Virtual Legality

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Captain Marvel, the 21st entry in Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU) offers a hero unlike we've ever seen, but does it take flight?

Join us for this analytical discussion on the newest superhero to enter the cinematic fold.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT: https://youtu.be/mpY7lZKSZ-U

#CaptainMarvel #MCU #Postmortem

*********SPOILERS ABOUND**************

PODCAST VERSIONS AVAILABLE AT

Spotify:

(https://open.spotify.com/show/3qsDhQ7h6BR2wLyNQYDWB4)

iTunes:

(https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/virtual-legality/id1448785539?mt=2)

SoundCloud:

(https://soundcloud.com/user-510342404)

Google Play Music:

(https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/In3d7qersx72lvzehxo7gu6cd5u)

***

FOR MORE CHECK US OUT:

On Twitter @hoeglaw

At our website: https://hoeglaw.com/

On our Blog, "Rules of the Game", at https://hoeglaw.wordpress.com/

On "Help Us Out Hoeg!" a regular segment on the Easy Allies Podcast (formerly GameTrailers)

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrxXp1reP8E353rZsB3jaA)

Biweekly on "Inside the Huddle with Michael Spath" on WTKA 1050

When news of Desk Plant's "Rape Day" sexual violence simulator made the rounds earlier this week, all eyes turned to Valve and Steam to see just what they would do given their stated "anything goes" policy.

But while removing the game was the obviously correct call, doing so with only vague explanations as to why opened up its own problematic doors.

What happened here, and how did the events of last year almost inevitably lead to this controversy?

What choice did Steam really have given industry and social media pressure?

And why might Steam's insistence that they'll know when a game crosses the line "when they see it" cause so much heartburn for so many small developers?

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT: https://youtu.be/KVbFGrw5CkY

#Steam #Controversy #VirtualLegality

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Discussed in this episode:

"Valve under fire as sexually explicit game glorifying rape is listed on Steam"

Eurogamer, Update March 6, 2019

(https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-03-04-valve-under-fire-as-sexually-explicit-game-glorifying-rape-is-listed-on-steam)

"Who Gets To Be On The Steam Store?"

Steam Blog, June 6, 2018

(https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1666776116200553082)

"Rape Day will not ship on Steam"

Steam Blog, March 6, 2019

(https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1808664240304050758)

***

FOR MORE CHECK US OUT:

On Twitter @hoeglaw

At our website: https://hoeglaw.com/

On our Blog, "Rules of the Game", at https://hoeglaw.wordpress.com/

On "Help Us Out Hoeg!" a regular segment on the Easy Allies Podcast (formerly GameTrailers)

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrxXp1reP8E353rZsB3jaA)

Biweekly on "Inside the Huddle with Michael Spath" on WTKA 1050

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Stories around the Internet tell of EA/Bioware's Anthem, bugging out, crashing, or even potentially "bricking" (making inoperable) Sony PlayStation 4s.

But what's happening here? Are people really getting refunds from the PlayStation Network?

What do the PSN terms and conditions or Electronic Arts End User License Agreement (EULA) promise in respect of how such software will behave?

And why might the language contained in such licenses prove to be of little help if a customer's hardware were actually damaged?

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT: https://youtu.be/u4YchpNClWg

#Anthem #Refunds #VirtualLegality

***

Discussed in this episode:

"Sony is apparently refunding PS4 owners their Anthem digital purchase due to midgame crashes and complete shutdown."

ResetEra Thread, March 3, 2019

(https://www.resetera.com/threads/sony-is-apparently-refunding-ps4-owners-their-anthem-digital-purchase-due-to-midgame-crashes-and-complete-shutdown.103124/)

"This is the only game that causes a complete PS4 shutdown"

Reddit Thread, March 3, 2019

(https://www.reddit.com/r/AnthemTheGame/comments/awtono/this_is_the_only_game_that_causes_a_complete_ps4/)

"PSA to Playstation Anthem Players"

Reddit Thread, March 4, 2019

(https://www.reddit.com/r/AnthemTheGame/comments/ax246k/psa_to_playstation_anthem_players/)

"PSN Terms of Service and User Agreement

Version - September 20, 2018

(https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/legal/terms-of-service/)

"ELECTRONIC ARTS USER AGREEMENT"

Version - January 8, 2019

(https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/WEBTERMS/US/en/PC/)

"What are EA's Warranty Policies?"

EA FAQ

(https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/account/electronic-arts-warranty-policy/)

"Patch The Process"

Rami Ismail, August 7, 2016

(https://ramiismail.com/2016/08/patch-the-process/)

***

FOR MORE CHECK US OUT:

On Twitter @hoeglaw

At our website: https://hoeglaw.com/

On our Blog, "Rules of the Game", at https://hoeglaw.wordpress.com/

On "Help Us Out Hoeg!" a regular segment on the Easy Allies Podcast (formerly GameTrailers)

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrxXp1reP8E353rZsB3jaA)

Biweekly on "Inside the Huddle with Michael Spath" on WTKA 1050

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(0:00) Opening

(2:30) Sony is apparently refunding PS4 owners their Anthem digital purchase due to midgame crashes and complete shutdown.

