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The Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality rules in December 2017.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 The Internet service providers also insist that net neutrality should be repealed due to high data traffic rising every year requiring them to increase equipment investments.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