Rhode Island Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio (pictured) is now attempting to block the $75 million loan used to lure Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios from Massachusetts.

Caprio, who is also the state’s General Treasurer, has expressed tepid uncertainty about the deal all along, calling for the state’s Economic Development Corporation to modify the loan and questioning the bond structure that will finance it. Read More

As a September deadline looms for submitting amicus briefs in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA Supreme Court case, both sides are still hard at work recruiting advocates.

In an excellent Law.com story on the subject, a few claims and quotes jump out, including a comment from Activision Blizzard EVP and Chief Public Policy Officer George Rose, who said, “We wouldn't be surprised if the number [of states siding with the industry] was equal or exceeded the number backing California.”

Meanwhile both California Supervising Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini, who will argue California’s side on November 2, and Louisiana Department of Justice Appellate Chief S. Kyle Duncan, who authored the brief for states backing the California law, seem to think that Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff “is taking the lead in drafting a brief supporting the industry and discussing it with AGs of other states.”
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An Alaskan law that goes into effect on July 1, and deals with the electronic distribution of indecent material to minors, has come under fire by free speech advocates.

Section 11.61.128 of the Alaska Statutes, signed into law by Governor Sean Parnell (pictured hugging his predecessor) in May, calls for parties to be criminally liable for media transmissions (or hosting) of material that is considered “harmful to minors.” Additionally, violators can face up to two years in prison, could be forced to forfeit their business and would have to register as sex offenders.

Those in opposition label the law as “broad censorship,” and claim that “it bans from the Internet anything that may be ‘harmful to minors,’ including material adults have a First Amendment right to view.”
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An editorial in The Salt Lake Tribune calls Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff’s decision to possibly support the videogame industry in the upcoming Schwarzenegger v. EMA SCOTUS case “baffling.”

It appears the paper has sided with pro-life groups and a handful of politicians in condemning Shurtleff (pictured) for a decision he hasn’t even made yet. Titled, “Let it Go,” the editorial stopped just short of labeling Shurtleff a hypocrite, saying instead that opposing the California law was ironic for someone representing a state “that trumpets its devotion to family values.”
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Expect sales of Electronic Arts’ Medal of Honor to do a little better in New Zealand after that country’s Defense Minister Wayne Mapp (pictured) joined his UK counterpart in condemning the title.

Mapp, who is also New Zealand’s Minister of Research, Science and Technology, spoke out against the game because, presumably, of its multiplayer component, where gamers will have the ability to fight as Taliban forces.

In comments carried by GamePlanet, Mapp stated that, “Terrorist acts have caused the deaths of several New Zealanders.” He continued, “This game undermines the values of our nation, and the dedicated service of our men and women in uniform.”
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The more feisty exchanges in a debate among Rhode Island gubernatorial candidates on Thursday revolved around plans from that state’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to grant 38 Studios $75 million in guaranteed loans in order to get the Curt Schilling-helmed company to move from Massachusetts.

As recounted by the Providence Journal, when asked by a moderator for their views on the 38 Studios deal, Independent candidate, and perpetual opponent of the transaction, Lincoln Chafee called the loan a mistake and indicated that the first payment of $15 million would go out to Schilling’s company next Tuesday.

This prompted Democratic candidate Frank Caprio to snap at Chafee, saying, “You don’t have your facts straight. You don’t understand the deal. You don’t know the first thing about this.”
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GamePolitics reader Dante pointed us towards a short Finnish recounting (translated) of an article from a Danish newspaper, which appeared to indicate that the Medal of Honor “scare” started by Fox News, and perpetuated by UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox, had spread to Denmark.

In a pair of articles published on the Danish website MetroXpress, while the game did come under some criticism—it was described as “disrespectful” to soldiers from that country who served in Afghanistan—reasoning that Medal of Honor is just a game took over after a tersely worded introduction.
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An excellent piece on the UK’s Telegraph website rips Defense Secretary Liam Fox for his prattle about EA’s upcoming Medal of Honor game, while also outlining the impact Fox’s comments will have on game sales and how such attacks by “outsiders” raise the cackles hackles of gamers.

Fox totally missed the boat in his condemnation of the game as he argued for its ban in the UK, claiming that the game was “un-British,” even though British forces do not factor into the game at all.

If Fox wanted to make a reasonable argument about the game, as Nick Cowen explains, he could have chosen a different tack: Read More

As Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff considers submitting an amicus brief that would support the videogame industry side in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA Supreme Court case, "pro-family" groups and other legislators from his state held a press conference to try and get him to change his mind.

Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka, Laura Bunker (pictured), Chairwoman of United Families Utah and State Representatives Jim Dunnigan (R) and Julie Fisher (R) all gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday, according to a story in the Deseret News.

Bunker stated, “As the most family-oriented state in the nation, Utah should support this law that promotes the protection of children.”
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Rhode Island Independent candidate for governor Lincoln Chafee (pictured) is continuing to utilize a $75 million loan used to lure Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios from Massachusetts to the Ocean State as a campaign issue, but is running into some closed doors.

Chafee had previously stated that Rhode Island’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) should suspend the 38 Studios deal and start a public process in order to see if the loan money might be better spent on other companies or proposals. On Monday, Chafee attempted to gain access to a meeting between the EDC Board and Governor Donald Carcieri, but, according to the Providence Business News, Chafee, after “a quick handshake” with Carcieri, was “waved off” in his request for a face-to-face confrontation.

A campaign representative for Chafee later delivered a letter to EDC attorney Robert Stolzman at a public meeting, but only after the current governor refused to accept it.
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 10 AM ET is when oral arguments will be made in front of the Supreme Court of the United States for case number 08-1448, better known as Schwarzenegger vs EMA.

The one-hour long session is the first on that day’s calendar (PDF) and will see the Court answer a pair of questions related to a California state law originally authored by State Senator Leland Yee, which sought to ban the sale of violent videogames to minors.

The two questions posed to the Court are: Read More

In what could be a preview of what might happen when the Supreme Court finally addresses the Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association case this fall or early next year, the Institute of Bill of Rights Law (IBRL) at William & Mary Law School will run through the violent videogame case as part of its 2010-2011 Supreme Court Preview.

The two-day event kicks off on Friday night, September 24 and will feature experienced Supreme Court advocates presenting arguments before the IBRL’s mock panel of Supreme Court Justices. Events will conclude in a 9am to 4pm session on Saturday, September 25.

This year’s participants include Lyle Denniston from the SCOTUS Blog, USA Today’s Joan Biskupic, The Wall Street Journal’s Jess Bravin, the New York Times’ Adam Liptak, University of California, Irvine School of Law Dean Erwin Chemrinsky, U.S. Department of Justice Deputy Assistant Attorney General Beth Brinkman and William & Mary School of Law Dean Davison Douglas.
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Upset over the ability to play as the Taliban in multiplayer modes of Electronic Arts’ upcoming Medal of Honor game, UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox has called for retailers in that country to forego selling the game.

Fox’s full rant appeared in yesterday’s Sunday Times, which is behind a pay wall, but fortunately CVG (thanks Cheater87) transcribed some of Fox’s thoughts on the game.

After calling the opportunity to play as the Taliban “disgusting,” Fox continued:

It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban.

I am disgusted and angry. It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game.

I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product. Read More

When it comes to plans for the country's National Broadband Network (NBN), Australian voters are in quite a pickle as the federal elections kick off tomorrow, August 21.

A column in the Age outlines a few of the choices of Australian voters and they are head scratchers: vote for the Labor party and their proposed “$43 billion national fibre rollout, designed to offer at least 100 Mbps to at least 90 percent of Australian homes,” or opt for the Liberals and their $6 billion plan to offer at least 12Mbps service to 90 percent of AU residences.

Sure the Labor version sounds good, but keep in mind that the man behind a proposed (though delayed) mandatory Internet filter in the country is Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, a Labor party member.
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A proposed House Bill in Michigan that deals with the rights of an individual to control the commercial use of his or her “name, likeness or persona,” has drawn fire because of, among other things, an exemption for videogames.

HB5964 (full bill text) was introduced earlier this year on March 18, but has yet to be voted on since being referred to House Judiciary Committee that same month. Violators of the bill would be “liable for actual damages attributable to the unauthorized use of one or more of the personality’s attributes, including profits attributable to the unauthorized use not taken into account in computing actual damages, or $1,000, whichever was greater. “
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As each side in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA case attempts to lure state attorney generals to sign on to their respective amicus briefs, Common Sense Media Chief James Steyer is turning up the pressure on one particular person.

