Post by DangerousBobby on Mar 25, 2010 2:18:03 GMT
I'm sorry if the title of the thread suggests that I'm against games.
I'm not. I was just so outraged by the video that I was forwarded on twitter, well someone I follow was retweeting it but that's not the point.
I simply find it hard to believe that in the society we live in games are still used as a scape goat and as a way to score easy points. Look not everyone who plays games is violent. I'm a pacifist, but I play violent games does this make me a hypocrite? No. Just as playing rugby doesn't. Also games are no worse than films, if we take like for like: Mario kart vs Speed racer. Which is worse? None as they both have the same values (I believe.) Letters from Iwo Jima vs Cod WaW. They are the same. They are showing the same bit of history (sort of) in the same style. The argument that games are integrative is one that hold little water in my opinion. Yes games are integrative in one sense but you are still playing out a preplanned story, because that is the way that games work. They are scripted. Even you're most open ended game is scripted to be such. The tale of Elder Scrolls is in it's main story line scripted as much as a final fantasy game.
The next argument that games are more accessible for children. How? They have the same BBFC rating as films and are regulated in the same way as DVD's or blu rays. If games are accessible to children so are films. These clearly have a rating and aren't meant for people under the age. Yes some children may play these games under the age, but parents shouldn't allow this, or should take responsibility. I was shown Alien as a youngling and as a result couldn't sleep for weeks. In much the same vain my parents watched me play grand theft auto, they bought it for me because I was mature enough to handle it. I know the difference between fact and fiction and while it's arguably wrong for me to have played these games under 18, it's equally arguable for me to have watched alien and many other films under that same age.
The main problem is that parents still see games as childish and need to learn they are as films. A medium with both mature and juvenile and something in between. The sooner this lesson is learnt the better.
I'm not. I was just so outraged by the video that I was forwarded on twitter, well someone I follow was retweeting it but that's not the point.
I simply find it hard to believe that in the society we live in games are still used as a scape goat and as a way to score easy points. Look not everyone who plays games is violent. I'm a pacifist, but I play violent games does this make me a hypocrite? No. Just as playing rugby doesn't. Also games are no worse than films, if we take like for like: Mario kart vs Speed racer. Which is worse? None as they both have the same values (I believe.) Letters from Iwo Jima vs Cod WaW. They are the same. They are showing the same bit of history (sort of) in the same style. The argument that games are integrative is one that hold little water in my opinion. Yes games are integrative in one sense but you are still playing out a preplanned story, because that is the way that games work. They are scripted. Even you're most open ended game is scripted to be such. The tale of Elder Scrolls is in it's main story line scripted as much as a final fantasy game.
The next argument that games are more accessible for children. How? They have the same BBFC rating as films and are regulated in the same way as DVD's or blu rays. If games are accessible to children so are films. These clearly have a rating and aren't meant for people under the age. Yes some children may play these games under the age, but parents shouldn't allow this, or should take responsibility. I was shown Alien as a youngling and as a result couldn't sleep for weeks. In much the same vain my parents watched me play grand theft auto, they bought it for me because I was mature enough to handle it. I know the difference between fact and fiction and while it's arguably wrong for me to have played these games under 18, it's equally arguable for me to have watched alien and many other films under that same age.
The main problem is that parents still see games as childish and need to learn they are as films. A medium with both mature and juvenile and something in between. The sooner this lesson is learnt the better.
