British Media Blames Games For London Riots

[redisforever]

My God, video games are turning into the type of scapegoat that communism was in the 50's. Blame everything on them. Are games the only things that can be blamed for everything now?

 

[Novander]

While the Evening Standard are completely out of line blaming the riots on GTA, I think the headline here "British Media..." is just as misleading. When the Guardian start blaming the looting on Thief: The Dark Project, I'll start worrying but the Daily Mail's free little cousin? That's just business as usual.

 

[Your Fearless Captain]

Do you suppose they'll be raging about mass effect in 5 years?

Only if chavs start dry humping blue aliens in Piccadilly.

Can anyone from England explain what a chav is? Is it an England only thing?

 

[razer17]

In 2002, Rockstar released State of Emergency [http://www.rockstargames.com/stateofemergency/main.html], a game that focused entirely on causing riots, but that is neither mentioned, nor likely remembered by anyone in the UK.

I'm from the UK, and I remember that game. It was awesome. Though maybe it seemed a lot better to 13 year old me.

Anyway, this is just ridiculous. Why is everything blamed on video games? Annoyingly it's still going to be a while till the generation that sees games as evil is out of circulation.

 

[Dark Sup3rn0va]

*facepalm*

I've heard nothing about the origin of the riots that hasn't been concretely proven, but I've been told it was some idiot trying to shoot at a cop, and said cop then proceeded to kill said idiot. I've heard nothing about the supposed motivations of the shooter, but video games seem like quite a stretch. This might be sensationalism due to the Oslo shooter's motivation being nebulously connected to video games.

There's speculation if that guy actually tried to shoot the cop because the bullet he was shot with was police issued. The guy was involved in illegal activities. Besides the rioting has naught to do with the shooting of the guy. It's an excuse for people to riot and loot stores. It only really affected the people who actually live in Tottenham(north London). There's been rioting in Brixton(South London) and it's mostly groups of youths stirring up trouble.

OT: Don't worry about that article, I'm pretty sure that that paper is owned by Murdoch and it's read by hardly anyone. Granted, I won't be surprised if Sky News blame Video Games as well.

 

[Jabberwock King]

Another day, another ignorant accusation. Practical concerns will inevitably eclipse Oldman No-fun's nonsense, and we can all look back on these times and laugh about how the unhip geezers are laying in a box 6 feet underground and covered with flowers, while we get to eat all the chips.

 

[Simalacrum]

*facepalm*

I've heard nothing about the origin of the riots that hasn't been concretely proven, but I've been told it was some idiot trying to shoot at a cop, and said cop then proceeded to kill said idiot. I've heard nothing about the supposed motivations of the shooter, but video games seem like quite a stretch. This might be sensationalism due to the Oslo shooter's motivation being nebulously connected to video games.

In fairness, there has been evidence suggesting that the police opened fire first, and that the guy didn't use a gun. That is, however, apparently the cause of the riots, at least according to news sources here.

The problem with riots is that its kind of hard to tell who's to blame unless you're actually there to witness it; I've been on protests before where violence erupted largely due to the police being aggressive, leading to panic within the crowd, but the media and politicians will always point the finger at the protesters, whether it was their fault or not. I find it hard to believe that video games are to blame though.

Oh wells, haters be hatin'...

 

[The Great JT]

Headline: British Media Blames Games For London Riots
Actual Headline: British Media Blames Games For London Riots Even Though They Had Nothing To Do With The Riots

Bipartisan reporting at its finest, ladies and germs.

 

[Dark Sup3rn0va]

Do you suppose they'll be raging about mass effect in 5 years?

Only if chavs start dry humping blue aliens in Piccadilly.

Can anyone from England explain what a chav is? Is it an England only thing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

"chavs" are said to be aggressive teenagers, of working class background, who repeatedly engage in anti-social behaviour such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdiness, or other forms of juvenile delinquency.

It's basically that.

 

[darkmushroomm]

I'll have you know at the time of the riots I was indoors playing videogames...

 

[GraveeKing]

They just want an excuse, to take eyes away from Political unrest. I played video games and if I'd been around would have probably joined in the demonstration. I find the conservatives are doing a terrible job of running the country! That's why I'd join in at the chance, not because I play video games for blights sake.
I wouldn't be surprised if all the cuts are just going towards paying off the media to make pitiful excuses.

