video game debate

[mayoraasei]

Concerning banning of video games in California

A lot of replies scoffed at the 72% of parents and called them useless parents who didn't want to do the work themselves in controlling their own children's gaming habits.

If I were a parent I'd be in that 72% and that's not because I want the government to make that decision in deciding what my child can play because I can't do it myself.

The reason being - I can do it myself. It's the other kids that I'm worried about. The ones who are going to come to school (America we're talking about here) with a loaded gun or a knife. How many of the victims of these alleged game-inspired violence actually played the games themselves? How many of them died, completely oblivious about the industry that fostered their killer?

I'm not going into the debate about gaming violence versus media violence and the perspectives and immediacy in which they differ.

I'm just saying that 72% of parents have a very valid reason to want a ban, and it has nothing to do with whether they can look after their own children. After all - most parents would probably be upset and horrified if their kid was the perpetrator, but they would be enraged and distraught and shattered and suing the crap out of anyone they can lay hands on if their kids were the victim.

Comments

[myosotis-love.livejournal.com]

I agree that the parents that want the ban aren't the ones that can't control their children. However, I doubt the government intervening will do anything. It's kind of like the saying goes, the more you push them away from it, the more they'll be intrigued by it. And in the end, it is up to the parents, but it's unfortunate that some don't reinforce it the way others would.

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree that government intervention is not going to do much other than make people feel like the government actually did something other than hand-wringing. Age restriction has never really stopped minors accessing alcohol or tobacco or porn or R-rated movies.

Although watching that video in the link...I no longer agree that game violence (or at least some games) are the same as movie violence. The transition from third person to first person really does make a difference.

On the other hand I don't get why gamers are even in an uproar over this? If they're kids then they shouldn't be playing these games. If they're adults they're not going to be affected by the law anyway? LOL

[myosotis-love.livejournal.com]

Lol so true. Age restriction has become more of a recommendation than an actual law.

I guess you don't play violent games much? First person shooters... can get you quite immersed in the game. People fight over them, verbally and physically. Third person is not AS bad, in the sense where you see the individual, you see them and they're you but not really. Some games really suck you in, and I guess those are the ones that people are most concerned about. However, if used properly, it's also a good way to get out some aggression and pent up stress XD (you feel very relaxed after, as long as you know how to differentiate the virtual world from the real world).

To be honest, I played games that were rated beyond my years when I was younger. It's the rights things that get people all annoyed and pent up. Everyone believes they are mature enough to handle things. Regardless of whether or not you're legally allowed to play them, people get annoyed because it's like the government is picking on them XD.

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm not a gamer at all. But watching that video was really...ugh. I'm not sure a game involving stomping on a woman until she's dead and urinating on her then setting her on fire is really...helpful with stress relief >_>;;;

I think it really matters how much you play and what you're using the game for. People who are on it for the majority of their days, those otaku's who keep themselves locked up until they snap...it's hard to say that they really can differentiate between quite realistic violence and reality.

I don't live in America so I always get amused by Americans and their amendment rights XDDDD On the other hand, Australia has some pretty draconian rules about censorship ==;;;

[myosotis-love.livejournal.com]

Okay, I didn't watch the video XD, but that game doesn't sound like the mainstream ones that are more popular with younger kids, like Halo, Call of Duty, and many more military-based games where they're basically taking on the role of a soldier in a warzone. I have heard of some really... disturbing games, but most of them originate in Japan XDDDD (Rapeman is like WTF??? to the extreme ><).

I think with them, any kind of obsession will be dangerous to them. I have never met an extreme gamer before, but I used to work in a gaming store, and a fight actually broke out because of a game they were playing ><. It was just... wtf? Friends will go at one another over the dumbest things.

Lolol. I find it odd that it suddenly came up, because we have age restriction in Canada with video games. Though, of course, it's not strictly reinforced, but it's there, and most stores require you show ID before you're allowed to purchase certain games (unless a parent is there).

[sapphirecrow.livejournal.com]

I don't play shooter games, but I'm pretty sure that mainstream games don't involve urination and other horrific things. If the people involved are those kind of 24-hour-basement-dwellers, then simply making a law won't really change much... anyway, I originally replied to this because I was just going to agree that we (the UK) have age restrictions too, and I've been stopped from buying certain (nowhere near as horrifying as the video) games because I didn't have ID.

Surely a law banning game companies from /making/ ultra-violent games in the first place would be more practical?

[bludger1985.livejournal.com]

Since when did minors actually buy games? Parents naturally wouldnt buy questionable games for them. But I'd say most of the games are torrented, which would bypass any law in place that prevent them from buying said games.

And That is why gaming companies cater towards where their paying customers are at: (Random stats from google)

Average age of gamers in Australia - 30 in 2009
US - 33 in 2006

Contrary to what the some people would like to lead people to believe (lol Michael Atkinson), AND to the disgust of more hardcore gamers, games are catering more and more to the casual crowd. Housewives and workers with limited play time. Games like Facebook apps and casual games encroach more and more on traditional gaming territory, and more and more articles speculating the death of traditional PC gaming pops every so often.

Of course there are always going to be companies that targets the niche markets like every other industry out there, and I will stop short of saying anything about them since my opinion will be highly biased lol.

Kinda missed the point of your post lol, but meh couldnt resist the temptation when I saw the title of this post!!

[bludger1985.livejournal.com]

arrggh wheres the edit button!!!!

Anyway I was going to say.....that particular is definitely going to attract forum trolls like mice to cheese. The gaming mob are highly united and hostile when it comes to any anti-gaming publicity. (And there are a lot of stupid ones too)

"oooo someone died after spending 3 days playing in a netcafe without eating or sleeping" Like.......just sigh..... =.=

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

The point of the post is that I can understand why 72% of parents want some sort of regulation for video games, and it has nothing to do with their own lack of parenting skills.

As for buying games...what is the proportion of parents who know what games they're buying for their kids? I think a large number does pay attention but most likely a significant portion just gets whatever their kid requests. Still, it's probably improving now because you're getting the tech-savvy generation who are starting their families, so they're more likely to know what their kid's throwing into the trolley.

[bludger1985.livejournal.com]

oh I meant my reply totally did not actually reply to your post =.=

Yeah I agree with you that Parents would like to think that there is something in place to protect their young. Just dont really think its going to be successful at all at this point. (Unless its becomes a national law then it will scare off a few people since a lot of organizations are trying to crack down on piracy as well.)

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Yeah I agree I really don't think any law targeting consumers is going to do much. And as long as the games are being made, there will be ways to get them, particularly through P2P networks like you mentioned LOL

[jezjezjezza.livejournal.com]

:O!

I missed a whole gaming topic! Death to my thesis.