Video Game Bashing

[Thundercrack85]

If you're like me, and you regularly read / watch the news, you can't help but notice the video games seem to get a bad rap on the news.

In America at least, you'll see "experts" on national television decrying video games for causing mass murders, often with little, if any argument from the alleged newspeople. Often people will just tell outright lies on the air about games.

Not to mention public officials.

Does this annoy anyone else? When is this going to stop being acceptable?

 

[Victarion]

Does this annoy anyone else? When is this going to stop being acceptable?

1. Yes.

2. When parents actually fulfill the role of parent.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Its no different than what happened in the early 90's with music. As an avid gamer it concerns me none, because nothing ever comes of it nor will it ever. So let the politicians and media hounds scream until they're blue in the face. Nothing is changing.

 

[Soapy]

It shouldn't be acceptable at all. The supreme court already ruled this year that video games are a protected art form just like film, literature, comic books, etc.

But people need a scapegoat.

The NRA and the gun lovers want to get the heat up off of them, so they shift the blame onto video games and refuse to admit that maybe, just maybe America has a gun problem, and that perhaps our "gun culture" has gone to extremes and has become more of a liability than a benefit.

Parents and "family values" groups refuse to accept responsibility that bad parenting and upbringing might cause some of this stuff. They only want to blame the media that children consume instead of actually taking an interest and being mindful of what they watch and play.

No one wants to acknowledge, let alone discuss that American society has developed an unhealthy fixation with violence.

And the entire ****ing nation treats mental illness like it's some kind of shameful taboo so no one seeks treatment either for themselves or their friends and family. I mean who needs that kind of stigma? Am I right?

Video games are just the latest in a long line of easy targets for people to blame all of society's ills on. Film went through it, comics went through it, pretty much every new genre of music all went through it at one time or another. Once someone invents a holodeck or something, people will suddenly forget all about video games and focus their frustrations on that.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

It shouldn't be acceptable at all. The supreme court already ruled this year that video games are a protected art form just like film, literature, comic books, etc.

But people need a scapegoat.

The NRA and the gun lovers want to get the heat up off of them, so they refuse to admit that maybe, just maybe America has a gun problem, and that perhaps our "gun culture" has gone to extremes and has become more of a liability than a benefit.

Parents and "family values" groups refuse to accept responsibility that bad parenting and upbringing might cause some of this stuff. They only want to blame the media that children consumes instead of controlling it.

No one wants to acknowledge, let alone discuss that American society has developed an unhealthy fixation with violence.

And the entire ****ing nation treats mental illness like it's some kind of shameful taboo so no one seeks treatment either for themselves or their friends and family. I mean who needs that kind of stigma? Am I right?

Video games are just the latest in a long line of easy targets for people to blame all of society's ills on. Film went through it, comics went through it, pretty much every new genre of music all went through it at one time or another. Once someone invents a holodeck or something, people will suddenly forget all about video games and focus their frustrations on that.

You just won the internet.

 

[The Infernal]

Like others have said, it's nothing new. We had this with the video nasty era. Though I've got to say that I don't hear that kind of rubbish so much on the BBC or other British news channels (though they still relay that the NRA are blaming videogames).

However this kind of stupidity raises its head all to often on the gaming news sites. I just wish people would stop inventing imaginary scapegoats and start looking at the real problems.

Also, it would hurt if politicians actually bothered to learn about videogames before they decide to grandstand on the subject thinking it's an easy target to appear tough on something to the uninformed.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Like others have said, it's nothing new. We had this with the video nasty era. Though I've got to say that I don't hear that kind of rubbish so much on the BBC or other British news channels (though they still relay that the NRA are blaming videogames).

However this kind of stupidity raises its head all to often on the gaming news sites. I just wish people would stop inventing imaginary scapegoats and start looking at the real problems.

Also, it would hurt if politicians actually bothered to learn about videogames before they decide to grandstand on the subject thinking it's an easy target to appear tough on something to the uninformed.

