Lorne at VGXPO + Moral Kombat preview

[Xavier]

Lorne Lanning will be at the VGXPO (http://www.vgxpo.com/) this year to meet gamers and to have a panel with (/against?) Jack Thompson supervised by Newsweek's N'Gai Croal. The panel will be about Spencer Halpin's latest documentary: Moral Kombat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Kombat) featuring "[...] leading politicians, journalists, academics, consumer advocates and special interest group executives, game developers, retailers, trade associations and publishers." Of course Lorne and Jack are in the documentary too.


More about Moral Combat by Wikipedia:

Shot entirely in high-definition video, the full-length feature documentary studies the controversial, polarizing subject of the video game controversy through a series of interviews with experts on both sides of the matter – some believing that violent games should be banned, others supporting their protection under the First Amendment.

The film makes extensive use of green screen technology to blend the subject matter being discussed (games, characters, archival news footage) in the background, while keeping the interviewee actively in the shot.

The trailer was uploaded to YouTube on December 27, 2006 and was met with overwhelming concern and dismay from gamers around the globe who felt it sensationalized the topic and serves as a rhetoric piece for anti-games and anti-gamer activists and political figures. The trailer was viewed over 100,000 times in the coming weekend and spurred debate on scores of websites.

Interviewees in the film are leading politicians, journalists, academics, consumer advocates and special interest group executives, game developers, retailers, trade associations and publishers. The interviewees among others, include: Dr. David Walsh, Jack Thompson, Dr. Michael Rich, Lorne Lanning, Greg Fischbach, Dean Takahashi, Jeff Griffiths, John Marmaduke, Pamela Eakes, Andy McNamara, Greg Ballard, Bob McKenzie, American McGee, Hal Halpin, Lt. Col Grossman, Phil O'Neil, Marie Sylla, Ed Williams, Richard Ow, Dr. Henry Jenkins, and Jason Della Rocca.

[Wil]

OMG, this sounds like it could get messy. I really rather would like to hear the entirity of this panel!

[Xavier]

here is an interview of spencer-halpin, if someone is interested
http://generationgamerz.com/v2/insig...-kombat-pa.php

he is claiming he tried to keep the movie objective

[mudling]

Sounds interesting, I just hope my mum doesn't see it, she will pick out any negative argument, and use it against me, she was agaisnt me buying an M game when I was 14, the legal age, and when I was 15, the legal age for M and MA.
But Lorne hasn't made any violent games, compared to other games out there anyway, unless you include Fangus, which might not of been violent anyway.

[Bullet Magnet]

This is the trailer, and fuck, it does not look good for us:

This trailer is clearly biased. The only games that are not shooters have been edited- Abe {0:50-0:54) appears to be being tortured maliciously, and I've played Myst IV (0:56-0:58)- there were definitely no bullet-holes in the actual opening sequence.

As for the commentary- what game rewards you for killing cops? As one guy put it: "you get your ass handed to you". And flight sims teaching you to fly a jet? Unless they're in the pilot training academy this is never going to happen.

More alarming are the video's responses, many of which seem to be in support of the film or believe that it is definitely even-handed. I don't know what trailer they were watching, but as you can see, this one is anything but. Fortunately there are enough people who can see through the BS.

It's plausible that the film does not reflect the sensationalist trailer, but if so, it was a mistake to make one like it. This trailer reeks of propaganda.

[Xavier]

Well I like what PA drew about it:



Letting them say and simultaneously point them wrong. The trailer is not enough for me to judge.

[Nate]

EDIT: In response to BM's post.

Yes. That's the point of trailers. They're meant to get you to watch the movie. Parents and concerned citizens aren't going to pay $14 for a ticket to a movie that they thought was going to say "Video games are actually kinda okay". This way they get the worried parents and the angry gamers into cinemas.

[Bullet Magnet]

I hope so. I've seen sensationalism used such a way before, but it really does take the piss.

[mudling]

This is looking bad, but I stand by my argument, how many wars did we have before videogames, were videogames not after the WWs?
Violence has happened without them? So how did that happen hu?
Why don't children, and youth the main people videogames are targetted at, and the main group these people are concerned about having a say, if we are the ones playing it, what right do they have to choose what is good and what isn't for us?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't imagine most phycotic killers playing videogames, and maybe the reason why youth who commit violence play videogames is because they all play videogames!
What about all the peaceful do gooding youth who play video games hu?
This movie is seeming more like a pile of ..... I know that's not very objective, but it seems very one sided, it should have a balance of people for both sides.

*edit* Call me a succe,r but I just saw the trailer and UI'm half convinced. That's got me worried, but I couldn't help but note that it's not just videogames, but all forms of media including videos, movies, books and articles that encourage violence, and to a much more extreme degree in some cases, they are merely picking on videogames.
As I have said before, a muslim extremist published a video in australia clearly promiting terrisim and violence, and refered to the jewish as pigs, and yet it got rated pg. So why are we worrying about videogames when there are much larger threats elsewhere, including books that were also publuished in Australia promoting terrorisim.
This whole issue sounds as stupid as certain people wanting to make peace with war.

