泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] Video game, copyright, bitcoin, and law

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

Video game, copyright, bitcoin, and law

February. 01. 2018.

 

I read an interesting article yesterday. To sum up, Suwon District Court has overturned the original trial on the second appeal to seize bitcoin of a pornographic site owner, identified by his surname An, because the court regarded the cryptocurrency as the criminal proceeds. The ruling of the appellate trial holds significant meaning as bitcoin is included in criminal proceeds as a legally recognizable asset reversing the lower court's decision that the cryptocurrency should be exempted from confiscation because it is a non-physical object.

 

I want to leave various political debates and investment or speculation out of the topic here. I don't like to deal with the cryptocurrency powered by blockchain technology because I'm not a technocrat; notably, what does this technology mean in the content industry? In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the difference between original digital content and replicated ones are not officially recognized. Regardless of copy, digital music files or image files maintain the same quality of the content. However, the characteristics of the digital content can be changed by blockchain because it enables users to tell the difference between original works and digital replica. Recently Kodak, a company well-known for its analog film with its historic basis on photography, announced that it will apply this technology to KodakCoin, a photographer-oriented blockchain cryptocurrency. It seems to intend to secure a copyright helping photographers with their creative endeavors.

 

Video games are linked with various fields in the content industry. For example, there are game character designs, video game soundtracks, and copyright protection for video games, etc. If game companies are supported by copyright law based on blockchain technology, they could attempt to develop new business models to generate revenue.

 

Just three years ago, I wrote an article criticizing an out-of-date court ruling; Seoul Administration Court stood for Korea Customs imposed a tax on an external hard disk drive stored video clips which were filmed in overseas locations. The world is changing faster than ever before. Of course, the pace of change in the legal field, which has to prioritize social stability, cannot catch up with the pace in the Industrial world rapidly responding to the changing times. But legal professionals, at least, should try to meet the demand of the times not to be gradually alienated from reality. So, in that respect, I give loud applause to Suwon District Court that ruled bitcoin is an asset because it can be of great help to content-based enterprises for protecting copyright.

 

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

(http://www.khgames.co.kr)

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] Byulbram and Pearl Abyss

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

Byulbram and Pearl Abyss

January. 11. 2018.

 

Kim Gwangsam, a professor of Chungkang College of Cultural Industries, who is better known as his nickname "Byulbram", has recently joined Pearl Abyss, the nation's famous video game developer, which is well known for the hit MMORPG Black Desert. The news was very impressive for me because Byulbram is one of my favorite acquaintances and Black Desert is the video game that, unfortunately, I couldn't invest in due to complicated circumstances. I talk about Byulbram and Pearl Abyss today.

 

Professor Kim is well known for a one-person developer who is responsible for all things related to game development including video game designer, programmer, graphic designer, and composer, etc. Byulbram attempted many experimental things as a single developer or a small number of a development team creating Geunyeo-ui Gisadan - Her Knights, a side-scrolling action game Her Knights: All for the Princess, a fighting game Bloody Cross, an infiltration action game Silver Bullet, a creative-settings RPG Matterhorn. He has launched a game on various platforms such as PC, GP32 (Game Park 32bit)—a handheld game console—, smartphones, and Steam, etc. and served as the president of Korea Game Development Association. The former professor of the Chungkang College of Cultural Industries till quite recently is well known for his unique dressing style with a leather jacket and a red tie.

 

Pearl Abyss, a video game developer of the open-world MMORPG Black Desert, went into open beta in 2014 and now is developing a mobile version since its official release in 2015. The MMORPG is currently launched in more than 100 countries with sales of over 100 billion won and net profit of tens of billion won. Based on its results, the game developer went public on the KOSDAQ in 2015 and increased the value of its assets to 3 trillion won by now. The game is doing so well in North America a Europe peaking at No. 1 on the various game charts in those regions as well.

 

I've ever taught college students about the difference between "work" and "product". To sum up, a piece of work is an artist's message, whereas a product is a manufacturer's output for some potential economic benefits. Therefore, without the intention of generating revenue, the artist should make the piece only based on not an investor's resources but their own or patron's. Of course, I reckon that the two sometimes can successfully coexist. A piece of work having both characteristics in a coordinated manner is called by different names, for example, a masterpiece, a fine piece of work, or classic, etc.

