Atkinson Says You Don't Need to Impale People

[RavingPenguin]

"This is a question of a small number of very zealous gamers trying to impose their will on society. And I think harm society," he said. "It's the public interest versus the small vested interest."

"It doesn't seem democratic that a single attorney general should be able to dictate what the vast Australian population can interact with. The government trusts us to be adults with films, but they only want us to be children with games."

Point/ counter-point

including "I accept that 98%, 99% of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the 1% to 2% could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence."

I really think this guy needs this read back to him. Seriously, did he even think about that statement?

He added, "You don't need to be playing a game in which you impale, decapitate and dismember people."

Aha! The truth comes out! He doesnt want gamers to get ideas on what to do to him!

 

[Ultra_Caboose]

Ah, this guy sounds like a shithead.

Sorry, not much else to add, just felt like stating the obvious...

 

[DarkRyter]

That guy is wrong.

 

[Doug]

"This is a question of a small number of very zealous gamers trying to impose their will on society. And I think harm society,"

Small number of zealots imposing their will on society? Perhaps Mr. Atkinson could do with looking in the mirror.

He did but, well...

 

[hittite]

Atkinson: "I accept that 98%, 99% of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the 1% to 2% could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence."

So it is with movies and books as well. I read a particularly violent and gory book once, I believe he knows of it, and will surely find that it should be banned.

...It's called The Bible.

I pretty sure there's a substantial amount of evidence that this book has motivated some readers to commit horrible acts of violence. Unlike Video Games.

"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead.

Judges 5:24-27. No you didn't read it wrong, she just lulled him into a false sense of security and drove a tent peg through his head!

 

[curty129]

Atkinson: "I accept that 98%, 99% of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the 1% to 2% could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence."

So it is with movies and books as well. I read a particularly violent and gory book once, I believe he knows of it, and will surely find that it should be banned.

...It's called The Bible.

I pretty sure there's a substantial amount of evidence that this book has motivated some readers to commit horrible acts of violence. Unlike Video Games.

Haha, touché! Suck it to him.

OT: I believed this post was to do with the Atkinson diet. So I don't believe my opinion would be wise to take into consideration.

Edit: Here is my opinion anyway: Atkinson appears to be hypocritical and a bit of an imbecile :l

First: We were recently informed that the number of gamers worldwide is broke the 1 Billion mark, meaning that he's effectively tarring a large number of the population as people who are susceptible to this.

Wait, what?!? A billion gamers?! Ok, 300-500 million I could accept, but this seems very high. Do you have a source?

There was a recent Escapist article on it. Source [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.160475].

Ah, of course. The Facebook users. Still, impressive. Next step; conquer the world!

Can we legalise consensual cannibalism? It would bring a whole new level to prostitution.. Selling your body and all.

Though, more permanent.

Dibs on the cheeks D:

 

[Fire Daemon]

Somebody, please get rid of him. The election's coming soon, so we won't have to wait for long.

I'm pretty sure that his seat is a safe seat, so he isn't going to be voted out of office. I also have a feeling that in the next election Kevin Rudd will be voted back in office. There is a lot of time between now and 2011 but I can't see Tony Abbot getting elected as PM. I think we'll be putting up with this guys BullShit for a long time.

I'm both kind of glad and dissapointed that AvP has not be changed to meet the censors demands. I'm glad that the devs are sticking to their guns and not bending down for Australia and maybe a lack of a game will cause people here to try and start fighting against this, but on the other hand there is nothing that we can do against Atkinson and we miss out on what looks like a fun title.

I think that Atkinson enjoys the trouble he stirs up with us. He knows that whenever he speaks about games it will end up on places like this, he knows that it annoys people, and yet he keeps on doing it. He's like a kid kicking up a beehive with a protective bee suit on. What a jerk.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Vampires. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Amnestic]

>The answer to that is: yes, sometimes you do.

Why?

I'm curious. Why do you have to enact crime fantasies? What makes you have to commit atrocious, violent acts in a game?

(Mind you, I'm not advocating censorship. I'm just curious why you feel violence to be something that's necessary.)

The Karmapa Lapa has something to say about it. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94875-Buddhist-Religious-Leader-Says-Games-Satiate-Aggression]

 

[The Great JT]

Uwe Boll Jack Thompson Michael Atkinson will die now!

 

[Doug]

Somebody, please get rid of him. The election's coming soon, so we won't have to wait for long.

