Prime Minister Gordon Brown Has A Pop At Games
And also violent rap and hip-hop, for good measure
Britain’s rather wonderful new Prime-Minister-Without-Mandate, Gordon Brown had his own little pop at videogame makers earlier this week.
Speaking a press conference at his amazing and free central London pad (10 Downing Street) yesterday, Gordy was asked directly, “Yesterday you launched a consultation into the effects of violent video games, what is your message to the makers of these video games and do your concerns extend to violent rap or hip-hop lyrics?”
To which, the Prime Minister replied:
“They do. I have said before that parents in the modern world, and I count myself one of them, feel under enormous pressure because whereas the sources of authority and the sources of information even for previous generations were often the parents, the school, the peer group, voluntary organisations, the sources of information for children at a very young age now are the internet or television, commercial advertising. And that is a good thing in so many different ways, but where there is pornographic or violent material any parent is going to be concerned about the impact, and any parent wants the reassurance that everything possible is being done when they can't see in almost every occasion the point at which their son or their daughter is watching some of these Internet materials either through a telephone or through other
media of communication, they want reassurance that we are doing everything in our power."
We appear to have moved away from the questioner's regarding hip-hop and rap lyrics, let alone videogames here. Brown appears to be thrashing around in a cesspool of porn. Maybe a popular TV psychologist could help? Or maybe SPOnG is deliberately missing the point in order instead to talk about our own populist agenda?
"Now I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the internet and videos where children are involved and the whole purpose of this review would be to draw on the advice of all sources so that we can look at this in a sensible way. This is a challenge of modern society as a result of the explosive development of the internet, new forms of media, multimedia forms of communication. Brown continues...
"And of course at an earlier age than ever before children have access to all these materials and I think every parent here, but every parent in the country would be concerned that we do what we can. So we will set up this review, we will announce the details of it tomorrow and I hope that from the media itself there will be large numbers of people who will want to be involved in this exercise. I think it is a common if you like endeavour of our society to make sure that our children, while given every opportunity to benefit from new technology and the new media, are also protected against some of the malign influences that are trying to operate through that media.”
Right! That's it, we're now instigating our own witch hunt... sorry, enquiry, into the 'malign influences' within video game development in the UK. Actually, we're too busy and can't be bothered to keep an eye on it all, so we'll slip into complacency and let the government do it for us.
source: egovmonitor.com
Speaking a press conference at his amazing and free central London pad (10 Downing Street) yesterday, Gordy was asked directly, “Yesterday you launched a consultation into the effects of violent video games, what is your message to the makers of these video games and do your concerns extend to violent rap or hip-hop lyrics?”
To which, the Prime Minister replied:
“They do. I have said before that parents in the modern world, and I count myself one of them, feel under enormous pressure because whereas the sources of authority and the sources of information even for previous generations were often the parents, the school, the peer group, voluntary organisations, the sources of information for children at a very young age now are the internet or television, commercial advertising. And that is a good thing in so many different ways, but where there is pornographic or violent material any parent is going to be concerned about the impact, and any parent wants the reassurance that everything possible is being done when they can't see in almost every occasion the point at which their son or their daughter is watching some of these Internet materials either through a telephone or through other
media of communication, they want reassurance that we are doing everything in our power."
We appear to have moved away from the questioner's regarding hip-hop and rap lyrics, let alone videogames here. Brown appears to be thrashing around in a cesspool of porn. Maybe a popular TV psychologist could help? Or maybe SPOnG is deliberately missing the point in order instead to talk about our own populist agenda?
"Now I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the internet and videos where children are involved and the whole purpose of this review would be to draw on the advice of all sources so that we can look at this in a sensible way. This is a challenge of modern society as a result of the explosive development of the internet, new forms of media, multimedia forms of communication. Brown continues...
"And of course at an earlier age than ever before children have access to all these materials and I think every parent here, but every parent in the country would be concerned that we do what we can. So we will set up this review, we will announce the details of it tomorrow and I hope that from the media itself there will be large numbers of people who will want to be involved in this exercise. I think it is a common if you like endeavour of our society to make sure that our children, while given every opportunity to benefit from new technology and the new media, are also protected against some of the malign influences that are trying to operate through that media.”
Right! That's it, we're now instigating our own witch hunt... sorry, enquiry, into the 'malign influences' within video game development in the UK. Actually, we're too busy and can't be bothered to keep an eye on it all, so we'll slip into complacency and let the government do it for us.
source: egovmonitor.com
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Comments
Joji 9 Oct 2007 12:12
1/7
All bunch of crowd pleasing sound bites, but it says little. All laced in the 'protect the children' spiel.
I'm surprised he hasn't said anything about whether our ratings systems works or not, because that's what's supposed to help parents do what he asking. Add parental controls into that and there's already enough in place to help parents.
Truth is parents don't care enough as they should. Gordy can't see this truth though and assumes its down to developers.
....WRONG!!!!...
I'm surprised he hasn't said anything about whether our ratings systems works or not, because that's what's supposed to help parents do what he asking. Add parental controls into that and there's already enough in place to help parents.
Truth is parents don't care enough as they should. Gordy can't see this truth though and assumes its down to developers.
....WRONG!!!!...
zoydwheeler 9 Oct 2007 13:47
2/7
Joji wrote:
Truth is parents don't care enough as they should
Bang on.
Gordy can't see this truth though and assumes its down to developers.....WRONG!!!!...
I'm not really convinced that he is that out of touch, to be honest. He has to face the reality, which is that a significant proportion of his potential voters grew up with and still regularly play games. And, by extension, many of those potential voters REALLY don't like being told what they can and cannot buy and play under the guise of 'protecting the children/the vulnerable'. Those potential voters find that approach deeply misjudged and patronising.
