Ex-Tory Leader Attacks Games

[Snotnarok]

Parents and people choose what is going to be played, not the government so stay out of it.

 

[Postman667]

Parents and people choose what is going to be played, not the government so stay out of it.

I totally agree, it's about personal responsibility.

 

[Snotnarok]

Parents and people choose what is going to be played, not the government so stay out of it.

I totally agree, it's about personal responsibility.

That's the thing I never got with all this controversy. Gay people, video game violence, violent movies it's all stuff that's not peoples business, if someone wants to play a violent game, then let them, if they want to have a homosexual relationship...what business is it of yours? They're not FORCING you to participate. I just don't get where people feel like they should have something done to make it illegal or banned etc.

Edit: By you I didn't mean you, you, I mean ...you as in the people forcing....you got me right? haha

 

[SimuLord]

"... lashed out at videogames, saying that they are devastating to a young person's development."

I have to admit, he's got a point. Once I had a viable alternative to trying to actually better myself, the sum of all fears for my mom as far as my academic progress came to pass.

I often wonder---if I hadn't gotten an NES for Xmas '88, would I have been a better student/citizen/what-have-you during my adolescence? It's part of why I don't want to raise my own (as yet unborn and unconceived) kids to be gamers.

 

[Dimbo_Sama]

yeah, slaming games was the worst thing he claimed there.

not that single parents were the reason british society is falling apart, but that GAMES are the reason.

 

[Altorin]

shove it up your ass you old fart

you know what? i'm just wanna say that there is SOME truth in what anti-video game activists are saying. While yes, video games are just harmless fun, they are time consuming, using up time that kids should be using to study or go outside. and while they are not corrupting our children in to murdering machines, they are desensitizing them to violence. Obviously, we shouldn't place blame on video games, the blame should be re-directed towards the parents, for not "looking at the label" and for not placing strict rules for how long there child should play games. While you all have every right to be angry at video games constantly being a scapegoat, I don't find it right that see these people as total fools.

its conservatives, they are horribe ppl who dream of going back to the fantasy 50s of leave it to beaver

wow man, you sure do hate the right dontcha O.O

You just said it yourself what is the problem with kids and violent video games: its the parents own damn fault. A government has no place to censor these materials be it a game, book, or film. Games keep getting scapegoated because all these old farts think that video games are children's toys. As we all know this is no longer the case as it was 20 years ago when most games were kid-related or friendly. We need to keep ignoring assholes like this conservative dipshit (nothing against the right, there are plenty of tree-hugging hippies on the left who wish to censor games as well).

Games are an artistic medium, regardless of what Roger Ebert claims (though I respect his opinion on other matters). And as a medium it must be defended to preserve the freedom of speech, a basic human right be you in the US, UK, Australia, Iraq, Russia, China, Japan, etc. Those who censor art are evil, worse they claim they do it for a common good. But what good has ever come of telling people what they can or cannot create?

the thing about art and censorship regarding video games, is that whether or not you consider video games art, sometimes they not be using violence in not a tasteful but gratuitous way, it would be hard to define what would tasteful or gratuitous however, if one where to look at a game say, MadWorld, violence was necessary for the picture they wanted to paint, but say you see a game like ManHunt, they were being violent for the sake of being violent. I don't know about games being an art form and entitling themselves above censorship, but instead of censoring they make strict laws against selling mature games to minors

there's nothing un-artistic about making narrative written video games. Not a thing.

Madworld is no better then Manhunt for using gratuitous violence.

If you want to make a violent, narrative written video game, then however violent you make it, is part of your art direction.

 

[LordZ]

Amazing, a politician blaming something other than parents for poorly raised children. I never saw that coming. Oh wait, he did single out single parents as if single parents are the only ones guilty of letting the boob tube and video games raise their kids.

The problem with the world isn't entertainment. As terrible as some "entertainment" is, it's not like the TV or console forced the kid to watch/play them.

You know, I could respect a politician that wants to rail against tasteless entertainment for being tasteless and morally degrading but don't blame the entertainment for raising kids when the parents refuse to. No one is buying this line of crap aside from the ones spewing it.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

Really? I am pretty sure the company is held responsible for the employees actions as well at some level.