 

Pearl Abyss is one of the country's representative video game developers showing good performance. And Byulbram is a representative single-person game developer of the country. I have high hopes of the two who bring together an amazing synergy, which will produce a good game that comes to be called a masterpiece or a fine piece of work.

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

(http://www.khgames.co.kr)

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui

 

 

 

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] No one can leave the island on foot

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

No one can leave the island on foot

December. 28. 2017.

 

I heard a heartbreaking story from an acquaintance in the gaming industry a while ago. Investors are reluctant to invest in mobile games, despite currently ongoing boom for the local gaming sector thanks in part to a couple of successful game makers. In particular, some start-ups are said to be cash-strapped. Even an investor who is interested in a big publisher's game project that a famous developer involves doesn't want to consider to commit capital to a game with a low success rate due to astronomical cost for marketing, user or marketing data tracking, and a global strategy, etc. I strongly argued that not every venture capital firm isn't like that and I actively examine details of the small start-ups, however, it is true that he pointed out that I don't represent the whole venture capitalists and most investors currently aren't interested in mobile games much. I also sympathize with him in his point of view about the reason why investment firms are passive in spending money.

 

There is no riskless investment, not to mention the cliché that 'Never let a good crisis go to waste.' The more you take the risk, the more you can expect high profit. Venture capital is high-risk, high-return investing in support of business creation and growth. VCs may turn the currently hostile environment by investing in a handful of prospective companies with good conditions. The latest cases that created huge investment returns were born from courage in the face of danger. A developer should persuade an investor to stress its strength. It's probably as unlikely that a game without a very distinctive concept, design, or gameplay will be a huge success, as it is unlikely that a classic arcade game Galaga will make a comeback thanks to the recent retro fad in the whole content industry. Game makers must have a point to encourage users to distinguish themselves from other ordinary game developers and use it when they make investors believe that their product is well worth investing in. Despite in case the project failed, they need to highlight the games' strengths that their return on investment will be pretty high if they succeed.

 

A market that is not open to business from companies in other countries is called 'Galápagos islands'. The recluse islands are often cited as explaining Darwin's theory of evolution. Galápagos each have their unique flora and fauna because of out-of-the-way places with the uncommon natural environment. On the contrary, it is difficult for those animals and plants that adapted well to the out-of-the-ordinary setting to survive in a normal environment. The local gaming industry has adapted to a peculiar circumstance for a long time may lose survival ability in the global market place. Now developers should try to leave the island. The effort is subject to take many risks and more challenges ahead. Challenges at great risks don't guarantee success. But I'd like to say that no one can leave the island on foot.

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

(http://www.khgames.co.kr)

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui

 

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] Survivorship bias

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

Survivorship bias

 

December. 14. 2017.

During World War II, United States Armed Forces conducted a study of the damage done to aircraft that had returned from missions to minimize bomber losses. The study showed a tendency by the returning aircraft, in particular, to be hit on the wings and tail with a bullet and had recommended that armor be added to the areas that showed the most damage. However, questioning the analysis result, a researcher proposed that the Navy reinforce areas where the survived military aircraft were unharmed: cockpit and engine. The mathematician commented that the study didn't consider bombers that had been shot down in the engine or cockpit in their missions, while the majority of aircraft with holes on wings and tail returned home safely. If he hadn't detected the fallacy of the data analysis, the U.S. Army may have wasted a lot of budget due to unnecessary schemes and more fighter pilots could be killed. It's a form of selection bias and generally called "Survivorship bias" or "Survival bias".

 

While talking about commercially successful video games with developers, they used to say that they can succeed in attracting users if only they copy the elements which the top-ranked games have. However, failed imitative video games are more numerous than ones well receiving in markets. Of course, I don't mean that those key elements that make a game successful are bad or wrong. But if developers make the mistake of hasty generalization that some elements determine the success of the game, biased data is more likely to lead them toward the wrong directions. There are dozens of reasons that a successful game is loved by customers, whereas that could be the only way that a failed game is shunned by users.

 

Mentioning successful mobile-version games—Lineage series, TERA, Yulgang, and Fate/stay the night, etc.—based on well-known originals, quite a lot of people say that a mobile game built on the famous original must have achieved popularity and high profit. However, despite a notable original, I've seen a messed-up game with the poor outcome a hundred times. Game users' love of the latest successful games is not because they are constructed on well-made original works but because it just so happens that they are based on the originals.

