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User Created Content Spanks the Rock Band Network

ceo@secureplay.com (SecurePlay) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:15:00 -0800

User created content is a truly hard problem as Harmonix has discovered with its Creators.Rockband.Com service which allows aspiring Rock Band players to share their songs.

Alas, Rock Band wants its service to operate at a "T" ESRB rating... which precludes a huge amount of modern music.

At first, Harmonix published a list of prohibited words which provoked a fair amount of commentary (via Kotaku).

They are now rethinking things:

This is where the Offensive Content Guidelines live for Rock Band Network content. As we work through our open beta, some questions have come up, so we've taken this text down temporarily to clarify the process further. Stay tuned for updates and, when in doubt, start a conversation with your fellow peer reviewers in the Rock Band Network forums!

Next up, Lego Universe.

M. Fahey (2010), "The Rock Band Network's Very Naughty Words", http://kotaku.com/5452814/the-rock-band-networks-very-naughty-words

"Offensive Content", http://creators.rockband.com/docs/Offensive_Content

NOTED: Problem Gambling 10 Times more common than for Regular Gambling - Implications for Online Gaming?

ceo@secureplay.com (SecurePlay) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:50:00 -0700

A study of online gambling and addiction carried out in the UK found that problem gambling is 10 times more common for online gamblers than for traditional gamblers (5 percent vs. .5% I guess). Note that this is similar to the (traditional) problem gambling rates in the US (estimates range from .42% to 1.5%).

The survey was of 9003 adults, 16 and older.

It will be interesting to see if there is a more serious move to investigate and control game addiction in Western Countries as China has already done.

I also discuss the issue briefly in my book, "Protecting Games".

J. Parker (2009), "Study: problem gaming ten times more common online", http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/industry/258857/study-problem-gaming-ten-times-more-common-online.thtml

American Gaming Association, "PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING Fact Sheet", http://www.americangaming.org/Industry/factsheets/issues_detail.cfv?id=29

Do your chores, get some virtual goods - SmartyCard adds real and virtual rewards to "Learn to Earn" service

ceo@secureplay.com (SecurePlay) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:20:00 -0700

SmartyCard has added a number of virtual goods (and real ones as well) that parents can buy for their kids for rewards for its "Learn to Earn" service.

Its a clever idea, but it seems, way over-engineered.

Why not just have a "online reward service" that parents can provide (and manage) for their kids? (I await the emails from the startups doing this already or their fans or their PR firms)

Its a lot less work, and probably will get a better response.

Do the dishes: get 1/10 of a Webkinz doll

Finish your homework: a song on iTunes

Eat your peas: 30 minutes of World of Warcraft

Get an A in Math: how about an iPhone?

The possibilities for a Parental Bribery System are endless... I think with adults we call this "piece work". I guess you could merge such a product with the current crop of education management services that provide information about your kid's grades and in-class performance to have a totally integrated education & reward system.

(hmmm, I feel a startup coming on)

"SmartyCard Learn-Earn-Play Games Service Offers More Rewards From Most Popular Virtual Worlds for Kids and Tweens", http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-26-2009/0004995129&EDATE=

Please don't Macro Me - Aventurine's Darkfall & the Battle against Bots

ceo@secureplay.com (SecurePlay) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:58:28 -0700

The hardcore, PvP, skill-based, MMO, Darkfall, from Aventurine, has had problems with bots / macroing (automated programs or scripts that play on behalf of players).

Not a surprise - any game that rewards repeated activity for rewards and encourages players to stay online is going to have problems.

People are lazy.

In Aventurine's latest message to the player community, the company has asked players to "just say no" to macroing / bots:

Macroing: We are working to address it at its source, but until then we need to enforce our policies. Before we do that we will appeal to players not actually playing the game to log off rather than leaving their character in-game. This will allow more people to be able to enjoy Darkfall instead of unmanned characters taking up server space. If youre skilling up by not playing the game as it was intended, you will be kicked and repeated offenses will result in a ban.

As I've stated on numerous occasions, in general, I think a problem with bots is a game design problem, not something that should be fought directly "manno y manno".

The Chinese "anti-addiction" approach of limiting rewards for an account for playing too long would certainly help (and help address queuing problems as well).

If such grinding is really inherent in the game design, it would probably be better to reward players for playing in a "less connected" way to gain their skills or collect their loot so that they don't overburden the game's servers (this can still be done securely in a couple of ways without having the game really being run on the game server).

... I do cover this issue, of course, in "Chapter 15 - Bots and Player Aids" and "Chapter 17 - Game Design and Security" of my book "Protecting Games".

Tasos (2009), "(Darkfall) Update March 21st and Patch Notes", http://forums.darkfallonline.com/showthread.php?t=166009

via

J. Blancato (2009), "Darkfall's March 21 update addresses lag, macroing and game availability", http://www.massively.com/2009/03/22/darkfalls-march-21-update-addresses-lag-macroing-and-game-avai/

Victory or Defeat in China's battle against Game Addiction?

ceo@secureplay.com (SecurePlay) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:30:21 -0700

Children lie and cheat - probably in China as well.

The government of China has been engaged in a longstanding battle (OK, a couple of years) against game addiction by younger players (children under 18). They have instituted a real identity system where players are supposed to use their national IDs to register to play and minors are supposed to play only a couple of hours.. if they play longer, they incur in-game penalties (see previous articles).

The China Youth Social Service Center did a survey which found that the number of children under 18 playing games has dropped by 7 percent in 2008 from 2007.

And the government is declaring victory against game addiction.

Its Friday, I maybe feeling grumpy, but I read these numbers another way...

Chinese children are lying and probably cheating.

Shocking.

After all, if the system was working, the number of children playing online should not be decreasing, rather, the number of hours that they play (in accordance with government policy). In fact, given that China's online population is growing, one would expect an INCREASE in the number of children playing games online.

But, they are not.

I am suspicious.

60 percent of children claim to like the restrictions on the hours that they can play. If we believe this number (cough), it still follows that 40 percent of children don't like the restrictions and some portion of them are using illicit means to spoof their online identity as an adult.

If the anti-addiction policy (as opposed to an anti-gaming policy) was truly working, one should see the growth in children playing games online in concert with the growth in China's online population. However, the hours played per child should drop.

Interestingly, this data should be able to be collected directly from the game companies (who, I suspect, are in no hurry to provide detailed metrics to the government).

... but, as long as the government is happy, why complain?

B. Mingxin (2009), "Anti-online game addiction system proves to be effective in China", http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/20/content_11044484.htm

J. Lee (2009), "Chinese censor claims success against online game addiction", http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/chinese-censor-claims-success-against-online-games