Features// The demonisation of videogames - An industry reacts
A day of tragedy and scapegoats
On the morning of July 29 2004, a bleary eyed British public woke to find their tabloids screaming bloody murder. Paperboys across the country brought news of ‘MURDER BY PLAYSTATION’. It was just the beginning of what was to become the Manhunt affair.
During that tumultuous time for the UK game industry, Rockstar’s violent action game Manhunt became the single best known piece of electronic entertainment in the world. But this was no pre-planned PR stunt. 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah’s tragic death instigated a savaging by the tabloid media, of video games as a medium, rather than Manhunt in isolation. As Stefan’s mother, Giselle, emotional and looking for someone to blame, was subjected to a media scrum, a single, persistent and defiant voice scrambled to be heard over the reams of condemnation. It came from ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publisher’s Association) director Roger Bennett who now, nearly a year after the event, still has strong feelings for those who interviewed him, particularly broadcaster ITV.
"I thought it was despicable on their part, utterly despicable. We got to the point where we threatened them with court action. It was appalling. They never questioned the validity of Mrs Pakeerah’s position simply because she’d lost her son. It was political correctness gone completely mad."
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s obvious that much of the reporting on the Manhunt affair was, in fact, incorrect. It was Stefan himself who owned the game, not, as was widely reported, 17-year-old Warren LeBlanc. The use of quotes from Mrs. Pakeerah, for example, "the similarities between Manhunt and what happened to my son show there is definitely a link of some sort" were printed without question. It’s something that Bennett feels bitter about.
"That was a totally despicable and unacceptable exploitation of somebody’s grief in my view. It was based on absolutely no evidence. Their agenda was to make a story out of something that held no evidence for doing so. It was an emotive and utterly manipulative piece of journalism on their part which was unfair to Mrs Pakeera and certainly disingenuous and verging on the illegal on the part of the games industry."
So incensed was Bennett by ITV that he broke off all links with the broadcaster. "[after we threatened them with legal action] they dropped it and changed the story immediately. We had a real row with them believe me. And I have told them under no circumstances will I ever do a recorded interview with them again, ever, because they manipulated it so much."
It’s easy to analyse the media coverage of the Manhunt saga and dismiss it as irresponsible journalism. Indeed the games industry is famous for talking to itself about such issues (Roger admits the recent ELSPA 'Media meets Gaming' conference was "rather disappointing"). More difficult is trying to explain why the tabloid media appears to campaign against games whenever an incident like the one we witnessed last summer occurs. Certainly Manhunt wasn’t the first game to be blamed for violent behaviour in youngsters. Think Mortal Kombat, Night Trap and Grand Theft Auto.
It’s been mooted that as the new kids on the block, games have taken a natural place as society’s whipping boy. With any new medium, traditionalists, who inevitably hold positions of power in the upper echelons of executive media offices do not understand gaming, and therefore fear it. As with TV, film and comics before them, this fear will inevitably manifest itself as negative coverage in the tabloid media.
Bennett himself believes that the current media demonisation of video games has as much to do with a lack of understanding as what makes gaming unique. "We have no human identity, only virtual. We can’t reel out a band like the music industry can a or a film star for the film industry. We haven’t got a human face and therefore to that end we are an even more vulnerable target. There aren’t any people other than the creators of the games to defend the position that they take.
"Of course we’ve had our icons. Lara Croft and Sonic and the Brooklyn plumber but they’re purely surreal identities. The general public and society as a whole won’t and can’t directly identify with them."
Detractors, however, cite other, more commercial reasons for the loathing with which the chattering classes holds the game industry. Among the ammunition the tabloid media threw at Roger during the Manhunt affair was the shameless marketing of 18-rated games in magazines obviously aimed at a young audience. He concedes that there are problems in this area.
"That is certainly an Achilles heel of the industry, probably the worst and most dangerous Achilles heel. There’s no readership data which is definitive insofar as games magazines are concerned, so whatever the game magazine publishers tell you in the context of the profile of their readers from an age point of view, you have to take as read. So if there’s an 18 rated game being promoted through the front cover promo the publisher has to make a decision whether the profile of their magazine is appropriate. It’s one of the dangerous areas in respect to 18 rated games."
Of obvious importance to the game magazine market is the bottom line. It would be commercial suicide for a magazine to completely ignore a multi-million seller like 18-rated Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, also from Rockstar. It is however questionable whether it’s morally appropriate to include a review of the game in a magazine aimed at young teenagers.