[Xavier]

Here is the report:

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/li...-philadelphia/

I'll let you make your own impression.


EDIT:
some more:

http://www.mashedbuttons.com/?view=main&article=152

[oddguy]

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/...jack-tomp.html

Wow...this article really makes Lorne look like a jackass.

[Xavier]

Here are a couple more...

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/11/04/s...bate-at-vgxpo/ http://www.thebbps.com/blog/2007/11/...by-ngai-croal/ http://mmorpg.qj.net/Jack-Thompson-L.../49/aid/106851

[MeechMuncher]

This is scary shit dudes. xs

But I don't think that this Thompson-guy is going to win anything. (pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease)

[Wil]

Lorne has followed up the debate by speaking with GameIndustry.biz’s Mark Androvich about violence in video games or, more accurately, why the whole issue is still being debated. This is more like a classic Lorne interview from Oddworld’s early days, with Lorne commenting on press sensationalism and opportunistic politicians and lawyers (the Jack Thompson of this world!). He also commends Spencer Halpin on Moral Kombat for looking at both sides of the issue, which both came out strong.

On the other hand, Jon Cassady of CHUD.com found Moral Kombat to be ‘shallow’ and ‘about a hour too long’, comprising ‘a mashup of soundbites’ that are not analysed or investigated in any way, but then says the debate between Lorne and Thompson provided ‘the interaction and depth Moral Kombat desperately needs.’ Perhaps that’s why (if I interpret Lorne correctly) the debate will be added into the original documentary, rather than just included on the DVD as an extra.

Interview with Lorne: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30552
Jon Cassady’s review of VGXPO: http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=m...ntrol&id=12466
OddBlog reports: http://oddworldlibrary.net/oddblog/2...iolence_debate
OddBlog also continues to collate reviews of Moral Kombat and the debate: http://oddworldlibrary.net/oddblog/2...Lanning_debate

[Wil]

Wow, people ready don’t seem to care about this at all. So, I’m happy to inform absolutely nobody that the second part of Lorne’s interview by GamesIndustry.biz’s Mark Androvich has been published.

http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30774

[Xavier]

yay I care!

oh, I don't really count I think

[Bullet Magnet]

Whoa, yeah, I cared and stuff. I just wasn't inclined to post a response until I'd thought of something to say.

I'll get back to you on that.

[Wil]

Sheesh, I can’t believe this is so old. I thought it was just last year that Lorne and Jack had their little onstage chat. Anyway, I thought this was worth pointing out without starting a new thread: a quote from Jack Thompson:

I’m called a “massacre chaser” by Lorne Lanning and other creepy ghouls-simply because I am trying to stop these massacres. The game industry is littered with massacre pimps, which is exactly what Lanning and others are.

From Molotov Cupcake/Popzara

[AlexFili]

Do you think the violence in Oddworld is excessive? In MO and SW it always seems quite cartoony, so it doesn't seem that bad. There isn't a lot of blood anywhere either.

[Munch's Master]

I am of, and have always been of, the opinion that if violent videogames influence you, then you had to be pretty easy to shape to begin with. Not saying I approve gratuitous violence, as sometimes it is for no real purpose than SPATTER GORE EVERYWHERE, but I maintain that people who become violent due to violent videogames are a bit screwed up from the start.

Also, that comment about Lanning from Thompson is pretty laughable. He sure likes throwing around important sounding words and slinging shit. "Massacre Pimp"? Sounds like some wannabe-tough American crapper.

[AlexFili]

I think the keyword here is 'potential'.

I have played Metal Gear Solid, Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto. As far as I know I'm a fine upstanding citizen so I don't see why all this media backlash even exists.

I think that most Age Ratings should be respected... however I think it depends wholey on the maturity of the individual. Watching Independance Day while underage is probably not going to cause any long term damage.

Besides, Saw I to V is violent, why doesn't that get the same media backlash as Manhunt 2?

[MeechMuncher]

I think that venting frustration and anger at polygons instead of organic things saves society a whole lot of problems...

[Venks]

I hate that Jack Thompson sees video games as the cause for increased teen violence. Like I've never been mugged or had a gun pointed at me from someone wearing a Zelda shirt or holding a PSP in one hand. It's always some drug addict who thinks he is gangsta and thinks I do drugs too just cus I'm black.

I'd like to know why Thompson thinks video games have more violent influence then today's music.

[Andrelvis]

Venks, agreed 100%. It's usually drugs, poverty, suboptimal law enforcement or any mix of these that are the problem. Video games are way off the mark.

[AlexFili]

Not to mention many videogame players are geeks, who can't fight their way out of a paper bag

[OANST]

Not to mention many videogame players are geeks, who can't fight their way out of a paper bag

Thank god for modern technology and the advent of the shotgun-proof paper bag. My groceries have never been safer.