Even with the greatest parental will in the world and/or the keenest state-sponsored censors, most children will be able to watch and play pretty much anything they like - including violent /adult material - on mobiles, handheld consoles and on home consoles/computers. (I don't currently buy the industry line about parental controls - as it currently seems that these are not being implemented or promoted well enough).
Indeed, there's a strong argument that censoring pretty much anything only leads to it gaining more of a cool/must-get value in the playground. The key focus HAS to be education - within the home and at school - not on sweeping nasty things that children should not see under the carpet.
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Daemon 9 Oct 2007 13:50
3/7
Awwww, man, I was all geared up to get really angry when I read the headline, but what he said didn't seem all that bad. Okay, so he drifted completely off of talking about video games and went on about the internet instead, but it's not uncommon for a politician to answer a different question than they were asked.
Of course, I might be all ready to get offended again when the violent video game review is concluded.
Of course, I might be all ready to get offended again when the violent video game review is concluded.
Bailey 9 Oct 2007 15:08
4/7
"Truth is parents don't care enough as they should. "
This is so true I work in a supermarket and this summer I refused to sell an 8 year old a 15 rated game which his dad then told me that he would bye for them. I told him a polite way that it is illegal for me to sell a game to a person that is going to let underage children play it in the same way it is with alcohol. I then when and got my manager told them I was being abusive to him and his children. I was told to sell him the game by management, they later told me that I was in the right but it was not right to tell customers which games there children can and can not play.
This is so true I work in a supermarket and this summer I refused to sell an 8 year old a 15 rated game which his dad then told me that he would bye for them. I told him a polite way that it is illegal for me to sell a game to a person that is going to let underage children play it in the same way it is with alcohol. I then when and got my manager told them I was being abusive to him and his children. I was told to sell him the game by management, they later told me that I was in the right but it was not right to tell customers which games there children can and can not play.
zoydwheeler 9 Oct 2007 15:23
5/7
Bailey wrote:
I was told to sell him the game by management, they later told me that I was in the right but it was not right to tell customers which games there children can and can not play.
This is the same story that I am hearing over and over from people that have experience of working in game stores and shops selling games - that of parents getting annoyed with (and in many cases even abusive towards) responsible shop assistants and managers for pointing out the age-rating on a game. It is deeply worrying.
Would those same parents do the same if it were an 18-rated movie? I suspect not.
TimSpong 9 Oct 2007 16:12
6/7
Bailey wrote:
"Truth is parents don't care enough as they should. "
This is so true I work in a supermarket and this summer I refused to sell an 8 year old a 15 rated game which his dad then told me that he would bye for them. I told him a polite way that it is illegal for me to sell a game to a person that is going to let underage children play it in the same way it is with alcohol. I then when and got my manager told them I was being abusive to him and his children. I was told to sell him the game by management, they later told me that I was in the right but it was not right to tell customers which games there children can and can not play.
This is so true I work in a supermarket and this summer I refused to sell an 8 year old a 15 rated game which his dad then told me that he would bye for them. I told him a polite way that it is illegal for me to sell a game to a person that is going to let underage children play it in the same way it is with alcohol. I then when and got my manager told them I was being abusive to him and his children. I was told to sell him the game by management, they later told me that I was in the right but it was not right to tell customers which games there children can and can not play.
What?? Which supermarket and where?
Joji 9 Oct 2007 16:30
7/7
I worked a few months at Game back in the PS2s early years, and I experienced the same thing. If the customer kicks up a fuss what are suppose to do? A cue builds at your til, and you have to think and act fast.
I understand what Gordy is saying, but we have the means to tackle this and nip a lot of it in the bud. What stops us is retailers, fearing they'll loose sales and a rating system that's one sidedly enforced. Perhaps that game review need to know of our retail sales experiences, on that gov website.
All I can suggest is to create disclaimer forms/slips which the customer is then made to sign, basicly saying that 'its on the customers head, if their child is influenced by any content, they shouldn't be viewing/playing, but have been allowed to do so by their parent.
These forms could then be collected, scanned and logged, in defence of developers, publishers and retailers. The ratings board can then have access to them, so they have proof that father A isn't upholding the law and can be brought to bare, if something goes down. The customer would get a copy too, but I'm sure this can be all done a high tech way, similar to Game's card accounts, if not integrated.
This and asking for ID (most gamers over a certain age has a Passport or birth certificate) are the only ways of combating the fear for children. I'd still like to see an ID or now sale policy for certain games that need it.
Also, we need PEGI ratings to be just as clear and colourful on packaging as BBFC ratings, which the public understand.
I understand what Gordy is saying, but we have the means to tackle this and nip a lot of it in the bud. What stops us is retailers, fearing they'll loose sales and a rating system that's one sidedly enforced. Perhaps that game review need to know of our retail sales experiences, on that gov website.
All I can suggest is to create disclaimer forms/slips which the customer is then made to sign, basicly saying that 'its on the customers head, if their child is influenced by any content, they shouldn't be viewing/playing, but have been allowed to do so by their parent.
These forms could then be collected, scanned and logged, in defence of developers, publishers and retailers. The ratings board can then have access to them, so they have proof that father A isn't upholding the law and can be brought to bare, if something goes down. The customer would get a copy too, but I'm sure this can be all done a high tech way, similar to Game's card accounts, if not integrated.
This and asking for ID (most gamers over a certain age has a Passport or birth certificate) are the only ways of combating the fear for children. I'd still like to see an ID or now sale policy for certain games that need it.
Also, we need PEGI ratings to be just as clear and colourful on packaging as BBFC ratings, which the public understand.