This is from Mediawatch UK’s Autum Newsletter. Everyone’s favourite
self appointed moral guardians are quite peterbed by the hositle
emails they got from video game fans after Beyer’s calls for the game
MadWorld to be refused a certificate by the BBFC.
You can see the full Autum 2008 Newsletter here:
http://www.mediawatchuk.org.uk/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=373&Itemid=92
From Mediawatch UK:
GAMING – THE SHIFTING BATTLEGROUND
At the mediawatch-uk office we receive calls from journalists most
days. In August a local reporter telephoned for a comment about a
new computer game called MadWorld, which according to its
creators, ‘revolves around the themes of brutality and
exhilaration’. The game has not yet been given an age rating by the
BBFC but players of this ‘hack and slash’ game can impale enemies on
road signs, rip out hearts and execute them with weapons including
chainsaws and daggers.
John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk, said: “This game sounds very
unsavoury. I hope the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a
classification. Without that it cannot be marketed in Britain.
We need to ensure that modern and civilized values take priority
rather than killing and maiming people. It seems a shame that the
game’s manufacturer has decided to release this game exclusively on
the Wii. I believe it will spoil the ‘fun for all the family’ image
of the Wii.”
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 have “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.
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 video games
and films, but rather the human condition”. Another said: “If you
don’t like violent content, don’t view or use it”.
Others thanked us cynically for drawing attention to the game saying
they would rush out and buy it as soon as it was available. Yet
others told us to focus on retailers and said that parents should
safeguard their children from “adult” games.
Feature articles, grossly exaggerating the significance of our
comments, were written in computer game magazines exonerating the
multimillion pound games industry and headlines were achieved on
Google News UK and dismissive remarks made in The Guardian
newspaper. It is comforting to know that the BBFC, too,
received “abusive and incoherent” protests from gamers who disagreed
with their decision to reject the game Manhunt II – a decision that
was subsequently overturned on appeal.
It is evident from this that the battle for standards has rather
shifted away from television towards games and the internet. Dr
Tanya Byron, in her review for the Prime Minister, made a number of
recommendations, including some relating to the regulation and
classification of computer games, and the setting up of a UK Council
of Child Internet Safety. This was launched at the end of September.
Meanwhile, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport issued a public
consultation on Video Game Classification which closes at the end of
November 2008. In its response to this consultation mediawatch-uk
called for the Video Recordings Act 1984 to be amended so that online
gaming is brought within its terms and we called for 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.”
“and one `emailer’ observed glibly that “violent acts are not a
symptom of video games and films, but rather the human condition”.
Annd obviously Mediawatch UK believe that violent acts are a symptom
of video games and films and nothing to do with anything else.
If as Mediawatch UK claim the emails they received from angry video
game fans were abusive and incoherent then we suggest that such
emailers are just playing into Mediawatch UK’s hands and giving them
credence to spout more of their “video games rot the brain and
corrupt people” rubbish.
Chances are Mediawatch UK like most campaigners against violent video
games see those who play video games as brainless morons who have
been “corrupted” by video games and such abusive emails will make
them think that way even more.
Although we suggest that those who think that Mediawatch UK are
trying to stop them playing video games of their choice are spot on.
Even though Mediawatch UK themselves don’t have the power to stop
people playing certain video games they are campaigning for the BBFC
to act on their behalf by refusing certain games they dissaprove of
classification thereby stopping video game players playing games of
their choice. It’s all interlinked in one way or another.
“Others thanked us cynically for drawing attention to the game saying
they would rush out and buy it as soon as it was available.”
Lol! And Mediawatch UK are so grumpy about video game fans
challenging them they can’t see the irony of all of this or that
maybe the following may be connected to video game fans thanking them
for drawing attention to the game….
“In August a local reporter telephoned for a comment about a new
computer game called MadWorld, which according to its
creators, ‘revolves around the themes of brutality and exhilaration’.”
Surely even Mediawatch UK and John Beyer can see the connection
here…
Journalist phones up about new “sick and evil” violent video game
looking for an outraged quote…..
Beyer gives journalist outraged quote and it’s all over the
newspapers……
Video game fans become aware of the new “sick and evil” violent video
game and think “Ohh we must take a look at that and see what all the
fuss is about….
Video game fans rush out to buy “sick and evil” game and it becomes a
massive hit.
It’s as easy as ABC!
And we’d never heard of MadWorld before the news media put out Beyer’s calls for it to be banned!
“Feature articles, grossly exaggerating the significance of our
comments.”
Yeah there were some article out there that did exaggerate the
significance of Beyer’s comments in that they suggested his views
actually might get MadWorld banned. Thankfully that was hardly likely!
Mediawatch UK are the first to say they have no regulatory powers
(which of course they don’t) so they probably believe themselves that
their comments alone arn’t enough to get anything banned. But they at
least hope their comments will be heard by the regulatory powers that
be and will agree with those comments and ban violent video games and
films.
“computer game magazines exonerating the multimillion pound games
industry”
Well dur! Computer game magazines are hardly going to agree with
Beyer and Mediawatch UK and take the line that the multimillion pound
games industry is “destroying our children and the very fabric of our
society” with their “sick, evil and filthy” violent video games.
You don’t need to be brain of Britain to work that one out!
“dismissive remarks made in The Guardian newspaper.”
Oh yeah The Guardian. Those dam lefty librels again eh?
“In its response to this consultation mediawatch-uk called for the
Video Recordings Act 1984 to be amended so that online gaming is
brought within its terms and we called for a unified classification
scheme that must be “trustworthy, uniform and clear” and there must
be “power to refuse to certify certain titles”.”
Certain titles that Mediawatch UK don’t like in other words.
“We did not agree that any new system “must work for the games
industry” alone or that it “must support retailers”.
Translate as any new system should be totally against the industry
and retailers because they are the bad guys “corrupting our children”.
“The overriding priority”, we said, “really ought to be the welfare
of children and families.”
In other words….
BAN THESE SICK VIDEO GAMES NOW NOW NOW!!!
