Xenoz I
March 29th, 2010, 07:33 PM
Did you know that before video games existed, there was no such thing as violence? Seriously, it’s true. Well, that’s what the mainstream media want you to believe, as they continue to make video games a scapegoat for the downfalls of a broken society. Whether this applies to the rest of the world, I can’t honestly comment, but here in Britain, instead of focusing on the roots of society’s problems, the mainstream media are still comfortable using video games as a reason for violent behaviour rather than tackling the real issues.
A few things spurred me to readdress this issue... again, including last week’s "Titchmarshgate," where an uneducated, ill-informed and one-sided witch-hunt, I mean “debate,†on video game violence was broadcast on British TV and turned out to be nothing but a slur against the rising industry. And more recently, Switzerland’s rather over-zealous violent video game ban proposal (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4722-Swiss-Government-Proposal-Could-See-Violent-Games-Banned.html) reared its ugly head, although the exit of South Australia’s anti-video games Attorney General (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4710-Australian-Anti-Games-Attorney-General-To-Step-Down.html), Michael Atkinson, has paved the way for pro-R18+ Attorney General (http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/107/1079763p1.html), John Rau, which offers gamers the other side of the world a little hope.
For all those unaware of the Titchmarsh issue I referenced earlier; Alan Titchmarsh is a gardener turned TV presenter – I kid you not, I’m being deadly serious – who hosts a “talk show†in the UK at 5pm daily on... ugh, to be honest, I don’t watch it. It’s not aimed at my demographic. That’s a nice way of putting it.
Regardless, last Friday before the BAFTAs, they had CVG editor, Tim Ingham, and anti-games lobbyist and “sexpert,†Julie Peasgood, on the show to discuss games. Former editor of national tabloid The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, also made an appearance but played the traditional “fencer†role and his impact was pretty inconsequential.
The crux of it is, the whole show was a horribly manufactured message that games were evil and promoted violence, in fact, Peasgood bluntly said, "video games promote hatred, violence, sexism and they reward violence" whilst adding she’s “categorically against violence for entertainment. It’s just wrong.â€ÂÂ
This is coming from someone who once was a voice actor (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=239985) for a survival-horror game, Martian Gothic: Unification. Goodbye credibility.
I’m not here to taint Peasgood’s reputation though – she’s doing a mighty fine job of that herself – and who knows what reasons she had for voicing the part; a job’s a job, right? Our concern is that the mainstream media are still keen to promote the following: that games are for kids, and giving them violent games desensitises them. Firstly, yes there are games for kids, but the fact remains that the average age for gamers these days is closer to 40 than it is 20, and that kids aren’t meant to be playing these violent games. They have an age rating for a reason.
Educating parents and probably even more so, a vast subsection of the mainstream media, that safeguards exist and games
have advanced and matured is the issue at hand if you ask me.
Furthermore, Ingham told Gamasutra sister site, Game Set Watch (http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/03/the_magic_resolution_is_a.php), "Hearing the floor manager tell the octagenarian crowd to 'really let your feelings be known if he says something you don't agree with' seconds before filming was pretty disconcerting. I hope you noted the targeted 'he' in that sentence. I certainly did." If it couldn’t be any worse, CVG's editor suggests that the editing itself may have even had that anti-games slight, “Kelvin MacKenzie was vocally appreciative of some of the points I made during filming," said Ingham, "not something apparently obvious from the released footage.â€ÂÂ
It’s quite simply scaremongering.
It should be noted however that films and music have gone through the same trials and tribulations that games currently are, so it’s just a matter of having to sit tight and ride the waves until something new comes along. Fon instance, Marilyn Manson was blamed (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Columbine-Massacre-Cost-Me-Everything-Marilyn-Manson-Says-114107.shtml) for the horrific and tragic events of Columbine in 1999. The Matrix was even blamed (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/may/19/usa.filmnews) for a slew of murders by crazed fans. The simple fact remains, the mainstream media feels the need to sensationalise violence and it just so happens that games are the latest scapegoat. A form of media that they never grew up with. A form of media that they simply don’t understand.
