How Government Regulation Exterminated Indie Gaming
Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 7, 2010
Time for a rant!
South Korea’s evidently decided to levy mandatory game ratings on all games, even free downloadable titles. Their mandatory government board, the GRB, has taken to enforcing its fees – a tax on all game-makers, big, small, commercial, or free.
The end result? The hobbyist / beginner / non-commercial indie market has been pretty much wiped out. Even listing links to “unrated” games is illegal. Low-end developers can’t afford the fees (which are still a lot cheaper than, say, ESRB fees here in the U.S.).
You can read more here:
Indie Game Making Scene Got Fatal Blow By Game Rating Board
(More discussion of it on the TIGsource forums)
Think it can’t happen in the United States? Think again. It already has and does happen in some industries. Oftentimes it is apparent nanny-statism in the name of “protecting the consumer” (or the overused, “protecting the children!”), but it is often done to protect a consortium of major players in an industry from any new competition.
And, of course, revenue-starved government bodies in this economic environment are pretty quick to bleed any untapped source of taxes or fees they can get their hands on.
Fortunately, in the games biz, I haven’t heard of the major players being openly hostile towards the indies — maybe sneering and disdainful, but often helpful and supportive. And as long as video games are considered protected free speech (a contention that has held up in spite of being under assault by many lawmakers), we’ve got a pretty good shot at keeping indie games open and full of opportunity.
And in other countries? I’m afraid I’m too ignorant to really know how things are in many other places, but I doubt the threat is limited to Korea.
Tip o’ the top-hat to Bad Sector for the tip.
Filed Under: Politics - Comments: 6 Comments to Read
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Calibrator said,
“Oftentimes it is apparent nanny-statism in the name of “protecting the consumer” (or the overused, “protecting the children!”), but it is often done to protect a consortium of major players in an industry from any new competition.”
Welcome to the world of successful lobbyism. While some administrations are seemingly divisions of the (oil/nuclear/pharmaceutical) industry, others are very “supportive” of the big fishes of the financial sector.
In other words: Where enough money is piling up there is enough motive to invade, control and if necessary replace the administration.
While I don’t believe that the game industry is big enough to influence politics *right now*, the movie industry and some key players like Disney are allegedly powerful enough to influence patent laws, for example. This is heavy stuff, if you think about it.
Yes, the movie industry had some dozen years to grow and mature but just think how rapidly the games industry has grown since it’s inception in the mid/late seventies. Now tell me that it won’t have the same kind of power in another few dozen years…
cl said,
That’s what most government regulation is. It’s not there to protect the user or customer…it’s there to protect some one elses business.
Regulation is the enemy of freedom. It’s not just games, it’s every where in everything. Fish and Game regulations are not there to protect the wild life they are they to protect the commercial fisherman. Ratings are not there to protect children they are there force you to spend money through taxes and ratings companies.
When you look at the true winners of any regulation it’s very rarely the customer and if at all the benefit is so ancillary to be almost laughable. The true winners are either competitors or government in the form of more control.
Any way…I could rant on over your rant…but I do agree it’s ridiculous. There is no freedom or Liberty with regulation.
cl
Ruber Eaglenest said,
This kind of things only happens in Korea, China, India, Turkey, Russia, Pakistan and in some states of USA. I’m so sorry… for all of you… good luck out there! Or… start voting non paranoid politicians.
sascha said,
Korean government once again shows how retarded they are. But what about games from overseas that can be downloaded for free? Make a great firewall and block such things like in China (and how Australia wants to do it)?
Calibrator said,
“This kind of things only happens in Korea, China, India, Turkey, Russia, Pakistan and in some states of USA. I’m so sorry… for all of you… good luck out there! Or… start voting non paranoid politicians.”
No – we have a similar problem in Germany. Highly-industrialized like the USA, Japan etc., freedom of speech (mostly), good health system (compared to many other countries) etc.
Without a rating you can’t sell a game (or movie) in Germany, though, and it already *begins* to concern online-platforms, at least the ones that are doing official business in Germany.
Steam, for example, will only sell a German version of a game to a buyer from Germany (whether he is actually a German or not). The problem with the German versions is not that they are often localized but that they are censored/cut – even if they have an “18” (adult) rating.
Yes, an adult German citizen can drink himself to death if he wants to and nobody will stop him.
An adult German soldier can be sent to Afghanistan and die there to “protect” his country or “democracy”.
But is he allowed to play the original version of a game that is meant for adults in the USA?
Nope, because children could be harmed if a game is “freely” available! And that’s why the soldiers in the first Half-Life were replaced with robots(!)…
The kids that are being “protected” in such a way are laughing all the time while they are busily downloading cracks and illegal copies of their favorite adult games. The honest adult customer who willingly pays for games is the sufferer.
And by the way: It’s completely irrelevant what politicians you vote for: The outcome is always what Jay calls “nanny-statism”.
Robert said,
They should introduce a rating for the parents when they offload education and control to someone else.
A nice seal to glue to their forehead should be enough.