Anti-graffiti man slams Atari

By Ellie Gibson Published 12 January, 2006

Getting Up is getting him down.

The chairman of the UK's Anti-Graffiti Association has issued a statement to our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, slamming Atari for planning to release a game which he believes could encourage vandalism.

Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, which is due out on PC, PS2 and Xbox next month, sees players taking on the role of a young graffiti artist who must use his spray-painting skills to help overthrow a corrupt local government.

AGA chairman Derek McGovern told GamesIndustry.biz that he "found it disturbing that a company such as Atari should encourage an activity such as graffiti vandalism" by publishing the game.

"Apart from opposing graffiti on the streets we are also against graffiti for commerical purposes e.g. as advertising and for commercial gain generally," McGovern continued.

"While graffiti on public buildings should not be tolerated, my particular sympathy goes to private citizens who find their homes blitzed by graffiti and who have to go to considerable effort to restore their properties back to their prime condition."

"Graffiti vandalism has a significant effect, not only for public authorities but also for individuals."

McGovern went on to say that a "considered response" will be will be issued once the association's management committee has decided on its next step.

"I am sure that we will at least write to Atari to make our views known although I have not yet decided as to the exact nature of our response," McGovern said.

This is not the first time Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure has attracted the attention of anti-graffiti campaigners. Earlier this month politicians in Florida urged Atari not to launch the game, and last August New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg attempted to prevent Ecko from holding a party to promote its forthcoming release.

Atari was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • neon #1 6 years ago

    Can't see too many games being sold about the art of graffitti removal. "heres your bucket, heres your sponge, off you go - enjoy" power ups to include the *power-jet*

  • Scientist #2 6 years ago

    Apparently this Inspector Derek character is Technology Services Manager for Metronet Rail.
    Perhaps he should spend more time worrying about improving the London's tube network's punctuality and reliability than meddling in games.

    You shouldn't even bother giving these guys a platform to spout their nonsense.

  • Lynchman #3 6 years ago

    Wasn't that Mario Sunshine, neon?
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/06 @ 15:03

  • Eldritch #4 6 years ago

    Jet Set Radio was great, though.
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/06 @ 15:09

  • neon #5 6 years ago

    Maybe Lynchman. Never played Mario Sunshine.

  • jack_klugman #6 6 years ago

    Better in a video game than on the side of my house.
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/06 @ 15:38

  • Aretak #7 6 years ago

    /plays JSRF

    /gives nasty man the middle finger

  • Lex #8 6 years ago

    I like the title of this game though, short, simple, catchy.......

  • trevd72 #9 6 years ago

    i love it when these people promote a game by coming out and condemming it. this game would get no press otherwise.

    I would say that there is a direct link between him and a possible increase in graffitti. He promotes the game, the game is bought by many more people as a result, they *could* then go on to graffitti.

    Do you think the marketeers are clever enough to let slip to the right people that something slightly naughty is to be released. We then have what we have here....free publicity.

  • reality_cheque #10 6 years ago

    There's an Anti-Graffiti-Association? Do these people not have anything better to do?

  • job314 #11 6 years ago

    fuck this guy, graffiti is a recognised art form.

    granted, public buildings and private residences shouldn't be targeted, but there's graffiti on some nasty grey walls in my city that really brighten up the place.

    it's not threatening, it's not offensive, it's art.

  • rinoaMW #12 6 years ago

    must..go... out..and... graffiti....

    never wanted to play this - nor have i wanted to graffiti, but the amount of controversy about it, really is brainwashing after a while - after all, anything this 'bad' must be fun, right?

  • trevd72 #13 6 years ago

    all bad things are fun apparently

  • kangarootoo #14 6 years ago

    @job314
    "fuck this guy, graffiti is a recognised art form"

    Oh come on, its far from that straight forward is it. You say yourself that "public buildings and private residences shouldn't be targeted" but the truth is that most of the time that is where it ends up.

    Personally, I love graffitti when its done well. Trouble is, most of it isn't, its bitty scrawled shite by kids with one can on the side of whatever piece of concrete happens to be nearby.

    I don't agree with this guy's views on this game, but I don't think a "we aren't anti-social, so fuck off" type response is going to get street art recognised or accepted. A little more listening and little less giving the finger and there would be more places where artists could practice their...err....art, without it getting painted over within hours.

  • job314 #15 6 years ago

    the guy is trying to ban ALL forms of graffiti.

    i said public and private buildings shouldn't be targeted (unless there is consent obviously) so what are you arguing with me for?

    technically, you're agreeing with me, and if i want to respond with a 'fuck you' to the man who wants to ban ALL graffiti like the nazi's once banned books, why shouldn't i?

  • kangarootoo #16 6 years ago

    "and if i want to respond with a 'fuck you' to the man who wants to ban ALL graffiti like the nazi's once banned books, why shouldn't i?"

    Because it doesn't help you? Yes, technically I am agreeing with you. I've got no issue with that so I'm not trying to piss you off. I'm just thinking a more Ghandi type aproach may get things done (as it did for Ghanid bizzarely enough). Telling him to get stuffed may feel good today, but it won't stop graffitti being villafied, which is what we both want. Be better than the angry man and use him to your advantage.

  • peterfll #17 6 years ago

    More people find graffiti threatening than not. If you walk into a neighbourhood full of it is more like to prejduce people's opinion of said neighbourhood. And more graffiti is pure and utter vandalism than art. That's why anything *potentially* seen glorifying it will be criticised.

    Personally I do think there's a difference between this game and JSRF. JSRF is set in a pure fanatsy land with cartoons for main characters. This game has a 'realistic' setting and is endorsed by some yank who thinks he's "street" and a hardman with an ego to match.

  • w00t #18 6 years ago

    What a load of twaddle.

    Is the AGA Chairman Mr McGovern easily influenced by games? Because I'm sure as fuck not. It really annoys me - so much so I don't have time to spew all my vitriol in his general direction.

    /slams door

    /goes home

  • Zuiyo #19 6 years ago

    Free publicity, thanks!

  • Teeth #20 6 years ago

    If it's able to cause people to spray paint onto walls then the game will be just as likely to make kids try to crawl into chimneys or up to the top of bridges to do their artwork, thereby endangering their own lives and possibly the lives of others.

    BAN BRIDGES!

  • Tiger_Walts #21 6 years ago

    I got my brother Banksy's book for Christmas. Should that be banned too?

  • job314 #22 6 years ago

    'I'm just thinking a more Ghandi type aproach may get things done (as it did for Ghanid bizzarely enough). Telling him to get stuffed may feel good today, but it won't stop graffitti being villafied, which is what we both want. Be better than the angry man and use him to your advantage.'

    no offence, but this is eurogamer.

    a fuck you to him here or there is hardly going to undermine any great campaign to recognise graffiti as art.

    while any comment here that doesn't contain 'fanboy' is something to be praised, i doubt anyone takes ANY NOTICE OF THEM WHATSOEVER! :D

    so fuck him, he's a graffiti anti-fanboy n00b who is gonna get pwnd.

    or something.

  • Planet #23 6 years ago

    Ban this sick filth!

    Also ban Bubble Bobble quickly before it's too late! It unavoidably animates the youngest and weakest community members to drink gallons of tenside and then encage their pets in bubbles to jump on them!

  • magicpocket #24 6 years ago

    Ban banning i say!

  • Diabeu #25 6 years ago

    // There's an Anti-Graffiti-Association? Do these people not have anything better to do?

    apparently no,

    this game looks like Prince of Persia with spray can