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Fans rage at anti-MadWorld campaign News
Wii News by Robert Purchese
Watchdog outfit Mediawatch-UK has received sacks of "hostile emails" after calling for a ban of gory SEGA Wii game MadWorld.
The company complained back in August that the title will "spoil the family fun image" of the console, arguing that "modern and civilised values" should take priority over "killing and maiming people".
"Within hours of these remarks being published a rain of hostile emails from gamers poured into our office telling us to 'shut the f*** up', suggesting that we had 'got our knickers in a twist', demanding, as though we were on trial for an heinous crime, to know what right we had to impose our 'narrow minded bigotry' on them and stopping them playing an 'adult' game of their choice," writes John Beyer in Mediawatch-UK's recently published autumn newsletter.
"Others, of a more sober character, asked reasonably why we should be so concerned about games when there was so much violence in films and on television!
"We were also accused us of being 'cowards' for not responding properly to belligerent strictures and one 'emailer' observed glibly that 'violent acts are not a symptom of videogames and films, but rather the human condition'," he adds. "Another said: 'If you don't like violent content, don't view or use it.'"
Beyer said some also "cynically" thanked Mediawatch-UK for drawing attention to a game they would now go out and buy.
"It is evident from this that the battle for standards has rather shifted away from television towards games and the internet," reckons Beyer.
So what will Mediawatch-UK do about all this? Well, the company has responded to the public discussion of the Video Recordings Act opened by The Department of Culture, Media and Sport. This Act, you see, was put together in 1984, when there was no such genre as retro.
Mediawatch-UK called for online gaming to become part of the Act, and to see "a unified classification scheme that must be 'trustworthy, uniform and clear' and there must be 'power to refuse to certify certain titles'".
"We did not agree that any new system 'must work for the games industry' alone or that it 'must support retailers'.'The overriding priority,' we said, 'really ought to be the welfare of children and families,'" concludes Beyer in the report.
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curtlikesmeat
13/11/08 @ 08:56
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I've never been first before, so please forgive me just this once. First!
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squarejawhero
13/11/08 @ 08:57
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Bleach will do it.
Thanks, fellow gamers, for giving these idiots ammunition. I bet they feel more justified than ever now. |
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The_Inquisitor
13/11/08 @ 09:01
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They want to protect kids, and now they have an opinion that most gamers are kids.
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"really ought to be the welfare of children and families"
All nice and dandy but that STILL gives you no right to come into my home and tell me what to do and what I can't watch. In other words: Fuck off with your hypocritical bullshit, masquerading under a banner of purity. For once I find myself in agreement with the mobs. |
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When do the authorities realize that games are a medium, just like movies, books, music, internet and television.
What is it that games need to be banned. Can you remember the last time a movie was rejected? Just because kids play on a Wii doesn't mean no adult games can be made for it. Common Sense people should try it. |
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PearOfAnguish
13/11/08 @ 09:14
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This is going to be an 18 rated title, presumably, so what's the problem? If kids are getting hold of it then Mediawatch needs to focus its efforts on educating the parents buying this game for their kids or the stores selling it to under-18s, rather than attempting to have it outlawed because they don't like a game that's intended for adults.
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most recently on 13/11/08 @ 09:15
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'The overriding priority,' we said, 'really ought to be the welfare of children and families,'" concludes Beyer in the report.
Hmmm. Perhaps we should have some sort of ratings system, determining the suitablity of games and under media for non-adults of certain ages and proscribing the sale of adult-rated games to those deemed too young. Maybe this could use a large sticker on the box with the age limit stated? EDIT This is going to be an 18 rated title, presumably, so what's the problem? If kids are getting hold of it then Mediawatch needs to focus its efforts on educating the parents buying this game for their kids or the stores selling it to under-18s, rather than attempting to have it outlawed because they don't like a game that's intended for adults. Nah, because mediawatch is only interested in backdoor censorship, not education. It was founded by Mary Whitehouse (!) and also objects to stuff like showing homosexual relationships on TV or blasphemy.
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most recently on 13/11/08 @ 09:24
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:) I'm brilliant!
they should just make the WII a kids only console,with No 16 year + titlesl! then prohibit humans under the age of 16 to own a xbox or ps3 problem solved serious now: didn't you just have the byron report last year or something wich made all kinds of sence, why this discussion again? |
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SpyroViper
13/11/08 @ 09:46
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So isn't watching a film like Saw 'spoinling the family fun image fo a living room'?