The LA Times features an excerpt from a letter by Steyer to Utah Attorney General, and a one-time target of a certain disbarred attorney, Mark Shurtleff (pictured). While Shurtleff might seem like a natural to sign on to a brief in favor of the California law—he argued for a ban of the game 25 to Life in 2005—he has also demonstrated considerable backbone, once challenging a proposed Utah law introduced by a now disbarred attorney as unconstitutional.
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The always interesting VICE has an interview up with Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) President Cary Sherman, in which the head of the oft-vilified organization attempts to put a spin on the RIAA’s ever-so-slightly more friendly public face, as it switches from harassing end users to focusing more on ISPs.

In a snappy introduction it was noted that Sherman “is often seen as the face man for an oppressive totalitarian behemoth that can potentially throw you in the slammer and/or fine you into a horrid existence for illegally downloading shining examples of popular culture like “California Gurls” by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg.”

In the piece, entitled Downloading Some Bullshit, Sherman answered a series of questions to the best of his ability.

Some Highlights: Read More

A longstanding loophole that has allowed mobile application developers to avoid submitting their wares for classification in Australia has been vowed to be sealed up by the country’s Labor Party.

The Australian reports that the issue is on the agenda of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting, which was postponed three weeks ago due to the looming state elections (that take place on August 21).

Labor’s Brendan O’Connor, and Minister of Home Affairs, said that he was, “… concerned about the classification of games playable on mobile telephones and had put the wheels in motion to address this with his state and territory counterparts.”

Meanwhile, a Sydney Morning Herald story notes that such submissions could cost developers between $470 and $2040 per entry, which didn’t sit well with some creators.
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The latest animated video produced by Taiwanese-based Next Media Animation skewers just about all the major players in the 2010 mid-term elections.

The video is rather up-to-date as well, as it features information disclosed earlier this month in a GQ mini-profile on Rand Paul to recreate a remarkably bizarre story recounted about the Republican Senatorial candidate for Kentucky from 1983, when he was attending Baylor University.

The story below was recalled by the woman at the center of the peculiar incident (who added that she was never hurt):

"He and Randy came to my house, they knocked on my door, and then they blindfolded me, tied me up, and put me in their car. They took me to their apartment and tried to force me to take bong hits. They'd been smoking pot."

 

After the woman refused to smoke with them, Paul and his friend put her back in their car and drove to the countryside outside of Waco, where they stopped near a creek.

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The rise in spending on state judicial elections is causing some to wonder just how impartial these elected judges can remain in the face of such increased donations from the private sector and special interest groups.

The New Politics of Judicial Elections 200-2009 (PDF) is a report conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, the National Institute on Money in State Politics and Justice at Stake. The report calls the rise in spending on state Supreme Court campaigns “pronounced and systemic,” as figures rose from $83.3 million in 1990-1999 to $206.9 million over the 2000-2009 time period.
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Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Mercurio has gained admission to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and can now, should the need arise, appeal or argue any case in front of the nation’s highest court.

ECA President Hal Halpin on Mercurio’s admittance, “We couldn't be happier or more proud that Jenn was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. The timing of her admittance is critical and this landmark First Amendment case so consequential, and the potential negative repercussions of a loss so staggering, that we must all redouble our efforts.”

Mercurio is spearheading the ECA's efforts related to the association's official amicus brief ("friend of the court" document) for the Court in the upcoming violence in video games case, Schwarzenegger v. EMA.

Disclosure: GamePolitics is a publication of the ECA.

That being said, congrats Jenn!

Chip maker Nvidia has won a $25 million grant from the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in order to create high-performance supercomputers that leverage the power of graphics processing units (GPU).

Nvidia has long been an advocate, obviously, of the computational powers of GPUs, which have been adapted to a wide variety of uses, from CT scans, to research labs, to Wall Street. Venture Beat reports that the win will see Nvidia operate under a four-year contract and build “a new class of ‘exascale supercomputers’ that are 1,000 times more powerful than today’s supercomputers.”
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Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor attended a celebration in the “videogame capital of the world,” better known as Ottumwa, Iowa, in order to assist in the renaming of a local park from Central Park to Pac-Man Park.

Lt. Governor Patty Judge, noting that Pac-Man would be officially enshrined into the International Video Game Hall of Fame the next day, stated, “As the state’s highest-ranking woman in elected office, I must say I’m hopeful Ms. Pac-Man will get her due here in Ottumwa one day as well, and I look forward to that celebration.”

The embedded video shows the actual moment Pac-Man was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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The sleepy hamlet of Beacon, located in upstate New York, is not a fan of pinball machines.

A CNN story details the problems a local man had after opening a retro arcade museum in the town. After 18 months of operation, Fred Bobrow was forced to shutter his operation because of an “arcane” law in town that bans pinball machines within the city limits.

