Do violent PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii video games turn kids into killers? The UK Government thinks so!
By Dave Parrack
As if the question of whether violent video games affect children hasn’t been asked and answered numerous times before, the UK government has decided to conduct a study on the opinion dividing issue. Not only will this dredge up the tired old question yet again, and allow tabloid newspapers to splash accusatory headlines over their front pages, it could harm sales of PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles as parents again start to worry about what their kids favourite games are doing to their heads.
The BBC is reporting that psychologist Dr Tanya Byron is going to launch the extensive review along with Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Culture Secretary James Purnell. The study is going to last at least six months and if it turns up anything we don’t already know, I’ll eat my hat.
Dr Byron told BBC News 24:
“The study will be about what industry is doing already to protect children and what more could be done to ensure they have a positive experience on the internet and with games.”
The games industry straight away went on the offensive, with most agreeing to co-operate with the panel, while on the other hand asking why games were yet again being singled out from other aspects of the media such as films and television programmes.
Paul Jackson, of Elspa (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association) said:
“The industry is too often blamed for everything from obesity to youth violence, it is just not true and it’s not appropriate.”
I couldn’t agree more. The fact is we already have quite a well regulated system here in the UK, as well as most other countries around the world. Every game released is rated by a PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system, and according to Elspa only 2% of games released are rated 18+.
David Braben, of Frontier games, said:
“A review might be useful but it should not just look at one media, especially when media are intersecting,”
“Historically there has always been in government a Luddite sentiment - whatever the new industry is tends to take the blame of the latest ailment of society.”
“We do tend to be the people who get the blame first at the moment. And that is a tragedy - because this industry is one of the most interesting media.”
All of this comes in the week that Manhunt 2 was refused a license for the second time. Even though makers Rockstar games had edited the game and cut out some of the more blatant violence, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) still deemed it too sick to be sold to adults in the UK. A ludicrous decision and one which makes me wonder how many freedoms I have left as I sit here wanting to be able to live my own life.
So what does this all mean for the current gaming generation? Well there’s no doubt that all of these headline grabbing (yet totally pointless) studies in to the effects of video games violence stokes up parents fears. It’s only going to take the government to come out and so playing these games could turn your child in to a killer (I’m paraphrasing), and the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii will almost instantly be wiped off a lot of Christmas lists at a stroke.
This study could affect games sales quite badly. Let’s just hope most people see sense and realise that governments have to be seen to be doing something, no matter how utterly diabolical it may in reality be.
Related:
Entry was posted
on Saturday, October 13th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
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October 14th, 2007
poor limey bastards. this could never happen in North America, we love our violence with an honest appreciation that is shared by our governments.
October 24th, 2007
helloo.
i love jordan
October 24th, 2007
Hi Domino I love you too
haha.
October 24th, 2007
lol hahaa
October 24th, 2007
YOUR SUCH A REBEL.
October 24th, 2007
hahaha
so are you
but you didn’t get caught i did
lol jk w.e
October 24th, 2007
October 24th, 2007
i know
we are amazingly sneaky
October 24th, 2007
hooo yeah…
we are going to get caught though.
October 24th, 2007
yah i knoww
ahhhh
lol
but youu had to mvoe
how gay
there is many other people talking
jeeze
October 24th, 2007
ahaha its hard to do it on this computer cause shes always walking by me.
October 24th, 2007
LOL HAHA
WE HAVE LIKE 3 MIN
October 25th, 2007
Dude.
this is so lame.
i can’t sit by you.
October 25th, 2007
i know it make me so madd
arrgg
it is gay
October 25th, 2007
She keeps walking past me.
I could just….BOOOM.
Ahahah. Makes me mad
October 25th, 2007
Oh yeah domino, don’t forget to come and walk with me
To work today,
October 25th, 2007
whos domino.?
October 25th, 2007
i don’t know
you tell me?
October 25th, 2007
hey how are you?
October 25th, 2007
Hey dinosaur.
Want to walk with me after school.
And maybe I could stay at your house till
I have to leave.
October 25th, 2007
uhh yah
i dunno
i we will see
October 25th, 2007
you said soo thoughhh.
October 25th, 2007
I KNOW
but my mom siad to come home
irght after school
October 25th, 2007
lol
ahhh!
October 25th, 2007
well dude.
still you should walk me till we get to your house
then you cross the street.
or maybe i could go to your house and get a pop
or something.
October 25th, 2007
lol
yah
i am pretty sure youu would be able to come to me house
lol.
i will call my house after schhool.
October 25th, 2007
we have like 3mins left
of class
omg
go and read up and upii will see that last time
i said somethign liek this i said we have 3 mins left too
ahahaa
weird!
October 26th, 2007
[...] in the interview, he addressed the concerns of governments and organisations who claim games harm children, and spoke about his desire to make games with broad appeal rather than for niche hardcore [...]
January 9th, 2008
Hey whats up?
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January 9th, 2008
hi
January 9th, 2008
Hey.
is it working now?
January 9th, 2008
hi
January 9th, 2008
hows it going?
January 9th, 2008
hey how are you?
January 9th, 2008
hey abc./
January 9th, 2008
….
January 9th, 2008
WTFFF? it isn’t workingggggggggg.
January 9th, 2008
hi.
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OHH nowww its working.
January 9th, 2008
WAzzUPP?
January 9th, 2008
WHAT THE SHITTTT.
January 9th, 2008
answer mee.
February 13th, 2008
haha.
lol wow i havent been on her in
a long time.
February 15th, 2008
It really beggars belief, when the world economy is coming off the rails and we are involved in two wars, that the Government is putting time and energy into suppressing video games. When there isn’t any problem.
March 24th, 2008
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well.
June 23rd, 2008
OUT WITH MAN HUNT ITS NOT RIGHT YATHZEE SAYS SO IT OVER THE TOP KILL THAT GAME!!!!!