7+ games, where the evidence of potential harm is weakest, would continue to be voluntarily classified through the PEGI system. These are also the ages where context is less relevant, as evidenced in the child development literature, which means the approach of the PEGI system would be most appropriate. However, to make this work for the UK consumer, the PEGI ratings should be translated into BBFC symbols and descriptors. To achieve this BBFC and PEGI would need to work together to agree on alignment between the criteria for PEGI rated 3+ and 7+ games and BBFC's ‘Universal' (U) and ‘Parental Guidance' (PG) categories respectively. Consideration could also be given to using the ‘Uc' category for games that are particularly aimed at pre-school children. Online games should also be classified in accordance with this division.
7.49 However, I am also clear that there still has to be consumer awareness and understanding of the PEGI system in the UK, given that video games will continue to receive PEGI ratings across the rest of Europe, and the consumer will be presented with these ratings online, which will increasingly become more prevalent. This is why I am also recommending that all UK games are supported by the corresponding PEGI age ratings and descriptors, which should be shown on the reverse side of the packaging.
7.50 In the context of this Review, where my remit has been solely to consider the interests of children and young people, I recommend the hybrid classification system set out above, with a BBFC consumer facing element in the UK. However, there are other perspectives, and different possible approaches. Implementation of change will require full public consultation.
I personally fear that this compromise is not going to be beneficial to many people. Dr Byron makes many references in the report to the fact that consumers are often confused by the different rating systems. This is something which will not be achieved by using both the BBFC and PEGI rating systems.
The PEGI system should be recommended as the sole body to rate video games in the UK. The PEGI system is pan-European and it makes sense that as a member of the EU the UK should look to bolster ties with Europe. The adoption of the PEGI system as the sole body to rate games would be in the best interests of all involved.
While I myself accept that there are people who would be confused by the rating systems the dual approach put forward in the report is only going to further this confusion.
The PEGI system should be adopted as the sole ratings body for video games in the UK and there should be a massive effort to better educate UK consumers. This should be led by the retailers who would have to make the rating system clearer to consumers, and enforce PEGI ratings as they should be.
Overall though the Byron Review seems to be a very positive report. While some of the recommendations may not be going towards the best future, many of the recommendations are going to improve the games industry and the internet especially in relation to young people in the UK today.
To find the full report simply head over to the home page of the Byron Review here.
Other Comments
Loads of other people have had time to sit back, read the Byron Review and post their thoughts. Below you can find links to a couple of other interesting pieces regarding Dr Byron's report.
I have to agree with John, the report does make a lot of sense and presents a good balanced take on the issue of video gaming and the internet in todays society. That is unlike The Times which lost credibility in my eyes for being pretty crap in their coverage of the report.
I agree with Seniath, the plans that Dr Byron has set out for using both the BBFC rating and PEGI rating systems are just going to further confuse parents. This is where the report falls down in my mind as Dr Byron sets out in the report to help stop the confusion for many parents, but yet makes a recommendation which will just further the confusion.
But still, the report was generally very good, but as we all know it is up to Gordon Brown et al to pick and chose what they want from the report and use it to their own ends. Hopefully they don't ruin it all.
Weighted Companion Cube – Back In Stock
Everyone loves the Weighted Companion Cube. They loved it so much that when the plush version was originally made available on the Valve Store that it sold out within 24-hours. Luckily for all of you who failed to get your Companion you now have the chance to get it. Yes the Weighted Companion Cube is back in stock!
For $29.95 you can get the Weighted Companion Cube Plush for the Fuzzies. Knowing how fast they went originally you best hurry over to get them at the Valve Store.
Now if only I had the money spare to splash out on this! By the time I can afford it...it will be out of stock again :(
Call of Duty 4 – New Map Pack…
A 'Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack' has been dated for release on the 360 and the PS3 in April. For those who want this DLC on the consoles they will £6.80. However us PC fans are having to wait a bit for a release date and to find out whether we will be paying for these new maps.
