Marc Ecko's getting cross

By Games Industry.biz Published 17 February, 2006

Over Australian game ban.

Graffiti artist Marc Ecko has hit back at Australia's entertainment ratings board after PC, PS2 and Xbox title Marc Ecko's Getting Up was refused classification and thereby effectively banned in the country.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Ecko said he was "extremely disappointed" by the decision to revoke the game's original MA 15+ rating, a decision which was "based solely on a perceived notion that it will somehow promote the crime of graffiti."

"To blame gaming for everything that is inherently wrong in our homes, in our schools and on our streets is much easier to do than to actually figure out ways to fix the systemic problems that exist within our culture," he continued.

"If a kid wants to learn how to write on the wall, he or she will figure it out. They have done it since prehistoric times, in fact... You just have to dig a little deeper and be willing to open your mind to two artistic mediums - gaming and graffiti - you may not fully understand or appreciate."

Atari Australia has also issued a strong statement condemning the ratings board's decision, describing it as a form of censorship which is "tantamount to book burning."

"The [ruling] is an ironic instant of life imitating art in that Getting Up takes place in a world where freedom of expression is suppressed by a tyrannical government," the statement reads.

"Banning any form of artistic expression suppresses creativity and begs the question, 'Where does it end?'"

Atari argues that Getting Up "does not condone or encourage any criminal act", but merely provides "amusement and escape in a fantasy world where players can vicariously experience different lifestyles."

"The look and feel of the game reflect many aspects of [graffiti] culture, including its music, fashion, and language, giving the player the ability to 'experience' the graffiti art form in a safe and legal setting. The focus of the game is on expression through art and Atari will vehemently fight its censorship.”

Atari has already appealed to Australia's Interactive Entertainment Association for support, claiming that the board's decision will have an adverse impact on the entire industry.

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Comments (45) 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

    "To blame gaming for everything that is inherently wrong in our homes, in our schools and on our streets is much easier to do than to actually figure out ways to fix the systemic problems that exist within our culture,"


    He has a point. After playing Street fighter II Turbo, i never once launched a fireball at anyone.

  • kalel #2 6 years ago

    Having said that, I absolutely guarantee this game leads to in an increase in kids going out and vandalising public propertly with lame shitty graffiti.

  • Ainudil #3 6 years ago

    The worst part of this game isn't the graffiti. It is the fact that its a pretty standard game, with much boredom and a flawed concept.

  • regmund #4 6 years ago

    this organisation that effectively banned it are obviously trying to spare people's embarrassment of playing such a dull game

  • ram #5 6 years ago

    why didn't they add...

    "....giving the player the ability to 'experience' the graffiti art form in a safe and legal setting."....

    ...and would in no way influence the impressionable to go and try it out in an illegal setting. There is absolutely no evidence of games/tv/music influencing youth culture. That whole Beastie Boy - VW badge thing is just an urban myth!

    What pisses me off the most is all this nice free PR over a mediocre game.

  • captain-future #6 6 years ago

    "tantamount to book burning" wow, they must pay their spin doctors A LOT.

    censorship. no question.
    Edited by 1 at 17/02/06 @ 13:17

  • Scientist #7 6 years ago

    "That whole Beastie Boy - VW badge thing is just an urban myth"

    I know several people who stole VW badges when I was a kid.

    My favourite quote on the topic of life imitating art was from the Judge who allowed the Ecko party in New York to go ahead following Mayor Bloomberg's objections (htt p://eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=60645)

    Judge Rakoff went on to say Bloomberg's objection was the equivalent of suggesting, "a street performance of Hamlet would be tantamount to encouraging revenge murder."

  • Eldritch #8 6 years ago

    "tantamount to book burning"

    These people should get out more often.

  • ssuellid #9 6 years ago

    As Scientist says, loads of kids were knicking VW badges - its not a myth.

  • MyPointIs #10 6 years ago

    "to blame gaming for everything that is inherently wrong"

    So he reckons that graffiti IS inherently wrong.

    I knew it.

  • Zerimski #11 6 years ago

    Is Marc Ecko actually a "credited" graffiti artist? I thought he was just a clothing designer/"cultural guru".

  • peterfll #12 6 years ago

    Nearly every VW car around my 'hood had their badges pinched around the peak of the whole Beastie Boy infamy - including my best mates mum who drove a golf and she was none too pleased - so to say that its an urban myth would be wrong. It did happen, at least in Central London.

