This story, from the Houston Chronicle, is a sad story. A 40 year old man shot his 17 year old son over a missing video game. This story only directly relates to video games in that the mainstream press will add it to their ever growing list of stories claiming video games are bad.
I, being a conservative Christian man, will never blame video games directly for anything. Video games don't cause people to go out and shoot someone. They don't cause people to go on rampages. Many times, they are a convenient scape goat. Sometimes they may ignite underlying issues that ultimately cause people to do things they woulndn't normally do, but never is the video game itself the object that causes these terrible things to happen.
In the story above a drunk man shoots his 17 year old son over a video game. In the end, it could have been anything. If he had been looking for the remote they wouldn't have even mentioned it, but because it's a video game he was mad about it gets press. Video games have both good and bad qualities, like anything else we do in life. Video games don't hurt people in the same way a gun doesn't kill a person, the person holding the gun does.
I cannot stand all the news stories that go out of their way to mention video games in a negative light because it's convenient. You have to go to places like this, or Kotaku or Gamasutra to see the articles that show the beneficial qualitites of video games. They can be used to increase a child's reading ability. They help develop hand eye coordination. They give some families the ability to open up and talk about things they might not otherwise talk about.
I have never once seen a story where a video game hurt or killed a person. It's always someone with other issues in their life, much like the man in the story above. Gaming is entering more and more homes and it will continue to be more and more common to see a video game system in a home. The media will then latch onto the fact that the person has that console in their house and say that is the cause of their problems, when in reality it is a bad home, relationship issues, too much alchohol or inattentive parents that are the root of the problem.
I, personally, don't like the GTA games. I won't have them in my home, but they're not the cause of the problem, generally that so many in the media tend to think. There, in the end, are other issues that need to be looked at more than the video games. They're just a convenient fall guy.
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
UK Law Currently Gives Minors Ability to Purchase Adult Content
The Times Online, a London based newspaper is reporting that a blunder by the British Government concerning a law passed in 1984 has given children the ability to purchase adult rated content in the United Kingdom. The 1984 Video Recordings Act was passed to give the government legal means to prosecute people who sell adult content to minors, this includes pornography, movies and video games.
The problem is that the law was never properly enacted. This means that any new prosecutions based on the law will not be brought before a court in the United Kingdom. Anyone that is currently serving a sentence because of this act will be unaffected and those prosecutions still stand, simply no further action will be taken against people until this problem is rectified. The British government is working as quickly as they can to close this loophole.
Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Culture Secretary, said: “Much of the problem would have been avoided if they had sorted out the classification of video games earlier, as we and many others in the industry have been urging them to do.”Source:Times Online
What this essentially means is that as of right now there is nothing stopping a ten year old person from going out and buying porn or what would be an "M" rated game. They can't use the ratings on the material as a marker because they can't be prosecuted because of it. Hopefully this situation will be cleared up very soon and the sales of inappropriate material will not get out of hand. Most people will still use it as a guideline, and won't buy things for their kids they wouldn't normally buy, but there will be slime bags out there who will do whatever they can for a buck.
Friday, June 26, 2009
A Conservative's View on Violent Video Games
I'm one of those people know as a crazy Christian, conservative, Republican. The only difference is I don't believe in censorship. We often see the debate about violent video games raging in the media. Are they harmful to kids? Are they not harmful to kids? The answer, I think, is both. Video games, like any form of entertainment can be both harmful and beneficial.
Video games are given ratings by the ESRB. These are not mandatory, but for the most part if you don't get rated you don't get licensed to be sold for a console. They range from Early Childhood, EC, up to Adults Only, AO. Violent video games are generally rated M or Mature. These games are, by law, only to be sold to people over 17. If a parent buys those games for their child, that's their right, and they should be held responsible for the consequences.
Should video games be censored based on content? No. This is America you have the ability and the right to create whatever you want. People will then judge if they feel the material is objectionable and whether they want it around their families or not. By that same token, platform holders have the right to determine what they want on their platforms? If a platform holder doesn't want games that are rated AO on their system, then change the material a bit or find somewhere else to release your ideas. There are a large number of ways to get your ideas to the masses and if you don't want it edited then find one of those avenues for release.
We don't need more legislation telling us who can and can't sell games to whom. We already have laws in place for that. They simply need to be enforced. But the main line of defense, and the ones who should be at the forefront of this are the parents of the children who play the games. Make sure you know what your kids play. Do some research on the games they want to play before you buy it or give your kids money to buy it. If you find the material not appropriate for your children then don't let them have it. Parents are ultimately the ones responsible for the way their children are raised, or at least they should be.
