Mom Calls For Ban On Underworld

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Mom Calls For Ban On Underworld


The mother of a comatose junkie is calling for a ban on the new iPhone [http://www.apple.com/iphone/] game Underworld, saying that "impressionable kids" who play the game will end up going down the same road as her daughter.

The game is "outrageous," Thelma Pickard told The Daily Star [http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/61501/iPhone-s-drug-deal-video-game-slammed/]. "My daughter's life has been ruined by drugs," she said. "If this game is allowed to come out, impressionable kids will play it and Amy's mistake will be repeated over and over again."

"Youngsters like Amy are exactly the people who download and play games like this on their mobiles," she continued. "I just want to help other families avoid the nightmare that's wrecked mine." Amy has been in a coma for the past seven years, which she apparently fell into after experimenting with heroin when she was 17.

In Underworld, players begin as small-time drug pushers, selling their wares to other players from real-world street corners, thanks to the iPhone's GPS capabilities. The game was originally known as Drug Lords, but underwent a App Store [http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Underworld/news.asp?c=10257]. The game will be free and will work with all generations of the iPhone and iPod Touch, although Wi-Fi is required for play.

"Outrageous" it may be, but it's also nothing more than the latest update of a game that first debuted almost 25 years ago, back in the days when DOS ruled the world. Underworld may add some cool new features, but the basic premise remains the same: Rule the roost by becoming a successful drug dealer. A Drug Wars [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/86461] and its many descendants have been around for a generation, and the Apocalypse has yet to come. (They're fun to play, too.)

To learn more about Underworld, have a look at the developer's web site at a-steroids.com [http://a-steroids.com/].

(Thanks to GamePolitics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/12/08/heroin-victim039s-mom-wants-iphone-drug-dealing-game-banned] for the hook-up.)


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Hevoo

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Nov 29, 2008
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Maybe if she wasn't a bad parent her daughter wouldn't be a f$$$up. Also if she paid attention to her daughter instead of video games, her daughter wouldn't have any problems.... Duh.. If you are going to pick a fight make sure you have sound reasoning.....
 

xitel

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Aug 13, 2008
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Yes, because of course junkies will be spending all their time playing iPhone games while getting high.
 

sms_117b

Keeper of Brannigan's Law
Oct 4, 2007
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I'm sure these games carry a 18 rating or similar depending on the country, 17 year old kids and younger shouldn't be playing them.

Parents responsibility to check the age rating of a game before letting their kids play them.

Edit:
Also if it's a iPhone, what the hell is a kid doing with one? They're damned expensive.
 

mokes310

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Oct 13, 2008
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Perhaps occasionally checking in on what your children are doing, isn't such a bad idea after all...
 

Hookman

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Jul 2, 2008
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Hmm lets see a girl whos been in a coma for what was it again,7 years was it? So I'm betting she hasnt played the game then? So why the fuck are you blaming a game that she hasnt even played?! How about you admit you just couldnt control your own daughter instead of searching for something to blame it on all the time? God,I hate people like this!
 

Aardvark

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Sep 9, 2008
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So lemme get this straight.

Her daughter played Underworld on an iPhone, fell over and has been in a coma for 8 years?

If Underworld can make me fall back in time 8 years, I'll take one. Just gotta pin a note to my chest, with all the awesome stuff my past self should know about the future. With a little note on the end, "Don't play Underworld on the iPhone."

Just to fuck with causality.
 

Bocaj2000

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Sep 10, 2008
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I'm still laughing at the fact that people would actually want to play 'virtual drug dealer.'
 

Jursa

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Oct 11, 2008
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Ya... she could have... you know... stopped the addict daughter maybe. It's like 100% supporting war but when somebody dies you cry that it's wrong. But I guess it's always easier to blame something else for your own mistakes... it would make more sense if she blamed something... I don't know, other than an iPhone?
 

Anton P. Nym

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Sep 18, 2007
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Um, excuse me, but how many parents are going to be getting an iPhone for the kid? It ain't exactly cheap to get for a demographic notorious for losing things, and the feature list doesn't really scream "kid-friendly" to me... I think some folks are worrying about the wrong thing here.

-- Steve
 

Cousin_IT

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Feb 6, 2008
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not meaning to be insensitive, but her daughter was a junkie who went into a coma when Snake was still considered advanced for a phone game. I don't see impressionable kids turning to drugs when playing what is essentially a colourful Excel spreadsheet. If anything they'd turn to dealing drugs not taking the things. Don't get high off your own supply as they say :-D

edit: the mum also seems to be trapped in the past (understandable grief coping mechanism I guess). Her daughter is 25 now not 17. Id hardly call her a 'young person' whether in a coma or not.
 

KaZZaP

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Aug 7, 2008
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My daughter is doing heroin at 17, DAMN VIDEO GAMES! Bad parents make me angry, but bad parents who don't take responsibility make me furious.
 

Galletea

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Sep 27, 2008
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Why would an impressionable youngster have an iPhone?
This woman's situation may be dire, but there's no need for this reaction. It's just another attempt to shift the blame away from parenting.
 

xitel

Assume That I Hate You.
Aug 13, 2008
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hubertw47 said:
xitel said:
Yes, because of course junkies will be spending all their time playing iPhone games while getting high.
Exactily my point.

If you ask a person why they do drugs 1/1,000,000 times you wont hear"I played a game, saw the action of drug abuse and ran round he corner to get a fix."

Stupid ,overprotective ,retared mothers.
Now, hold on, don't call them stupid. It's natural for mothers to be overprotective; it's their instinct. If a mother isn't overprotective, either they are making a conscious decision to back off and fighting their nature, or there's something wrong with them.
 

Dechef

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Feb 7, 2008
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I'm sorry, but what the hell? Do you know just how many misguided moms want to ban certain games? This is NOT a news story!
 

Brokkr

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Nov 25, 2008
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Hookman said:
Hmm lets see a girl whos been in a coma for what was it again,7 years was it? So I'm betting she hasnt played the game then? So why the fuck are you blaming a game that she hasnt even played?! How about you admit you just couldnt control your own daughter instead of searching for something to blame it on all the time? God,I hate people like this!
I agree. She screwed up raising her daughter and is now taking it out on something totally unrelated to the problem.