How would a lack of intellectual property laws/copyright laws effect the video game industry?

[Praetyre]

I have thought about this issue myself. I do think that it would remove one of the only two government interferences in the video game industry that I can see (the other being censorship) and possibly providing us with a small window into the free market.

Also, for the sake of a young fogey like myself, could somebody explain what a “weeaboo” is? It sounds like a Japanese cuckoo clock.

[Azure]

@Praetyre

Also, for the sake of a young fogey like myself, could somebody explain what a “weeaboo” is? It sounds like a Japanese cuckoo clock.

It depends on who you ask, but generally a weeaboo is defined as a person with an unhealthy obsession with Japanese culture. Common symptoms include introducing random Japanese words into your normal speech, hoarding of plastic figurines of anime characters (especially cell phone straps), and a desire to legally marry their favorite character (yes this actually happens). It’s meant to be an insult, and like all insults it’s often thrown at people who don’t really deserve the label.

[Giant_Joe]

@Stranger

So who would benefit from making intellectual property consumers worse off because of the sudden collapse of intellectual property production for other lines of production?

Remember the boom after world war 2. The economy didn’t tank because of a surge of unemployment from troops coming home.

Companies that are in other lines of production like open-source support companies.

Yes, I could see them benefiting. As well as other industries because people aren’t glued to one job or skill forever. For example, most any able person can perform menial labor tasks, even if they could perform research for a firm.

Who would not benefit from the abolition of IP?

Consumers of intellectual property.

I don’t agree here. It could be possible that since information would be free and accessible, research might be performed faster and unhindered. The cost of performing research would decrease, because the cost of accessing information to build on previous research would decrease. The reduced cost of information for providers of information would also help in reducing the costs of information for consumers of information. Currently, resources are used in securing IP, working around IP, and blocking other companies from using IP that won’t even be used by the originator of the IP. So if I were to argue the utilitarian case, I’d say that it looks like a big waste of resources and effort to me.

[Michelangelo]

@Novus Zarathustra

So, interesting thought. For all of us who play Japanese Video Games, think of the possibilities of possible ports or localizations for certain games that are limited by licensing issues.

There are a ton of games that are only grounded in Japan which I would love to have US ports of or at least localizations.

I don’t think that the abolishment of IP laws would really create as many possibilities as you’d think in terms of porting games ect. Namely because IP laws are treated so laxly among the community that would take advantage of their abolishment. Many of the more famous doujin games (games made by small groups, usually as part of a club) already have unofficial fan ports or otherwise supplementary materials to allow foreigners to play them. Manga (comics of Japanese origin), Light novels, and a score of other literature are fan-translated already. Mind you, it wouldn’t hurt to have licensing laws abolished or laxed.

[Giant_Joe]

@Giant_Joe

Who would not benefit from the abolition of IP?

Consumers of intellectual property.

I don’t agree here. It could be possible that since information would be free and accessible, research might be performed faster and unhindered. The cost of performing research would decrease, because the cost of accessing information to build on previous research would decrease. The reduced cost of information for providers of information would also help in reducing the costs of information for consumers of information. Currently, resources are used in securing IP, working around IP, and blocking other companies from using IP that won’t even be used by the originator of the IP. So if I were to argue the utilitarian case, I’d say that it looks like a big waste of resources and effort to me.

In “economics in one lesson” Hazlitt says what I was trying to say, but in a much better way (and on tariffs, not IP):

We have deliberately chosen the most unfavorable example of any for the removal of the tariff. We have not taken an argument for the imposition of a new tariff in order to bring a new industry into existence, but an argument for the retention of a tariff that has already brought an industry into existence, and cannot be repealed without hurting somebody.

[Democracy_for_Breakf]

@Michelangelo

@Novus Zarathustra

So, interesting thought. For all of us who play Japanese Video Games, think of the possibilities of possible ports or localizations for certain games that are limited by licensing issues.

There are a ton of games that are only grounded in Japan which I would love to have US ports of or at least localizations.

I don’t think that the abolishment of IP laws would really create as many possibilities as you’d think in terms of porting games ect. Namely because IP laws are treated so laxly among the community that would take advantage of their abolishment. Many of the more famous doujin games (games made by small groups, usually as part of a club) already have unofficial fan ports or otherwise supplementary materials to allow foreigners to play them. Manga (comics of Japanese origin), Light novels, and a score of other literature are fan-translated already. Mind you, it wouldn’t hurt to have licensing laws abolished or laxed.

We would probably see a much greater likelihood of Super Robot Taisen/SRW games. Fansubs of various anime, RPG’s grounded in Japan, ect. Some localizations are likely to never happen because of IP and Copyright.

[Democracy_for_Breakf]

@Praetyre

I have thought about this issue myself. I do think that it would remove one of the only two government interferences in the video game industry that I can see (the other being censorship) and possibly providing us with a small window into the free market.

Also, for the sake of a young fogey like myself, could somebody explain what a “weeaboo” is? It sounds like a Japanese cuckoo clock.

A “weeaboo” is a duragatory word for someone who is Japanese. However, here in the west, it is used as a term by 4chan to describe a nerd who is really into Japanese Culture, Anime, Gaming.. ect