EU - Trying to ban violent video games

wiredmacker

Hi Guys

I came across alot of news articles on the net about germany trying to ban violent video games during it's EU presidency. Is this something we need to be worrying about . I mean they are trying to ban video games that have violent content but that's very general. Are we all going to be reduced to playing UNO and Wario games?

I'm all for protecting children but come on this is going to far. I'm sure this is being discussed on some other thread but I can't find it! Any opinions on this?

BloodBath

I wouldn't worry about it. It's not going to happen. If the movie industry has got away with it for this long they can't target games. These idiot politicians need to realize kids aren't the only people playing games and concentrate on the real issues.

Retr0gamer

There's already a ban on violent videogames in Germany so wouldn't be surprised if Germany has a ban on this. Thankfully the EU veto system will mean that any stupid constitution defying, ultraconservatist motions will be kicked right out.

monument

Yes, Germany has learnt. You crush fascism with fascism.

Ri_Nollaig

too many world war 2 games perhaps

wiredmacker

Retr0gamer wrote:

There's already a ban on violent videogames in Germany so wouldn't be surprised if Germany has a ban on this. Thankfully the EU veto system will mean that any stupid constitution defying, ultraconservatist motions will be kicked right out.

I hope your right, mind you I've heard of a few countries backing germany on this. I can't imagine a video game with no violence in it. I mean I've been playing games since I had a Commodore 64. I'm sure we will see some kind of a bill over the next 6 months I reckon I'll be emailing every MEP under Sun begging!

Crucifix

monument wrote:

Yes, Germany has learnt. You crush fascism with fascism.

I wasn't sure about making that joke, but that's exactly what I thought. There was also a buzz about them wanting to ban the swastika...which pissed off a lot of european Hindus.

bizmark

Germany home of the most peace loving people in the world! Clearly you can’t be corrupting these simply life loving people with make believe violence...

Retr0gamer

I doubt it could get through by the fact that it violates every freedom of speech act around. Also Britain, France and the eastern countries will tell them were to shove it since they will want to protect their quite large videogame industries.

wake-up-your

I'm not totally dissing violence in video games, I've played my fair share of them. However, I do think the context of some of the violent video games is the problem and not the actuall action themselves. In the past its been like this

Kill bad guy - Save world - Be Hero

Your out to get somone that is hurting other people and thus the violence is justified. The Person in the game takes no pride in the violence, but it has to be done. Its the way most big action films are done.

I think the problem gamea are these gangster games. Its teaching kids to be the biggest bully in the playground and thats not safe. Young people pick up on these subtile messages and i really have a problem with the context of the violence in these games.

wiredmacker

wake-up-your wrote:

I'm not totally dissing violence in video games, I've played my fair share of them. However, I do think the context of some of the violent video games is the problem and not the actuall action themselves. In the past its been like this

Kill bad guy - Save world - Be Hero

Your out to get somone that is hurting other people and thus the violence is justified. The Person in the game takes no pride in the violence, but it has to be done. Its the way most big action films are done.

I think the problem gamea are these gangster games. Its teaching kids to be the biggest bully in the playground and thats not safe. Young people pick up on these subtile messages and i really have a problem with the context of the violence in these games.

Kids dont need video games to be a bully trust me! I can understand why there is a problem with the violent content in the video games for kids.However this violent content is everywhere not just on video games.

What about the porno movies hidden under daddys bed, Big brother on channel 4, the internet, Bebo :rolleyes: . Why not ban everything.


In Microsoft Windows Vista and on the xbox 360 there is Parenting settings which allow parents to make decisions and what games they want their kids to play. They could easily set these settings. I can't wait to see the storm that the new GTA game is going to cause this year.

Retr0gamer

Ignorance on the parents part is the reason that these games are finding their way into childrens hands. There warnings are clearly visible on the boxes (the 18's sign is 3 times bigger on videogames than on movies).

Why is it wrong to make games about glorified gangsters. Why not ban Goodfellas or Scarface as well. How about one of the greatest films ever, the Godfather, some people think it glorifies the mafia. It's an infringement of the freedom of speech.

