According to film maker Spencer Halpin – brother of Entertainment Consumers Association’s (ECA) Hal – his new film, Moral Kombat is:
The movie, which is currently seeking a distribution deal, apparently took years and millions of dollars to complete - and SPOnG is awaiting its review copy. You can check out a trailer of the film, which claims to use cutting-edge HD and green screen, at the bottom of this story:
The list of people interviewed for the film, which interlaces talking-heads over images of in-game violence would appear to present a balanced vision of the subject. However, the relationship between film-maker and brother does suggest that, unless there’s a whole bunch of fraternal in-fighting, we could be in for a slightly more one-sided ‘debate’. Here’s what Hal Halpin’s ECA says about itself:
The interviewees include:
Joe Lieberman - U.S. politician who does not take bungs from the games industry.
Dr. David Walsh – a PhD psychologist who specialises in the impact of media on children.
Jack Thompson – U.S. attorney and crusader against violent games.
Dr. Michael Rich – of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a supporter of law that would make age-restrictions on games legally enforceable.
Lorne Lanning – OddWorld creator.
Greg Fischbach – founder of Acclaim Entertainment (Burn Out, Turok)
Dean Takahashi – games journalist.
Jeff Griffiths – CEO of U.S. game retailer Electronics Boutique.
John Marmaduke – of U.S. retailer Hastings Entertainment.
Pamela Eakes – Founder Mothers Against Violence in America.
Andy McNamara – Games journalist.
Greg Ballard – former CEO of Capcom.
Bob McKenzie – of U.S. retailer GameStop.
American McGee – games designer (Doom II, Quake.
Hal Halpin – bro’ and also of the Entertainment Consumers Association.
Lt. Col Grossman – Author, West Point psychologist, military historian, and former U.S. Army Ranger.
Phil O'Neil – of Vivendi Universal.
Marie Sylla – counsel for the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association.
Ed Williams - analyst at Harris Nesbitt in New York.
Richard Ow – Richard Ow, senior video games analyst, The NPD Group.
Dr. Henry Jenkins - professor of comparative media studies at MIT.
“…an inaugural in-depth look at the "interactive entertainment" industry as it relates to the controversial subject of violence in video games – a matter which crosses party lines and empowers over 100 pieces of anti-games and anti-gamer legislation annually.”
The movie, which is currently seeking a distribution deal, apparently took years and millions of dollars to complete - and SPOnG is awaiting its review copy. You can check out a trailer of the film, which claims to use cutting-edge HD and green screen, at the bottom of this story:
The list of people interviewed for the film, which interlaces talking-heads over images of in-game violence would appear to present a balanced vision of the subject. However, the relationship between film-maker and brother does suggest that, unless there’s a whole bunch of fraternal in-fighting, we could be in for a slightly more one-sided ‘debate’. Here’s what Hal Halpin’s ECA says about itself:
” From a political and cultural perspective, these are challenging times for gamers. More than ever before, video games have become a favourite societal "whipping boy" of some elected officials. Since 2005, legislators in California, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana and Oklahoma have attempted to curtail the rights of gaming consumers to purchase video games. Fortunately, restrictive video game sales laws have so far been struck down by the courts as attacks on free speech.”
The interviewees include:
Joe Lieberman - U.S. politician who does not take bungs from the games industry.
Dr. David Walsh – a PhD psychologist who specialises in the impact of media on children.
Jack Thompson – U.S. attorney and crusader against violent games.
Dr. Michael Rich – of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a supporter of law that would make age-restrictions on games legally enforceable.
Lorne Lanning – OddWorld creator.
Greg Fischbach – founder of Acclaim Entertainment (Burn Out, Turok)
Dean Takahashi – games journalist.
Jeff Griffiths – CEO of U.S. game retailer Electronics Boutique.
John Marmaduke – of U.S. retailer Hastings Entertainment.
Pamela Eakes – Founder Mothers Against Violence in America.
Andy McNamara – Games journalist.
Greg Ballard – former CEO of Capcom.
Bob McKenzie – of U.S. retailer GameStop.
American McGee – games designer (Doom II, Quake.
Hal Halpin – bro’ and also of the Entertainment Consumers Association.
