The PTC's "Campaign Against Violent Videogames"

[EricII]

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/videogames/main.asp

After reading the news column about the videogame industry being "Thugs and Bullies", I decided to look more into the PTC and their campaign urging Congress to restrict the sales of videogames. I must say, after merely reading the first sentence of this page, I was enraged. Never before has an entire group of people been so callously disrespected because of their preference in media.

So the question stands, Escapist, how do you feel about "assuming the role of the most despicable people to walk the Earth" merely based on the fact that you play videogames?

 

[Iwata]

Videogames suffer from a severe problem: the people that raise issues with it are the same people that have no experience whatsoever with the medium, other than maybe watching their children/grandchildren playing those damned videogames all the time.

Makes as much sense as a cobbler protesting cranial surgery procedures in the San Francisco metropolitan area. Just pay no attention to them.

 

[lionheart_1]

It's a similar situation here in Australia, where we have interest groups (family groups and the like), that have had no experience with videogames whatsoever, recently lobby politicians to prevent an overhaul of our censorship laws (there's no R+18 rating, yet) at a recent review.

I'd say these groups were successful, since the Attorneys-General of Australia have referred the matter for further research, even though the vast majority of the approx. 50,000 submissions were in favour of a law change.

 

[subject_87]

Instead of giving these people the attention they want, can we just say that they're batshit bonkers and move on?

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

There campaign is going nowhere because these people have no true understanding of this medium and those who use it.

 

[FFHAuthor]

Unfortunately, these blind fools are leading around the other blind fools in politics and in the courts.

 

[Nmil-ek]

Retailers already ID check for games purchases on minors what the hell do you want them to do add in a passport required feature in steam, amazon, online stores etc? Maybe if they had a suggestion rather than RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE

Oh right yes retard logic *slams head into wall repeatedly* If adults can purchase games any child can! Ban all violent games and burn any ever made its the ony solution derp!

 

[badgersprite]

The only way I can sum this up is to repeat what I said in the thread on the related article in The News Room.

what is this i dont even

*sigh*

Give me a minute here...

*massages forehead to ward off migraine*

...You know, there comes a time in every person's life where they come across something so stupid, so mindnumbingly ignorant, so time-and-space-warpingly dense that its defiance of all logic and reasoning bends the very fabric of reality around on itself, and creates a paradox wherein the simple act of reading that, and trying in vain to comprehend such an unconstrained avalanche of pure, undiluted dumb actually makes your brain collapse in on itself because it honestly can't grapple with the complete and utter absence of intelligence in the words your brain has just tried to decipher.

The Parents Television Council has just given me that moment. Their claims are so wallbangingly, facepalm inducingly mindless that they have literally short circuited my brain.

I have to go lie down now.

And, after seeing their description of gamers, and their campaign outline, I have to say that I not only stand by everything I said above, but I feel that it is now a gross understatement. My opinion of the idiocy of this PTC campaign has now been amplified tenfold, and so has its ability to make my head hurt.

 

[NewYork_Comedian]

Almost all mediums have had some type of group like this on their ass, whether music, TV, and now video games, and all have failed, granted TV may be the only one that can be justified [what with most parents from what iv seen not caring if their child watches Family guy, Futurama, South Park, ect.]

 

[SkyKitty]

Here's an idea...

Why don't we just not buy MATURE rated games for kids who are obviously not MATURE yet?

Also I'm glad I'm a scumbag o3o

 

[NewYork_Comedian]

Oh right yes retard logic *slams head into wall repeatedly* If adults can purchase games any child can! Ban all violent games and burn any ever made its the ony solution derp!

Dont forget all who support the first amendment and want to solve their problems cleverly and without hatred are bullies and evil people who want to destroy our children! :]]]]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.239437-Parents-Television-Council-Calls-Game-Industry-Thugs-and-Bullies

Burn all video games by the stake, also incest is okay if their only cousins!

 

[FalloutJack]

Nothing will come of this. Can anybody really take a rally against violent video games seriously since the fail that is Jack Thompson? Sorry, people-who-abhor-violent-games, but your progress has been set back about ten years. Have a nice day.

 

[Saltyk]

I could only read a little of that article before I had to quit. Seriously, they are using some seriously faulty statements and logic. My favorite was this.

A ten-year-old can purchase an Adult Only (AO rated) video game.

