So, will you be participating in "Ceasefire friday"?

[Zantos]

I don't really play shooters much. I may or may not end up playing BlOps2 on Friday as per request of a friend but I don't play shooters for 90% of the days in a year. Unless 3rd person counts, then maybe it is more like 60%. Gotta say though, this is a pretty dumb idea. Everyone knows that RTS's like Starcraft is what causes violence. FPS causes rapists. I thought everyone knew that.

I hesitate to ask what third person hack n slash n gun causes.

OT: Well, it seems like a pleasant idea, but I won't be taking part. Whether I play a shooter or not will depend on if I fancy playing a shooter.

 

[Iwata]

The amount of people here going "LOL NO! And you're pathetic for trying to do anything personal to honour the victims! Look at me, I'm so edgy I'm going to shoot things all day!" is kinda... sad.

I get not wanting to take part, but the need to belittle other people's personal good intentions is puzzling.

 

[pat34us]

Are film fanatics agreeing to not watch an films with shooting in them?

Is the media going to stop covering the shooting on Friday?

I read a report a couple days ago that theorized that he did it for attention knowing that the media would make a big deal about it (which is why he chose the location and victims).

I would think that a weeks worth of media coverage of real violence is more harmful than video games.

 

[ultrabiome]

i'm going to do exactly the same thing i would have otherwise, which is try to finish that last trophy in FFXIII-2 and then start playing an Xmas gift: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, which yes is a shooter.

if violent video games actually caused people going nuts and killing people, we would have found out year ago...

and i don't think i'm being sympathetic to the victims. my wife is an elementary school teacher - so it hit kinda close to me via her.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

snip

No. This is the first I've heard of it and it sounds stupid. Games are not the issue, Adam Lanza was mentally ill. I'm just going to carry on playing whatever game I feel like on that day. I might even go on a CoD binge and play the campaigns of all the CoDs I own consecutively. Maybe follow up by playing a few hours of each GTA I own. No shooter friday sounds stupid to me.

There is a slight possibility I'm severely missing the point of the event though.

 

[ThisGuyLikesNoTacos]

I won't join because I can't see this as an actual act of respect, but as a way to make gamers look better in the eyes of others.

Why just shooters? I just imagine someone going: "Oh, we know that your children died, so we decided to stop playing shooters for friday. You know, since the guy used guns." It's just seems so thoughtless and trying to please the people who are blaming video games for this, instead of actually respecting the dead.

Why do we not stop playing all video games instead for the day? That is something that would effect all gamers. It's seems like a cop out, considering there are tons of video game genres besides shooters. How is reminding people that people were specifically shot respectful? We might as well send money to the families of the people who died.

Why do we focus on the killer instead of the dead again?

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Well I'm playing Dark Souls at the moment, so that's what I'll be playing every time I get a chance. But the idea that video games were the root cause of this, and the subsequent idea of not playing shooters to show your disapproval for a single day (which does so much towards showing how people are worried about the long term effects that are clearly at play), are so stupid that if I were playing a shooter, I would make sure to play it on Friday, and beyond that, if there was a shooter I had that could justify not playing Dark Souls, I would play that for one day just to spite it.

 

[Poetic Nova]

Won't be shooting in a game per se, I will sneak past them in Dishonored before preparing to go to Londen. Well unless I'm in the mood for Borderlands 2 again.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I've recently started up Duke Nukem 3D. No way am I backing down!

 

[Andrew_C]

I don't play shooters much anymore, but this is such a stupid idea that I'm tempted to break out the most obnoxious game I own, Saints Row 2, and spend the whole day beating up, shooting and running down civilians.

FPS games didn't cause this atrocity.

I won't join because I can't see this as an actual act of respect, but as a way to make gamers look better in the eyes of others.

Why just shooters? I just imagine someone going: "Oh, we know that your children died, so we decided to stop playing shooters for friday. You know, since the guy used guns." It's just seems so thoughtless and trying to please the people who are blaming video games for this, instead of actually respecting the dead.

Why do we not stop playing all video games instead for the day? That is something that would effect all gamers. It's seems like a cop out, considering there are tons of video game genres besides shooters. How is reminding people that people were specifically shot respectful? We might as well send money to the families of the people who died.

Why do we focus on the killer instead of the dead again?

You put it much better than I can. And what you said gives me an idea, if as a gamer you feel that you do something to make a statement about this, a donation to Child's Play or another charity of your choice would be far more appropriate and helpful.

 

[King Billi]

Alot of people really need to get it into their heads that this harmless and simple gesture isn't in any way about them or their beloved videogames at all!

