Newspaper pays criminals for stories about game influenced crimes
By Dave Parrack
The last week has seen video games being attacked on all sides by do-gooders, most of whom know absolutely nothing about the industry. Now its the turn of the press to get in on the act.
According to MCV, a national newspaper in Britain is offering cash for stories about “how computer games turned you to crime”.
It must be that time of year again when newspapers start running out of things to write about, because they are on the lookout for something to fill their many pages of dull copy.
What or who better to target than video games, and gamers! They’re always worthy of a quote or two, and when coupled with crime, could even generate a controversy causing headline or two.
In the wake of former TV presenter Anne Diamond’s know-nothing rant in the Daily Mail last week, a British newspaper is advertising for people to tell their stories of how games turned them to crime, and they will pay big money for any such scoop.
The advert appears on StarNow, a website usually dedicated to finding jobs for aspiring actors and models.
It reads:
A national newspaper wants your story and will pay hundreds of pounds to the right person.
Write a few lines about how computer games turned you to crime and if it’s something we like, we’ll call you straight back.
Payment details: paid role
Seriously, how low is that? As if video games don’t get a bad enough ride of it as it is, a tabloid is actively looking for ways to further link games to crime, and criminal activity.
The problem is: How are they going to prove the link, or the accuracy of any such stories?
What’s to stop me or you ringing them up and telling a tall tale of how Grand Theft Auto has made me a car thief, or Manhunt, a sadistic killer.
I’m tempted to mock this attempt at generating hysteria amongst the middle classes by ringing up and accusing Sonic The Hedgehog of making me a fast runner, or Wii Sports, a brilliant tennis player.
What’s also troubling is that this could end up seeing criminals being rewarded for their crimes. Regardless of whether video games did actually influence them or not (very unlikely) they could just make it up, and get paid money for the privilege.
What with child psychologist Tanya Byron recommending games get cigarette style health warnings, it seems the UK is the new hotbed for anti-gaming crackpots. Enough already.
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