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

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌 [A love song for games of the dragon waiting for an opportunity] The nuclear power generation industry and the video gaming industry

泥中蟠龍's Game愛歌

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

 

The nuclear power generation industry and the video gaming industry

 

The Shin Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 5&6 construction is scheduled to begin again soon. Last July, the Moon administration launched an ad-hoc committee to gather public opinion on whether to permanently halt the building of the nuclear reactors while temporarily called off constructing power plants. The committee offered a variety of sources to about 500 "citizen jurors", conducted surveys, hold public hearings over about four months and submitted the final recommendations to the Government. According to the recommendations, 59.5 percent supported a reconstruction with 40.5 percent objecting to the current policy. Also, 53.2 percent recommended to gradually lower reliance on nuclear power from now on.

 

I believe that stop building the 5&6 plants is desirable. Nuclear fission energy, which is commonly called nuclear power, is not simply a matter of economic logic. Some people concerned that South Korea will fall behind in the over ￦400 trillion nuclear reactor construction market, however, more than half of it is the needs of China and India. And both of the countries already have their original techniques. Of course, Korea cannot easily have the other half percent market share without fierce competition in the global market. As I noted earlier, it's hard to be perfectly recovered from a nuclear accident such as Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster or Chernobyl disaster even on a national level. The latter is one of the reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed, which means that the nuclear accident can lead a country to go bankrupt. Therefore, I'm opposed to increasing the number of nuclear power plants on economic grounds taking high risks.

 

I don't think that the decision of the committee is wrong. And this column is not to let the readers know that I'm an anti-unclear power. Despite the final recommendations that I disagree with, I envy the 500 citizen jurors who couldn't help but accept the results thanks to the rational and fair negotiation process.

 

The local gaming industry has given legal sanctions from many organizations concerned. Many parent-related groups have claimed that video game is very addictive and distracting students causing poor grades and health problems from insufficient sleep. However, despite countless criticisms and restrictions, there was no impartial and transparent process of sufficient discussions about the video game-related problems or appropriateness of the present government's policies through an ad-hoc committee. The video gaming industry is emerging as a globally promising business, unlike unclear power that some European countries are phasing-out. Besides, it's not an inherently dangerous industry that could kill tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands in an industrial accident. I hope that the government will listen to public opinions to regulate the video game industry.

 

 

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

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

 

Translation by Kim Ki-hui