Roger believes good progress is being made in this area. "The magazine publishers are becoming much more aware now of their vulnerability in this area and we’ve certainly pointed it out to them as well. They’re introducing, or at least accepting, the recommendations made by us, because an 18 rated game should not be promoted other than to an adult audience.
"There really does have to be a much greater level of responsible awareness within the publishing sector in these areas of adult content because it is unacceptable to use an 18 rated game as a tool to draw in under-18, especially younger kids, into playing that game. That is a seriously damaging position to take."
This same responsibility seems to have also eluded game publisher PR and marketing departments, who are also somewhat to blame. "Some of the wording that’s used on press releases and for 18 rated games is slightly inflammatory. Some of the PR stunts in the past have left a pretty nasty taste in some people’s mouths which hasn’t helped at all. But, generally speaking, we’re talking about a very small number of games (which we keep banging on about from a public perceptions point of view)"
During that tumultuous time for the UK game industry, Rockstar’s violent action game Manhunt became the single best known piece of electronic entertainment in the world. But this was no pre-planned PR stunt. 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah’s tragic death instigated a savaging by the tabloid media, of video games as a medium, rather than Manhunt in isolation. As Stefan’s mother, Giselle, emotional and looking for someone to blame, was subjected to a media scrum, a single, persistent and defiant voice scrambled to be heard over the reams of condemnation. It came from ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publisher’s Association) director Roger Bennett who now, nearly a year after the event, still has strong feelings for those who interviewed him, particularly broadcaster ITV.
"I thought it was despicable on their part, utterly despicable. We got to the point where we threatened them with court action. It was appalling. They never questioned the validity of Mrs Pakeerah’s position simply because she’d lost her son. It was political correctness gone completely mad."
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s obvious that much of the reporting on the Manhunt affair was, in fact, incorrect. It was Stefan himself who owned the game, not, as was widely reported, 17-year-old Warren LeBlanc. The use of quotes from Mrs. Pakeerah, for example, "the similarities between Manhunt and what happened to my son show there is definitely a link of some sort" were printed without question. It’s something that Bennett feels bitter about.
"That was a totally despicable and unacceptable exploitation of somebody’s grief in my view. It was based on absolutely no evidence. Their agenda was to make a story out of something that held no evidence for doing so. It was an emotive and utterly manipulative piece of journalism on their part which was unfair to Mrs Pakeera and certainly disingenuous and verging on the illegal on the part of the games industry."
So incensed was Bennett by ITV that he broke off all links with the broadcaster. "[after we threatened them with legal action] they dropped it and changed the story immediately. We had a real row with them believe me. And I have told them under no circumstances will I ever do a recorded interview with them again, ever, because they manipulated it so much."
It’s easy to analyse the media coverage of the Manhunt saga and dismiss it as irresponsible journalism. Indeed the games industry is famous for talking to itself about such issues (Roger admits the recent ELSPA 'Media meets Gaming' conference was "rather disappointing"). More difficult is trying to explain why the tabloid media appears to campaign against games whenever an incident like the one we witnessed last summer occurs. Certainly Manhunt wasn’t the first game to be blamed for violent behaviour in youngsters. Think Mortal Kombat, Night Trap and Grand Theft Auto.
It’s been mooted that as the new kids on the block, games have taken a natural place as society’s whipping boy. With any new medium, traditionalists, who inevitably hold positions of power in the upper echelons of executive media offices do not understand gaming, and therefore fear it. As with TV, film and comics before them, this fear will inevitably manifest itself as negative coverage in the tabloid media.
Bennett himself believes that the current media demonisation of video games has as much to do with a lack of understanding as what makes gaming unique. "We have no human identity, only virtual. We can’t reel out a band like the music industry can a or a film star for the film industry. We haven’t got a human face and therefore to that end we are an even more vulnerable target. There aren’t any people other than the creators of the games to defend the position that they take.
"Of course we’ve had our icons. Lara Croft and Sonic and the Brooklyn plumber but they’re purely surreal identities. The general public and society as a whole won’t and can’t directly identify with them."
Detractors, however, cite other, more commercial reasons for the loathing with which the chattering classes holds the game industry. Among the ammunition the tabloid media threw at Roger during the Manhunt affair was the shameless marketing of 18-rated games in magazines obviously aimed at a young audience. He concedes that there are problems in this area.