Theyre just as guilty of it as anyone else

[YT]5uwAo8lcAC4[/YT]

Its human nature. People will always blame what they dont understand or what they consider 'fringe'. Even as MASSIVELY popular as games are, a large number of ppl still consider them a fringe media. The best thing to do is ignore the talk and focus on the real issues. Issues the likes Soapy brought up, the culture of violence or the issue of mental health. Dont waste time arguing about a particular form of media. Also, dont hold your breath that politicians will actually learn about the very stuff they are attacking. Hell they couldnt even learn their own damn healthcare bill before passing it.

 

[Mace Dolex]

If you're like me, and you regularly read / watch the news, you can't help but notice the video games seem to get a bad rap on the news.

In America at least, you'll see "experts" on national television decrying video games for causing mass murders, often with little, if any argument from the alleged newspeople. Often people will just tell outright lies on the air about games.

Does this annoy anyone else? When is this going to stop being acceptable?

Maybe when the game makers stop making video games so realistically violent and more fun like classics such as Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Zelda.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Maybe when the game makers stop making video games so realistically violent and more fun like classics such as Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Zelda.

Which is hopefully never.

 

[Lencho01]

Whatever form of entertainment is "new" will get the blame today and in the future.

 

[Soapy]

Maybe when the game makers stop making video games so realistically violent and more fun like classics such as Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Zelda.

First off, those games never stopped getting made.

Second, the perception that all video games are violent is wildly inaccurate:

Those violent video games you don't like happen to be the games that are the most prominent because they have the biggest advertising budgets, because they're the biggest sellers, which points the finger not at video games, but back onto society.

 

[Figs]

Great post Soapy!

Sadly for some of us older gamers this isn't anything new. This has been happening since the 90's especially when Mortal Kombat came out. It didn't even take mass killings back then for some of these people to start talking about wanting to ban violent video games. They saw or got wind of games like Doom and MK and instantly started saying how it's going to brainwash the children. For those of you(like myself)who were in their teens/late teens in the 90's, I'm sure you'll remember good 'ol Joe Lierberman...and he's at it again.

http://www.caintv.com/joe-lieberman-targets-violent


I remember this news story back in the 90s (it's on Wikipedia)in regards to the fighting game Primal Rage. A great example of a parent not looking into what they are buying their child.

Ellie of Gilbert, Arizona became enraged when her 11-year-old son bought and played Genesis' Primal Rage, using GamePro's strategy guide to execute Chaos' golden shower/urination fatality.[1] Rovella was so outraged, she not only returned the game, but also launched a grass-roots campaign. Ironically the Super Nintendo version, in which the particular fatality was removed entirely, displaying a "No Cheeze!" symbol (a sign that was generally used to notify the player that he or she had performed an illegal combo) at the top of the screen if it was attempted, was also pulled from the shelves.

Basically, this is nothing new and they are going to constantly attack violent films and video games whenever tragic events like this happen.

 

[The Infernal]

What I don't like about the NRA's attitude right now is that they're asking for the polar opposite to what most people are asking for, they're wanting more guns in homes.

Not to mention this childish language of 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. It's creepy and plays into the fantasist stereotype the NRA have. I mean even if you just consider an armed thug in a confrontation with the police, it's still cheap to characterise something like that in such childish language.

 

[Piper Maru]

I've been a gamer since I was a young kid, and not once have I ever got into a fight, not even a shoving match! It seems that some people are always going to blame video games/music/films etc for violence, but ignore obvious problems.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

What I don't like about the NRA's attitude right now is that they're asking for the polar opposite to what most people are asking for, they're wanting more guns in homes.

Not to mention this childish language of 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. It's creepy and plays into the fantasist stereotype the NRA have. I mean even if you just consider an armed thug in a confrontation with the police, it's still cheap to characterise something like that in such childish language.

