Atkinson: Gamers Are More Threatening Than Bikers
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
How exactly is it that one man with misguided opinions on the effects of games is suddenly allowed to spoil the fun for millions of Australians? It's insulting the contempt he shows for people that he believes they're not responsible enough to play them.
It's would be like if I became a politician and banned heavy Metal just because I don't like it.
It's would be like if I became a politician and banned heavy Metal just because I don't like it.
Hooray for gamers acting like retards! Surely threats of physical violence are sure to convince him the violent games we play don't affect us at all. Policies beneficial to our side are sure to follow!
yeah but gamers are too big of wimps to actually follow through. Bikers are notThe Random One said:
Another old idiot who hates to see the world progress beyond his time. Knocks on door, puts a Xbox360 and its power brick at his door, this idiot opens door, RROD comes on, BOOM! Nuff said! ;-)
It's a shame people are doing this, mostly because all they're doing is conforming to Atkinson's warped view of the average gamer. So yeah, Michael Atkinson's a dick but to anyone who wants to do stupid things like threaten him or spam e-mail inboxes with 4chan-esque crapola I say:
A) You're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.
B) You're also a fucking idiot.
Well done retards.
A) You're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.
B) You're also a fucking idiot.
Well done retards.
KICK HIM IN THE BALLS!
Ironic huh?
But really, how in the flying fuck is he going to get re-elected? Every one and their mums hate him.
Ironic huh?
But really, how in the flying fuck is he going to get re-elected? Every one and their mums hate him.
I wasn't trying to put down Denmark I just made a bad joke. The thing is, over here in the states, when we think of gangs we think of compton, not Denmark. I'm not saying at all that I do not believe you have a gang problem, simply that in America we don't know enough about the rest of the world to know that Denmark has a gang problem. Maybe we should call more often. We have been occupying so much of our time with Iraq that it's hurting our relationship with Denmark (I just made a bad metophor, sorry). And yes, gangs were alot bigger in the 90s here too. When I lived in Atlanta, a store across the street from my preschool was shot up by the Cripz. Now the latino gangs are the big and dangerous ones.Christemo said:
This man is married with 3 sons and a daughter (source - WP). Those poor kids. I hope they have a good doctor because they may well die of embarassment.
You're in the wrong forum. This is escapist magazine's newsroom; not 4chan's /b/.almostgold said:
It means he is looking at this from his religious point of view rather than a social or economic one. Church and state are seperated for a very good reason.Hileo20 said:
Don't go talking smack you jackasses. You're giving that man job security like you would not believe.
Gamers make such an excellent scapegoat. They're relatively new as a subculture, incredibly vocal, stereotypically antisocial, pathetically poorly organised as an interest group, only vaguely defined, and spout some of the most incredibly inflamatory crap you can read on the internet. And they're omnipresent. And poorly understood by older generations.
Plus since "gamer" is such a poorly defined term, the word can be pulled out and used to label anyone who does anything that can be condemned. Someone shoot someone else? Did they ever play one game of Contra? Oh my! "Ban that horrific murder training software! Think of the children!" The tabloid papers get sold, the readers who know no different get scared. And people like Atkinson get influencial.
And then the online knee jerk outrage and contraversy happens; Atkinson couldn't hope for more ludicrous threats and bullshit directed at him. He gets to position himself as a man confronting the dangerous and deranged. As a fearless statesman who'll do his job even when he's being threatened, a man of courage and duty.
If his aides and PR pull it off, he winds up looking like a hero because of some mouthy nerds on the internet who are sick of what he's doing to their passtime. Great job guys; really your finest hour. Bravo.
And so long as people see his side of the story without seeing a human face of gamers presenting their side of the argument he's going to stay in power defending the good people of Croyden from phantoms, boogeymen and flesh eating Halo fanboys.
So to the muppets in the tread here: kindly stop helping his PR machine feed a siege mentality in Croyden. Do everything you can to starve the tabloids of fuel for the myth of threatening gamers, 'til they're forced to deal with the reality that they're perfectly ordinary. And then let their readers judge for themselves if the likes of Michael Atkinson is too manipulative to be trustworthy to make decisions that impact on a national level.
To the Escapist: I hope the banhammer is kept close at hand for treads surrounding this man. Jack Thompson knew the value of showing mouthy gamers comments in an argument, and it won him credibility when he was saying the most incredible rubbish ever before judges. Don't allow a culture of mouth breathing dumbasses without impulse control to royally screw over everyone who ever enjoyed Pacman or Portal. Please, warn-and-ban anyone who helps this man screw Australian gamers over; otherwise this issue is only going to spread and grow the world over.
Gamers make such an excellent scapegoat. They're relatively new as a subculture, incredibly vocal, stereotypically antisocial, pathetically poorly organised as an interest group, only vaguely defined, and spout some of the most incredibly inflamatory crap you can read on the internet. And they're omnipresent. And poorly understood by older generations.
Plus since "gamer" is such a poorly defined term, the word can be pulled out and used to label anyone who does anything that can be condemned. Someone shoot someone else? Did they ever play one game of Contra? Oh my! "Ban that horrific murder training software! Think of the children!" The tabloid papers get sold, the readers who know no different get scared. And people like Atkinson get influencial.