    And I can only second the comments about this providing free publicity for what is 1) a mediocre game and best and 2) some twat who has an overactive ego and wants to claim that writing on public walls somehow isn't the same as illegal vandalism.

  • deepmenace #13 6 years ago

    a load of my brothers mates ( around 15 years old ) went around tagging the Warriors W up everywhere after playing the game.

    What it basically comes down to is that there are more little shitbag kids around then ever before. No respect and excess in everything they do.

  • Scientist #14 6 years ago

    "What it basically comes down to is that there are more little shitbag kids around then ever before. No respect and excess in everything they do. "

    And they end up mating with other shitbags and the cycle continues...alas, we are doomed.

  • Peckmore #15 6 years ago

    "And they end up mating with other shitbags and the cycle continues...alas, we are doomed."

    And they have more baby-shitbags to get more dole money meaning that eventually they will outnumber us all.......

    We are t3h d00mz0red

  • peterfll #16 6 years ago

    I never thought I'd hear myself say this but........ sterilise the lot of 'em.

  • MrChuckles #17 6 years ago

    Does Oz ban all art books focussing on graffiti, all tv programs about graffiti artists and any films about graffiti?

    If so, fair enough, if not unfair games discrimination.

  • Lothar Hex #18 6 years ago

    He's got a point, but I still think he's a cock.

  • kangarootoo #19 6 years ago

    "To blame gaming for everything that is inherently wrong in our homes, in our schools and on our streets is much easier to do than to actually figure out ways to fix the systemic problems that exist within our culture"

    I don't think anyone is saying that society would crash, I think they just feared an increase in piss poor scrawlings on bus shelters, badly disguised as art.

    On the Beastie Boys front, they mention the issue themselves on at least one of their DVDs and I believe they were actually contacted by VW at the time in an effort to curb the trend.

  • mazzl #20 6 years ago

    but fact remains, what starts with a cartoon, works his way up to games and ends in books...

    freedom ...

  • Stormflood_UK #21 6 years ago

    He's got a point, but I still think he's a cock.

    +1

  • Corben_Dallas #22 6 years ago

    Mark Ecko is a twat.
    :)
    Good clothes tho'

  • Triggerhappytel #23 6 years ago

    Ha ha, bless the Autrailians.

    The only games that pass classification over there are the Nintendogs titles :)

  • Scientist #24 6 years ago

    "Mark Ecko is a twat.
    :)
    Good clothes tho' "

    Why would you want to wear clothing whose eponymous deisgner you call a twat? That's hardly a logical brand loyalty.

  • smoison #25 6 years ago

    "I absolutely guarantee this game leads to in an increase in kids going out and vandalising public propertly with lame shitty graffiti. "

    Your Wronge, I gaurantee the OPPOSITE.

    This is stupid censurship, even the Chinease Censurship board aren't this stupid. Congrats the Ausies.

  • ram #26 6 years ago

    "As Scientist says, loads of kids were knicking VW badges - its not a myth."

    I know. I was writing it from as if from Atari's POV, denying infleunce of games on kids.

  • ram #27 6 years ago

    "This is stupid censurship, even the Chinease Censurship board aren't this stupid. Congrats the Ausies."

    Hey dude are you the person that graffited our bus stop with "Iam the coalest kide in Towne"?

  • kangarootoo #28 6 years ago

    "Graffiti is art, not crime"

    It can easily be both, like so many things. If I performed my art across the bonnet of your car, it would also be a crime regardless of the way I had captured the tradgedy of the moment with my water colours.

  • Scientist #29 6 years ago

    Hey dude are you the person that graffited our bus stop with "Iam the coalest kide in Towne"?

    LOL!

  • Corben_Dallas #30 6 years ago

    Scientest>

    Ecko are a cool 'Urban' brand, but after i read his interview in EDGE about the Ecko game 'contents under pressure' were hes basically'Word up gamer homies etc etc...... the fool was frontin that dis be the best game ever... fo real etc' this from a guy that is a (v Good) Urban Clothes Brand designer, but where does he get off saying hes got(or the company doing the game) gots the coding skillz down etc.

    Eh lets see a demo of the game first...BOOOooIIYYY!!!

  • gaijin #31 6 years ago

    um... "yo, innit" or something...