 

Let's go back to the beginning of this article. "Survival bias" is a mistake that anybody can make. We need to look at the data from multiple points of view not to go astray. Game makers should see the market in a different direction while lots of uniformly similar-trend video games are released. The only way to reduce the probability of failure is that those game developers take a closer look at whether they have missed an element of success among excluded factors or they haven't found it yet. I hope that as many as game developers can return safely from the fierce battlefield for success.

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

(http://www.khgames.co.kr)

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui

 

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] The founder and the owner

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

The founder and the owner

 

November. 30. 2017.

Recently, I heard of a painful story from the CEO of an investment firm. To sums up,

 

“Why do most chief executive officers are the majority shareholder in the video game companies and keep holding it since the firm received investment several times? Why don't they evenly divide profits with the founding members? I think there seems to be an issue."

 

As the introduction says, I worked extensively with video game development and I'm now working with investment in game studios. An investor who provides capital to start-ups showing high growth potential is called a "venture capitalist (VC)". Among them, the number of VCs that specializes in investing in game development is not significant. Therefore, I have been given a chance often to deliver a lecture on things that a game company needs to prepare to attract investment such as the process of attracting and writing up a business plan, etc. I used to say that the higher the stakes of the CEO, the better the win situation for attracting investment. A good few venture capitalists are reluctant to invest in a game developer where the leader owns a considerably low percentage of stock. If a venture-funded business, which wants to attract a follow-up investment after its initial one, has abnormally low CEO stakes, it can be a big hindrance to encourage investors.

 

Apart from that, along with investment firm-related problems, not only the CEO but also ex-VC pointed out that most successful entrepreneurs in the local gaming industry have tended to be tight-fisted to share money with employees and to think of themselves as not a founder or chief executive officer but an owner or ruler. I also have the experience of running a video game company in the past and I'm not the exception, either. I was at a complete loss for words when I was asked what I have done to change our perception of the industry as one of the venture capitalists who specialize in a video game.

 

The national gaming industry is the engine that drives all the other content industries and there are many listed companies. Every year, a couple of video game firms go public, which makes several persons very rich with about from a few hundred billion won to a few trillion won. A new star in the industry has been born this year and it is also expected to continue next year. However, the more the new rich share in profits, the more the industry will flourish. I hope that the number of would-be entrepreneurs, who make a game they want to create from the experience of the successful developer and its team, more than the number of future CEOs, who want to be the owner of the company from taking a leaf out of the successful owner CEO's book. I should change my perception of a developer where the CEO owns a high percent stake. And I expect that the small change will make a big difference.

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

(http://www.khgames.co.kr)

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui

 

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] G-Star and Busan International Film Festival

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

G-Star and Busan International Film Festival

 

November. 23. 2017.

I go to Busan a couple of times every year to attend Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC Fest) in summer, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in October, and G-Star in November. Aside from relatively small-scale BIC Fest, there are many similarities between BIC Fest and the other huge international content-related events. Participants have an opportunity to look back on what has happened in each industry for the past year and see brand-new content which will be released soon. The festival is attended by celebrities and famous producers. Also, there are many content creators to attract investment for a project in preparation and overseas sales as well.

 

The majority expected that the number of audiences would decrease a lot since College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) pushed back a week due to earthquakes hit Pohang and the surrounding areas, however, there were many visitors unexpectedly and a national video game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) stood out the most in years beating out foreign video games. Despite this good news, I felt a big difference in quality between the film festival and the game show.

 

During the BIFF, South Korea's second-most-populous city is alive with lots of media professionals. The media publish hundreds or thousands of stories on the film festival in a single day and moviegoers arrive from across the country to enjoy the event. More than a few volunteers are found throughout the city and even taxi drivers are well aware of relevant information. Whenever I went to the city, I used to secure the same hotel, which is just off Haeundae, for four years because of the shortage of accommodations in the main area. In October, the hotel owner, who remembers my face, used to ask me that I visited the city for BIFF, whereas in November, he used to wonder about the unexpected visits. The over ten-year-old game show seems to shunned by the public due in part to its low event awareness. During the event, only Haeundae and surrounding areas around Bexco are crowded. The number of tourists for the fete is much lower than the number of visitors to the film festival. Some people tend to look down on video game fans for G-Star as if they are people with nothing to do unlike respecting serious film fans for BIFF, which brings me a very uncomfortable feeling.