"That is certainly an Achilles heel of the industry, probably the worst and most dangerous Achilles heel. There’s no readership data which is definitive insofar as games magazines are concerned, so whatever the game magazine publishers tell you in the context of the profile of their readers from an age point of view, you have to take as read. So if there’s an 18 rated game being promoted through the front cover promo the publisher has to make a decision whether the profile of their magazine is appropriate. It’s one of the dangerous areas in respect to 18 rated games."
Of obvious importance to the game magazine market is the bottom line. It would be commercial suicide for a magazine to completely ignore a multi-million seller like 18-rated Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, also from Rockstar. It is however questionable whether it’s morally appropriate to include a review of the game in a magazine aimed at young teenagers.
Roger believes good progress is being made in this area. "The magazine publishers are becoming much more aware now of their vulnerability in this area and we’ve certainly pointed it out to them as well. They’re introducing, or at least accepting, the recommendations made by us, because an 18 rated game should not be promoted other than to an adult audience.
"There really does have to be a much greater level of responsible awareness within the publishing sector in these areas of adult content because it is unacceptable to use an 18 rated game as a tool to draw in under-18, especially younger kids, into playing that game. That is a seriously damaging position to take."
This same responsibility seems to have also eluded game publisher PR and marketing departments, who are also somewhat to blame. "Some of the wording that’s used on press releases and for 18 rated games is slightly inflammatory. Some of the PR stunts in the past have left a pretty nasty taste in some people’s mouths which hasn’t helped at all. But, generally speaking, we’re talking about a very small number of games (which we keep banging on about from a public perceptions point of view)"
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Comments
Joji 30 May 2005 00:00
1/9
The traditional medias attitude to games I believe is routed like a forked tongue. One fork is one of envy in the money that the games industry makes (which is now more than hollywood, a grand feat considering how long cinema has been around to do the same) and the other fork is one like you said of vexed misunderstanding.
Like many things that divide the young and the old games like films and music before them are part of a target to be shot at. The old fear the new. Older generations of people have always looked down on the young in some way or another but that can work both ways.
In todays society especially, you have to look at the kinds of news that grace the tabloids. It's plenty of bad news about the youth of the nation that is very much like back in the 80's, but only worse.
To put it bluntly I feel the older generation i.e, those in power have failed to help the young for many years now and a feeling of discontent is now going atomic on the nation. Happy slapping, school bullying, vandalism and lack of respect are now the children of such discontent, and kids carry weapons too etc.
I remember my youth, when not hanging around on street corners because there was no where to go, you had no money and couldn't work, you felt frustrated and in the end would get up to no good (nothing bad & extreme like kids today though). Just for a moment of fun outdoors with your friends and a place away from school to call your own. Apart from films and music, videogames were the only other real retreat we had where no boundaries where placed saying ''No Ball Games on this green''. To this day across the country our government fails to provide things to do for kids outside of school above a certain age and this is the root of the problem. This leaves many playing games all the time with they should be playing outside sometimes too. But how can you, for there is nothing to do outside.
With curfews and ASBOs now being imposed upon youths they no doubt feel all stamped as criminals. A one brush paints all government policy.
The influence of games, films or music etc upon the humans to act upon what they see or hear is a very jaded tightrope many do not want to walk and understandably so, for it is very hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. The press don't care about an industry that takes more money than them. The games industry is there to entertain users, not to tell them how to think what to buy etc, like the press do. That's why with game reviews etc the writer tries to remain objective instead of painting all games a certain way (even though some of them can be bought....cough cough). don't you all find it starnge to Hollywood is always in the tabloid rags when the games industry is making more cash? Like the feature said games are virtual and have no real face or heroes apart from their teams of creators etc. Do gamers really want this kind of fanatical idol worship of game designers etc that hollywood showers itself in? No, because the creators do not need to be seen, and like designers of cars or theme parks prefer to remain anonymous or grab little limelight beyond promoting thier product or taking about games and the industry. And that's good enough for us as we'd prefer they concentrate on making good games and not playing up to cameras.
It doesn't surprise me at all that when the press are wrong that they don't print a front page apology telling all worried parents 'sorry, we were wrong about Manhunt, the young victim owned a copy of the game not his killer'. To say that the kid shouldn't have had a copy of Manhunt is the truth and ELSPA will work on that, but I don't see the press boycotting the knife manufacturer since a knife was used in a childs death.
It's easier to blame popular culture instead.
Indeed, education is needed but have you tried to teach an older person to use a video recorder timer or send a text message? It's no picnic. Older folk can have double standards and be ignorant. They wonder what you are playing, you try to include and teach them how to use it, but get a big 'No' reply or similar. In truth regardless of age we can all be ignorant if and when it suits us.