I think the company get into trouble as well if they don't aid in the enforcement of the law. By the time I was explicitly told that the company policy was to stick with the age ratings and ID anyone who looked under age, they cover their backs.

Interesting thing is though, technically it's not illegal at the moment for a game store employee to sell an 18 rated game to a kid because the UK Government in 1984 forgot to notify the European Commission about the law when they updated it. Details: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8219438.stm

Oh yeah, guess which political party were in power at the time?

The Tories

Another fine example of democracy at its best.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I often wonder---if I hadn't gotten an NES for Xmas '88, would I have been a better student/citizen/what-have-you during my adolescence? It's part of why I don't want to raise my own (as yet unborn and unconceived) kids to be gamers.

Yeah, would be so much better to get them shot at, blown up, in car accidents, in gangs, on drugs, pregnant/fathered a child, hugely in debt, suicidal, bulimic, depressed or anything else that normal teenagers have to go through.

Gaming has a lot more benefits on the teenage psyche than people ever give it credit for. Ask your folks what they were doing back in the 60s instead of gaming

 

[SimuLord]

I often wonder---if I hadn't gotten an NES for Xmas '88, would I have been a better student/citizen/what-have-you during my adolescence? It's part of why I don't want to raise my own (as yet unborn and unconceived) kids to be gamers.

Yeah, would be so much better to get them shot at, blown up, in car accidents, in gangs, on drugs, pregnant/fathered a child, hugely in debt, suicidal, bulimic, depressed or anything else that normal teenagers have to go through.

Gaming has a lot more benefits on the teenage psyche than people ever give it credit for. Ask your folks what they were doing back in the 60s instead of gaming

In the 60s my dad was in the Air Force and my mom was in middle school. In the 70s he was a womanizing guy in his mid 30s and my mom was a young late adolescent with a nice rack. Hence, I exist.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

In the 60s my dad was in the Air Force and my mom was in middle school. In the 70s he was a womanizing guy in his mid 30s and my mom was a young late adolescent with a nice rack. Hence, I exist.

So...playing games better or worse than being in the RAF?

(And stating your mum has a nice rack just made me shiver)

 

[LeonLethality]

I don't like that idea of an "interesting time for gamers", If the Uk turns into another australia, i'm moving. No joke. I hear canada is nice this time of year..... oh wait, its never nie any time of year. Ha ha ha, i make great jokes.

BUT SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, REBEL!

I like our winter but rest assured Canada will not fall as our prime minister is rather dense and really does nothing with his power especially against video games.

we will welcome you with open arms
[sub]join us... forever[/sub]

 

[SimuLord]

In the 60s my dad was in the Air Force and my mom was in middle school. In the 70s he was a womanizing guy in his mid 30s and my mom was a young late adolescent with a nice rack. Hence, I exist.

So...playing games better or worse than being in the RAF?

(And stating your mum has a nice rack just made me shiver)

I can't speak for the RAF, but the USAF? Pretty awesome. Several of my relatives have been in it over the years.

And my mum doesn't exactly have a rack worth discussing NOW. She's 54, fercrissakes!

 

[doopdoopdoopdoop]

doop doop doop doop doop

 

[S.R.S.]

Theirs at least one in every country.

 

[Klepa]

Alcohol is every bit as dangerous as illegal drugs. You can argue that it?s more dangerous than heroin because it?s easier to get.?

Alcohol is not every bit as dangerous as illegal drugs. I'm pretty sure that my life would turn into a downward spiral, if for every pint of beer I drank, I'd do a line of coke instead.

You can also argue that a stick is more dangerous than an assault rifle, because it's easier to get than a gun. You can also argue that pressing the buttons 1, 4 and 9 on your mobile during a call, will make the other person's head explode.

Either this guy's misinformed and thinks today is opposite day, or he's misinformed.

 

[Bagaloo]

Why can't we ever get a news story in which a prominant political figure says nice things about games and gamers?

 

[meowman]

Shit now WE'RE gonna get a Micheal Atkinson too. Well at least I'm an expat so I won't be living there for at least half a decade.