 

The local gaming industry constitutes a great proportion of Korea's whole industry. Even now numerous game developers are trying to make a good game. I reckon that it's an important time in improving public awareness about video games as cultural content. It was only some decades ago that cinema was also judged as being a waste of time. The gradual alteration of the audience is from a great number of movie professionals' efforts. Now is the time for video game workers to change the way the public understands the game content.

 

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

(http://www.khgames.co.kr)

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui

 

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 Who is a data monopolist?

이중반룡의 게임애가

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

Who is a data monopolist?

 

August. 29. 2018.

I recently read an article in which the Korea Communications Commission has launched policy developments to respond to data monopoly of companies including Google, Facebook, and Amazon etc. It also said that Google has been hit with €4.34 billion fine by EU regulators for forcing Android device manufacturers to load search engine and browser and KCC let their policy stand in the way of rectifying 'tilted playground' between multinational Internet content providers and local content corporations. I may be a person with a narrow outlook on the issue, but it doesn't give me a satisfactory explanation.

 

Before anything else, a monopoly exists when a specific person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. And an oligopoly is a market in which control over the supply of a commodity is in the hands of a few sellers. If a few large producers collude, it is no different from the monopolization and both can be distorted by a small number of suppliers.

 

I notice something strange here. Google specializes in Internet search engine. According to data by Opensurvey earlier this year, Naver ranked first with the largest market share at 75 percent and Google controlled about 12 percent of the entire market. So it does not make sense to take an issue with Google's monopoly.

 

As I said in the last column about net neutrality, a few Internet service providers, who provide services for accessing and using in the Internet, own one hundred percent of data supply. I don't understand why the Korea Communications Commission blames data monopoly on Internet content providers, a web portal or organization that handles the distribution of online content. Monopoly or oligopoly can be a problem when there is no alternative but to choose among a small number of suppliers. Alternative exist, no one could take issue with customer's choice. Even If this is problematic, KCC should have examine the No. 1 company first.

 

The penalty, which European Union imposed on Google, is not related to data. The multinational technology company has been slapped a record antitrust fine for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome apps on devices. European Union's decision is to fine for abusing internet search in the smartphone market with limited number of suppliers. It's not about data monopoly, which users use.

 

If the article is true, the policy development of KCC is to protect a few local corporations and is against government policy that I expected to the new government. As I mentioned earlier data can not be monopolized. Using the term 'data monopoly' to international content providers entered South Korean market is not that different from the scarlet letter. I hope that my apprehensions, which KCC colluded with local Internet service providers and market-dominating content providers intends to build 'tilted playground', won't realize.

 

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

   (http://www.khgames.co.kr)

    Translation by Kim Ki-hui

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 Should keep net neutrality alive? Part 03

이중반룡의 게임애가

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

Should keep net neutrality alive? Part 03

 

August. 15. 2018.

I talked about the dictionary definition of net neutrality, the characteristics as public goods, and the problem with zero rating in Part 02. Lastly, I'd like to take a look at why net neutrality should be kept alive.

 

Let's look back on the past. The telephone companies were heavily against the implementation of mVoIP, mobile Voice over Internet Protocol, in 2012. They insisted that the new service would pull down their profits and deter new investment. Anonymous people, called experts in the media, claimed that the net neutrality repeal will guarantee quality for network service and protect subscribers' interests in the long term. They also said that it is finding balance between the telephone companies and Internet content providers and protecting the rights of users who want better service even if they pay more. Furthermore, they insisted that the property rights of the networks must be protected as private property because telecommunications operators built the networks. This is the same with the argument over privatizing health care a few years ago and many state-owned enterprises which already moved from the public sector into the private sector. SK Telecom, who recently proclaimed that there is no money to invest in facility for 5G due to net neutrality, reached over W17 trillion in sales and over W1.5 trillion in operating profits in 2017. KT reported over W23 trillion in revenue and its operating profits reached over W1.3 trillion. LG+U' made W12 trillion in sales and over W800 billion in operating profits. They've never been unprofitable in recent years. Their profits are from W1 trillion to over W17 trillion. Aside from spending trillions of won on the new facilities, the companies earned the decent profits. I want them to be rather more straightforward to make more money like scum bag who forcefully take money from someone instead of walking on eggshells about fee hikes while the network service providers grow and prosper.

