How Will We Regulate Online Games Whose Premise Is About Virtual Illegality?
from the a-huge,-huge-mess dept
Two years ago, it was obvious that the "wild west" area associated with online games was going to face some serious legal questions that would get very messy, very quickly. If you think things are bad now, when politicians try to create laws for the regular internet, just imagine how screwed up they'll get when dealing with virtual worlds where things look the same, but are very, very different. While he trots out the misleading statement about how the online gaming economy equals the GDP of some random small country, Ed Felten makes the (almost too) obvious point that, whether or not anyone likes it, governments will step in and regulate online worlds. This is where things get complex very quickly. While some embrace the idea that outside laws should apply within the game, it creates some huge problems: as the reasons things happen in an online world are very different. Just look at the recent arrest in Japan of a man who created an online bot bully in an online game. At first, it may seem sensible for the offline laws to apply to the online world. He used the bot to steal from characters, and the goods he stole had real value in the outside world. However, if stealing is really such an issue, why isn't it programmed out of the game entirely? What if the purpose of the game is to steal from others, even if there is value in the outside world? Since a virtual world lets you start from any set of conditions or rules, and doesn't involve physically harming anyone, many laws that may make sense on the surface make a lot less sense as you dig deeper. Felten uses the example of virtual stock markets in these games that use real money. Should those be regulated? Perhaps... but then how do you deal with a virtual world that's supposed to represent an unregulated financial market where anything goes? Virtual worlds let players experience life with completely different rulesets. Why should they be forced to only function in a world that matches the real one?
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virtual taxes
If the government did step in to regulate the virtual world, would there be a virtual tax on the virtual wealth payable in real world money?
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How about...
There are far worse things in this world, and the people like JT have nothing better to do then to try and crucify the gaming industry. I mean, video games are the only source of violence, which forces us to rehash this violence into our own world right? (Kidding... TV, music, ..etc have been vehicles for violence long before video games).
As games get more and more realistic looking, things will get worse. Hopefully somebody steps up and shoots these bastards down before they demolish the creativy that some of these gaming companies bring to us. I'm all for M+ games not being sold to minors, but don't blame the gaming industry for making the games, blame the adults who buy these games for these kids, or the retailers that sell these to kids.
Also when it comes to mentally unstable people tha t play games like GTA, how is the game manufacturer supposed to know that they will "set off" these loose cannons? You don't. Same goes if this person watches a violent movie, but yet you don't see lawsuits over violent movies....
/end rant
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Re: virtual taxes
Also, if it's legal (programmed into the game) for the government to charge virtual taxes on virtual money, I'll charge them a virtual tax on their money.
I honestly don't understand this article or the idea. Someone explain.
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It EXACTLY like poker...
Some people/countries/authorities are for it, some are against it.
Online games should have their own rules. Period.
You can "buy in" in a virtual world and, with time and effort, make more virtual money that can be traded for more REAL money than you spent when you started.
How is this ANY different than poker or any form of gambling? There is risk involved and if you suck, you lose money.
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Re: virtual taxes
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No Subject Given
Lawyer:
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I intend to prove that the defendant, MrCool69 did deliberately in a most brutal manner assault 6 people online with a level 10 plasma gun during a friendly Halo skirmish. Moreover we will illustrate that these crimes were in fact Hate crimes, and his motives were fueled by racial hatred, as every single victim was on the red team. He targeted 6 people on the red team, leaving the entire white team unharmed. MrCool69 is a racist and a cold blooded killer. But to truly understand the extent of his crimes we must consider the total damages including the combine loss of over 2 million experience points, and the emotional anguish of the victims, their families, and the greater online population of red-suited avatars everywhere. As long as people like MrCool are allowed to roam the online world freely, no one with a red suit under +20 defense shielding will be safe. We are asking that you see this trial through and follow your best moral judgment, and realize that this is in fact a capital crime, deserving the highest punishment... Deletion of his character, and $5000 in penalties to help aid the victims in mending their shattered egos.
Meanwhile...
Hillary Clinton:
We are asking for federal funds to form a committee to investigate the unresisted dirstrabution of virtual firearms, as well as the sale of fully automatic virtual weapons that we feel poses a threat to the American youth. We have over the last year heard an increasing number of very alarming reports. Reports of children downloading guns in schools. Reports of police officers in many games being targeted for the guns they carry...
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No Subject Given
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Serve the Computer. The Computer is Your Friend.
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