AU Cops Say Games Make Teens Sucky Drivers

Nathan Meunier

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Nov 19, 2007
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AU Cops Say Games Make Teens Sucky Drivers



Apparently, kids in Australia don't understand the difference between pretend driving and real driving.

Authorities in Australia have taken to blaming a perceived increase in youthful indiscretion [http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,24668471-5014239,00.html] behind the wheel of automobiles on videogames. They claim more young drivers are driving drunk, speeding, and getting their licenses revoked, as a result of the supposed sense of invincibility they derive from racing shenanigans in the virtual world.

"Videogames can have a negative impact on young drivers, because it increases their complacency and their indulgence in risk-taking behavior," said New South Wales acting superintendent Dave Evans. "In games you race, you crash, and it is a matter of pressing the buttons and off you go again. In real life it doesn't work that way. You can be killed."

Ok, that's some asinine logic. *Clunk* *scrape* *clunk* - (soapbox being adjusted for proper stability) - pardon me, but isn't part of the allure of playing driving games the fact you can run over people, drive full-speed into oncoming traffic, go careening off of cliffs or buildings, and generally behave like a sociopathic lunatic without hurting yourself or other people in the process? Few sane people are going to engage in such activities, provided they are indeed of sound mind, if the result is almost guaranteed to be their early demise.

To suggest the average Australian kid doesn't know the difference between crashing in a game and coming magically back to life at a button press and crashing in real-life and having to be extricated from the twisted wreck of crushed metal and raced to the hospital is outrageous. Perhaps some kids' inability to drive properly comes from a lack of proper education. Other officials cited in the report pointed to the lack of a formal driving program in some schools and a general need for parents to be stricter on their student drivers as the culprit.


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Amnestic

High Priest of Haruhi
Aug 22, 2008
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Apparently, kids don't understand the difference between fiction and reality.
I think with a little adjustment there to make it more wide, you've just helped sum up most complaints against video games ever in regards to them "corrupting the youth".

I know that games like GTA and Twisted Metal taught me that it's perfectly okay to drive around destroying yours (and everyone elses) cars. After all, you can just steal a new one.
 

asinann

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Apr 28, 2008
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I kill people and take their stuff because MMO's tell me that's how to get the Phat Lewts.
 

Hawaiigm

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Apr 11, 2008
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Yep. That's totally a fact. Not like we had bad drivers before Video games. I wonder of this Dave Evans has ever taken a look at the sort of shit kids and adults used to do with their cars back in the 60s and 70s.
 

Nimbus

Token Irish Guy
Oct 22, 2008
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Video games get blamed for yet another of the worlds problems. Congratulations police force of Austrailia, you just made my list.
 

nathan-dts

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Jun 18, 2008
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Nimbus said:
Video games get blamed for yet another of the worlds problems. Congratulations police force of Austrailia, you just made my list.
I thought I was the only one who had a list; who's on yours?
 

Nimbus

Token Irish Guy
Oct 22, 2008
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nathan-dts said:
Nimbus said:
Video games get blamed for yet another of the worlds problems. Congratulations police force of Austrailia, you just made my list.
I thought I was the only one who had a list; who's on yours?
Well for starters, "Jack Thompson" is written on top, multiple times, in large print, with blood. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks from there.
 

nathan-dts

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Jun 18, 2008
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Nimbus said:
nathan-dts said:
Nimbus said:
Video games get blamed for yet another of the worlds problems. Congratulations police force of Austrailia, you just made my list.
I thought I was the only one who had a list; who's on yours?
Well for starters, "Jack Thompson" is written on top, multiple times, in large print, with blood. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks from there.
Jack Thompson is no longer a thread; a while back his legal license was erm what's the word, Voided, rejected, cancelled? (something along those lines)

My top of the list is everyone remotely involved with EA (even the coffee guy)
 

Jursa

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Oct 11, 2008
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Wow... I never through video game haters would step to even driving... Ok so the only proof of that you have if a person who actually crashes has a racing game or gta copy... Why not just blame anyone with a computer/console I mean almost any young driver has atleast played a game where you drive something. It's like blaming a sex offenders' act on the fact that porn exists... It really looks comfortable on their part tho, lets get some "experts" to say they have found real evidence (that nobody can see) that blames the modern day crap on gamers.
 

Nimbus

Token Irish Guy
Oct 22, 2008
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nathan-dts said:
Nimbus said:
nathan-dts said:
Nimbus said:
Video games get blamed for yet another of the worlds problems. Congratulations police force of Austrailia, you just made my list.
I thought I was the only one who had a list; who's on yours?
Well for starters, "Jack Thompson" is written on top, multiple times, in large print, with blood. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks from there.
Jack Thompson is no longer a thread; a while back his legal license was erm what's the word, Voided, rejected, cancelled? (something along those lines)

My top of the list is everyone remotely involved with EA (even the coffee guy)
He is now a writer for an online magazine, right? Oh, the irony!
 

MSORPG pl4y3r

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Aug 7, 2008
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Nimbus said:
Video games get blamed for yet another of the worlds problems. Congratulations police force of Austrailia, you just made my list.
Here Here!

Austrailia seem very into this blame stuff on games trend dosent it? I think bad driving is the result of poor consentraition, lack of training and police.
 

TheBadass

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Aug 27, 2008
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Nathan Meunier said:
"In games you race, you crash, and it is a matter of pressing the buttons and off you go again. In real life it doesn't work that way. You can be killed.
This guy is a visionary. How did we not see this before? Driving fast is dangerous, huh... hmm...

I have to mull this over. My world view has just been shattered.
 

Nimbus

Token Irish Guy
Oct 22, 2008
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I wish NASA would hurry up with their teraforming research. That way we can round up all the conservatives and put them on the moon, where they can't bother the rest of us.
 

rougeknife

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Jan 2, 2008
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Looks like the APF got tired of blaming booze and the Lebanese... eh, a lot aussie kids these days are a bunch of fucking morons these days.
 

Fire Daemon

Quoth the Daemon
Dec 18, 2007
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Australian driver have always been wankers. I don't think videogames have anything to do with it. P platers (you have to have these plates with a P on them for two years after you get your licence.) are always speeding, swearing at other cars and doing other "risky" things. This really is nothing new. Just someone not liking games.
 

xitel

Assume That I Hate You.
Aug 13, 2008
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I don't know about you guys, but when I started driving, seeing as how I wasn't using a controller for a control interface, I didn't try to drive like it was a video game.