ABSTRACT
This book analyzes the effect of policy on the digital game complex: government, industry, corporations, distributors, players, and the like. Contributors argue that digital games are not created nor consumed outside of the complex power relationships that dictate the full production and distribution cycles, and that we need to consider those relationships in order to effectively "read" and analyze digital games. Through examining a selection of policies, e.g. the Australian government’s refusal (until recently) to allow an R18 rating for digital games, Blizzard’s policy in regards to intellectual property, Electronic Arts’ corporate policy for downloadable content (DLC), they show how policy, that is to say the rules governing the production, distribution and consumption of digital games, has a tangible effect upon our understanding of the digital game medium.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
section Section I|60 pages
Intellectual Property, Privacy, and Copyright
chapter 2|15 pages
Digital Locks, Labor, and Play in Canada's Copyright Policy
chapter 3|12 pages
The Princess Doesn't Leave the Castle
section Section II|60 pages
Rating Systems and Cultural Politics
chapter 6|13 pages
Games for Grown-Ups?
section Section III|62 pages
Violence in Video Games
chapter 10|15 pages
Playing around with Causes of Violent Crime
section section IV|86 pages
Politics and Regulations