And then the online knee jerk outrage and contraversy happens; Atkinson couldn't hope for more ludicrous threats and bullshit directed at him. He gets to position himself as a man confronting the dangerous and deranged. As a fearless statesman who'll do his job even when he's being threatened, a man of courage and duty.
If his aides and PR pull it off, he winds up looking like a hero because of some mouthy nerds on the internet who are sick of what he's doing to their passtime. Great job guys; really your finest hour. Bravo.
And so long as people see his side of the story without seeing a human face of gamers presenting their side of the argument he's going to stay in power defending the good people of Croyden from phantoms, boogeymen and flesh eating Halo fanboys.
So to the muppets in the tread here: kindly stop helping his PR machine feed a siege mentality in Croyden. Do everything you can to starve the tabloids of fuel for the myth of threatening gamers, 'til they're forced to deal with the reality that they're perfectly ordinary. And then let their readers judge for themselves if the likes of Michael Atkinson is too manipulative to be trustworthy to make decisions that impact on a national level.
To the Escapist: I hope the banhammer is kept close at hand for treads surrounding this man. Jack Thompson knew the value of showing mouthy gamers comments in an argument, and it won him credibility when he was saying the most incredible rubbish ever before judges. Don't allow a culture of mouth breathing dumbasses without impulse control to royally screw over everyone who ever enjoyed Pacman or Portal. Please, warn-and-ban anyone who helps this man screw Australian gamers over; otherwise this issue is only going to spread and grow the world over.
Funny, I was civil in the letter I sent him using the address Yahtzee posted.
At any rate, back in the day Bikers (pre-video games) used to pretty much take over entire towns. The reason being that if there are 20-50-100 bikers and only 10 cops and maybe 20 state troopers in the area (if they can be rallied) there was a problem. This stuff was going on around the 1960s and such. Even now bike clubs like Hell's Angels, Outlaws, Mongols, and other clubs have the nation divided up into turfs and there is a sort of uneasy truce between them and law enforcement (there have been a few shows about it from time to time).
Now, I have no idea about Australia, but I can't remember any massive battles between police, FBI, and incidents that have mandated people considering calling in the national guard, involving gamers having ever been mentioned. I mean F@ck, if we're worse today obviously we should be taking over turf, demanding tribute, and other stuff. Forget "Lords Of Anarchy", we need our own TV show....
Errr well... all kidding aside, but I am wondering how with statements like this Michael Atkinson can be taken seriously by his own electorate. If he can make comments like this with a straight face and be taken seriously in a bit for public office, I think Australia might have a problem well beyond him or video games. Even if you agree with his issue he's jumping off the deep end into a level of absurdity that defies belief.
I mean does Michael Atkinson know ANYTHING about bikers, or why they have that reputation, and like what incidents sparked that infamy and such? It wasn't because "oh hey look, a bunch of guys on two wheeled vehicles wearing matching demin jackets cut so they can feel the wind in their pits as they ride... I am suddenly in fear".
What happened with the biker gangs, especially back in "the day" was pretty bloody noteworthy.
If Australian bikers are anything like their American counterparts, I almost hope some of them take offense to this disrespect (in a way) and perform an oldschool crashing of his next rally. Seeing him dragged down the street attached to a chain between two custom choppers would be an unintended bit of irony.
At any rate, back in the day Bikers (pre-video games) used to pretty much take over entire towns. The reason being that if there are 20-50-100 bikers and only 10 cops and maybe 20 state troopers in the area (if they can be rallied) there was a problem. This stuff was going on around the 1960s and such. Even now bike clubs like Hell's Angels, Outlaws, Mongols, and other clubs have the nation divided up into turfs and there is a sort of uneasy truce between them and law enforcement (there have been a few shows about it from time to time).
Now, I have no idea about Australia, but I can't remember any massive battles between police, FBI, and incidents that have mandated people considering calling in the national guard, involving gamers having ever been mentioned. I mean F@ck, if we're worse today obviously we should be taking over turf, demanding tribute, and other stuff. Forget "Lords Of Anarchy", we need our own TV show....
Errr well... all kidding aside, but I am wondering how with statements like this Michael Atkinson can be taken seriously by his own electorate. If he can make comments like this with a straight face and be taken seriously in a bit for public office, I think Australia might have a problem well beyond him or video games. Even if you agree with his issue he's jumping off the deep end into a level of absurdity that defies belief.
I mean does Michael Atkinson know ANYTHING about bikers, or why they have that reputation, and like what incidents sparked that infamy and such? It wasn't because "oh hey look, a bunch of guys on two wheeled vehicles wearing matching demin jackets cut so they can feel the wind in their pits as they ride... I am suddenly in fear".
What happened with the biker gangs, especially back in "the day" was pretty bloody noteworthy.
If Australian bikers are anything like their American counterparts, I almost hope some of them take offense to this disrespect (in a way) and perform an oldschool crashing of his next rally. Seeing him dragged down the street attached to a chain between two custom choppers would be an unintended bit of irony.