TBH videogames aren't the problem and there will and always be easy access to violent material. It may be GTA now but back when I was a kid it was 'videonasties'. I wasn't allowed to watch those films and wasn't allowed MK2 for quite awhile but I managed to play them and watched my fair share or gorey crap movies. Parents need to be educated and thought responsibility instead of a ban to take that responsibility out of their hands. Of course there will always be parents who just don't give a ****. Anyway I really don't think it willdo any harm to a normal sane person. Keeping them sheltered and nannied however will.

Cheeky monkey

I think they try do this every year because i know this isnt the first time i've read something like this and the games the kids play is realy the responsibility of the parent i mean a few weeks ago i saw a parent buy their 10 year old kid hitman or scarface i mean first they have an 18's logo in about 3 different place on the box, if i recall hitman was banned on some country and ffs the women was old enough to have seen scarface!!

Ri_Nollaig

Dont forget Hillary Clinton is the next possible president of the US and is another anti-violent game supporter with such friends as Jack Thompson... And in American they dont have to ban them (infact its probably impossible because of freedom of speech) but making them Adult only rating is enough for big stores to not stock that game and is as good in the long run.

koneko

I've played games all my life, and have watched horror/violent films all my life, and I've never killed anyone.

Except that one guy but that was totally his fault.

I agree with everything retr0 said.

Crucifix

wake-up-your wrote:

I think the problem movies are these gangster movies. Its teaching kids to be the biggest bully in the playground and thats not safe. Young people pick up on these subtile messages and i really have a problem with the context of the violence in these movies.

Agreed. Let's ban violent movies!

wake-up-your

Crucifix wrote:

Agreed. Let's ban violent movies!

You see your an idiot and totally didnt read what i was saying. I dont like gamgster movies but in every gangstr movie i ever saw there has been reprocussions to the violence and bullying. In these violent GAMES you kill the hooker, murder the other bad guy and yourself become the biggest bully. you are completely reward for being violent and no negitive reprecussions are shown. (I really cant spell) And there is nothing wrong with porn. I actually dont understand how parents can be so strict about kids watching porn, which is about sex, something natural and beautiful and have such a lax policy and these gangster games. It actually makes me laugh. I'd rather show a kid Ron Jeremys entire back catalog than let them play through a GTA game.

wake-up-your

Oh and in case people start taking what I'm saying super litterally I wanna add that I'm not saying all kids should watch porn. I just think that sex is natural and part of life. Violence and "bully culture" is not necessarily a part of life. yet somehow people see violence as something much more offensive than sex. Like that episode of south park where they get the ninja star stuck in butters eye!

thebman

wake-up-your wrote:

You see your an idiot and totally didnt read what i was saying. I dont like gamgster movies but in every gangstr movie i ever saw there has been reprocussions to the violence and bullying. In these violent GAMES you kill the hooker, murder the other bad guy and yourself become the biggest bully. you are completely reward for being violent and no negitive reprecussions are shown. (I really cant spell) And there is nothing wrong with porn. I actually dont understand how parents can be so strict about kids watching porn, which is about sex, something natural and beautiful and have such a lax policy and these gangster games. It actually makes me laugh. I'd rather show a kid Ron Jeremys entire back catalog than let them play through a GTA game.

How many times have you gone on a mad killing spree in GTA and not either gotten killed yourself or arrested?

The only time you get away with crimes in GTA is when you complete a mission.

Plus nobody actually dies in GTA technically as when the ambulance comes they are brought back to life on the spot.

None of this actually matters because computer games aren't real! And the majority of people playing them know this. The big problem is parents think kids are stupid. They have done studies on horror movies and why people enjoy them and the reason people enjoy it is because they know it isn't real. When showed real killing, people naturally freak out because they know its real. It is a complete assumption that this applies to movies but not to computer games.

I think certain psychological problems cause certain people to behave irrationally. I find it hard to believe that a computer game is a trigger where a movie wouldn't be. People that have a hard time separating reality from fiction should not play computer games or watch extremely violent movies.

