Do PS3, Xbox & Wii games need cigarette style health warnings?
By Dave Parrack
There’s been a lot of debate recently over video game violence, and what effect it might have on children playing these adult games. The latest recommendations from the UK include the scaremongering sound bite that computer games should get cigarette-style warnings.
On both sides of the Atlantic, with Jack Thompson and his cronies on one side, and the furore over Manhunt 2 on the other, video games, and their potential impact on the youth of today has been in the news of late.
The British government got so worked up by the fears of what kids are being exposed to that they commissioned a report by child psychologist Tanya Byron in to what should be done to protect youngsters.
Today, she published her report, and the recommendations range from the sensible to the ridiculous. The main points that she made, and would like to be instated are:-
- Video games to get a movie style rating system.
- Making it illegal for retailers to sell games to people younger than the age rating on the box.
- Game ratings to be statutory from 12 rather than the current 15.
- Ratings to be displayed prominently on all packaging, as well as shop displays.
Most of that sounds fine, although I still refuse to accept the need for any new legislation. Plus, trying to enforce the new regulations would be difficult, especially stopping retailers selling games to younger people. Kids aren’t stupid and will just ask an older friend or liberal adult to purchase the game instead.
But it’s that last point, revealed by Times Online, that really sticks in my throat.
Cigarettes are known killers, and the link between smoking and certain diseases is known, proven, and beyond doubt. To liken video games to cigarettes by asking for health warnings to be displayed on and around them just stinks of over-reaction and an attempt to scare adults in to action.
This whole report actually has a whiff of reactionary claptrap about it. Why else would the government have employed a television psychologist to conduct it rather than a team of unknown experts?
Video games don’t turn people in to violent individuals. It’s much more likely that these people are already messed up in the head, and just play video games as a hobby the same as me and you.
That they then go out and stab someone or shoot up a school says more about them and their psyche than it does about the latest Grand Theft Auto game.
Related:
Stumble It!
Tips N4G
March 27th, 2008
you can put “health warnings” on my games only after you put them on the following first:
Movies
Books
All TV’s
Government reports*
* that one especially, I feel unhealthy after hearing of these things.
March 27th, 2008
Moustachio, I agree
March 27th, 2008
warnings are good, but calling them “health warnings” is extremely overreaction. there is NO evidence violent video games push kid’s to violence. There’s been accusations of this happening since the 80’s and yet there is STILL no evidence of this. give it up. look for the boogeyman elsewhere. he’s not in a toy.
March 27th, 2008
kevin, for the first time ever i will applaud your comment
March 27th, 2008
Oh my God, have we actually found something we all agree on? I’m not so sure that’s a good thing
March 27th, 2008
@DaveP, this is it though isn’t it? When something threatens all gamers, we all stand up arm to arm to defend games as a culture and art form. Perhaps George Orwell was right, we need a perpetual common enemy in order to keep from bickering amongst ourselves.
Oh well, all in favour of nominating Jack Tompson?
March 27th, 2008
Lol, so true Moustachio.
When our passion and hobby gets threatened, I take it personally as a sleight on myself, and want to defend it against all the do-gooders who have probably never picked a joypad up in their life.
No matter which console we buy, and company we support, we all get lumped in as potential murderers due to playing violent games, and that’s just plain wrong.
March 28th, 2008
Ok, i think some video games could possibly encourage some already disturbed kids to do things. Some games i just wont buy because i think there stupid. Call me crazy, but i wont buy any of the GTA games because to me, its pointless violence. I will play games like COD4 because to me, theres more of a point to it. People really do go out there and fight for our country for good purposes, but gangs cause pointless violence, which is depicted in the GTA series.
March 28th, 2008
Moustachio - HEY!! we can’t have that, can we… uh…uh… you smell funny…*runs away*. I agree with your comments as well, but if you tell anyone i’ll deny it. j/k. Jack sounds like a good target to me.
March 29th, 2008
Jack seems like a cool guy wants to destroy video games, and arn’t afraid of anything.
March 29th, 2008
Don’t even get me started on Jack Thompson…I get all riled up every time I get an opportunity to write about that worthless git.
April 2nd, 2008
eh, i just want to put my 2 cents in. i know you’re all gamers and are unlikely to consider the other side too much (not saying you havent tho) but one of you guys suggested that games have no effect on kids. you’re kidding right? my 15 y.o. bro is a sweet mannered kid and right friendly but after he plays his war games and icon he swears alot more and in the case of icon acts a lot blacker than usual and is usually quite irritable. this is just one case. some kids arent affected but i do think it desensitises them. i mean, when you can kill or beat up randoms without consequence…what message does that send? not to mention all they want to do is play the games and not go outside. i do enjoy games but i’m afraid i’m more of a snes/early computer games gamer because i look at todays games and i dont see anything that interests me. nothing really unique because they’re all usually sim-based or war games or racing games. i think that yes, like movies games should have warnings about what happens in them. most games do have movie sequences in them anyway. kids likely wont care and i reckon the more “hardcore” and R18+ they are the more wanted they will be but i think parents should know. my mother didn’t know what the games she brought for my brother contained and now she does she can’t be in the same room when he plays them and all he does is play them its like its more real than real life and homework and sports and family time.
June 17th, 2008
V, you’re probably right for the most part, although the bit about being able to beat up people, what do you want to do if somebody you know insults you or would get you fired or something like that. What do you want to do? You want to hurt them. Some people go to video games to release that anger, instead. So it helps.
Also, the last bit about being more real. No, it’s not, anyone who thinks that most likely has problems already. Heck, I spend a lot of time playing video games, however, I still play basketball, shoot bow, and stuff, but usually I’m playing video games.
Games do have an effect on kids, but it can be a positive effect, too. Or a negative, if taken to far.