UK Anti-Gaming Politician Has Change of Heart

[Logan Westbrook]

UK Anti-Gaming Politician Has Change of Heart

Keith Vaz, an outspoken opponent of videogames in the British Parliament, has changed his ways, according to his contemporaries.

UK backbencher Keith Vaz is probably best known for his vocal opposition to violent video games; but according to his fellow politicians, his views are changing, growing softer and less antagonistic towards the industry.

"Keith has been on a journey," said Labour's Tom Watson, speaking on Question Time on Monday night. "Over the last 12 months his views have shifted quite significantly. Partly because he read what Tanya Byron had to say, partly because the industry had engaged with him and wouldn't let him get away with factually inaccurate comments, and partly because he is getting kicked to death in the tearoom when the cameras aren't there.

"When Keith made his comments about the suicide bomber game, he began by saying 'I would like to make it clear I think the video games industry is doing a lot of good work.' And I was delighted to be the one that followed him to speak next, because it was the first time I had heard him say something like that," added Liberal Democrat Don Foster

Vaz's new-found respect for the gaming industry comes at an interesting time, as there will be a general election in the UK in the next few months, and Labour's grip on power is shaky at best. Is Vaz's revised stance really a result of more information, or is this a ploy to win back some gamer votes?

Source: MCV UK [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/38280/MPs-Keith-Vaz-has-changed] via Develop Online [http://www.develop-online.net/news/34352/Kieth-Vaz-has-changed]


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[Katherine Kerensky]

Well... this certainly is interesting... good, and interesting...
If he is being honest, and not just trying to take Gamer votes.
What am I saying?!! He is a British politician! Of course he must be using Gamers for his own ends...

 

[DarkSaber]

Of course it's a ploy. He probably liked the handouts he got when meeting with game industry types. (He's got a reputation for trying to get as much free stuff as his position will get him.)

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I'm being compelled to use the words of Admiral Ackbar here

as much as using internet meme's as posting content is getting frowned upon here i feel this applies to the situation

 

[Trivun]

If he's Labour I won't vote for his party anyway, no matter what good stuff he says and does for gamers. Reason? I'm a Tory.

However, I'm glad he's finally stepping off his high horse, especially if it's because developers are engaging directly with him to show him the fallacies behind some of his statements and show him that some of what he says is strictly wrong. I hope that he does see the error of his ways and that all of his is genuinely a change of heart, not just a way to drum up votes in the upcoming elections. Either way though, as Logan said, it's a very interesting time right now...

 

[CloudKiller]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Of course there's a lot in common between British Politicians and British Game developers like Lionhead. They both make lots of big promises, add huge amounts of hype and then deliver on none of it. It's the perfect partnership!

 

[SnipErlite]

He's probably trying to garner support. But still, if he actually has changed his opinion then good.

 

[GBlair88]

Politician has a potentially vote winning change of heart when an election is coming up. What a surprise.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Of course there's a lot in common between British Politicians and British Game developers like Lionhead. They both make lots of big promises, add huge amounts of hype and then deliver on none of it. It's the perfect partnership!

Imagine what would happen if Peter Molyneux became a politician. We'd all be promised solid gold sofas and he would make it rain cheeseburgers every other Thursday.

 

[Trivun]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Hey, I hope that's true. The video game industry is recently proving very lucrative and if our government can get some of that money then it'd be a great boost to the British economy. Regardless of Vaz's thoughts, I sincerely hope that the British government does invest in the gaming industry. If other countries can make money from it, why not us?

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Of course there's a lot in common between British Politicians and British Game developers like Lionhead. They both make lots of big promises, add huge amounts of hype and then deliver on none of it. It's the perfect partnership!

That's quite an uninformed thing to say (unless you were being sarcastic, since sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet, so apologies if that was the case). There are plenty of British developers, not just Lionhead, and very few fall into the stereotype that you've put them and Lionhead into. Hell, even Lionhead isn't that guilty, only Peter Molyneux is, and even there I personally think he's just a great guy who just gets a little over-excited about the stuff his company puts out...

 

[CloudKiller]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Of course there's a lot in common between British Politicians and British Game developers like Lionhead. They both make lots of big promises, add huge amounts of hype and then deliver on none of it. It's the perfect partnership!

Imagine what would happen if Peter Molyneux became a politician. We'd all be promised solid gold sofas and he would make it rain cheeseburgers every other Thursday.

If it was a choice between Molyneaux, Brown, Cameron and Clegg, I be far more certain on who I'd be voting for.

 

[Trivun]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Of course there's a lot in common between British Politicians and British Game developers like Lionhead. They both make lots of big promises, add huge amounts of hype and then deliver on none of it. It's the perfect partnership!

Imagine what would happen if Peter Molyneux became a politician. We'd all be promised solid gold sofas and he would make it rain cheeseburgers every other Thursday.

That would be quite painful. Cheeseburgers falling from the sky would get my clothes covered in ketchup and melted cheese, and possibly hurt when falling at high speed from the sky. And solid gold sofas would hurt my bum. At least leather is nice and soft...

 

[CloudKiller]

EDIT: wow i really screwed up this post let me try it again

 

[thenumberthirteen]

I imagine some form of "Christmas Carol" scenario where he's visited by the ghost of gaming past, gaming present, and games yet to come. That means he must have seen Portal 2!

 

[Doc Cannon]

It's either BS or someone used a Mesmetron on him.

 

[CloudKiller]

Of course he would say that. The British government has finally recognised that games are popular and they want to start investing in British game developers to make loadz of MONEYZ!

Of course there's a lot in common between British Politicians and British Game developers like Lionhead. They both make lots of big promises, add huge amounts of hype and then deliver on none of it. It's the perfect partnership!

That's quite an uninformed thing to say (unless you were being sarcastic, since sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet, so apologies if that was the case). There are plenty of British developers, not just Lionhead, and very few fall into the stereotype that you've put them and Lionhead into. Hell, even Lionhead isn't that guilty, only Peter Molyneux is, and even there I personally think he's just a great guy who just gets a little over-excited about the stuff his company puts out...

Yes i was being sarcastic

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It's either BS or someone used a Mesmetron on him.

It's a win-win situation! Either his head explodes, leaving us with one less politician in the world (always a good thing), or his opinion of gaming has changed, by farce!