(4:12) This is the only game that causes a complete PS4 shutdown

(7:08) PSA to Playstation Anthem Players

(11:00) "PSN Terms of Service and User Agreement

(22:49) ELECTRONIC ARTS USER AGREEMENT

(27:16) What are EA's Warranty Policies?

(29:49) Patch The Process

Bungie's separation from Activision (and Activision's loss of the Destiny franchise) has proven to be one of the more important stories of the year in games, but only now do we have a bit more clarity as to just how such a separation happened.

What do the Activision 10-K Financial Statements tell us about the price Bungie was willing to pay?

What can we take about the future of Destiny (and Activision) from such a sale?

And how do the changes coming to the paid Eververse store reflect the possibility of a new monetization reality?

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT: https://youtu.be/sn0UMNh7ej8

#Bungie #Destiny #VirtualLegality

***

Discussed in this episode:

"Bungie-Activision contract"

(Software Publishing and Development Agreement)

Effective Date April 16, 2010

(http://documents.latimes.com/bungie-activision-contract/)

Tweets from Daniel Ahmad

February 28, 2019

(https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1101241993160724481)

Activision Blizzard 10-K Filing

For Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2018

(https://investor.activision.com/node/32301/html)

Tweets from PC Games Insider

March 1, 2019

(https://twitter.com/PCGamesInsider/status/1101456894160502784)

"THIS WEEK AT BUNGIE – 2/28/2019"

(https://www.bungie.net/en/Explore/Detail/News/47660)

Tweets from Skill Up

February 28, 2019

(https://twitter.com/SkillUpYT/status/1101280701565956096)

Limited Software License Agreement

Destiny/Bungie, Version (October 16, 2018)

(https://www.bungie.net/en/Bungie/SLA)

***

FOR MORE CHECK US OUT:

On Twitter @hoeglaw

At our website: https://hoeglaw.com/

On our Blog, "Rules of the Game", at https://hoeglaw.wordpress.com/

On "Help Us Out Hoeg!" a regular segment on the Easy Allies Podcast (formerly GameTrailers)

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrxXp1reP8E353rZsB3jaA)

Biweekly on "Inside the Huddle with Michael Spath" on WTKA 1050

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(0:00) Opening

(3:05) Bungie-Activision contract

(7:30) Tweets from Daniel Ahmad

(14:20) Activision Blizzard 10-K Filing

(18:15) Tweets from PC Games Insider

(22:18) THIS WEEK AT BUNGIE – 2/28/2019

(27:50) Tweets from Skill Up

(30:23) Limited Software License Agreement

With "Overkill's The Walking Dead" now removed from the market, where does Starbreeze Studios go from here?

What does it mean to hold the intellectual property rights to a title like "The Walking Dead" and why would Skybound suddenly cut off an agreement just months after product release?

And how might Starbreeze's request to extend it's "reconstruction" process have exacerbated the whole mess?

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT: https://youtu.be/vdgqZdkNcXw

#Starbreeze #WalkingDead #VirtualLegality

***

Discussed in this episode:

"STARBREEZE HAS RECEIVED A NOTICE OF TERMINATION FROM SKYBOUND, THE OTWD TITLE RIGHTSHOLDER, RELATED TO THE PARTIES’ LICENSE AGREEMENT REGARDING OVERKILL’S THE WALKING DEAD"

Starbreeze Regulatory Release, February 27, 2019

(https://www.starbreeze.com/2019/02/starbreeze-has-received-a-notice-of-termination-from-skybound-the-otwd-title-rightsholder-related-to-the-parties-license-agreement-regarding-overkills-the-walking-dead/)

"The fall of Starbreeze"

Eurogamer, January 28, 2019

(https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-01-28-the-fall-of-swedish-game-wonder-starbreeze)

"The Swedish Business Reconstruction Act and SAAB"

Marie Tuula-Karlsson, Scandanavian Studies in Law (2012)

(http://www.scandinavianlaw.se/pdf/57-18.pdf)

"STARBREEZE APPLIES FOR EXTENDED RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD"

Starbreeze Regulatory Release, February 21, 2019

(https://www.starbreeze.com/2019/02/starbreeze-applies-for-extended-reconstruction-period/)

"Skybound ends contract with Starbreeze as Overkill's Walking Dead pulled from Steam"

GameDailyBiz, February 27, 2019

(https://gamedaily.biz/article/630/skybound-ends-contract-with-starbreeze-as-overkills-walking-dead-pulled-from-steam)

‘Overkill’s The Walking Dead’ Pulled From Steam, Devs Want to ‘Resolve Season 2’

Variety, February 27, 2019

(https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/overkills-the-walking-dead-pulled-from-steam-devs-want-to-resolve-season-2-1203150738/)

"Bungie-Activision contract"

(Software Publishing and Development Agreement)

Effective Date April 16, 2010

(http://documents.latimes.com/bungie-activision-contract/)

***

FOR MORE CHECK US OUT:

On Twitter @hoeglaw

At our website: https://hoeglaw.com/

On our Blog, "Rules of the Game", at https://hoeglaw.wordpress.com/

On "Help Us Out Hoeg!" a regular segment on the Easy Allies Podcast (formerly GameTrailers)

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrxXp1reP8E353rZsB3jaA)

Biweekly on "Inside the Huddle with Michael Spath" on WTKA 1050