Banning Games

[Foxbat]

Uh Oh! Here we go again. I just caught the usual sort of uninformed and senstionalist news bulletin I've come to expect from these shores (that's the UK to everybody else )

It seems a game called Manhunt is being blamed for a death and there is a growing campaign to get it taken off the shelves. It's not a game that appeals to me but it's probably worth debating.

Well...here's my opinion for what it's worth: If somebody is seriously deranged enough to allow a game/film/lyrics from a song a strong enough influence on their psyche to the extent that they commit an act of violence then that person is, quite simply, seriously deranged.

If we ban, where does it end? Books? Films? Games?

Even Chess has an element of violence to it and is widely touted as the original Wargame.

Perhaps we should take the Farenheit 451 route in the sense that, if a book is likely to make you unhappy by giving you ideas above your station, then it should be banned. To extrapolate even further - is it not the case that an unhappy person is more likely to be affected by such material? But here's the crux- most people read/watch/play for enjoyment and, no matter how hard you try, you can never cover all the bases.

Simple fact is, if a person had not latched on to a video game, it could have been a film or a book. These people are only looking for triggers to fuel their fantasy - and that trigger could be anything that the world provides - not necessarily the easy targets like games or films.

People! The floor is yours.

 

[Esioul]

I think it is probably excessive to ban games. Perhaps more care should be taken to ensure that people who could be influenced in a negative way by them aren't exposed to them? I can see that games could easily become mixed up with reality for some people, and that would be a bad thing.

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

The game in question does seem rather violent. It certainly may have influenced Warren LeBlanc in his murder method, but something tells me that a 17 year old probably already has a good sense of what's real and what's merely a game scenario.

I notice that the victim also played this game.

How many people have played this game? A lot, as it seems to have sold $18 billion worldwide . How many of these people went on to kill someone after playing the game? So far, only one.

Perhaps parents should actually stay in touch with their children and what they are into instead of blaming easy targets when something goes wrong. A clear content rating on games would also help.

Lastly, in the news reports, the victim's mother and others chracterise LeBlanc as a 'cold-blooded killer', suggesting the need to kill was somehow intrinsic to him (although the motive seems to have been theft). if that is the case then why are they even trying to blame a game? Just pointing out an inconsistency in the argument being offered.

 

[Foxbat]

Interesting points people.

Here's a question: Should we ban Catcher In The Rye? It is a well known fact that this book was claimed by Mark Chapman to be an influence on his road to murder?

If not, then doesn't it seem hypocritical to shout and bawl about one form of entertainment and yet let another off the hook?

and others chracterise LeBlanc as a 'cold-blooded killer', suggesting the need to kill was somehow intrinsic to him

Exactly.

We are allowing a situation where people will not take responsibility for their own actions. I remember as a child I would claim that 'it wasn't me, a big boy did it and then ran away'.

It seems nowadays that 'a game did it and then ran away'

 

[Brian G Turner]

The reaction does seem reactionary - as often happens in these instances.

However, I have to confess at some degree of discomfort at a lot of modern consumerism: our obessions with sex and violence, yet our apparent surprise that sex and violence in the real world can be ever related to their marketing.

At the end of the day, I'm sure there are a variety of causes involved in the outlook of the child killer. We had a few psychos at our school - one did knife another pupil - and all without the trigger of the level of computer game violence that we have now.

Yet consumerism does like to pave our way with triggers.

Whilst it would be rather obtuse to blame this single violent act of murder on a single computer game, the whole situation should present the opportunity for us to look at what multi-national companies are happy to market at our children - and ask ourselves whether we are actually happy with this.

 

[Esioul]

I didn't realise Catcher in the Rye had inspired someone to murder- and I'm not sure I see how- he must have been inclined to murder anyway. I have to say that I agree with Brian on this- children are playing games and watching films that do perhaps have too mch sex and violence in them. I haven't played the game in question, but I'm aware that many computer games are very violent, and this puts me off playing them.

But then, it must be something in the individual that makes them act so violently, because most people don't act like that.

 

[The Master™]

If you start banning things because they affect people, or put ideas into their heads, where would it end???