There is a light of hope though, and that light is Nintendo. Why? Because they have always made games for everyone not just for kids (and true others do too) though that's how they might look graphics wise. The DS because of its unique interface anyone can play simply because we all know how to write or doodle. Those that want games in a more positive light than Manhunt should take a look at Nintendogs, Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright on the DS when the become available. These games are positive and don't rely on killling everyone in sight (add other games on there too like Electroplankton etc), even though I'd still like to see some mature content from Nintendo. But will the tabloid media pick up on these more positive games?
As much as I'd like to say yes I doubt it would happen because they have already made up their minds about games. Games are the new witch in town to corrupt us all and we must drown her. And if the press do give games some good press it will most likely be for the upcoming swish-bang PSP stuff like (this is not PSP bashing by the way)....oh look...GTA again. Oh and it can play lots of violent action films on UMD. Once again they will put 2 and 2 together and make 5. Bad game coverage doesn't help things either, whether on tv or tabloid.
There is a culture of negativity in this country and many things tend to disappear under it's depressing steamroller. I'm waiting for the headline like ''Phoenix Wright got me interested in being a lawyer or Trauma Centre, a doctor or nurse.'' Unfortunately I doubt we are not gonna see such headlines are we? That won't sell papers will it? The gutter press like to feed off of the public fears and paranoia and that's never gonna change IMO. I'll be interested in what they have to say if more females get into gaming via the DS and perhaps Nintendogs this side of the pond. We'll see if they can say anything positive.
It's just a shame so many believe what they read (see and hear) instead of finding out for themselves the truth about games amongst other things. Fear to try them, fear to enjoy them and fear that you might just be wrong about them consumes them. Too much fear can stop you doing so many good things in life.
Top class feature Spong, and cheers for reading my soap box folks.
Like many things that divide the young and the old games like films and music before them are part of a target to be shot at. The old fear the new. Older generations of people have always looked down on the young in some way or another but that can work both ways.
In todays society especially, you have to look at the kinds of news that grace the tabloids. It's plenty of bad news about the youth of the nation that is very much like back in the 80's, but only worse.
To put it bluntly I feel the older generation i.e, those in power have failed to help the young for many years now and a feeling of discontent is now going atomic on the nation. Happy slapping, school bullying, vandalism and lack of respect are now the children of such discontent, and kids carry weapons too etc.
I remember my youth, when not hanging around on street corners because there was no where to go, you had no money and couldn't work, you felt frustrated and in the end would get up to no good (nothing bad & extreme like kids today though). Just for a moment of fun outdoors with your friends and a place away from school to call your own. Apart from films and music, videogames were the only other real retreat we had where no boundaries where placed saying ''No Ball Games on this green''. To this day across the country our government fails to provide things to do for kids outside of school above a certain age and this is the root of the problem. This leaves many playing games all the time with they should be playing outside sometimes too. But how can you, for there is nothing to do outside.
With curfews and ASBOs now being imposed upon youths they no doubt feel all stamped as criminals. A one brush paints all government policy.
The influence of games, films or music etc upon the humans to act upon what they see or hear is a very jaded tightrope many do not want to walk and understandably so, for it is very hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. The press don't care about an industry that takes more money than them. The games industry is there to entertain users, not to tell them how to think what to buy etc, like the press do. That's why with game reviews etc the writer tries to remain objective instead of painting all games a certain way (even though some of them can be bought....cough cough). don't you all find it starnge to Hollywood is always in the tabloid rags when the games industry is making more cash? Like the feature said games are virtual and have no real face or heroes apart from their teams of creators etc. Do gamers really want this kind of fanatical idol worship of game designers etc that hollywood showers itself in? No, because the creators do not need to be seen, and like designers of cars or theme parks prefer to remain anonymous or grab little limelight beyond promoting thier product or taking about games and the industry. And that's good enough for us as we'd prefer they concentrate on making good games and not playing up to cameras.
It doesn't surprise me at all that when the press are wrong that they don't print a front page apology telling all worried parents 'sorry, we were wrong about Manhunt, the young victim owned a copy of the game not his killer'. To say that the kid shouldn't have had a copy of Manhunt is the truth and ELSPA will work on that, but I don't see the press boycotting the knife manufacturer since a knife was used in a childs death.
It's easier to blame popular culture instead.