 

[messy]

People have been stealing trainers, so its Nike's fault if anyone's.

 

[alrekr]

London government wouldn't be the first to pin the blame on games and they most certainly won't be the last.

Firstly that paper isn't owned by the government and second: London is the capital; not its own fething country.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I am so tried of finger pointing without any concrete evidences to it. I mean did any of the arrest hooligans admit that it was games that fuel them to run amok? Glad to see CVG valid counter act reason to theirs faulty claims.

 

[AnarchistFish]

Do you suppose they'll be raging about mass effect in 5 years?

Only if chavs start dry humping blue aliens in Piccadilly.

Literally lol'd

And this kind of article story is an unoriginal, ignorant, scaremongering story written by people who know nothing about the subject they write about and are trying only to sell newspapers by any means necessary, adding 2 and 2 to get 78.
Hell yeah, one whole sentence

Can anyone from England explain what a chav is? Is it an England only thing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

"chavs" are said to be aggressive teenagers, of working class background, who repeatedly engage in anti-social behaviour such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdiness, or other forms of juvenile delinquency.

It's basically that.

Not just that. Imagine the kind of people who overuse make up and tanning salons and I think that's the kind of class person a stereotypical chav would be.

 

[Doktor Sleepless]

To be honest this isn't a big deal. The Standard is not a national paper (so who cares), and this is just lazy journalism wanting an exciting quote. It's not like they've actually gone to any effort to place these events on videogames, it's a quote not an article. While I admit it's stupid I think we need to stop getting so outraged over crap like this, and be vocal when it matters.
In other news, would love to play a 3D version of GTA 60's London. It'd be awesome

 

[MadMechanic]

Games blamed for violent behaviour?
Oh please. It obviously has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the area is one of the most run-down in the UK, feels heavily isolated and the fact that a collection of anarchist tossers decided to hijack a peaceful protest for their own gains. [/sarcasm]

What exactly do they imagine "London Calling" was about?

Forgive me for this, but I've analysed this song and written about it far too many times now...
There's only one line that refers to civil disobedience - "we ain't got no swing, except for the ring of the truncheon thing". It's a criticism of the heavy-handedness of the police during the race riots in London of the year before.
The line about drug use is Strummer's criticism how how drugs had become something to take when bored (turning people into the 'zombies' the song mentions)

The underlying tone of the song is the end of the world and the end of punk music (which had been delcared 'dead' in 1977).
"Nuclear error" (not "era" as a fair few people seem to believe) refers to the March '79 Three Mile Island nuclear powerstation meltdown, at the time one of the worst (civil) nuclear incidents.
Similarly, the references to London in the song (the chorus "London is drowning and I - live by the river") was about the fears that due to global cooling (oh how times have changed!) the Thames would flood, drowning all of central London and effectively destroying the UK. Strummer's flat would have given him a good view of it happening. In the 1980's the Thames flood defence barrier was built.

Back to the topic - the standard isn't that well read. In fact, I honestly can't remember the last time I saw somewhere selling it (or even saw someone with a copy!)
Simply trying to sell a paper based on recent riots and trying to 'analyse' why the riots happened.

 

[GonzoGamer]

In spite of whatever political or socially inflammatory motives one might read into this story, I'm most disappointed by the choice of media the Standard is referencing here. I realize that Grand Theft Auto is the rallying point du jour for the technological angst of a certain elder generation, but how can you write a story about riots in London and not make a single reference to The Clash?

What exactly do they imagine "London Calling" was about?

The problem is they all think that song's called "London Gardens."
They think Joe Strummer is singing about flower beds. If they knew what it was really about, it would've gotten banned long ago.
RIP Joe.

I think it's about time we start blaming the economy, the wars, and the hacking on Golf and Barry Manalo.

 

[Evilsanta]

Of course it has to be video games. Nothing else only games and games alone.

Geez...When will we stop blaming games?

 

[The Last Nomad]

I blame the bible...

Not really, but it is as relevant to the riots as any of the Grand theft Auto games. In fact, I know nothing about the cause of the riots, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was bible-related.