Lt. Col Grossman – Author, West Point psychologist, military historian, and former U.S. Army Ranger.
Phil O'Neil – of Vivendi Universal.
Marie Sylla – counsel for the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association.
Ed Williams - analyst at Harris Nesbitt in New York.
Richard Ow – Richard Ow, senior video games analyst, The NPD Group.
Dr. Henry Jenkins - professor of comparative media studies at MIT.
Games:
Grand Theft Auto
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Comments
YenRug 4 Jan 2007 18:42
1/7
*Pssst* Slight typo at the start of this news piece, the film's called "Moral Kombat".
tyrion 4 Jan 2007 19:27
2/7
YenRug wrote:
*Pssst* Slight typo at the start of this news piece, the film's called "Moral Kombat".
Thanks for that, it's now corrected. The proof reader will be found and shot... er I mean, talked to in a diplomatic way that expresses our disappointment in their performance. Then shot.
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Joji 5 Jan 2007 00:15
3/7
A film like this would be one sided at most. I still feel video games are a favourite whipping boy because its popular and in many cases misunderstood, only because many choose not to give the industry time to and pull them in, next to the fact they might also enjoy themselves at the same time, many fall for this type of scaremongering America does so well. Before it was rock n' roll, hip hop and such, but notice that they have never done the same for teaching kids how to shoot a gun.
I'd be surprised if this film showed any good in games at all. If The Thompson is in it that doesn't bode well. However, I'd be just as ignorant as that guy if I didn't watch it first to find out.
After watching the trailer above, its got me in the mindset that its just as I thought. Its a film about protecting the young children (because they are the only ones that play videogames, not, but it seems much of America still believe this is still the case) and while I understand they shouldn't be selling the games to anyone like we once did in the u.k, I see that they are trying to do a Fahrenheit 9/11 with this film.
It just has me wondering whether they'll explain all game genres and examples in detail in this film, or just show T/FPS games and flight sims or anything with violence in it. I say, I saw no screens of Tetris, Trauma Center or Brain Training in that trailer, I wonder why? Perhaps because they'll try to paint all games as bad. Let em have their screen time, it'll prove interesting to laugh at.
I'd be surprised if this film showed any good in games at all. If The Thompson is in it that doesn't bode well. However, I'd be just as ignorant as that guy if I didn't watch it first to find out.
After watching the trailer above, its got me in the mindset that its just as I thought. Its a film about protecting the young children (because they are the only ones that play videogames, not, but it seems much of America still believe this is still the case) and while I understand they shouldn't be selling the games to anyone like we once did in the u.k, I see that they are trying to do a Fahrenheit 9/11 with this film.
It just has me wondering whether they'll explain all game genres and examples in detail in this film, or just show T/FPS games and flight sims or anything with violence in it. I say, I saw no screens of Tetris, Trauma Center or Brain Training in that trailer, I wonder why? Perhaps because they'll try to paint all games as bad. Let em have their screen time, it'll prove interesting to laugh at.
ajmetz 5 Jan 2007 05:41
4/7
Also, "as it elates" should be "as it relates", surely? - Typo? (First quote).
tyrion 5 Jan 2007 08:34
5/7
ajmetz wrote:
Also, "as it elates" should be "as it relates", surely? - Typo? (First quote).
Thanks, sorted, proof reader will be shot twice!
Anyway, the film its self looks interesting, but I was a bit disappointed at the "MS Flight Sim trained the 9/11 pilots" segment in the trailer - they had actually been to a flight school, FFS!
TimSpong 5 Jan 2007 09:13
6/7
tyrion wrote:
ajmetz wrote:
Also, "as it elates" should be "as it relates", surely? - Typo? (First quote).
Thanks, sorted, proof reader will be shot twice!
OK, that's one proof-reader shot and it's not even February. What we should have done, of course, is to insert a (sic) in front of the word as it came from a written quotation. But we didn’t...
TimSpong 5 Jan 2007 09:15
7/7
YenRug wrote:
*Pssst* Slight typo at the start of this news piece, the film's called "Moral Kombat".
Yes, indeed it is - and that's another proof reader shot. Too much Xmas pudding lead to brain-explosions. I am cancelling Christmas 2007.