Ok, so does anyone know where a ten year old can buy a AO rated game? For that matter, do you know where I can buy a AO rated game? I've never seen a store carry one. Especially not out in the open. Maybe that's because Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo refuse to license AO rated games on their consoles. But why would the PTC let minor details like facts get in the way of their agenda?

 

[harv3034]

-I read the article-
That is a serious load of BULL!!!!!!!!

I really wish people would get down of their f***ing high horses and actually spen the time to try and understand the medium they are trying to regulate.

This reminds me of the story that the Supreme Court is going to hear the case of the California law making it illegal to sell violent games to minors.

If you haven't heard about this yet, I'm not kidding.
See Extra Credits for more info.

That argument is also a total load (while being a bit funnyif you think about it).
The reason the Supreme Court is willing to hear the case is that California is saying that the games in question harm minors.
In addition, they are saying that minors (citizens under 18) do not posess the mental capasity to choose what games to buy/play; and that it is the responcability of the govermnent to reinforce parental athority on these matters.

As I said; kind of funny, but a complete LOAD in the long run.

 

[NewYork_Comedian]

I could only read a little of that article before I had to quit. Seriously, they are using some seriously faulty statements and logic. My favorite was this.

A ten-year-old can purchase an Adult Only (AO rated) video game.

Ok, so does anyone know where a ten year old can buy a AO rated game? For that matter, do you know where I can buy a AO rated game? I've never seen a store carry one. Especially not out in the open. Maybe that's because Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo refuse to license AO rated games on their consoles. But why would the PTC let minor details like facts get in the way of their agenda?

Indeed, these people have broomsticks up their asses, for i have never, EVER seen an AO game in a public retail store. Maybe they should understand that "the billionaire game companies that profit from selling sex and violence to children" [actual quote] uphold very, VERY strict policies when it comes to selling games.

 

[heavyarms]

What I find funny is that they call for "pushing for legislation to enforce the ESRB ratings guides for purchase of games backed by financial penalties for those who do not follow the law." Last I checked with friends and fellow co-workers at a store I worked at, the company very explicitly told all new workers the penalties for not checking age on M-rated games, which included immediate termination, and the company itself could suffer financial penalties already. Beyond that, not much else can be done at the store level outside of asking parents "are you sure you want to buy this for them?" I agree that some parents may need to be more involved with their kids and have conversation with them about ratings, but what these people are suggesting is lunacy.

 

[BenzSmoke]

Yes, because the mental health of your little Bobby is worth the thousands of jobs and millions of dollars that the games industry creates. Don't think for a second that it's your fault for buying that game for your kid in the first place. Also, it's totally the army simulators alone that teach soldiers how to kill people. Lets just ignore the months of combat training these men and women have to go through to learn to kill.

I could only read a little of that article before I had to quit. Seriously, they are using some seriously faulty statements and logic. My favorite was this.

A ten-year-old can purchase an Adult Only (AO rated) video game.

Ok, so does anyone know where a ten year old can buy a AO rated game? For that matter, do you know where I can buy a AO rated game? I've never seen a store carry one. Especially not out in the open. Maybe that's because Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo refuse to license AO rated games on their consoles. But why would the PTC let minor details like facts get in the way of their agenda?

Indeed. Also where would a ten year old get the money to do this? Why would the retailer sell an AO game to a ten year old without raising questions? Retailers aren't that stupid PTC, they check people's ages and require a parent to be present in order to sell any game over M to a minor. The retailers around where the PTC people live must be very irresponsible.

 

[badgersprite]

What I find funny is that they call for "pushing for legislation to enforce the ESRB ratings guides for purchase of games backed by financial penalties for those who do not follow the law." Last I checked with friends and fellow co-workers at a store I worked at, the company very explicitly told all new workers the penalties for not checking age on M-rated games, which included immediate termination, and the company itself could suffer financial penalties already. Beyond that, not much else can be done at the store level outside of asking parents "are you sure you want to buy this for them?" I agree that some parents may need to be more involved with their kids and have conversation with them about ratings, but what these people are suggesting is lunacy.

Yeah. Exactly. I mean, I'm practically twenty, and I still sometimes get carded for 15+ games. 18+ games aren't even sold in my country. Seriously.

And the irony is that I've been able to get 18+ rated movies and TV shows without ever being checked for ID when I was well below the legal age, so this double standard on video games and gaming is even more ridiculous when you think of that.