In a perfect world we wouldn't need legislation at all for this topic because the market would dictate. Children would not be subjected to material the parents find objectionable because the parents would know what is going on. I can't tell someone else how to raise their child, but I can do what I have to to keep my kids from being subjected to violence or sex or profanity. I make sure to watch the shows they watch or play the games they play, either before they do or with them. I monitor what they do on the internet and make sure they don't talk to shady individuals or go to sites I find inappropriate.
Most people will not be affected by violent video games because they will be raised in a way that limits their contact with it. They will be taught the difference between what's right and what's wrong. Do your part to help solve this problem. Don't rely on government groups or political activists. Get involved with your children and make sure you are aware of what's going on in their lives.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Games and the Younger Generation
As many people know, and if you don't know me you'll soon find out, video games play a large part in my life. Ever since I first got a Nintendo Entertainment System for my 10th birthday back in 1990.
It was sort of inevitable that once I grew older and began a family that my children would also probably enjoy video games. Sure enough, that's the case. My 10 year old daughter is as avid a fan of video games as I ever was. My 5 year old daughter really could care less, she likes games if they involve Dora, Sleeping Beauty or Hello Kitty. My 4 year old son is amazes more than any of them.
I make it a point to sit down with them when they're playing a game and play with them or watch them as they play. Today I was amazed by my son. He shouldn't amaze me, but he does.
Recently I downloaded Super Mario Bros. 3 from the Wii's Virtual Console. It has become his favorite game. When I got home from work he asked me if I'd play Mario 3 with him and I told him I would. We sat down to play and usually he'll play and get a few steps into a level and possibly jump over a goomba or two then he'll die. Today though, and I've begun to notice it over the last few weeks, he finished nearly all of World 1 by himself. He was pulling off moves that many veteran players do and finishing levels I thought he wouldn't even begin to be able to complete. He's very aware of the worlds as well. He's beginning to learn secrets that help get him through levels. I saw him backtracking to get items that he had missed by taking a certain route through levels. He had the patience and button mashing skills to complete a level that scrolls automatically. that's usually a level I skip, because I don't have the patience to complete it. He was even using the inventory on the map screen to use items he'd gotten from the Toad House's. I hadn't even shown him that. He figured that one out on his own.
I say these things not to brag on my son, though I would do that at every opportunity, but to say this. When I was younger video games were still new and weren't something kids his age were really introduced to so when I was 10 I had trouble doing things my son at 3 and 4 can do now. Younger players are learning far quicker skills like problem solving and deductive reasoning through playing games like Mario. It takes some really good hand-eye coordination to complete levels in many of the games today. Games from the past were much harder than they are now. I think back then they had to be. You didn't get the opportunity to play as many games then as you do now. Because of that the difficulty had to be ramped up to allow longer to play through games. The classics are great tools for learning certain skills.
Don't keep your younger children away from video games because you think they're too hard. Give them the controller and help teach them the buttons they need to press to do certain things in the world. From there they'll begin to figure out how to solve many of the problems a game throws at them on their own. You certainly can give hints and clues and I think you should, but they'll be able to guide themselves before long.
Young gamers, also, are not stupid. They can spot games that are not fun or have no real challenge to them. I bought my daugther a Dora game for the Gamecube because she really liked Dora. My son played this game as well, but it didn't last long before they were onto things like the original Super Mario Bros. The Dora game didn't offer them any challenge. They simply had to follow a preset path and press a button to jump when they got to a cliff face or wall they had to jump over. The only appeal, I think, it had was that it was a character they were familiar with. Soon though Mario took that spot when they wanted to play a game because it was challenging.
Sit with your youngsters when they play and just watch them. You can literally see their brains working. They're learning different ways to approach the challenges that face them in games like Super Mario Bros. or Viva Pinata. If you teach them the basic controls that allow them to navigate the world they'll learn how to stomp on goombas or get their pinatas to do the Romance Dance. It'll amaze you.
It will be a long time before my son is ready to tackle a game like Halo or Metroid. Because those games pose challenges that baffle even the veterans of the game world and because they may have content you just don't want your children viewing, but the lessons they learn from Mario will carry through to other parts of their lives and you'll be that much more proud of them.
It was sort of inevitable that once I grew older and began a family that my children would also probably enjoy video games. Sure enough, that's the case. My 10 year old daughter is as avid a fan of video games as I ever was. My 5 year old daughter really could care less, she likes games if they involve Dora, Sleeping Beauty or Hello Kitty. My 4 year old son is amazes more than any of them.
