Parents Television Council Calls Game Industry "Thugs" and "Bullies"

[GenericAmerican]

The video game industry sells sex and violence to me? How dare they!?! Since I wasn't the one making the choice to buy the damn game.

I know what I will do, instead of playing video games that corrupt my mind with violence, sex, drugs and all that evil stuff. I will go smoke, have lots of unprotected sex, and get in fights because all those things aren't as bad in real life.

And I have never played a game with full on 'sex' I mean, are they talking about the mass effect scene that was the equivalent of a bad soap-opera love scene?

 

[ssgt splatter]

PTC, I'm 20 years old and I don't have kids or plan to have kids but even I know that the job of keeping games like Call of Duty, Gears of War, Halo, and [insert your game title here] is the job of you, the parents. Go into your child's room and look at the games he/she has; if your child has a game you don't want him/her playing, then take it away from them and tell them why you don't want them playing it yet. DO NOT shirk your responsibilities as parents by creating public outcry to force the government to do your job for you.

I could've been much harsher on this subject like you were against the gaming industry and those of us, me included, who support it but I took the high road and gave a civilized answer.
The first Admendment is, in my mind, the country's most sacred right and it shouldn't be patronized because there is something out there that you don't like.

Now, if it's completely tasteless like say a videogame that let's you play as one of the Columbine shooters shooting up the high school, Lee Harvey Oswald assassinating the president, or the Nazis shoving the jews into the ovens and hearing them scream in agony, that's different and you'd have every right to run to the government and scream at them to regulate this...no wait, ban this.

 

[subject_87]

Really, I suspect that most of this outcry is just ineffective parents projecting their problems onto others.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

Fuck. You. Guys. You are ignorant, inept, woefully uninformed, and have demonstrated that you are incapable of preforming the task you have been assigned to do. Members of the PTC, if I may use my internet tongue for a moment "You Fail. Hard.". That is all.

 

[Spectre4802]

NO.

Just take it away from me. I can't bear myself to think that there are so many stupid people in the world.

*peeks up and reads "The PTC urges its members to stand up to the billionaire game companies that profit from selling sex and violence to children."*

ARRGH GAH

 

[theblackmonk90]

I don't understand America... California is the home of the porn industry... Which is completely unable to stop children viewing its pages on the internet. It has a murder rate which compared to the UK looks as if its one step down from Caracas and your legislators cannot even agree on a budget. And I find out this is what is being done?

Don't get me wrong I respect the US, its an amazing country. I have visited several times and California is also an awesome place. But I am astounded that this is what some Americans think is a priority... A reality check is definitely required.

 

[stutheninja]

what some people don't seem to understand is that, every other media enjoys total freedom of expression while video games, arguably one of the most influential artist mediums, is slated to be neutered. not only is ts fundamental violation of my rights as a united states citizen, but is an affront to me as a human being, that a construct made up of mostly middle aged men thinks it knows what is suitable for children and adults alike who enjoy these games.

 

[pwnzerstick]

This calls for drastic measures! The law is against us! Society's against us! The State is against us! We need help! We need heroes! We need... ANONYMOUS!

Or just Cthulhu for president...

Cthulu/Anonymous 2012!

 

[pwnzerstick]

Well theres two sides to this, if we lose this case then there is probably going to be some smug aftermath article and then the industry won't be taken seriously until these people get to the nursing home, or if we win then I just can't can't wait for these people to post an even angrier argument saying how the supreme court is wrong or something, and watch them fidget.

 

[psivamp]

Argument ad hominem, faulty analogies... These people aren't very good at debate.

Although, on a note that none of us want to hear, the consensus is the violent media in general makes its viewers more violent. The definition of violence used is perhaps a bit loose in some of the studies, but there it is. http://www.springerlink.com/content/w8987767476q300m/

I don't agree that there needs to be a law in place to keep kids from buying video games and I certainly don't want a government agency with the authority to ban titles. It's unnecessary both from a financial standpoint and -- wait, where the heck are these kids' parents? Isn't that the real issue?

Edit: The PTC call us thugs and bullies? They already know about the ESRB rating system and the age restrictions enforced by distribution chains like Best Buy ( http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/news/release/2010/0624.asp ).

This article says Target doesn't adhere to the age restrictions, but the methodology used for the study isnt' clear. If the 36% of minors allowed to buy M-rated games and R rated movies, are 16 that's rather different than if they're 11. http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/news/release/2009/0528.asp

 

[Espsychologist]

What is it with parents anyway?

Does cranking out a child automatically instil a person with a zealous desire to rid the world of anything that might threaten the purity of their little darling?

Yes, it does.

 

[Ashes2Ashes]

Nobody seems to realize that the ratings for movies are printed once in a tiny little rectangle that isn't always in the same place somewhere on the back of the box. How many of these groups complain about those? These groups want game ratings to be TWO SQUARE INCHES (according to an interview in GI)

I guess that's slightly off topic but it was just something I was noticing earlier that got my attention considering all the hooplah that's been going on lately.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

What? These people obviously never went to elementary school or they'd know that the kids who play videogames are usually the ones who get bullied, not the other way around.

 

[BrionJames]

and it will be until parents grow up and take responsibility for the shit their little shit kids are consuming

 

[Kratenser]

ok i dont live in the US so im not really sure what the first amendment is but, "selling sex and violence to children"???

RIGHT so erm, is that what the developers of little big planet did? xD