 

Frequency is a limited public good. It is nonsense to say that it is privately-owned property despite huge profits from assigned frequency. This parallels with an owner of private highway on the state-owned land reaped enormous profits asking for the most popular tourist destinations to pay extra money as many as numbers of visitors because they improved profits thanks to the travelers used the highway. Furthermore, the highway owner threatens to block traffic with lane restriction to the destinations if they don't pay extra charge. Better service for premium users paying more means that there will be a premium rate-only lane in the highway while discriminating people paying lower rates. It's no different from Korail, Korea Railroad Corporation, expects Busan City Government to pay congestion fees for passengers of KTX, Korea Train eXpress, during G-Star, an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry in South Korea. It's high-handed conduct of Internet service providers to instigate the rich become richer and the poor become poorer in modern society in which communications became an everyday item and the reason why we should keep net neutrality alive. If Internet service providers feel like they are philanthropists and don't have enough cash to invest, give up the rights to use frequencies and sell the companies. I want to take over, if only they are willing to sell.

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013. 

   (http://www.khgames.co.kr)

    Translation by Kim Ki-hui

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 Should keep net neutrality alive? Part 02

이중반룡의 게임애가

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌

A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity

 

Should keep net neutrality alive? Part 02

 

August. 01. 2018.

I took a look at the dictionary definition of net neutrality and talked about two stances of it in Part 01. There are Internet service providers' position where Internet content providers providing information through network should pay network fees for their users and Internet content providers' position in which net neutrality is the basic right and digital contents industry can be threaten without net neutrality. I'd like to examine the two sides of it in detail.

 

First, we need to make sure that network is public goods or private property. Do you think network can be replaced with another? We are already living in the world of Internet. Teachers access to the Internet for sending newsletters and bank clients don't go the bank thanks to Internet banking. Living without Internet in modern society is exactly the same situation with getting along without transportation. Services for all members of the public should be developed to increase convenience when there are more users. That's why I believe that bus-only lanes on highway and Seoul roads are right policy decision. Public transportation cannot simply compare to Internet service based on profitability. However, it's ridiculous to ask to pay more because more people use the service when network is not a choice. An arbitrary service control of Internet service providers is network power in the world of network without substitute goods. Better service for people paying more means that users paying less will be necessarily discriminated.

 

The second stance is that there is need for more resources to set up a new network and Internet content providers pay more through zero rating to reduce their customers' burden so that the increased number of subscribers would benefit both Internet contents providers and the users. Who is going to foot the bill for building up a new network? Cost should be covered by somebody whether it is content providers or subscribers. I'm afraid their theory won't do if someone should bear high costs. Internet content providers will pass on their cost to their customers and it will be a financial burden to users in the end when they pay the fees. This is little more than passing the buck to users after Internet service providers, who cannot charge directly for their services, charge Internet content providers. This is the same situation as a conglomerate ask its first-tier contractor to lower the supply price and make them to cover the deficiency with inevitable demand for reducing the price to second-tier contractor, which is abusing its dominant position in the market. It reminds me a Chinese saying Cho-Sam-Mo-Sa which means three for the morning four for the evening. Now Internet service providers are testing whether users are monkey or people.

 

I'd like to go on to talk about the rest of the topic in the next column.

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013. 

    (http://www.khgames.co.kr)

    Translation by Kim Ki-hui

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌 Should keep net neutrality alive? Part 01

이중반룡의 게임애가

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

 

Should keep net neutrality alive? Part 01

July. 12. 2018.

The Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality rules in December 2017. It also has an influence on the net neutrality repeal in South Korea. It's hard for us to express our personal opinion about this issue in many ways. Meeting many different people working in the field of contents industry, I see people around me having the opposite opinion of me. It's not easy for me personally talk about this issue, so I'd like to express my idea in writing hoping that I could convince many people to agree with me.

 

By definition, net neutrality is as follows:

 

"Internet service providers and government treat all data on the Internet equally, and not discriminate differently by user, content, platform, type of attached equipment, or method of communication."

 

Net neutrality is divided into two main categories in the market.

The first claim is Internet service providers' stance. They argue that business operators using more data should pay more based on data usage because there is a big gap among operators' usage. They also assert to introduce zero rating. Zero rating is the practice of providing Internet access to certain websites without user's financial cost and content providers pay network fees on their behalf. They say that it brings benefits to Internet contents providers since it helps them to attract more customers. The Internet service providers also insist that net neutrality should be repealed due to high data traffic rising every year requiring them to increase equipment investments. A telecommunication company executive said, "Doing business freely in the lobby of a hotel where someone built."