Indeed, education is needed but have you tried to teach an older person to use a video recorder timer or send a text message? It's no picnic. Older folk can have double standards and be ignorant. They wonder what you are playing, you try to include and teach them how to use it, but get a big 'No' reply or similar. In truth regardless of age we can all be ignorant if and when it suits us.
There is a light of hope though, and that light is Nintendo. Why? Because they have always made games for everyone not just for kids (and true others do too) though that's how they might look graphics wise. The DS because of its unique interface anyone can play simply because we all know how to write or doodle. Those that want games in a more positive light than Manhunt should take a look at Nintendogs, Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright on the DS when the become available. These games are positive and don't rely on killling everyone in sight (add other games on there too like Electroplankton etc), even though I'd still like to see some mature content from Nintendo. But will the tabloid media pick up on these more positive games?
As much as I'd like to say yes I doubt it would happen because they have already made up their minds about games. Games are the new witch in town to corrupt us all and we must drown her. And if the press do give games some good press it will most likely be for the upcoming swish-bang PSP stuff like (this is not PSP bashing by the way)....oh look...GTA again. Oh and it can play lots of violent action films on UMD. Once again they will put 2 and 2 together and make 5. Bad game coverage doesn't help things either, whether on tv or tabloid.
There is a culture of negativity in this country and many things tend to disappear under it's depressing steamroller. I'm waiting for the headline like ''Phoenix Wright got me interested in being a lawyer or Trauma Centre, a doctor or nurse.'' Unfortunately I doubt we are not gonna see such headlines are we? That won't sell papers will it? The gutter press like to feed off of the public fears and paranoia and that's never gonna change IMO. I'll be interested in what they have to say if more females get into gaming via the DS and perhaps Nintendogs this side of the pond. We'll see if they can say anything positive.
It's just a shame so many believe what they read (see and hear) instead of finding out for themselves the truth about games amongst other things. Fear to try them, fear to enjoy them and fear that you might just be wrong about them consumes them. Too much fear can stop you doing so many good things in life.
Top class feature Spong, and cheers for reading my soap box folks.
TigerUppercut 2 Jun 2005 22:58
2/9
F**king hell Joji, you rule.
Thanks for this input. Perhaps you should start writing for SPOnG. Email me - You have the address. Your post was insightful and moving - nice one
Thanks for this input. Perhaps you should start writing for SPOnG. Email me - You have the address. Your post was insightful and moving - nice one
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Ditto 3 Jun 2005 09:03
3/9
Finally got around to reading your post in full Joji and you pretty much summarise some of the problems with the press and the world today. Nice.
I still blame the parents in the videogame violence debate. You only need to take one look at Manhunt to see that it's unsuitable for people below the age ranking. Parents need to monitor their children's media intake and filter out these kind of things.
Online shops need to targeted too - they still don't attempt to confirm their customer's ages.
It always surprises me that pressure groups and parents make great generalisations with regard to the content of videogames. Nintendo is never mentioned or credited on TV or in the press with creating universal games. As you say, with the DS there are are news ways to game, and hopefully the Revo will bring something totally different.
There seems to be something of a concensus that the next generation will not be won just on the grounds of graphics. It therefore seems illogical for Microsoft (and to an extent Sony, although they will probably pull some innovative stuff out of the bag) to concentrate solely on graphics.
As long as games, films and other media products are violent we will continue to have this debate. Remember that consumer pressure will drive the output of companies. Theorists such as Fiske state that there are a large selection of media products, and only those that satisfy the needs to their customers will be successful. At the moment gamers are selecting for Manhunt and GTA. It could also be seen that they are selecting against Nintendo's games.
There is no doubt in my mind that media can have an effect on people. However the debate in the press is always one-sided.
I don't have the piece of research to hand (I'll see if I can find it), but one of the most influential studies of violence in game was conducted a couple of years ago. What becomes obvious is that people writing these studies have never actually investigated the industry before studying the effects of games. The study used a an example of an ultra-violent game Wolfenstein 3D. Yup, that's right. In 2002/3 a 1991 title was being used as an example of a game supposed to show extreme violence. With the greatest respect, W3D is hardly representative of the violent games people play today. The non-violent game was Myst - also over 10 years old.
At no point did the author consider videogame players playing Nintendo-style game.
Anyway, that's enough for the moment. We need real studies here and enforcement of law along with parental education. Ironically, Nintendo is the only videogame company I know of to have produced leaflets giving parents tips on how to help their kids play safely. C'est la vie.
