Why British Papers Hate Games

[Chris Evans]

Two leading newspapers in the UK have today published editorials that are damning to video games. The Times and The Telegraph have published editorials by Giles Whitell and Jenny McCartney respectively.

The Times article is entitled 'Video games: I'll never buy one' and The Telegraph runs with the lead ' There is a majority against vile video games, and it is moral.' Both of these article are signs of a growing trend in the British media to portray video games as bad, evil and sociopath creating tools.

I will not quote the two papers, that has been done by plenty of other sites already. Rather I just want to take a moment to wonder, wonder when and why these leading British paper became so conservative and so willing to jump on the bandwagon of anti-gaming writing.

First off, The Times. It should be no surprise to see The Times publishing such editorial comments and news articles as we have seen over the past few months for one simple reason. Rupert Murdoch. The Times is owned by Murdoch, and so is that pinpoint of journalistic integrity, Fox News. If Fox News is able to get away with pushing their sensationalist crap, then it really should be no surprise that The Times is also being used to push Murdoch's message against video games.

Secondly we have The Telegraph, a paper in which, according to a MORI Poll 60% of its readers vote for the Conservative Party. Again we should not be surprised to see articles such as the one today appearing. This is the kind of article their conservative readers will love to read.

My conclusions? Well from the evidence that is readily available regarding these two papers it is clear they have an agenda to push forward, an agenda that is targeted predominantly towards the conservative middle class in the UK and an agenda sanctioned by Rupert Murdoch.

As such us gaming commentators should not be expressing such outrage and shock at reading such articles in these papers, instead we should start to treat these articles as we treat the Fox News features on video games. With contempt.



This originally was featured on my blog. [http://evo-gamer.com/2008/04/02/british-papers-hate-games-but-why/]

 

[sammyfreak]

Yes, its Rupert Murdoch and his giant conspiracy to destroy games all becuase the girl who voices Alyx Vance wouldent date him.

Or maybe it isent an agenda but merely a reflection of the views that the suscribers of those newpapers have?

And if we should be earnest, dont we make as big a fuss over censorship and anti-videogame "agenda" as they do? If not bigger.

My point being, making another and another and another forum post crying about the view of gaming held by certain conservatives wont help, especially here. Instead just send the ignorant old farts a Wii and show them how awesome it is.

Also, to quote Joe; "Objective journalism is unresponsible"

 

[Chris Evans]

My point was that there is no need to make a big deal about these 'respectable' 'high quality' papers in the UK which critcise games. I see sites like Kotaku making a big deal about them, my argument is that these papers are appealing to the people who want to read this kind of stuff. As such we should treat them with the same kind of contempt we treat Fox.

 

[sammyfreak]

My point was that there is no need to make a big deal about these 'respectable' 'high quality' papers in the UK which critcise games. I see sites like Kotaku making a big deal about them, my argument is that these papers are appealing to the people who want to read this kind of stuff. As such we should treat them with the same kind of contempt we treat Fox.

Oh shoo, my life would be so much more dull without the magnificent Jack Thompson and his colorful minions. Its like the dialogue in Resident Evil, so bad it becomes funny.

 

[Deaf_Skull]

its because British news papers are run by conservatives who have been brain washed by other conservatives who are conservative because they hold power over the other conservative idiots. There was an article last week in 1 of the conservative news papers (cant remember what 1 i stole it off a business man on a plane) where some physiologist DR was demanding that games are given a rating system...yes i know, they already have one, this is proving my point about the brainwashed part. She also demanded Terms and conditions on public network sights and filter programs pre installed into browsers...serious, anybody can write newspapers these days if they have oldskwl views

 

[Dark Wingstalker]

i read the times piece, it was pretty sensationalist. to be honest.

 

[Melaisis]

My point was that there is no need to make a big deal about these 'respectable' 'high quality' papers in the UK which critcise games. I see sites like Kotaku making a big deal about them, my argument is that these papers are appealing to the people who want to read this kind of stuff. As such we should treat them with the same kind of contempt we treat Fox.

We don't already?

Preaching to the converted, my friend.

 

[mwhite67]

The reason these media outlets are so against video games is that they are afraid that it short circuits the docile robot programming that they have been spoonfeeding people, and makes them more prone to revolt when the revolution comes.

 

[Joeshie]

Video games seem to be the big thing in Britain right now to blame societies problems on.

The US went through this several years back. It will pass.

 

[Ego247]

They only say these video games are bad because some impressionable moron has picked them up, notice the only joy he has in life is shooting on these games and wondered what it will be like in the real world, that is not the video games fault nor the companie who makes the game.

1) If it's a person younger, there's a certificate so mommy and daddy the reason your son is pointing at you with a shotgun, is your fault, don't buy him a game with a certificate above his age
2) Also another argument that always seems to come to light is Movies have always been as bad as games, why just try get rid of the vile fun killing games, when you got vile fun killing movies
3) If someones got in there mind they want to go out shooting someone or whatever there deranged mind is telling them then sooner or later, video games or not, there going to be influenced by something and there'll do it, something you can't stop that

 

[Shamtee]

*read which too newspapers it is* ..meh.. ignore them ,it just people that can get their storys in the paper doing that inside of in blogs on the net like the rest of us.
Journalist will hate anything and really do just to get people to want to buy the paper. At least it not the daily mail or the sun - that would be greatest work of fiction XD

 

[Natural Hazard]

our countries media is stupid, stuff like this always appears just to make people read the god dam things even if u completly disagree with them

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Do you read the papers?

Both of these article are signs of a growing trend in the British media to portray ANYTHING as bad, evil and sociopath creating tools.

Corrected for truth. Honestly, the horoscopes are the only thing in newspapers I believe in anymore.

 

[Drong]

is anybody else fed up with seeing that same screenshot from manhunt over and over and over, lest we forget that it is the entirety of the gaming industry and everything it represents.

 

[nightfish]

there was a article in IGN the other day where a 'national' UK newspaper was advertising on a casting website for people to say they have been adversely affected by video games. apparently they were willing to pay hundreds of pounds

makes you think doesn't it

 

[Monodi]

9/11 was caused by Flight Simulator, true story.

 

[Force Feedback Codpiece]

The media has always been extremely ignorant towards games, this is nothing new really. They don't seem to realize that the gaming industry is actually bigger than the film industry. Games are getting more "mainstream" though, so it's getting better.

But there is still a social stigma on us gamers, I notice that regularly. Apparently you're a "nerd" if you enjoy gaming more than watching TV.

People are stupid, that's the only explanation I can give.

 

[greggman]

What does this have to do with conservatives? The stereo type is conservatives like guns and violence. It's liberals that want to ban video games. Tipper Gore, Hillary Clinton,

http://www.physorg.com/news5230.html

http://www.senate.gov/~clinton/news/statements/details.cfm?id=240603

Here's more liberal politicials pushing to ban video games in various forms

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/6554.cfm

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/12/31/senator_wants_tax_on_video_games/

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=4604409&nav=0RYv

http://pc.ign.com/articles/475/475503p1.html

I could keep going