videogame attitudes UK vs USA

[Rossco64]

It's because PEGI (and the BBFC before it) are backed by law, while ERSB (America's rating system) is not. This means that legally shops can sell games such GTA and COD to minors, however most shops refuse to do this as it could attract negative publicity. This doesn't change the fact though that when FOX says little Billy is in danger from GTA V they are technically, TECHNICALLY, right because Billy can legally go to the shops and purchase GTA V. This allows American media to basically pin the fault on game developers when children get their hands on violent games.

This doesn't really work in the UK. If someone tries to blame the game developers when little Timmy gets his hands on GTA V, all the game developers have to do is point at the PEGI rating on the box and the blame immediately shifts to whoever provided that game to the minor as they have actually committed a crime. When minors get drunk we don't blame the the people that made the alcohol we blame the people that gave them the alcohol. Essentially the anti-games argument has no teeth in the UK.

 

[SecondPrize]

I don't know about portrayal in the British media but as far as the U.S. goes, you'll have to wait for the corporations who own the media there to buy out some big developers before you see positive portrayals of gaming. If that happens though, it'll be like flicking a switch and will instantly change.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

But then again what do I know? The US had its own video gaming TV channel, so maybe there attitudes towards gaming is more positive to us, I mean we don't have a TV channel for games

Yeah we do. It's called Ginx or somesuch. It's on Virgin Channel 286.

 

[Someone Depressing]

The UK has criticised video games often.

And in Scotland, a game that isn't COD, WWE or GTA is hardly going to get any attention. Especially anime games, mech games, and RPGs. I do think Final Fantasy sells pretty well here, but that's disputable.

Like, a British therapist saying that video games are ultimately the root cause of all modern violence. When I read about him, I literally headbutted the wall so hard I had to go to hospital.

 

[MCerberus]

Does the phrase "culture war" exist in the UK? If not, there's you're answer. In the US pundits always have to take a stance that every little cultural shift is something that IS DESTROYING AMERICA BALD EAGLES ARE CRYING. In this hyperbolic environment, gun control is a government plot to install some 1984 hellscape (the actual spying on citizens and forever wars are apparently fine though), inclusiveness is a plot to destroy religion and turn us all communist ("War" on Christmas), and trying to change mechanics for systems of welfare that keep breaking when they're merely patched is murdering the poor and eldercide.

In this context, we have videogames displacing other things people traditionally stared at screens for. It skews a lot younger than the current retirement age, so the CULTURE WAR machine spins up. Naturally the party that is more conservative and older makes the most noise here.