''I don't want this constant barrage of violence on young minds and for them to think it is all right.'' It's a good point.except that it seems to me that the games only reflect a violence that already exists in the society. ''I think this legislation is a good idea,'' she told the Boston Herald. The results of that are usually disastrous. But what makes me crazy is when politicians take it upon themselves to play surrogate parents. Now, what does and doesn't have social merit is always an interesting question, one I can discuss for hours. The vid-critics claim they exist for one reason and one reason only, so kids can experience the vicarious thrill of killing. Which means, by the way, that a 17-year-old who can get in to see Hostel: Part II would be forbidden by law from buying (or renting, one supposes) the violent but less graphic Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.Īccording to the proposed bill, violent videogames are pornographic and have no redeeming social merit. HB 1423 would restrict or outright ban the sale of violent videogames to anyone under the age of 18. But when I heard about HB 1423, which happens to be a bill pending in the Massachusetts state legislature, I still hit the roof. Nor am I some kind of raving political nutcase. You should take a look at this, because as a creator of worthy stories filled with violence and suspense, he speaks with real authority: So, nope - videogames are not my thing. It was not specified if those figures were based on the total US population or the percentage of those that play games.īest-selling author Stephen King (who admits he doesn't play video-PC games) points up and rips down the double-standard of what's tolerable in violent films, compared with video games, in a brilliant op-ed for Entertainment Weekly. The report noted that 3% said they own two of the three current-gen systems-PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii-with only 2% owning all three. Also interesting is that 3% owns two current-gen consoles and 2% even owns all three:
Interestingly, Xbox 360 owners were reported to spend the most time gaming online per week, respectively followed by PC and PS3 gamers. Only 19% of online players stated that they played online with a console, with the Xbox 360 accounting for half of that figure. Renowned game designer Peter Molyneux recently commented on the shifting PC market, claiming that "the PC is just reinventing itself" and is "being owned more and more by casual gamers." Shacknews attempted to confirm this with NPD, but was told that information is not available to the media.
Though the exact reasons were not specified, the high ratio of online PC gamers is most likely due to the abundance of massively multiplayer online games and free web-based casual titles available on the platform. A whopping 90% of those who played online in 2007 reported using a PC to do so, with NPD describing the PC as "the driving force in online gaming." Also very interesting is that the PC is the 'Driving Force in Online Gaming'Īccording to the firm, 40% of United States residents played an online game in 2007, with that figure expected to rise 2% in 2008. population played video games last year, that's a 8 percent increase from 2006. OCZ Rally 2 Turbo 4GB and 32GB USB Flash drivesĪ new report by NPD Group claims 72 percent of the U.S. At the time of this release, AMD is unable to determine the estimated amount of the charge as the details are still being finalized. As a result of these reductions, AMD expects to record a restructuring charge in the second quarter of 2008. In addition, AMD announced plans to adjust its cost structure by reducing its workforce by approximately 10 percent by the end of the third quarter of 2008. AMD had previously anticipated first quarter revenue to decline in line with seasonality. The decrease is due to lower than expected sales across all business segments. The job cuts are a necessary move to help lift AMD from the negative spiral in terms of financial performance.ĪMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that it expects revenue for the first quarter ended Mato be approximately $1.5 billion, a 22 percent increase compared to the first quarter of 2007, and down 15 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2007.
The full results of Q1 are expected on April 17. This means that roughly 1,500 employees will lose their jobs. Though things are picking up, $1.5 billion revenue (22% increase compared to Q1 2007), it's still down 15% compared to the Q4 2007 and this will now have it's toll on employees as the company plans to reduce its workforce by 10% before the end of Q3. Chipset maked maker AMD yesterday issued a press-release with their Q1 financial results ending on march 29th.