I make it a point to sit down with them when they're playing a game and play with them or watch them as they play. Today I was amazed by my son. He shouldn't amaze me, but he does.
Recently I downloaded Super Mario Bros. 3 from the Wii's Virtual Console. It has become his favorite game. When I got home from work he asked me if I'd play Mario 3 with him and I told him I would. We sat down to play and usually he'll play and get a few steps into a level and possibly jump over a goomba or two then he'll die. Today though, and I've begun to notice it over the last few weeks, he finished nearly all of World 1 by himself. He was pulling off moves that many veteran players do and finishing levels I thought he wouldn't even begin to be able to complete. He's very aware of the worlds as well. He's beginning to learn secrets that help get him through levels. I saw him backtracking to get items that he had missed by taking a certain route through levels. He had the patience and button mashing skills to complete a level that scrolls automatically. that's usually a level I skip, because I don't have the patience to complete it. He was even using the inventory on the map screen to use items he'd gotten from the Toad House's. I hadn't even shown him that. He figured that one out on his own.
I say these things not to brag on my son, though I would do that at every opportunity, but to say this. When I was younger video games were still new and weren't something kids his age were really introduced to so when I was 10 I had trouble doing things my son at 3 and 4 can do now. Younger players are learning far quicker skills like problem solving and deductive reasoning through playing games like Mario. It takes some really good hand-eye coordination to complete levels in many of the games today. Games from the past were much harder than they are now. I think back then they had to be. You didn't get the opportunity to play as many games then as you do now. Because of that the difficulty had to be ramped up to allow longer to play through games. The classics are great tools for learning certain skills.
Don't keep your younger children away from video games because you think they're too hard. Give them the controller and help teach them the buttons they need to press to do certain things in the world. From there they'll begin to figure out how to solve many of the problems a game throws at them on their own. You certainly can give hints and clues and I think you should, but they'll be able to guide themselves before long.
Young gamers, also, are not stupid. They can spot games that are not fun or have no real challenge to them. I bought my daugther a Dora game for the Gamecube because she really liked Dora. My son played this game as well, but it didn't last long before they were onto things like the original Super Mario Bros. The Dora game didn't offer them any challenge. They simply had to follow a preset path and press a button to jump when they got to a cliff face or wall they had to jump over. The only appeal, I think, it had was that it was a character they were familiar with. Soon though Mario took that spot when they wanted to play a game because it was challenging.
Sit with your youngsters when they play and just watch them. You can literally see their brains working. They're learning different ways to approach the challenges that face them in games like Super Mario Bros. or Viva Pinata. If you teach them the basic controls that allow them to navigate the world they'll learn how to stomp on goombas or get their pinatas to do the Romance Dance. It'll amaze you.
It will be a long time before my son is ready to tackle a game like Halo or Metroid. Because those games pose challenges that baffle even the veterans of the game world and because they may have content you just don't want your children viewing, but the lessons they learn from Mario will carry through to other parts of their lives and you'll be that much more proud of them.
Friday, September 26, 2008
What is the ESRB?
The following quote is taken directly from the ESRB's website.
"The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory body that independantly assigns ratings, enforces advertising guidelines, and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry."
But what does that all mean? Basically the ESRB works similarly to the way the MPAA works in regards to movie ratings. Developers of games send materials from the games they are working on to the ESRB in order for them to rate the game on the following scale:
EC = Early Childhood. These are games designed for children ages 3 and up. These games will not have any material that is objectionable.
E = Everyone. These games are designed for players ages 6 and up. These games are generally going to have anything up to mild cartoon violence and may have some mild language.
E10 = Everyone ages 10 and up. These games will have more than mild cartoon violence, mild language, and minimal suggestive themes.
T = Teen. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.
M = Mature. These games are for audiences ages 17 and up. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
AO = These games are for audiences ages 18 and up. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.
RP = Rating Pending. This rating is used for games that have either not been sent to the ESRB yet or are awaiting a rating from the ESRB.
Well now you know what the ratings are, but what exactly do each of these things mean? Well I'll try to spell it out for you as best as I can.
Games rated EC and E are generally going to be found on games that are targeted towards children and/or families. These games are going to many times be based on popular cartoon characters or popular characters in video games such as Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog. Many of these games will be educational, or easy enough for anyone in the family to be able to play. You will generally not have any problems with anyone in your house wanting to play these games. Some examples of games that will fall into these categories are Mario Party, Wii Sports, Dora the Explorer, or Viva Pinata.