Peasgood further argued that games carried more of a potential threat because they were interactive. Well, I pose the exact opposite slant on that argument; that by using narrative in a game to show that the protagonist has had to go through all points of the moral compass to perform these horrific acts, as a result gamers actually experience this tug-of-war of emotions when they’re backed into a corner. A good example is Grand Theft Auto IV’s protagonist, Niko Bellic, an immigrant that’s forced into doing immoral actions because of his worsening situation. In a film however, you’re told about the character’s struggles and mental instability, take Taxi Driver for instance, but ingame, . In essence, they teach you what’s right and what’s wrong. a Incidentally, Peasgood chose to cite an unknown US study rather than Britain's very own Byron Review in support of her argument on Titchmarsh's show. A review that categorically criticises the safeguards of protecting our children against violent material in Britain rather than the content itself.
Elsewhere around the world, the doors may be opening in Australia on their R18+ classification - which has been a long time coming, but it seems that the Swiss are heading the other way unfortunately. Although it’s not set in stone there yet, unless the Swiss people can show “sufficient opposition,†the scaremongering will have paid off in some respects.
It’s been a funny ol’ week though, as the UK took a step this week (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4725-Budget-2010--Better-Support-For-The-UK-Games-Industry.html)to ensure the future of the UK games industry by offering UK based video game developers “tax relief.†You know, supporting the industry, rather than shunning it.
I may be flogging a dead horse to an audience who already shares my pain, but my message is from a slightly different angle. We shouldn’t direct our anger and negative sentiment at these mainstream media sources that are attempting to give video games a bad name, after all, provoking a reaction is what they’re really after. And let’s be honest, it’s nothing new... they’ve been doing this for decades.
I must admit though that it would be nice if sectors of the mainstream media did the investigative reporting and research needed to back up their statements, instead of lynching on to the new, misunderstood form of media and offering ill-informed judgements. Honestly... I'm being naive to think that would ever happen. They do have viewing figures and demographics to think about. God forbid they decide to inform and educate the masses on this subject rather than spread messages of hate.
A few things spurred me to readdress this issue... again, including last week’s "Titchmarshgate," where an uneducated, ill-informed and one-sided witch-hunt, I mean “debate,†on video game violence was broadcast on British TV and turned out to be nothing but a slur against the rising industry. And more recently, Switzerland’s rather over-zealous violent video game ban proposal (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4722-Swiss-Government-Proposal-Could-See-Violent-Games-Banned.html) reared its ugly head, although the exit of South Australia’s anti-video games Attorney General (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4710-Australian-Anti-Games-Attorney-General-To-Step-Down.html), Michael Atkinson, has paved the way for pro-R18+ Attorney General (http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/107/1079763p1.html), John Rau, which offers gamers the other side of the world a little hope.
For all those unaware of the Titchmarsh issue I referenced earlier; Alan Titchmarsh is a gardener turned TV presenter – I kid you not, I’m being deadly serious – who hosts a “talk show†in the UK at 5pm daily on... ugh, to be honest, I don’t watch it. It’s not aimed at my demographic. That’s a nice way of putting it.
Regardless, last Friday before the BAFTAs, they had CVG editor, Tim Ingham, and anti-games lobbyist and “sexpert,†Julie Peasgood, on the show to discuss games. Former editor of national tabloid The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, also made an appearance but played the traditional “fencer†role and his impact was pretty inconsequential.
The crux of it is, the whole show was a horribly manufactured message that games were evil and promoted violence, in fact, Peasgood bluntly said, "video games promote hatred, violence, sexism and they reward violence" whilst adding she’s “categorically against violence for entertainment. It’s just wrong.â€ÂÂ
This is coming from someone who once was a voice actor (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=239985) for a survival-horror game, Martian Gothic: Unification. Goodbye credibility.