Stupid people, agreeing with the mobs here. I say BURN 'EM AT THE STAKE!
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most recently on 13/11/08 @ 09:47
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PearOfAnguish
13/11/08 @ 09:52
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"founded by Mary Whitehouse"
Ah, well in that case, telling them to fuck off is a perfectly reasonable response. |
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neonemesis
13/11/08 @ 09:58
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Its not their responsibility to try and get things banned. Ultimately, its down to the parents to keep the game out of their hands in the same way that its down to parents to make sure their young child doesn't raid the DVD cupboard and put Saw/Hostel/other18 rated films on the telly.
Quite why nobody made a stink about something like Hostel which is like 40% nudity/sex and 60% torture/violence is beyond me yet they are quite happy to slam a game for having dashings of blood. Furthermore, it isn't their job to decide what image a console has is it? But yeah, I agree with everyone about how silly it was to send angry complaints that aren't going to help matters. You can have an opinion but you have to get it across properly to be taken seriously. |
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chessboxer
13/11/08 @ 10:04
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Were computer games to blame for the horrible acts towards Baby P? Were computer games to blame for the Crusades? Do parents buy violent games for their children? Do watchdog groups lack common sense and rely on fear promoting?
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squarejawhero
13/11/08 @ 10:23
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""Thanks, fellow gamers, for giving these idiots ammunition. I bet they feel more justified than ever now."
^ Just terrible. " Writing idiotic, hate-strewn emails fully of swear words to people like this DOESN'T WORK. It merely gives them justification to keep going. edit - actually, are you agreeing with me? :P I'm confuzzled. But please, if anyone in this thread wrote one to them, speak for yourselves and not for the rest of us. You're as bad as they are.
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most recently on 13/11/08 @ 10:23
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If I had kids, I'd let them play MadWorld.
Unless they were mentalists, then they'd just get the fucking belt. Computer games, films, books etc do not make people violent. People predisposed to violence are going to be violent, regardless of what media they see (if any). We should look after our nutters properly, instead of letting them roam free on EG. |
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"Were computer games to blame for the horrible acts towards Baby P? Were computer games to blame for the Crusades? Do parents buy violent games for their children? Do watchdog groups lack common sense and rely on fear promoting?"
Not that I agree with them, but that argument is rubbish. You can't say "The Crusades were extremely violent. Computer games weren't around then, therefore computer games aren't violent". Give it twenty years (maybe ten), and all the people in power will be people who grew up playing computer games. Problem gone. |
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Eighthours
13/11/08 @ 10:31
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Sadly, trying to get an objective discussion with MediaWatchUK about videogames is akin to convincing a KKK member that Obama's election was a good thing.
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First thing censors need to realise is not all content is done for the lowest common denomminator, i.e. Children. Content should be for all something for kids, something for teenagers and something for adults. And I hate to be the relist but every game has violence tendencies. Its the fucking human condition.
E.g. take for instance super mario bros you kill iinnocent goombas and koopas. Eg.2. Pac man you have to get the highest score by eating 4 innocent ghosts. Like i say its the human condition maybe we should ban wars being shown on the tv because thats violent. Ut they wouldn't admit to that becasue it makes them look like dumb fuckers. |
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dancingphil
13/11/08 @ 10:46
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Can't we take this as an opportunity to ask why we are so into violent games? I have The Darkness, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Gears of War, etc, etc. I like them a lot, but I can't explain why the violence somehow makes them more satisfying to play. What happens in these games (especially The Darkness) is pretty horrific. There's no way of objectively measuring the impact of violent media, but I'd be surprised if it was positive.
This isn't a troll. I just think there's a good chance to actually think a bit about this. |
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PearOfAnguish
13/11/08 @ 10:50
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Because we are a violent species, and games are a safe way of expressing our natural aggression. The violence appeals to the base wild animal part of our brains. It's escapism too, acting out things we aren't allowed to do for real.