  • el_pollo_diablo #32 6 years ago

    I'd open my mouth at this point in defense of graf, , but I can't be bothered.

  • Yazoo #33 6 years ago

    Ah Marc Ecko, if I didn't hate his cocky guts so much, I'd care.

  • Glitch #34 6 years ago

    Get in, Atari fighting back!

    FUCK THE FREE WORLD!

  • EggyDeth #35 6 years ago

    I endorse the Australian Ratings board's decision, but it should have been based on average review scores instead, Jason Hall-style... just picture it: no game with an average of 6/10 or less can legally be sold in stores! Imagine the crap we'd be spared... imagine the ill-publicised classics that would be given a chance to sell... imagine the Ferraris games journalists would drive...

  • The Old Bill #36 6 years ago

    6/10 is hardly a bad score dude!

  • Genji #37 6 years ago

    "Graffiti is art, not crime. I was wondering about Jet Set Radio: banned or approved in Aussieland?"

    Jet Set Radio came out here.

    Graffiti can be very artistic, but if you're putting it on someone's wall without their permission, then it's a crime. If people don't want stuff painted on their walls, then you shouldn't put stuff on their walls, no matter how pretty it looks.

  • mrman #38 6 years ago

    This sad little middle class white boy baseball-cap-backwards wearing twat really gets on my nerves. I hope he loses millions on this pile of shit jet-set ripoff.

  • masterson #39 6 years ago

    Nice to see the opinion that middle class white boys shouldn't express any interest in Hip Hop / Graffiti etc. Are you suggesting these things are (or should be) exclusive to the black community?

    And why some of you here cannot draw a parallel between censorship in this and another medium is beyond me. Or should games avoid any contentious content as they are, y'know, "just for kids"? :)

    Mr Ecko may or may not be a cock, but this sets an alarming precedent in the "free" world. Especially from a nation spawned by criminals. :)

  • Retroid #40 6 years ago

    /Doesn't even try to care

  • chronom4n #41 6 years ago

    the fucking aussies are well narrow minded in their approach to video gaming. I remember sometime ago they banned another game. really gets up my jacksy when i read of their narrow-mindedness. I can imagine all the guys who put enough man-hours into the game only to find that the aussies are going to ban it! And trying to anticipate that this game is going to lead to grafitti vandalism, ffs talk about paranoia!

  • Xerx3s #42 6 years ago

    I couldnt be botherd by this game. But...

    "To blame gaming for everything that is inherently wrong in our homes, in our schools and on our streets is much easier to do than to actually figure out ways to fix the systemic problems that exist within our culture,"

    ...is the word of truth though. :\

  • Genji #43 6 years ago

    Oh yeah... they also banned Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude.

    BIG loss there.

  • kangarootoo #44 6 years ago

    "If people don't want stuff painted on their walls, then you shouldn't put stuff on their walls, no matter how pretty it looks."

    Ain't that truth (from someone who appreciates graffitti when it is in the right place).

    "the fucking aussies are well narrow minded in their approach to video gaming. I remember sometime ago they banned another game. really gets up my jacksy when i read of their narrow-mindedness"

    I would say Australia is a pretty liberal country on the whole. I think it is well accepted that their game classification rules need a bit of an overhaul as they make it hard to deal sensibly with adult games, but on the whole Australia tends to legislate to "control rather than ban". I can think of much more conservative and "narrow minded" places to live (I don't live there BTW, in case my username suggests I do).

    It could be suggested that generallising agressively about an entire nation just because someone banned a (reportedly) shit game is somewhat narrow minded.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/06 @ 11:27

  • Scientist #45 6 years ago

    Kangarootoo, in chronom4n's defence he does say "...the fucking aussies are well narrow minded in their approach to video gaming..." which to me implies he railing against their attitude to gaming (I would agree with this given OFLC's reaction to many games and having dealt with their highly bureaucratic, expensive and time consuming ratings system). He isn't generalising across all areas, although we could have done without the adjective "fucking".

  • kangarootoo #46 6 years ago

    Oh sure, thats fair enough. Though it was more the "the fucking aussies" as opposed to "the fucking aussies that regulate video games in Australia" that poked my buttons.

    I know I am splitting hairs here, but I always find it a little off when someone takes a bit of legislation (especially something obscure like this, which most of the Australian populace have no interest in) and assumes that everyone in the country thinks the same way.

    Anyway, point taken.