Personally I have no problems with either, played GTA since I was 14 or so and Doom when I was younger and have yet to be arrested for a single crime or kill a single person. Its based on nonsense, the lot of it. When they come up with scientific facts they can introduce restrictions.

Kevster

brim4brim wrote:

The big problem is parents think kids are stupid

Yes, and they're right: Kids ARE 'stupid', to a certain extent. Children are learning constantly and when they become absorbed in a video game the actions they see their character taking in the game are remembered in real-life. That is a fact. The real problem then arises when a child assumes the same actions as the video-game character. If the actions were violent then the child's actions will be violent.


Don't get me wrong though: I'm aware that most children would realise the difference between reality and a game. The ones that don't realise this are the ones that I've mentioned above. So, do you ban violent games for the sake of those rare children that carry their characters actions to real-life? ...I think not, but perhaps parents need to be more responsible about how they raise their child - i.e. If a game is 18+ then don't buy it. Simple.


My general outlook in modern times is that parents are becoming less stern in times when sternness is needed more.


Kevin.

Zonko

Wario is an extremely violent game!

Beelzebub

I really enjoyed playing Manhunt....I feel guilty...:(

Call Me Jimmy

The argument that violent video games are bad mmkay gets me so frustrated. Do these people know what they are even saying? Someone mentioned earlier about that 'Bully' game teaching children that bullying is ok etc... number 1.

Bullying existed long before they made a game about it and more importantly the only people impressionable enough to act like a bully after playing a game about bullying is little kids, who shouldn't be playing it. And this is the games fault? lol

The gaming industry is taking the fall for parents who are too fcking lazy to take an interest in what their child is doing. I mean for crying out loud, I just don't understand people who think that gaming is the problem... jesus. It's like when I try to think about infinity, my mind just can't cope.

thelordofcheese

This one kinda snuck up on me, so i went and done a little reading on it. Long story short, there are two parts to this, and the great internet hype machine seems to have transformed them into some hideous monster.

From whats been reported

EU justice chiefs took aim at violent video games on Tuesday, agreeing to share information across the bloc on which games to outlaw and how, but leaving the final decision on bans with states themselves.

But the EU's justice and security commissioner said it would not lead to harmonised EU-wide bans.

"Each member state will decide which video games are violent and so to be banned. It's not a decision to be taken in Brussels," Franco Frattini told a news conference.
Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Which doesn't strike me as too bad, each state getting to say what it bans, if any. So german can still go crazy and ban anything it feels like, but you can still buy it in ireland or wherever.

The second part is this

Frattini said he would however make a proposal to the bloc's justice ministers in the first half of this year to harmonise sanctions on retailers selling violent video games to children younger than the label allows
Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Which i agree with wholeheartedly, and i doubt anyone of sound mind would disagree.

Trode

Yeah, it's not exactly Fahrenheit 451, but

EU justice chiefs took aim at violent video games on Tuesday, agreeing to share information across the bloc on which games to outlaw and how, but leaving the final decision on bans with states themselves.

But the EU's justice and security commissioner said it would not lead to harmonised EU-wide bans.

does mildly concern me. Firstly, the PEGI rating already exists as a Europe-wide accepted classification of content. If they're that worried about having everyone agree what's acceptable, make that legally enforced. No need for various justice ministers having ill-defined chats about 'which games to ban and how'.
Secondly, and I admit it's more pessimism than genuine fear for society, I can see very few politicians, if told of a game someone, somewhere, found offensive, taking the decision not to ban it. Whether genuine Helen Lovejoyism or standard CYA procedure, I think the decision on a controversial(or even not so controversial) game will come down to risk(a child who does something bad has heard of the game, or just a slow news day, causes tabloid to pick up story of how minister personally allowed 'sick filth' into the hands and homes of children, cue media and opposition feeding frenzy, calls for apologies/resignations/heads on pikes) versus reward(some developers in America make some money, interent nerds mollified), and most politicians,especially justice ministers, who're usually more in the 'ruthless authoitarian' than 'liberal pansy' mold, wouldn't take the chance.

po0k

Give kids a kick in the arse and send them outside, rain/hail/snow, instead of spending their days in front of a goggle box mindlessly slaying hoardes of conservative thought police.