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chessboxer
13/11/08 @ 10:59
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@ LiamK
I am saying that these groups and people like Jack Thompson and some of our MP's are claiming that the current state of violence which we are seeing on the streets is largely down video games when that is total bullshit. They are using scare tactics on the masses and people with a lack of common sense will believe what they hear. Many people still think that video games and animation are only for kids and can't understand that the medium can be used to reach wide audiences, but like porn, video games should not be purchased for minors when there is a massive 18 rating slapped on the front cover. Of course video games weren't around in the 11th Century but the Crusades were violent (unless you consider massacres of people based on their religious views to be part of everyday life) and religion is a bigger cause of violence in the world than games, and that hasn't changed in 1000 yrs, yet these groups and politicians would have you/myself/others believe otherwise. |
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neonemesis
13/11/08 @ 11:09
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Because we are a violent species, and games are a safe way of expressing our natural aggression. The violence appeals to the base wild animal part of our brains. It's escapism too, acting out things we aren't allowed to do for real.
Spot on. Cases of aggression and violent acts would probably be higher if there wasn't some sort escapism available to us. Its not that different to venting anger by taking out rage on a punchbag. |
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Spot on. Cases of aggression and violent acts would probably be higher if there wasn't some sort escapism available to us. Its not that different to venting anger by taking out rage on a punchbag.
Britain as a rule is quite aggressive. Other countries somehow manage to be less aggressive with the same escapism available that there is in Britain. |
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What children are you speaking of? Parents should have more sense than just giving kids money so they can buy whatever game they want. Or maybe they have earned enough money, in that case the shopkeepers should look at the ratings and ask for id of some sort. What else can be done to make them not play the adult games? Ah, we could ruin it for everyone by stopping the game from being release here so that people who wants it can just pay extra to play it. Now that sounds like fun.
Suck my merry jousting pole |
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Like all animals with a carnivous intent we are violent. Since media watch uk are run by christians who do not believe in darwins theories that we are animals, they don't understand the ease at which playing any sought of videogame unleshes testostorne into our brains thus creating the need for a kick as well.
Something I've been informed of is that media watch uk is ran by a man who prides himself being a devout christian and opposes the idea of homosexuals. Why did I throw this in here because a few months back he had sex with a rentboy. Not to be too crude but I wouldn't put it past him to be playing violent videogames as well. Plus thwere opinions caount towards nothing. |
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PearOfAnguish
13/11/08 @ 11:42
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"Britain as a rule is quite aggressive. Other countries somehow manage to be less aggressive with the same escapism available that there is in Britain."
How do you know Britain is more aggressive than other countries? Going by the latest figures for murders per capita, for example, the UK is below Canada, South Korea, United States, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and many other countries. In fact, looking at it like that actually works in our favour. The less developed countries where they are less likely to have access to games have a huge problem with violence. That's because of other social, political and economic issues. Games have absolutely nothing to do with it. |
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doriangray
13/11/08 @ 12:19
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Parents need to be educated.
I agree with what the majority are saying, but we do need to take a step back and say that yes, young children can be influenced negatively by violence on tv/film/games. But of course that is why we have ratings, and so kids should not be playing games they aren't old enough for. Why can't the group be emphasising that rather than trying to ban games that are perfectly ok for adults? Their logic seems to be: fat people eat burgers burgers must make people fat educate people to eat healthier? NO ban all burgers so no one can eat them, even the thin people? YES Which is just fucking stupid. |
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How do you know Britain is more aggressive than other countries? Going by the latest figures for murders per capita, for example, the UK is below Canada, South Korea, United States, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and many other countries.
Because I live abroad, have also lived in another foreign country, and visiting Britain once or twice a year is a bit of a jolt. You can argue it however you want with statistics about murders (which I would argue is different to a society's average level of violence because murders are relatively rare cases in any developed country), amount of alcohol drunk (often turns out less than other countries), or access to violent media (about the same as other developed countries) but very few developed countries have as many occurrences of, anger issues (sorry to use that phrase), post-pub 'letting off steam', or knife crime as Britain does. In fact, looking at it like that actually works in our favour. The less developed countries where they are less likely to have access to games have a huge problem with violence. That's because of other social, political and economic issues. Games have absolutely nothing to do with it. You need to remove the part highlighted in bold. |
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SixFootHalfling
13/11/08 @ 12:31
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DON'T BUY THE GAME FOR CHILDREN IT HAS A MASSIVE 18 STICKER ON IT
sorry but problem solved if it weren't for the fucktards that pass for parents now |
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PearOfAnguish
13/11/08 @ 12:32
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"Because I live abroad, have also lived in another foreign country, and visiting Britain once or twice a year is a bit of a jolt."
So your conclusions about violent Britain are based on personal observation? And what are you trying to say, that videogames are responsible?
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most recently on 13/11/08 @ 12:44
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