I still blame the parents in the videogame violence debate. You only need to take one look at Manhunt to see that it's unsuitable for people below the age ranking. Parents need to monitor their children's media intake and filter out these kind of things.
Online shops need to targeted too - they still don't attempt to confirm their customer's ages.
It always surprises me that pressure groups and parents make great generalisations with regard to the content of videogames. Nintendo is never mentioned or credited on TV or in the press with creating universal games. As you say, with the DS there are are news ways to game, and hopefully the Revo will bring something totally different.
There seems to be something of a concensus that the next generation will not be won just on the grounds of graphics. It therefore seems illogical for Microsoft (and to an extent Sony, although they will probably pull some innovative stuff out of the bag) to concentrate solely on graphics.
As long as games, films and other media products are violent we will continue to have this debate. Remember that consumer pressure will drive the output of companies. Theorists such as Fiske state that there are a large selection of media products, and only those that satisfy the needs to their customers will be successful. At the moment gamers are selecting for Manhunt and GTA. It could also be seen that they are selecting against Nintendo's games.
There is no doubt in my mind that media can have an effect on people. However the debate in the press is always one-sided.
I don't have the piece of research to hand (I'll see if I can find it), but one of the most influential studies of violence in game was conducted a couple of years ago. What becomes obvious is that people writing these studies have never actually investigated the industry before studying the effects of games. The study used a an example of an ultra-violent game Wolfenstein 3D. Yup, that's right. In 2002/3 a 1991 title was being used as an example of a game supposed to show extreme violence. With the greatest respect, W3D is hardly representative of the violent games people play today. The non-violent game was Myst - also over 10 years old.
At no point did the author consider videogame players playing Nintendo-style game.
Anyway, that's enough for the moment. We need real studies here and enforcement of law along with parental education. Ironically, Nintendo is the only videogame company I know of to have produced leaflets giving parents tips on how to help their kids play safely. C'est la vie.
NiktheGreek 4 Jun 2005 00:08
4/9
It seems to me that gamers on the whole are a lazy bunch when it comes to fighting for our causes. There are pressure groups campaigning for the rights of drivers, smokers and commuters. Is there a pressure group that is out to campaign for the gamers? Not as far as I know
Certainly, we have cause. Being demonised by the press as well as consistently ripped off by retail and publishers isn't a lovely situation, but what do we do? Moan online, in our own insular little communities. Does this achieve anything? Absolutely not.
What we need is a consumer group of our own. If games are attacked in the press and publishers say "not our fault!" and do nothing, a consumer group could promote leaflets helping parents with purchases. Nobody could argue that it was a self-serving act of the industry, for a start.
Here's something else. The gaming press sees itself not as a consumer guide, but a mere bridge between publisher and punter, and will go to incredible lengths to appease the moneymakers (take note, Atari - we haven't forgotten Driv3r). Obviously, the dominant magazine publishers won't blow the story wide open because they're at the heart of it all - but they might take notice of a mass boycott.
How about warning gamers when a bugged game is released? Or the rip-offs we endure when it comes to the prices of new consoles? It's all very well me trotting out facts and figures here, but not everyone reads Spong. There's got to be an organised, public presence - people are more effective when united.
We need to get organised, become active and really work towards a fairer treatment of games and the people that play them.
Certainly, we have cause. Being demonised by the press as well as consistently ripped off by retail and publishers isn't a lovely situation, but what do we do? Moan online, in our own insular little communities. Does this achieve anything? Absolutely not.
What we need is a consumer group of our own. If games are attacked in the press and publishers say "not our fault!" and do nothing, a consumer group could promote leaflets helping parents with purchases. Nobody could argue that it was a self-serving act of the industry, for a start.
Here's something else. The gaming press sees itself not as a consumer guide, but a mere bridge between publisher and punter, and will go to incredible lengths to appease the moneymakers (take note, Atari - we haven't forgotten Driv3r). Obviously, the dominant magazine publishers won't blow the story wide open because they're at the heart of it all - but they might take notice of a mass boycott.
How about warning gamers when a bugged game is released? Or the rip-offs we endure when it comes to the prices of new consoles? It's all very well me trotting out facts and figures here, but not everyone reads Spong. There's got to be an organised, public presence - people are more effective when united.
We need to get organised, become active and really work towards a fairer treatment of games and the people that play them.
Joji 4 Jun 2005 20:50
5/9
Some interesting ideas there but what do you suggest? As you just said not everyone reads Spong so me ranting or you making suggestions but not following them up aren't going to help.....your own words Nik.