I’m not here to taint Peasgood’s reputation though – she’s doing a mighty fine job of that herself – and who knows what reasons she had for voicing the part; a job’s a job, right? Our concern is that the mainstream media are still keen to promote the following: that games are for kids, and giving them violent games desensitises them. Firstly, yes there are games for kids, but the fact remains that the average age for gamers these days is closer to 40 than it is 20, and that kids aren’t meant to be playing these violent games. They have an age rating for a reason.
Educating parents and probably even more so, a vast subsection of the mainstream media, that safeguards exist and games
have advanced and matured is the issue at hand if you ask me.
Furthermore, Ingham told Gamasutra sister site, Game Set Watch (http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/03/the_magic_resolution_is_a.php), "Hearing the floor manager tell the octagenarian crowd to 'really let your feelings be known if he says something you don't agree with' seconds before filming was pretty disconcerting. I hope you noted the targeted 'he' in that sentence. I certainly did." If it couldn’t be any worse, CVG's editor suggests that the editing itself may have even had that anti-games slight, “Kelvin MacKenzie was vocally appreciative of some of the points I made during filming," said Ingham, "not something apparently obvious from the released footage.â€ÂÂ
It’s quite simply scaremongering.
It should be noted however that films and music have gone through the same trials and tribulations that games currently are, so it’s just a matter of having to sit tight and ride the waves until something new comes along. Fon instance, Marilyn Manson was blamed (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Columbine-Massacre-Cost-Me-Everything-Marilyn-Manson-Says-114107.shtml) for the horrific and tragic events of Columbine in 1999. The Matrix was even blamed (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/may/19/usa.filmnews) for a slew of murders by crazed fans. The simple fact remains, the mainstream media feels the need to sensationalise violence and it just so happens that games are the latest scapegoat. A form of media that they never grew up with. A form of media that they simply don’t understand.
Peasgood further argued that games carried more of a potential threat because they were interactive. Well, I pose the exact opposite slant on that argument; that by using narrative in a game to show that the protagonist has had to go through all points of the moral compass to perform these horrific acts, as a result gamers actually experience this tug-of-war of emotions when they’re backed into a corner. A good example is Grand Theft Auto IV’s protagonist, Niko Bellic, an immigrant that’s forced into doing immoral actions because of his worsening situation. In a film however, you’re told about the character’s struggles and mental instability, take Taxi Driver for instance, but ingame, . In essence, they teach you what’s right and what’s wrong. a Incidentally, Peasgood chose to cite an unknown US study rather than Britain's very own Byron Review in support of her argument on Titchmarsh's show. A review that categorically criticises the safeguards of protecting our children against violent material in Britain rather than the content itself.
Elsewhere around the world, the doors may be opening in Australia on their R18+ classification - which has been a long time coming, but it seems that the Swiss are heading the other way unfortunately. Although it’s not set in stone there yet, unless the Swiss people can show “sufficient opposition,†the scaremongering will have paid off in some respects.
It’s been a funny ol’ week though, as the UK took a step this week (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4725-Budget-2010--Better-Support-For-The-UK-Games-Industry.html)to ensure the future of the UK games industry by offering UK based video game developers “tax relief.†You know, supporting the industry, rather than shunning it.
I may be flogging a dead horse to an audience who already shares my pain, but my message is from a slightly different angle. We shouldn’t direct our anger and negative sentiment at these mainstream media sources that are attempting to give video games a bad name, after all, provoking a reaction is what they’re really after. And let’s be honest, it’s nothing new... they’ve been doing this for decades.
I must admit though that it would be nice if sectors of the mainstream media did the investigative reporting and research needed to back up their statements, instead of lynching on to the new, misunderstood form of media and offering ill-informed judgements. Honestly... I'm being naive to think that would ever happen. They do have viewing figures and demographics to think about. God forbid they decide to inform and educate the masses on this subject rather than spread messages of hate.