I'm pretty sure that his seat is a safe seat, so he isn't going to be voted out of office. I also have a feeling that in the next election Kevin Rudd will be voted back in office. There is a lot of time between now and 2011 but I can't see Tony Abbot getting elected as PM. I think we'll be putting up with this guys BullShit for a long time.

I'm both kind of glad and dissapointed that AvP has not be changed to meet the censors demands. I'm glad that the devs are sticking to their guns and not bending down for Australia and maybe a lack of a game will cause people here to try and start fighting against this, but on the other hand there is nothing that we can do against Atkinson and we miss out on what looks like a fun title.

I think that Atkinson enjoys the trouble he stirs up with us. He knows that whenever he speaks about games it will end up on places like this, he knows that it annoys people, and yet he keeps on doing it. He's like a kid kicking up a beehive with a protective bee suit on. What a jerk.

You might get lucky and he might have to leave office cus of a health condition. Or get run over by a train. Maybe with a push...?

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

He is even worse than Jack Tompson....

In terms of his train of logic, he isn't. What's worrying is that Atkinson has genuine power. I mean, the other 6 attorneys general could approve the idea, but it wouldn't fly. His majority in in his constituency is like 50% so... safe seat.

 

[Fire Daemon]

You might get lucky and he might have to leave office cus of a health condition. Or get run over by a train. Maybe with a push...?

Damn! That has to be one of the quickest times I've ever been quoted.

Yeah, maybe he'll die or something turns up to get him out of office but I doubt it. And if he did die in mysterious circumstances imagine the backlash. Gamers would be hunted in the streets like rabid dogs I tell ya.

 

[Vredesbyrd67]

I heard on a recent Australian Gamer podcast (the one with Matt and Yug, the other 2 guys besides Yahtzee who're going to be doing Game Damage) that one of the writers for AG got in contact with Atkinson, and he said that he's only one of many Australian politicians pushing for stronger censorship, but everyone else "just let [him] be the scapegoat." If you think about it, it kinda makes sense. I'm not condoning his close-mindedness, but if you think about it, he's probably not the only cause the Australian bullshit monsoon.

 

[Phototoxin]

but prostitution is fine and legal in Oz... so bizzare...

 

[Vierran]

I think that the percentage of gamers that Atkinson incites to want to commit acts of violence is much larger.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

"This is a question of a small number of very zealous gamers trying to impose their will on society. And I think harm society," he said. "It's the public interest versus the small vested interest."

Australian Population: 20 Million
Gamers in Australia: 3 million (using the figures earlier)
Mature Gamers in Australia: 1.5 million (Sounds fair?)
Attorney Generals in Australia: 7 (I believe?)
Attorney General who believes games are the devil: 1

Which of these groups is the small vested interest? And who is imposing their will on society?

Pop Quiz: Which of these groups has also been accused of hiding 6 million AUS$ in his bank account?

 

[Amnestic]

"This is a question of a small number of very zealous gamers trying to impose their will on society. And I think harm society," he said. "It's the public interest versus the small vested interest."

Australian Population: 20 Million
Gamers in Australia: 3 million (using the figures earlier)
Mature Gamers in Australia: 1.5 million (Sounds fair?)
Attorney Generals in Australia: 7 (I believe?)
Attorney General who believes games are the devil: 1

Which of these groups is the small vested interest? And who is imposing their will on society?

Pop Quiz: Which of these groups has also been accused of hiding 6 million AUS$ in his bank account?

Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw?

...no?

 

[machineiv]

The Karmapa Lapa has something to say about it. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94875-Buddhist-Religious-Leader-Says-Games-Satiate-Aggression]

I was asking about this specific author.

I'm asked why he has a need to kill in video games. Does he have the tendency to act aggressive? Does he need to curb that? Are there no alternatives?

Need is a superlative. I am just curious why it's a need. Is it an addiction? If he goes without, will the world be served with violent activity?

 

[Treblaine]

Lets face it Atkinson is not the main problem.

The problem is with the SYSTEM that allows one man with a personal vendetta to bend a country to his whim. And that system extends to legislature.

It may be a video-game today, but Australia will have many more "Atkinson's" who will trample all over personal freedoms to satisfy their own vendetta, perhaps in what may be considered more sensitive areas of their lives.

If Australia loves freedom like it claims, then Atkinson should be unemployed by now.