However, the net is a new power in the hands of the people, the likes of which we have never known where one little website can do so much. The world awaits you. Perhaps our very speaking of it here might turn on lightbulbs in heads somewhere else.
As for grandstanding to the public, do you think they will listen when they have the likes of MRSA, SARS and any other crap we have to deal with in life? Remember games are entertainment and while I agree they need protection etc like the film and music industries, many still think they are kids stuff or less.
Joji 5 Jun 2005 00:02
6/9
Glad you liked it Tiger. Been thinking about that one for a while. It might not be to everyones taste but a lot of it needed to be said.
Write for Spong.?...hmmmmmm....?
Write for Spong.?...hmmmmmm....?
NiktheGreek 5 Jun 2005 00:30
7/9
Joji wrote:
Some interesting ideas there but what do you suggest? As you just said not everyone reads Spong so me ranting or you making suggestions but not following them up aren't going to help.....your own words Nik.
Part of this is gauging response. In order to represent a group, there needs to be a desire for representation. Think of this as a form of crude market research.
However, the net is a new power in the hands of the people, the likes of which we have never known where one little website can do so much. The world awaits you. Perhaps our very speaking of it here might turn on lightbulbs in heads somewhere else.
Perhaps so. There's groups fighting for smaller gaming causes all over the place - take Dreamcast Scene, which campaigns for the continued support of the Dreamcast (and actually gets a fair amount of response, as the Border Down and Shikigami no Shiro 2 petitions both found success). True, this particular group uses paper petitions, but the international movement wouldn't have been brought about without the internet.
As for grandstanding to the public, do you think they will listen when they have the likes of MRSA, SARS and any other crap we have to deal with in life? Remember games are entertainment and while I agree they need protection etc like the film and music industries, many still think they are kids stuff or less.
To be honest, I do believe that there's an awful lot more we could be working on. But I don't have the necessary expertise to make grandiose statements about the standards of cleanliness in the NHS - I do have the knowledge of gaming to make what I believe would be a positive contribution. Hey, when pressure groups such as the Countryside Alliance fight for "entertaining" activities such as fox hunting, it doesn't seem all that trivial.
Besides, that lack of public knowledge is one of the more important issues surrounding gaming. People do still think of it as kid's stuff. The way I see it until they stop thinking like that, "Ban these evil games" will remain a headline opportunity for the Daily Mail. Protecting children from unsuitable media is an important issue, and I think it's far better that gamers bring it to the public consciousness in a reasoned and moderate manner than scaremongering articles during the tabloid silly season. At the age of 9, my cousin had played GTA 3 - this was totally inappropriate.
To quote the Tim Loughton, the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, during the last parliament (in reference to the case of Stefan Pakeerah): "I well remember the ghastly case that the hon. Gentleman raises well, and it was a clear example of virtual reality spilling out into violent real life. Does he agree that there are two main problems? The first is the apparent reluctance of the British Board of Film Classification, which has been responsible for such games since 1984, to act to ban them or give them a serious classification unless there is clear evidence of a link, which it is difficult to prove scientifically. The second is that too many of the games that are rated as being for adults only are sold to under-age children through high street retailers who do not realise—as they do when it comes to selling cigarettes or alcohol to young people—the damage that such games can do. Parents do not know what they are letting their children get into."
What he is suggesting is that it is a problem that the BBFC doesn't ban games because there's no proven links between gaming and violence. Nobody, it seems, has stepped up to tell him otherwise.
There's a lot of intelligent, well-informed and reasonable gamers out there. If a lot of them get together, I'm pretty sure they could make a positive impact on gaming and it's wider perception. Really, the question is whether people are bothered enough by the current state of things to do anything about it.
OptimusP 5 Jun 2005 10:17
8/9
I liked the whole text but i want to add a bit to it.
Why do games get demonished now? Games is the youngest product of the so-called entertainment market. That market holds books, music, movies and games (and whoopidee, books hold the largest share!!).
In the 19th century (during the high times of the romantic movement) there was a book released called "the suffering of the young someone" (sorry forgot the whole title) from the german writer Goethe. Now in the book a young man kills himself because his love for a woman (who loves him too but can't show it because she's married to some other guy) doesn't get responded. The book was accused for motivating young people to put a gun at their head and commit suicide at a mass scale. Reports were coming in from everywhere that young people killed themselves leaving behind a sheet of papaer with a love declaration and sometimes the book of Goethe.
