Nerd Louisville Podcast

Episode 11 – Gamer Law Podcast

Episode 11 – Gamer Law Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Christie Ballenger, JoAnne Sweeny, and Lars Smith of the Gamer Law Podcast, a local podcast that discusses the intersection between games and law. With topics like the legality of modding and license agreements, the crew of this podcast are off to a great start. All three work in the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.

Highlights:

  • Introductions: JoAnne Sweeny, Christie Ballenger, Lars Smith
  • The bizarreness of Law faculty
  • The Genesis of the Gamer Law Podcast
  • Copyright & Games
  • Preferences of Games; PC v. Consoles
  • The Sorority Girls Dressup Game
  • Topics on the Gamer Law Podcast
  • EULAs – End User License Agreements; What do they really mean?
  • Selling your soul in contracts; what happens when you own a soul?
  • Development Hell; what happens when a game takes so long to come out? Duke Nukem, anyone?
  • Bungie and the changes to Halo as the development changed
  • What games is everyone is playing?
  • The order of the Elder Scrolls
  • How to better make a sandwich?
  • The Parade of Horribles and the complete lack of responsiveness; specifically, to Mike
  • Mass Effect, Dragon Age
  • Baldur’s Gate and the controversy of Transgender NPCs; Sand in vaginas
  • Sexuality & Romance in RPGs; Making out with alien chicks; Ed Greenwood on Forgotten Realms sexuality
  • Edwin the Evil Wizard
  • Legal questions around normative communities and government intervention
  • Social acceptance for gamers
  • Contraband & violation of copyright law
  • Women in coding & programming; Clippy & the feedback from women in that character’s development
  • Gamergate, political correctness, and the Gamer Law Podcast’s next episode
  • Tabletop gaming, Slur Your Role, etc.
  • A return to Sorority Girls Dressup; Undertale
  • Good Ole Games, Steam for Planescape
  • Shadow of Mordor; Tolkien and the Hobbit Movies
  • Coding
  • Smite & Grimdawn
  • Vanderpump Rules
  • Who’s the funniest?

The Gamer Law Podcast can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and LibSyn.

The Crew:

  • Mike Pfaff

Intro / Outro music is The White of Noon by STRFKR, graciously provided with permission by Polyvinyl Records.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:33 — 54.5MB)

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Mike Pfaff

Mike is the co-founder of Nerd Louisville and still volunteers from time-to-time. He's been a nerd since he was first introduced to Dungeons & Dragons when he was a wee lad and continues playing to this day. You can play games with him at Slur Your Role or other Nerd Louisville events.