It's just simplistic language that's easy to identify. The nut job who shot up a bunch of children was a 'bad guy', pure and simple. Doesn't matter if he was mentally unstable or played too many video games. Their position is if a "good guy" or someone trained and licensed to carry a fire arm is at one of these locations these lunatics keep targeting(shopping malls, movie theaters etc) that maybe things like this can be prevented or the impact at least lessened. It's a position I actually agree with(to an extent) and the sole reason why come next month I'll be trained and licensed to carry a gun on me in public. Well I say next month but I actually think it takes like 90 days for your Concealed Weapons Permit to be legalized in my state.

 

[The Infernal]

I don't think it's an appropriate way to characterise the situation. 'Good guys' and 'bad guys' gives the impression they see it like a fantasy from an action movie (which wouldn't be the first time the NRA have given off that impression).

Also, I think if you're going to arm anyone then it should be trained security guards or police and not civilians. You might feel safer, but it's hardly comparable with having a trained professional.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Also, I think if you're going to arm anyone then it should be trained security guards or police and not civilians. You might feel safer, but it's hardly comparable with having a trained professional.

How would you classify it? Trained and licensed weapon users who would use said weapon in a proper way vs individuals who have no regard for human life and will not use said same weapon in a proper fashion? You can pretend one way is out of a fantasy or one way is real life but when peeled to the core it's one in the same.

That's exactly who is armed now and it's failing due to the fact there's simply not enough of them. Outside of removing all guns from all civilians(which is an absolute impossibility) it's best to have ur citizens comfortable with a weapon. I trust myself FAR more than I would ever trust a police officer or security guard, but this issue goes far far deeper than guns or no guns.

 

[The Infernal]

I don't think it's realistic to expect civilians who own guns to be comparable with professionals who carry them because it's a requirement of their job. I seriously doubt they receive comparable levels of training and that they're regulated in the same way.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Having seen police in action, sometimes I wonder about what the training exactly consists of.

 

[The Infernal]

Having seen police in action, sometimes I wonder about what the training exactly consists of.

That's not to say they're infallible. Quality of training may differ from force to force and there will always be those who make terrible mistakes.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

I hate seeing all forms of the media being used as a scapegoat for bad gun laws and crappy parents. I got to play M rated games since I was 12, and I came out just fine.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Soapy explained what makes things really really bad, and a job well done at that
I think every form of media can influence violence, news more than anything else, unleashing it depends how strong the firewall on the mind is built

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Great post Soapy!

Sadly for some of us older gamers this isn't anything new. This has been happening since the 90's especially when Mortal Kombat came out. It didn't even take mass killings back then for some of these people to start talking about wanting to ban violent video games. They saw or got wind of games like Doom and MK and instantly started saying how it's going to brainwash the children. For those of you(like myself)who were in their teens/late teens in the 90's, I'm sure you'll remember good 'ol Joe Lierberman...and he's at it again.

http://www.caintv.com/joe-lieberman-targets-violent


I remember this news story back in the 90s (it's on Wikipedia)in regards to the fighting game Primal Rage. A great example of a parent not looking into what they are buying their child.



Basically, this is nothing new and they are going to constantly attack violent films and video games whenever tragic events like this happen.

Wait, they pulled Primal Rage? I have a PC and SNES version of that game and loved it as a kid, and it never made me worse. Thats really stupid.

 

[Figs]

Wait, they pulled Primal Rage? I have a PC and SNES version of that game and loved it as a kid, and it never made me worse. Thats really stupid.

I think it was mainly pulled in that town. Not sure about the whole state. I live in CA and it was still in the stores for the SNES and Genesis.

 

[Baramos]

Well obviously nobody ever shot anybody else before they invented 3D FPS games. No school-based spree killings before video games no sir. No spree killings in other places before 3D FPS video games, no siree bob.

It's an idiotic assertion, and is oddly used in conjunction with the "personal responsibility" argument (that our society attempts to remove personal responsibility from mass murderers by attempting to figure out what made them go crazy and kill people), even though they are blatantly contradictory. Anything to get people away from talking about guns.