Now we know that all of that was bullcrap, 20-30 years later Goethe was crowned as the king-poet of his time. That book as one of the most critical acclaimed books of its time and a highpoint in the romantic movement.
The 50's, a new type of music was rising: rock 'n roll. The youth loves it. The music itself got demonished by the press. It would encourgaes raping, sexorgies, and law-breaking. Reports were coming from everywhere that at certain rock-concerts people were having random sex. Now we know that was all bullcrap. now that music is considered art.
Hollywood the same thing, the first movie with a french kiss in it:oh noooooo!!!! the world is Dooommmmeeeeeedddd.... bullcrap. The first movie where the man or woman cheats on his/her husband: oh noooooooooo, thats not real, we're dooommmmeeeeed!! ...again bullcrap.
Now movies are accepted as a art-medium, the biggest moviefestival (Cannes) rewards only the most artistic movies.
And now we get to gaming, the fourth and youngest form of entertainment. Again the youth loves it. Again people are making all the wrong connections. (So one solution could be kill all the old folks but let's not go there).
A lot developers are trying to elevate gaming to top-spot of a art-medium (Viewtifull Joe, Killer 7, The Wind Waker, ICO, Metroid Prime and so forth) but the press isn't giving them any slack. Their just big dombo's who need to hire some trained historians (specialised in modern history) to tell them that they're just repeating history and they can't win.(killing old people would speed up the proces though)
Gaming needs to reach more people and a lot more casual people and yes indeed: non-gamers.
A lot of big name gameartist also want to profile themselves as real artist (like painters and such), Shinji Mikami, Hideo Kojima and well Shigeru Miyamoto come to mind.
The DS is a half a blessing in that regard. So bring on the Revolution Nintendo and don't srew it up, otherwise the whole industry is screwed and we have a second crash on our hands (i'm not kidding).
Why do games get demonished now? Games is the youngest product of the so-called entertainment market. That market holds books, music, movies and games (and whoopidee, books hold the largest share!!).
In the 19th century (during the high times of the romantic movement) there was a book released called "the suffering of the young someone" (sorry forgot the whole title) from the german writer Goethe. Now in the book a young man kills himself because his love for a woman (who loves him too but can't show it because she's married to some other guy) doesn't get responded. The book was accused for motivating young people to put a gun at their head and commit suicide at a mass scale. Reports were coming in from everywhere that young people killed themselves leaving behind a sheet of papaer with a love declaration and sometimes the book of Goethe.
Now we know that all of that was bullcrap, 20-30 years later Goethe was crowned as the king-poet of his time. That book as one of the most critical acclaimed books of its time and a highpoint in the romantic movement.
The 50's, a new type of music was rising: rock 'n roll. The youth loves it. The music itself got demonished by the press. It would encourgaes raping, sexorgies, and law-breaking. Reports were coming from everywhere that at certain rock-concerts people were having random sex. Now we know that was all bullcrap. now that music is considered art.
Hollywood the same thing, the first movie with a french kiss in it:oh noooooo!!!! the world is Dooommmmeeeeeedddd.... bullcrap. The first movie where the man or woman cheats on his/her husband: oh noooooooooo, thats not real, we're dooommmmeeeeed!! ...again bullcrap.
Now movies are accepted as a art-medium, the biggest moviefestival (Cannes) rewards only the most artistic movies.
And now we get to gaming, the fourth and youngest form of entertainment. Again the youth loves it. Again people are making all the wrong connections. (So one solution could be kill all the old folks but let's not go there).
A lot developers are trying to elevate gaming to top-spot of a art-medium (Viewtifull Joe, Killer 7, The Wind Waker, ICO, Metroid Prime and so forth) but the press isn't giving them any slack. Their just big dombo's who need to hire some trained historians (specialised in modern history) to tell them that they're just repeating history and they can't win.(killing old people would speed up the proces though)
Gaming needs to reach more people and a lot more casual people and yes indeed: non-gamers.
A lot of big name gameartist also want to profile themselves as real artist (like painters and such), Shinji Mikami, Hideo Kojima and well Shigeru Miyamoto come to mind.
The DS is a half a blessing in that regard. So bring on the Revolution Nintendo and don't srew it up, otherwise the whole industry is screwed and we have a second crash on our hands (i'm not kidding).
Ditto 6 Jun 2005 09:18
9/9
A real consumer group would be a good move in my mind.
Set one up and get people involved.
Set one up and get people involved.