Right now plans for the PC version are unannounced but we are working to bring PC users the same content in the future, however logistics are being worked out on how to make that happen.
That is what Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling has said over on his blog.
What does he mean 'logistics' are being worked out? The only way I see it is that Infinity Ward are wondering whether we should be paying for these new maps or not. Of course if we are to get them for free then the 360 and PS3 gamers are going to be wondering why they had to pay for what we get for free. Conversely if we have to pay for these new maps then there is sure to be a backlash against Infinity Ward for charging us for what we normally are able to get for free.
I guess we shall have to wait until we hear more on this issue, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that we too will have to pay for the privilege to play these new maps.
Far Cry Dated – TF2 Update Dated. Dates Galore!
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 2 has been given an autumn release date according to CVG.
Throwing the player in 50km of African land Far Cry 2 looks, to me at least, to be a sure fire contender for Game of the Year. The graphics in all the videos we have seen are gorgeous, the game promises to give the player masses of freedom and even the action looks good!
My only fear is that it will have been altered from the original concept since work began on the 360 and PS3 versions. I still have high hopes regardless and am really looking forward to this.
Team Fortress 2 Update
The next major update for Team Fortress 2 has been dated for the week of the 20th April according to Shacknews.
A specific date has not been mentioned, but with Valve that is to be expected. The update is slated to feature the new game type and one new map, Payload and Badlands respectively.
Also possible to feature in the upcoming update is the Medic unlockable items. While the specifics regarding the Medic changes are still up in the air there are planned to be three new items. These will be selectable in a new character loadout screen.
With the Red Alert 3 Beta seemingly drawing ever closer something has stirred with a classic from the Command and Conquer series.
A new EALA backed Red Alert 2 tournament has been confirmed and is due to start on the 1st of April. Strike-Team are using their XWIS servers (the official EA sponsored WOL servers for Red Alert 2) to host the tournament that will last two months.
Prizes will range from a spot in the Red Alert 3 beta to a $250 online gift certificate and a free copy of Red Alert 3 when it ships.
To take part you simply have to boot up Red Alert 2, go to the internet tab and chose a nickname and a password (8 characters exactly) and you will then be good to go!
For more information on this head over to Strike-Team
Supreme Commander – Needs More Power!
According to an upcoming interview with PC Zone, Chris Taylor the man behind the Supreme Commander games has revealed that the one thing stopping development of Supreme Commander is a lack of PC power.
In a sneak peak of the interview on CVG Chris Taylor says this:
"I've been told by my engineers that for Supreme Commander 2, I don't have enough memory in a PC with 4GB of RAM to have more factions".
"I'm like, 'That's insane!', so we've got to work that one out", he continued.
"We'll return to the SC universe again," Taylor went on to reveal, "but we'll just have to see when that day is. Maybe when everybody has 64-bit processors..."
Which is really quite shocking when you think about it. Supreme Commander required a huge amount of power when it originally came out, it was one of the first games to fully utilize Dual Core set-ups. To hear that Supreme Commander 2 would require 4GB of RAM and 64-bit processors we can quite safely go 'wow.'
British Press
Aa job listing on Star Now a British job listing site which deals with newspapers, actors and more is advertising for people to write about how games turned them into criminals.
The job listing at hand contains the following information;
A national newspaper wants your story and will pay hundreds of pounds to the right person.
Write a few lines about how computer games turned you to crime and if it's something we like, we'll call you straight back.
While there is no mention of paper running this advert it is very convenient that the job listing appeared on the 27th of March. That was the day that the Byron Review was published.
This is highly disconcerting that a newspaper, regardless of quality, is willing to advertise so blatantly for people to send in stories which will most likely be false, of how computer games turned them to crime. This is easily something which can be used to create an alarmist, over the top headline that will target and damage the reputation of the gaming industry.
Disgusting to see this kind of thing occurring even though we all know it happens. If anyone sees a headline about 'Games turned me to the Mob' or such like in any British papers then it should be considered with the utmost caution.