It's nothing more than a sign of condolence and support to the victims of this terrible tragedy and you're free to not participate if you wish, people should keep this in mind before they start crying about the blame game.

Seeing so many people turn this good-natured gesture around in order to paint themselves as victims of the game hating media once again is just disgusting.

Grow up.

 

[King Billi]

Believe it or not for some people this dosen't have anything to do with video games and the people who oppose them. For some people this is only about showing respect for those who have died.

Some people like to show compassion and sympathy by taking a moment out of their lives to offer condolences for the vicitms and their families of any tragedy. You are right that not everybody can actively effect change in the world but everyone is capable of showing compassion.

For some people this would done with a traditional moment of silence but for others choosing not the play a particular videogame is their sign of respect.

Offering sympathy however it may be done is never pointless but what you're doing is, stop thinking about yourself and your "precious" video games and recognise what this may actually be about for most people.

You do realise that this will achieve precisely nothing, right? It will in no way help the grieving friends and families of the victims. It will in no way prevent a similar event from occurring again in the future. All it will do is give more fuel to the people who say that violent video games caused this.

I'm not admitting games are responsible for this tragedy in any way by participating in this "ceasefire". Furthermore I'm not concerned that this will in any way be able to be used as an admission that violent video games are the cause of incidents like this, those that try to make that argument will be proven wrong like they always have been in the past.

I repeat once again that this has nothing to do with videogames or the people who oppose them, this is soley about showing the proper respect to the victims of this tragedy.

 

[Thistlehart]

Also, yeah, kneejerk reactions from the community are pretty much the least helpful responses to anything, ever.

Yes, indeed they are.

Yes, I'm looking at you, Mr. Pot.

Edit: Whoopsie. Forgot to respond to the original topic.

Yeah, I think I could take a day off online shooters, despite the emptiness of the gesture. Why not? It's not like I play them at all anyway.

Why not up the ante? I'll not play any video games that day that are of so much as a semi-violent nature. Not even Geometry Wars.

Why?

Because I want to.

 

[Comocat]

I'm not admitting games are responsible for this tragedy in any way by participating in this "ceasefire". Furthermore I'm not concerned that this will in any way be able to be used as an admission that violent video games are the cause of incidents like this, those that try will be proven wrong like they always have been in the past.

As if Fox News cares about being proved wrong.

I repeat once again that this has nothing to do with videogames or the people who oppose them, this is soley about showing the proper respect to the victims of this tragedy.

Depriving yourself of something you enjoy that is completely unrelated to the tragedy shows respect for the victims in the same way that taking on a vow of chastity or self-flagellation shows respect.

Or maybe 1 night out of hundreds of gaming you can say, maybe I'll spend some time with my wife or with friends, things that actually matter when they are gone. Of course a night of gaming celibacy isnt going to bring those kids back, but how often do we cherish the things we have? Maybe some of the parents of those kids wish they had watched less TV and played a board game with their kid before they never saw them again. We all lead busy lives, and having occasions that allow us to reflect on what we have is nice. Maybe you reflect on the loved in your lives often, and props to you, I certainly know that I have a wife that loves the hell out of me and I certainly dont do enough to show her that I appreciate every minute of it.

I generally play Rift from 9p - 12 on friday, I'm going to pass this time and spend the evening with my wife.

 

[GonzoGamer]

No; not unless everyone puts away the real guns for at least a week.

Once again I must quote George Carlin:
"now they're talking about banning toy guns...
and they're going to keep the fucking real ones!"

Does anyone (other than us) actually know about this cease fire thing?

Capsha: "banana stand"
When are the new episodes of Arrested Development coming out?

 

[Dogstile]

Nah, world of tanks beckons and I care very little. Call me crazy but just because people died in America doesn't mean that i'm going to drop everything and show "respect". People get killed every day, horribly, in other parts of the world, but for some reason the second it happens in a country with a massive media network you have to show respect.

Doesn't make sense and I don't agree with it. Anyone giving me shit for not caring about people i've never met who died halfway across the world seriously needs a reality check.

That said, I wish the best to their family's, I just won't change how I act for them.

 

[m19]

I repeat once again that this has nothing to do with videogames or the people who oppose them, this is soley about showing the proper respect to the victims of this tragedy.

Light a candle, pay respect in another way. Don't play a violent video game as a personal, I get why it can feel wrong after a violent tragedy to then immerse yourself in violent fiction. The two are obviously linked (no, not cause and effect) despite the knee jerk complete denial we as a community have.

However in the atmosphere when games come under attack by various idiots in high places making this a public event will no doubt seem like accepting some kind of responsibility to people who don't get it, even if in reality it's just a symbolic gesture.