Columns Playing The Blame Game

I resent this kind of discrimination of one or two types of medias while others come through unscathed. Why is it that books and cd's don't have ratings? Would you buy Eminem's cd for a five-year-old? Or read him a bed-side story from Steven King's Salem's Lot?

 

I don't understand, must be because I'm was raised 'till the age of six in finland, but if some of the louder voices say that there is a "strong connection between what you do and what you see" then why are all these lawsuits that we hear about aimed at games and not movies (or books) alike?

 

Didn't see this one.

 

Screw this.... I'm going back to Bioshock.

 

Most CDs do have ratings, I think? (Explicit lyrics, drugs, etc.), that's not to say kids won't be tortured by an operette or daddy's collection of anti-war-songs.

As for books, I think the distinction between a book and reality is so great (Moving, talking, feelable things vs black letters on white papers), that a confusion doesn't enter into it. Besides, when a kid is old enough to read "mature" books (Anarchist's Cookbook etc.), he ought to have been brought to know it's a no-no. Games are easily accessible in a way that books aren't.

 

Personally, I think some games are abusive, no matter the age they're intended to. Games that promote violence on a hand to hand fashion, religion rage or racism and women/children abuse should be very banned. Why? Because they're excuses polititians and religious leaders use to blame ALL games, good or bad. Ever since the very beginning of games we've seen violence, only back then, a 8x4 sprite was no big violence spark so no-one cared. Nowadays we can almost see the jugular vein pop out when you slid a bad guys throat which is a bit graphic, don't you think?
In my opinion violence in games is ok mostly, because if you are sane and process the suspention of disbelief correctly everything will be fine and it's even a good stress reliever. However there will always be the small percentage of people (no matter it's age) that will interpret the game as an extension of reality and have bad behaviour no matter if trigered by games, movies or music... and that's the sad part I do not wish to see inspired by overly stupid games like GTA, Bully or whatever... most of these games rely on the publicity stunts and the "forbidden fruit" factor so anyone falling for that trick is already handicaped in some way...
Go play some good old fashioned UT and blast some aliens... is there really need for a game that promotes violence like we see all the time on tv?
And always remember, it's the radical stuff that makes everyone label everything trough the highest denominator...

 

as long as Tom and Jerry keep using blowtorches and guillotines on eachother, i don't see why GTA: SA or Manhunt should be targetted by politicians. Tom an Jerry do target the youngest and most impressionable of citizens, and don't feature any sort of warning sticker at all.

Ignorance at work clearly

 

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I lay the blame for everything that kids do at the door of their parents.
Yes kids will do bad things, but its how the parents handle this that shapes them into responsible adults.

I'm no angel, I've done stupid things in the past, playing with matches, vandalism, shoplifting etc.
I was never even caught doing half of them but I always knew it was wrong and looking back, it was mostly the result of peer-pressure.
I have also been watching 18-rated films since the age of 10-ish and playing any game I wanted, violent or not, since I got my first C64.
I have personally never felt the need to act out any of the stuff I have seen in games or films.

I'd say that the way I have turned out is almost solely through the guidance of my mum (single parent most of my life).
Now, when I see these parents who think their child can do no wrong and actually go to schools and physically threaten teachers who reprimand their kids, I feel sad.
Makes me wonder where the hell this country will be in 20 years.

 

Well, that's a very gray area as far as I'm concerned. Old classic cartoons, like Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes, were very violent. Not to mention friggin' hilarious to boot. But all of us that grew up watching those types of cartoons just got years' worth of laughs out of it and a stimulation of humor. What annoys me is that in today's politically-correct climate in the States here the fact that they think it's okay to go in and edit out the stuff from those cartoons (that were made as far as 50-60 years ago) that they deem 'inappropriate' to the populous. Being a bit of a purist to the property I feel they should leave the creation of those artists involved alone. Slap a warning on it if you feel it's necessary, but leave that stuff alone! I mean, we might as well have a book-burning, right?

 

I believe that some video games are made intentionally more gory so as to gain publicity when everyone kicks up a stink. It reminds me of when Frankie goes to Hollywood released relax back in the 80’s, those were the days!!! I’m sure they made it intentionally provocative which resulted in the BBC banning it so everyone and their dog went out and bought it and kept it at number one for weeks. These games publishers are doing a similar thing. I’ve got nothing against games with violence in but there is a big difference between games with violence in and violent games. The later is usually just violence for violence sake and not something that generally adds anything to the game. Rant over, for now!!

 

So true. Why does media have to attack videogames? So letting a 10 year old kid play Manhunt is totally unapropriate (agreed), but taking the same kid to watch Saw III in the movies is perfectly acceptable? (and don't tell me that doesn't happen because I've worked in a cinema and I've seen this happen, QUITE OFTEN, last year).

Those parents who criticise videogames as the apocalypse of their children's world are a bunch of hypocrites who blame their horribly bad parenting on videogames. It's always easier to blame something/someone other than yourself. Have a little integrity and accept your responsability: if you're not going to take care of your children and raise them in a good way (which means, not letting them play Manhunt until they're 18... hell, I'm 23 and I still can't play that thing, I find it disturbing but I respect that others like it, there's nothing wrong with that) then it's better not to have kids at all.

IMHO.

 

And on top of all this, it's okay to show someone getting mutilated on TV, but we still won't allow some tasteful skin to be shown. Shame, really.

 

I kill one person a day (with glass shards in the eyes like in Manhunt). Like everybody else in this forum. Games are to blame.

That makes me wonder, If the games causes this sort of mental illness, what has became of the people who created them? Are them made by the "Zodiac" serial killer?

 

"I mean, we might as well have a book-burning, right?"

i can see the tragic irony now...Jack Thompson & co go on a witch hunt for creators of violent games (rockstar et al) and kill them literally and still claim video games incite violent behavior...

 

Humans have been obsessed with violence in all times. This is nothing new. It doesn't mean we are horrible. We do a lot of good things to each other despite all of this. I would hate to see games being blamed for something that is rooted deep in human nature.
Please see the bigger picture! If you are going to stop violent games you should stop all depictions of violence in art (movies, music).

 

It doesnt take a genius to figure out that *shock* violence existed before tv, games, books, cars, weapons, alcohol, *fill with whatever the government targets next*.
besides, if they allready want to ban violent stuff, then how about the bible? I mean there more people die than in Manhunt, Postal and GTA combined...
To me the whole thing is simple, the problem is what people make out of it, not the product itself, but the government will never admit that because people can vote, products cant.

 

All it comes down to is culture and routine. The older generation (which I very well might be a part of) grew up on tom and jerry. They were our saturday morning cartoons, and our after school down time. As a very proud gamer, I do not agree with the "grading system" that games (both pc and console) are subjected to. Movies are the same way. To start grading items of entertainment is to start putting limitations on pass times. What will follow? Trouble. As the generations continue to morph into tomorrows generations, there will be more and more ideas on (1) ways to get entertained (2) things to fill the void of nothingness. Now, as little sense as that made, just think about the reality behind the initial point:

As the world and society changes, everything will change with it as well. It is us (the little guys) that have to stand for what we think, and make a change in the direction we desire.