 

The second claim is Internet content providers' stance. They argue that network is public goods and internet service providers should not private property-like control network which is social infrastructure. They also insist that it can be double charge if Internet service providers charge content providers, while they collect the bill from their subscribers. And they say that the abolishment of net neutrality will instigate unfair business practices between Internet service providers and finally will hurt users.

 

I took a look at opinions on net neutrality. I would like to see whether net neutrality should be kept alive in the next column.

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013. 

    (http://www.khgames.co.kr)

    Translation by Kim Ki-hui

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 Blockchain and right game

이중반룡의 게임애가

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

Blockchain and right game

 

June. 28. 2018.

I dealt with the subject of the Bechdel test and right game in the last column. I'd like to talk about another meaning of right game this time.

 

Recently, there's been a lot of talks about blockchain-related subject across the content industry. I also discussed the impact of blcokchain technology on the content industry in a related government agency just hours before writing this article. I have predicted that blockchain will not only change a large part of the content industry but also contribute to developing the content field. I still haven't changed my thought.

 

However, I think that the recent talks about the new technology is putting the cart before the horse. Blcokchain is literally a technology. It doesn't make anything. Blockchain solution brings up transparent transactions based on DLT, distributed ledger technology, and is also a security technology which is resistant to modification of the data. This technology can contribute to improving the market structure and play a big role in intellectual property protection. Additionally, it can protect the interest of producers and create entirely new content distribution market. However, the state-of-the-art technology isn't directly involved in creating content or intellectual property. While discussing blockchain in many areas, people seem to may not care so much about content itself. I am a little bit skeptical whether the content is inset into the blcokchain to issue a cryptocurrency coin. It makes me think about which is more important between content and blockchain.

 

There is a television program 'Ssulzun' that I enjoying watching, in which panels deal with important social issues. A debater Park Hyoung-jun of the talk show had impressive comment last March.

 

"Salt lost its savor isn't salt anymore."

 

This is exactly what I want to talk about the blockchain technology-related discussions in the content industry nowadays. Content is not for blcokchain when it needs to be supported by the technology. Recently introduction of the blockchain-related technology is actively discussed expecially in the gaming industry. Unlike the other content, it can be easily applied to game because game is basically based on software and game makers generally have deeper understanding of the technology. However, a game without fun and pleasure, the essentials of game, is not a game anymore. I hope that game won't be salt lost its savor due to the blockchain technology.       

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

   (http://www.khgames.co.kr)

    Translation by Kim Ki-hui

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌 The Bechdel test and righteous games

이중반룡의 게임애가

泥中蟠龍‘s Game愛歌

[A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity]

The Bechdel test and righteous games

The Bechdel test

 

There is the Bechdel test which is a method of evaluating the portrayal of women in fiction. It is first appeared in comic strip of the American cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985. And it just needs to satisfy the following requirements:

 

1. The movie has to have at least two women in it,

2. who talk to each other,

3. about something besides a man.

 

It's not easy to find films which meet these simple-looking standards. Recently released Korean movies generally fail to meet the requirements. All movies meeting the above criteria don't portray gender equality. However, the fact that just less than half of the movies pass the simple test means that film industry is a largely male-dominated filed. It's more clear when applying the requirements to men and women in reverse.

 

In recent times, the question about 'Political correctness' is gradually raised in the cultural world. Gender equality, one of the problems, is the most talked-about question. A female character in the recent trailer of 'Battlefield V' wearing a prosthetic arm and using a cricket bat to kill someone is being debated. Battlefield, which is well-known for its good historical research, now is said to be not desirable because it degrades gameplay and has an historically unrealistic character appear for excessive 'Political correctness'. The controversy over 'Political correctness' and gameplay seems to be going on. Someone will try to reflect recent changes for 'Political correctness', while others will criticize them for degrading gameplay.

 

I'm not talking about right and wrong. I don't want to force my own idea on readers or be attacked by the opposition in the newspaper column where the writer cannot rebut their arguments. I mean that these arguments themselves have a beneficial effect on games industry. Game is one area of cultural contents and progress in the field is based on diversity. Contents will lose some of the individuality and will not improve without acknowledging diversity. So, in that respect, these disputes may be advisable. Heated dispute over the righteous games and game content will help a continual improvement in the quality of games. I hope to see someone learned literature and philosophy through game like someone studied history and literature through comic book and film.

※ This is from Kyunghyang Games column by 泥中蟠龍 since September 2013.

    Translation by Kim Ki-hui