Maybe we should burn everything which inspires people... So, all the books ever published... Then where??? I think they should ban all religious books, they tend to inspire people to action!!!!

Might as well stop people thinking and feeling and reacting to things...

It is rediculous to ban one console game... And people are blaming the Sony Playstation...

Weren't they going to ban Dungeons and Dragons a few years (maybe 15-20 years ago), because some kid in America committed suicide because his powerful character was killed in a game...

 

[Morning Star]

What a load of crap! (re:banning games) Did Attila the Hun play Doom? Or Jack the Ripper? Did Abel pwn Cane in a game of Counterstrike? There will always be some social reject who has to vent his frustrations out on some poor *******. Personally, when I'm in the mood I enjoy seperating some guys limbs in soldier of fortune, but I'd like to think I have enough brain power not to load up the rifle and see if I could do it in real life.

I knew violence and murder long before I played Doom.

 

[ravenus]

It's kind of funny. They shy away from picking on things like tobacco and alcohol which are known to be hazardous substances that can affect the people that use them AND the people around (in terms of passive smoking, drunk driving etc.).
How come they're never serious about banning those? Ah, the revenue and kickbacks from the lobbies, let's pick on some easier targets.

 

[Hypes]

Swastikas and other Nazi references are banned throughout Germany, especially in games.

Ah, what zey miss.

 

[Brian G Turner]

It's kind of funny. They shy away from picking on things like tobacco and alcohol which are known to be hazardous substances that can affect the people that use them AND the people around (in terms of passive smoking, drunk driving etc.).
How come they're never serious about banning those? Ah, the revenue and kickbacks from the lobbies, let's pick on some easier targets.

Love the truth.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

A swastika tattoo would be the only tattoo I would consider having done. The national socialists have ruined any hope of me getting this tattoo done, apparently my girlfriend believes that this would be unacceptable. She is right of course.

Do you think that the government would ever ban a game? Is a certificate not enough?

 

[Ahdkaw]

Oh btw, it has since been revealed that the murderer never actually played the game (Manhunt), the murdered child had a copy of the game though...

Just goes to show that some companies are more than willing to jump the gun (pun unintended) on these kind of situations (namely 'Game'), whereas more knowledgable companies know where to stick these claims (namely 'WHSmith' who didn't remove the game).

 

[AmonRa]

well its not surprising this topic hasn't been posted in about every other onlines gaming forum on the net^_^.

there is some sort of stereotype that society is afraid of gaming. for some reason it is alot more socially acceptable to get drunk in a pub, or sit around watching TV than to achieve something in a game, and these people will try any excuse to ban or shun games. i've played man hunt, and compared with some of the other FPS games that are coming out atm *cough*Doom3*cough* it isnt all that bad. and any sane person would be able to tell the diference between some red pixels and real blood, gore, death, etc etc.

for example, if i were to watch someone being disemboweled by a giant alien monster in a movie or a video game, i would hardly flinch, where as if that were real life, i would go insign and be sick.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I think the issue actually goes deeper - and unease of one generation that the one following it is following a far less appealing sense of ethics.

We've seen it continually thorugh history - from people claiming rock n roll was the music of the devil, to Roman senators in the 1st century complaniing of the depravity of the new Imperial generation.

Of course, the actual question is as to whether there is any real complaint.

 

[Ahdkaw]

I'm sure that certain aspects of it does go a lot deeper but there are also a lot of bossy people out there that would ban everything that give other people pleasure but not themselves.

You go to any BBC topic when some form of banning is mentioned and you will see lots of people advocating the banning of cigarettes and alcohol (the substances, not the album - although maybe the banning of the album has some merit ), simply because of an "I don't smoke/drink so I don't see why anybody else should!" attitude.

It's this negative approave to what others should be doing due to the life choices the individual asking for the banning chose. I think they must forget that they made their choice and everyone else makes their choice too. Possibly they are not happy with only having control of their own life, and wish to control others too.

Superiority complex anyone?

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

The Sherrif of Huddersfield is back, and he's bashing dodgy compilation records! Run to the hills...