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"Well, the inevitable headlines are flooding in..."

Another year, another knee-jerk reaction from the media. "Evil Game", and "Murder By Playstation" are two of the headlines I've seen this morning, on TV and in a paper (can you guess which one?) - both have given inaccurate descriptions of the plot and manner of the game. For crying out loud, when are these people going to realise that violence in computer games is nothing in comparison to the realistic violence we see portrayed on TV? Whilst you're banning violent games, you'll have to ban films, books, the Internet, television, news, the Armed Forces, etc. The psychologist ITV interviewed even said it takes someone who is already mentally unstable to react to these images. In the same newspaper were images of a burnt-out car used to kill 70+ Iraqis - can I acuse the Daily Mail of inciting someone to use a car bomb the next time it happens?

Ironically, it sickens and outrages me that we have to defend the industry we love, and part our culture, for no reason other than there are a few parents ignorantly lashing out at something they don't understand, and allowing themselves to be stage-managed by elements of the media who can turn it into an attention-grabbing money-spinner. Maybe it's the parents that should be persecuted for allowing their child access to material unsuitable for his age range? I'm sure they wouldn't buy him hardcore Dutch porn, so how does that differ to a computer game? Of course he nearly 18, and may have looked old enough to buy the game from a shop, but stay up after 9 and you're exposed to the same level of violence and swearing on TV, so the rating system is practically useless in this case.

One of the examples of hypocrisy being touted around today is that New Zealand banned the game. The same New Zealand that happily promotes itself as a tourist destination on the back of the violent hack 'n' slash Lord of the Rings movies. Enjoyable films, no doubt, but the amount of gruesome death on screen was surprising and graphic for the ratings they received.

But the most worrying aspect of this whole debacle, is how much control the media do have over the public. Not once in the Daily Mail article were there any official Police statements - it was all quotes from the parents, who are understandably upset and feel the urge to find someone, or something to blame for the loss of their son. Now in the next few days we're going to experience the fallout from a lazy example of sensationalist journalism. The fact that it took two people to write an article that covered less than a page, once pieced together from an overlap and a huge picture, shows just how little effort went into it.

Expect to see more of the outraged parents, outraged Government representatives, and celebrity TV-psychcologists, giving a one-sided view of this isolated incident in the next few weeks, until David Beckham get a new haircut. Rockstar have already expressed sadness and offered their condolences to the family, but removal of the game (or games of this nature - there are far worse games out there) should never be considered. They say we live in a 'nanny state', but maybe it's just us being a 'pushover nation'?

Forest Fan wrote:
> Yes, I realised that. But they don't know who I am.


Lol, supurb :^D

I love Forest Fan

Cyclone wrote:
> 'Teenagers process neurological stimuli differently'. HA.
> HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA. Oh dear god. So, every teenager is more likely to
> take a violent game as literal truth, and then somehow go into robot
> mode and copy it, REGARDLESS of ANY OTHER INFLUENCES? So adults
> somehow are completely oblivious to these apparantly evil and
> manipulative products?

That's not what it means. I consistently defend games ont ehse basises, but that's not what they're stating.

Tests show that, after playing violent games, adrenaline in teenagers tends to be higher than in adults.
For example, if someone disturbs you playing GTA, you're mor elikely to shout "Get out of my way", whereas, if it was soemthing less violent, like Mario 64, you're more likely to say, "here, could you move, you're in my way"

It's not as simple as that, but that's basically what ist is, though it's difficult games that make me more angry, not violent ones.

Damn Tetris and it's evil getting more difficult ways.

(That BBC article linked below)

Mr Thompson told BBC News Online: "It encourages you to enter into the notion that acting in this way is appropriate.

'Murder simulator'

"This is the problem with interactive violence - you enter into it as a participant much more than in a movie theatre."

He said neurological studies showed teenagers' brains processed stimuli from games differently to those of adults.

"These types of games are basically murder simulators. There are people being killed over here almost on a daily basis."

------

RRRRRAAAAAARRRRRRGGG. OFFS you moron, just go back to your hole and bleat some more. 'It encourages you tto enter the notion that acting in this way is appropriate'. So. Playing a violent game convinces players that that is more appropriate than every moral teaching they've ever learnt? That game somehow deaden a persons sense and turns them crazy?

'Murder simulator'. A film is worse. It shows it in 'real life', not in obviously fake images. Idiots. 'Interactive violence'. Fine, so a violent film in a cinema, a 30ft screen blasting violence and noise at you is worse than playing an evidently fake creation at home? I'm not blaming films, but for christs sake, these games are like any age restriced materials. AGE-F**KING-RESTRICTED. Why ban something younger people aren't supposed to play in the first place?

'Teenagers process neurological stimuli differently'. HA. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA. Oh dear god. So, every teenager is more likely to take a violent game as literal truth, and then somehow go into robot mode and copy it, REGARDLESS of ANY OTHER INFLUENCES? So adults somehow are completely oblivious to these apparantly evil and manipulative products? As SR said, do kids who jump off buildings have their deaths blamed on Spider Man 2? Do kids who perhaps crash cars have their deaths blamed on Burnout? No, it's because there were other factors, usually them being idiots. Or having some sort of emotional issue. Havey metal, violent games, violent films....these somehow incite only teenagers, and yet adults are totally impervious to such things, all because, they are less 'hormonally imbalanced' or such crap?

Best bit; '"These types of games are basically murder simulators. There are people being killed over here almost on a daily basis."'

Yes. Becuase that is conclusive proof of a link. By putting the two sentences next to each other. Right. Go for rampant heavy drugs use (another favourite, although weed is somehow more dangerous), for emotional/mental issues, FOR F**KING IDIOCY AND PREJUDICED HATRED BRED IN HUMANS, for alcohol, FOR THE SALE OF GUNS. Oh, nah, why not blame games?

RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!

I'm going to kill somebody, because my moral anger at this issue has suddenly been over ridden by a game telling me to randomly kill.

Yeah, that was the one warning against knee-jerk reactions, but there was a small group of articles about the incident, the parents, the dangers, etc. And now they're gone. Looks like the BBC is sitting on the fence over this one - thank the Lord for proper journalists like the News Monkey.

Was this the link: [URL]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3936237.stm[/URL]

This is interesting. The BBC News website has removed all mentions of Manhunt, evil videogames, and even the kid's murder, from all the relevant frontpages that they were previously on. They actually had a good article defending computer game culture too. It'll probably show up on a search, but I can't be bothered.

"Giselle Pakeerah has called for a ban on violent video games"

PAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA!

I SCOFF at you.

I SCOFF like I mean it, lady.

I've SCOFFED twice, but man I'll SCOFF again.

You mean you do have a rocket launcher?

Gimme, I wanna kill people like the game told me to.

I only meant about the space station bit...

Exactly. I mean, who diesn't have access to a heavy duty rocket launcher capable of firing 9 rockets at once?

They're just asking for trouble.