George Mansfield, a member of Beacon’s City Council explained how the law may have come about:

Arcades in the '70s may have represented something, you know, maybe, that a community wouldn't want on their main street, or that it would attract a bad, you know, kids or whatever.

While the town, reportedly, is looking into reversing the ban, the City Council is moving very slowly and any changes will not be enacted in time to benefit Bobrow. Beacon Mayor Steve Gold stated, “Uh, the legislative process really does take its time and council's really looked very closely at all of the letters of the law, and look ahead to the future.”

Elena Kagan, in a 63 to 37 vote, has been confirmed as the 112th Supreme Court Justice.

Five Republicans from the Senate supported her, while a lone Democratic member—Nebraska’s Ben Nelson—voted against her appointment.

While the Supreme Court now features three female Justices for the first time, perhaps more startling is the fact, as pointed out by the Washington Post, that all nine current Justices come from one of three Ivy League schools, Harvard, Yale and Columbia.

The 50-year old Kagan replaces 90-year old John Paul Stevens.

The Post also says to keep an eye on the relationship between Kagan and Chief Justice John Roberts, which the paper billed as “intriguing,” writing: Read More

As the economy trudges along and prices rise across the board for the working man, you’ll be pleased to note that the business of lobbying is apparently recession proof.

A report from Open Secrets reveals that special interest groups spent over $852 million across April, May and June of this year. Overall more than 11,100 groups hired over 10,500 lobbyists (outnumbering members of Congress by about 20 to 1 it was noted) during 2010’s second quarter.

Companies falling under the umbrella of finance, insurance or real estate spent $126 million lobbying over the three month period, a gain of 12 percent over the same period one year earlier. Commercial banking interests spent $15.5 million lobbying during the quarter, up 20 percent, while firms from the securities and investment sector dumped $27.6 million into lobbying efforts, a jump of 26 percent.

Lobbying efforts in 2010 are on track to outdo 2009 figures, which was a record year: Read More

In advance of the August 21 Australian federal elections, GameSpot Australia has put together an election primer for gamers.

The article provides information on where candidates and political parties stand on issues like adding an R18+ videogame rating category, implementing a mandatory Internet filter, boosting broadband speeds and generating more governmental support for videogame makers.

Responses below from political party members on the subject of R18+:

Brendan O’Connor (Labor) Minister for Home Affairs:

This is a matter for classification ministers and an agreement must be reached that satisfies all states and territory governments before changes can be made to that nation's classification system. The strength of arguments on both sides must be considered. What is needed is the right decision, not a rushed decision Read More

By all accounts the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has been a ho-hum affair lacking any great theater or overtly obnoxious partisanship and will result in her ascension to a position on the nation’s highest court.

As the Senate debates her nomination (a vote seems likely for this Friday), here are a few takes on the process and thoughts on what could happen from around the Internet.

Politico:

Conservative and liberal judicial activists generally agreed that the struggle over Kagan’s nomination has produced fewer fireworks and drawn less public attention than any nomination since President Bill Clinton tapped Stephen Breyer in 1994.

Los Angeles Times:

The sense of anticlimax was palpable in the Senate chamber, as the debate got underway to scores of empty desks. Read More

Minneapolis-based retailer Target has raised some eyebrows concerning a $150,000 donation the company made to a “Republican-friendly” political group in the state.

As if choosing a political side wasn’t enough to anger some Target shoppers, the contribution to MN Forward is also being used to run ads for Republican Gubernatorial Tom Emmer, who, according to CBS News, opposes same-sex marriage, angering another whole segment of consumers.

The embedded video shows former Target customer Randi Reitan, who has a gay son, returning a full shopping cart of merchandise to Target in protest over the donation.

Target donated $100,000 in cash to MN Forward and another $50,000 in brand consulting.  CBS also reports that Target’s fellow Minnesota-based retailer Best Buy donated $100,000 to MN Forward as well.
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The government of Vietnam has implemented a few (previously alluded to) measures restricting online games as it bides time in order to formulate an overall master plan for dealing with the industry.

Minister of Information and Communications (MoIC) Le Doan Hop called for the immediate  implementation of a trio of stop-gap measures reports Saigon Daily: until new laws are drafted and propagated, all new licenses for online games will be suspended, all public media ads for online games are banned and Internet cafes will have to shut down game services between 11PM and 6AM every day. Vietnam News stated that these measures will be in place through year-end.
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