Legal and Ethical Obligations in The Games Industry
Legal
Copyright
Copyright is a legal right which is created by the law of a country in order for the creator of original works to have exclusive rights to its use and distribution. It essentially gives you ownership of the things you create. The law grants the owner several rights which include: the right to reproduce to work, to distribute copies, to perform the work and to display the work publically. Copyright has a well-known symbol which marks your work ©.
Example of Copyright
This is a legal copyright document for Activision which states what copyright is for the game.
Trademark
A trademark is a recognizable sign, design or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others. The trademark owner can be a business, individual or a legal entity. The trademark may be located on a label, a voucher, a package or the product itself.
Example of Trademark
This is Trademark for Fifa and EA Sports.
Patent
A patent is a set of rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an invention. An invention is a solution to a specific technological problem and is a product or a process.
Example of Patent
Registered Designs
A registered design is protection given to the outward appearance of a product or part of a product. The shape or appearance of a product is what is most easily recognised by a consumer. Registering a design prevents it being copied by someone else.
Example Registered Design
Example Registered Design
This is Registered Design for XBOX.
Ethical
Violence
People often feel that playing games which involve violence may lead to them being violent themselves. There are many games which include violent behaviour as well as other content which relates to violence.
Do violent video games lead to real violence?
In 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conneticut Adam Lanza tragically shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members. This crime was researched by mental health experts, the media and bereavement counselors. One of the main issues at the forefront was whether violent video games played a part in this shocking event. Adam was reportedly addicted to violent video games. There is lots of speculation as to whether video games alone could have caused this or whether there are other problems.
Personally I think that having violence in video games makes the game better because it makes the gameplay more exciting and fun to play. Games such as GTA make the violence in the game like real life however some games go over the top like Gears of War.
Ratings
Rating – Age ratings are important as they ensure that video game content is clearly labelled for the minimum age group that it is appropriate for. PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) is a recognised company used throughout Europe for both new consoles and PC games. In the UK PEGI 12, 16 and 18 ratings are legally enforceable. This means the company selling the game are forbidden to sell it to anyone below the required age. There are both age ratings and descriptions on a game. The age ratings will just state the suitable age. However the description will give detail of what the game may involve.
I think that ratings are important because it stops the younger children from accessing games which have more mature themes. However some parents still buy the games for the children despite the rating.
Education
Education - There are many different things that video games can teach us. Some of these are negative whilst others are positive. The positive effects of non-educational video games are that it can motivate individuals, help them to use their initiative and cooperate with other people. However there are many negative effects such as aggression, addiction and gambling.
Positive
Brain Training was a smash hit on the Nintendo DS. It encouraged people to do a daily simple exercise to keep their minds sharp. The game included lots of different gaming styles such as: Maths, English, Logic, Puzzles and determining your brain age.
These are examples of how Education is used positively in games. I think that it is good to have games that make you think. It makes the game more of a challenge.
Stereotyping
In the current Games Industry Stereotyping is an issue. In most games the main characters are men as oppose to women. It is rare that you see women being the strong main character. The male characters are usually strong and well built and the women are usually portrayed negatively.
In GTA V the women are portrayed very negatively. They appear in strip clubs, lap dancing bars and as prostitutes. This makes women appear to be one dimensional and seem worthless. They don't appear to be used for any other aspect than to please men. However using women in GTA has introduced more female gamers to the gaming world. You are also able to play as a female character online.
In Street Fighter men appear to be very muscular and strong individuals. This is an unrealistic portrayal of real life because not all men have this image. However due to the genre of game you would expect the characters to have this image as they are fighting so would need to appear strong.
Personally I think it is good to have both men and women in games, however the characters should be more realistic so the player can relate to them.
Addiction
Addiction – There has been increasing evidence which shows that video game addiction is becoming more and more real. People of all ages especially pre-teens and teens are sometimes suffering severe consequences which have been associated with compulsive game play. Video games are becoming more realistic and it has been found that many teens would rather stay in and play new video games than go out with their friends. Results have shown that ten to fifteen percent of gamers exhibit signs that meet with the world health organisation’s criteria for addiction. Video game addiction is becoming a public concern and has a negative image. Many parents are concerned about their children’s welfare due to video game addiction. Many teens are becoming withdrawn at school due to the constant use of game consoles.
Case Study – A quiet killer – Why video games are so addictive!
In early February 2012 a binge game Chen Rong Yu was found dead in a Taiwanese restaurant in a gaming chair. He had engaged in a marathon gaming session of League of Legends a multiplayer online battle arena computer game. He had been playing the game without breaks for more than nine hours and was still in a gaming position when found. Chen had suffered suspected cardiac arrest. Chen had obviously ignored physical cues to tell him something was wrong. There was much speculation about gaming addiction because of this case. It was believed that Chen was addicted to video games and this brainwashed him into forgetting about his own physical needs. This in turn made him exhausted, dehydrated and starved. This could have all been contributions to his death.
I play video games almost everyday and I am fine. I don't think that I am addicted to games although some people may say that I am. This case study probably happened because he spent such a long duration of time doing the same thing.
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