Byron to Speak at BAFTA on Violent Video Game Report
TV doctor to explain the report...
Dr Tanya Byron
The Byron Review on violent video games is due to hit the streets - well, the Parliamentary library - on March 27th. Dr Tanya Byron, who leads the review process, will be speaking about the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) headquarters in London's Piccadilly on April 3rd.
According to BAFTA, "Dr Byron will be coming to BAFTA to present the thinking behind her report and take questions.
"The Byron Review reaches its conclusions at the end of March 2008 with potential implications across the interactive and media sectors. The final report will be an important contribution to the wider debate about the effects of all forms of children’s media and the review of childhood being conducted by the Government.
"The evening is co-presented by BAFTA and Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference, reflecting the conference's role in exploring the creative, business and regulatory issues facing the entire children’s media and entertainment industry. The moderator for the evening will be Marc Goodchild, Head of Children’s Interactive and On-Demand at BBC Children's."
With rumblings galore that the report will call for a complete overhaul of the current, BBFC lead, game rating system in favour of the European PEGI system, it's fascinating to see Dr Byron's choice of the peak body for British visual media as the venue for her explanation.
SPOnG will, of course, have a seat near the front.
According to BAFTA, "Dr Byron will be coming to BAFTA to present the thinking behind her report and take questions.
"The Byron Review reaches its conclusions at the end of March 2008 with potential implications across the interactive and media sectors. The final report will be an important contribution to the wider debate about the effects of all forms of children’s media and the review of childhood being conducted by the Government.
"The evening is co-presented by BAFTA and Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference, reflecting the conference's role in exploring the creative, business and regulatory issues facing the entire children’s media and entertainment industry. The moderator for the evening will be Marc Goodchild, Head of Children’s Interactive and On-Demand at BBC Children's."
With rumblings galore that the report will call for a complete overhaul of the current, BBFC lead, game rating system in favour of the European PEGI system, it's fascinating to see Dr Byron's choice of the peak body for British visual media as the venue for her explanation.
SPOnG will, of course, have a seat near the front.
Comments
James 20 Mar 2008 14:53
1/4
does this mean Spong is going, and will be putting questions forward? good to know adult gamers will be represented there.
TimSpong 20 Mar 2008 15:39
2/4
James wrote:
does this mean Spong is going, and will be putting questions forward? good to know adult gamers will be represented there.
I am going to be down there. What questions would you like to pose, or even to ask?
Cheers
Tim
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PistolPete 20 Mar 2008 17:08
3/4
I would be curious to know whether or not creative, beautiful and stimulating games have been 'tested' on children to see if a game like, say, Ico, can help stimulate emotional development in children - or something as simple as LocoRoco can stirr the potential creativity in a child.
I understand this review is about the effect of violent video games, but if it is to conclude with an allusion to tighten or control censorship then I believe games like Ico or Shadow of the Colossus - or even something like We Love Katamari (that surely must encourage the kind of light hearted innocent ramblings that society believes pertinent at a young age) - should be given a rating that states just as much - rather than only painting the violent games with the 'terror' brush, how about painting a bit of 'creatively and emotionally stimulating' rating on games that deserve such. It may seem redundant, or even that certain games may then be seen as 'childish' even though an adult can seriously enjoy and be effected by the game too but, then, when something is given a mature rating - all the kids want a go. (see: smoking and alcohol abuse).
All I am basically saying is that if it is proved that violent games can have a bearing on a childs behaviourial pattern, so can a game created with beauty in mind. THough I do not believe something like Super Mario Kart could- which should be stated as simply 'innocent fun'. I don't know, maybe I'm rambling like a child...
P.S. There is not a contradiction in labeling Mario Kart as 'good fun' and something like We Love Kat.. 'creatively stimulating', even if one is mastering a colourful race track, it could be argued, in both: but We Love Kat... has so much originality in it that it could easily open a child up to the wonderful world of make-believe madness rather than the world of a colourful make-believe mario race. Open to debate? obviously but there we are.
P.P.S. I do not know of any childcentric games for the Xbox, or of any which could actively stimulate emotional and creative development? anyone?
P.P.P.S. I understand that this report is about violent games, but I am sure it cannot help but have a knock on effect on the video game industry as a whole - that is why I am wondering... but bleah.
I understand this review is about the effect of violent video games, but if it is to conclude with an allusion to tighten or control censorship then I believe games like Ico or Shadow of the Colossus - or even something like We Love Katamari (that surely must encourage the kind of light hearted innocent ramblings that society believes pertinent at a young age) - should be given a rating that states just as much - rather than only painting the violent games with the 'terror' brush, how about painting a bit of 'creatively and emotionally stimulating' rating on games that deserve such. It may seem redundant, or even that certain games may then be seen as 'childish' even though an adult can seriously enjoy and be effected by the game too but, then, when something is given a mature rating - all the kids want a go. (see: smoking and alcohol abuse).
All I am basically saying is that if it is proved that violent games can have a bearing on a childs behaviourial pattern, so can a game created with beauty in mind. THough I do not believe something like Super Mario Kart could- which should be stated as simply 'innocent fun'. I don't know, maybe I'm rambling like a child...
P.S. There is not a contradiction in labeling Mario Kart as 'good fun' and something like We Love Kat.. 'creatively stimulating', even if one is mastering a colourful race track, it could be argued, in both: but We Love Kat... has so much originality in it that it could easily open a child up to the wonderful world of make-believe madness rather than the world of a colourful make-believe mario race. Open to debate? obviously but there we are.
P.P.S. I do not know of any childcentric games for the Xbox, or of any which could actively stimulate emotional and creative development? anyone?
P.P.P.S. I understand that this report is about violent games, but I am sure it cannot help but have a knock on effect on the video game industry as a whole - that is why I am wondering... but bleah.
James 20 Mar 2008 20:42
4/4
<i> I am going to be down there. What questions would you like to pose, or even to ask?
</i>
I'd be interested to know if media (ie like the news, tablids headlines) also have a negative influence, I feel they negatively influence people far more than any form of "entertainment" seems okay to show graphics images on daytime news and talk about people getting blown up as it's real.
seems to me that certain people want to protect kids from so called negative things and shelter them from it, but that is totally impossible and unrealistic(can u imagine if it were and and that kid on his 18th birthday went to work/university, he would probably have a massive breakdown at the sight of a homeless person or when he finds out where hamburgers come from) education would seem a more sensible approach and again it comes down to parenting....seems to me certain MPs want parents to bring up their kids in a fluffy imagination land.
</i>
I'd be interested to know if media (ie like the news, tablids headlines) also have a negative influence, I feel they negatively influence people far more than any form of "entertainment" seems okay to show graphics images on daytime news and talk about people getting blown up as it's real.
seems to me that certain people want to protect kids from so called negative things and shelter them from it, but that is totally impossible and unrealistic(can u imagine if it were and and that kid on his 18th birthday went to work/university, he would probably have a massive breakdown at the sight of a homeless person or when he finds out where hamburgers come from) education would seem a more sensible approach and again it comes down to parenting....seems to me certain MPs want parents to bring up their kids in a fluffy imagination land.