Games that are rated E10 are going to be targeted towards older kids. They may have more examples of cartoon style violence such as animated blood or mild use of language. They will not contain any harsh language, realistic violence or nudity. They may also be too difficult for children under 10 to really have fun playing. Some examples of games in this category are Dance, Dance Revolution, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, or the Worms series of games.
Games that are rated T are targeted towards players who are 13 years old or older. This is where games will begin to depict more realistic violence such as shooting realistic looking characters, or blood that begins to look real. They also begin to have language that is more harsh than the other categories. Some examples of games in this category are: Guitar Hero, Metroid, Call of Duty or the Sims 2.
Games that are rated M are targeted towards audiences that are 17 years old or older. They carry penalties that can include monetary fines if sold to persons under 17 years old. They can be bought by people over 17 and given to players that would be too young to buy them. These games will include prolonged scenes or graphic violence, realistic violence, blood, nudity, intense/profane language and sexual content. Some examples of games in this category are God of War, Gears of War, Resident Evil, Halo and Mortal Kombat.
Games that are rated AO are intended for audiences 18 years old and older. These games will generally be very graphic in nature. This can include ultra realistic violence against characters who are or appear to be human, intense sexual contact, prolonged periods of nudity, and excessive language. Many retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Target will not sell these games on their shelves. Console manufacturers do not allow games rated AO to be played on their systems. You will mainly find games rated AO on PC's. Recently there has been some controversy over Take-Two's game Manhunt 2 which was rated AO in the US and not allowed a rating in other parts of the world. Examples of games in this category are Manhunt 2, Playboy: the Mansion, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, or Thrill Kill.
That is just a beginning course on exactly what the ESRB is and what you can expect from them. Generally if you follow their suggestions you have a good starting point as to what to expect from a game you may purchase. These cannot be taken as strict guidelines and you should so some additional research on a game to find out more about it. Many review sites such as this one or Gamespot.com, or IGN.com will have detailed information on what kind of content is in a game. You may also be able to find out information about a game from the publishers website. If you have any questions you may contact myself and I may be able to help you with where you can find the information to make an informed decision to protect yourself and your family.
"The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory body that independantly assigns ratings, enforces advertising guidelines, and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry."
But what does that all mean? Basically the ESRB works similarly to the way the MPAA works in regards to movie ratings. Developers of games send materials from the games they are working on to the ESRB in order for them to rate the game on the following scale:
EC = Early Childhood. These are games designed for children ages 3 and up. These games will not have any material that is objectionable.
E = Everyone. These games are designed for players ages 6 and up. These games are generally going to have anything up to mild cartoon violence and may have some mild language.
E10 = Everyone ages 10 and up. These games will have more than mild cartoon violence, mild language, and minimal suggestive themes.
T = Teen. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.
M = Mature. These games are for audiences ages 17 and up. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
AO = These games are for audiences ages 18 and up. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.
RP = Rating Pending. This rating is used for games that have either not been sent to the ESRB yet or are awaiting a rating from the ESRB.
Well now you know what the ratings are, but what exactly do each of these things mean? Well I'll try to spell it out for you as best as I can.
Games rated EC and E are generally going to be found on games that are targeted towards children and/or families. These games are going to many times be based on popular cartoon characters or popular characters in video games such as Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog. Many of these games will be educational, or easy enough for anyone in the family to be able to play. You will generally not have any problems with anyone in your house wanting to play these games. Some examples of games that will fall into these categories are Mario Party, Wii Sports, Dora the Explorer, or Viva Pinata.
Games that are rated E10 are going to be targeted towards older kids. They may have more examples of cartoon style violence such as animated blood or mild use of language. They will not contain any harsh language, realistic violence or nudity. They may also be too difficult for children under 10 to really have fun playing. Some examples of games in this category are Dance, Dance Revolution, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, or the Worms series of games.
Games that are rated T are targeted towards players who are 13 years old or older. This is where games will begin to depict more realistic violence such as shooting realistic looking characters, or blood that begins to look real. They also begin to have language that is more harsh than the other categories. Some examples of games in this category are: Guitar Hero, Metroid, Call of Duty or the Sims 2.
Games that are rated M are targeted towards audiences that are 17 years old or older. They carry penalties that can include monetary fines if sold to persons under 17 years old. They can be bought by people over 17 and given to players that would be too young to buy them. These games will include prolonged scenes or graphic violence, realistic violence, blood, nudity, intense/profane language and sexual content. Some examples of games in this category are God of War, Gears of War, Resident Evil, Halo and Mortal Kombat.
Games that are rated AO are intended for audiences 18 years old and older. These games will generally be very graphic in nature. This can include ultra realistic violence against characters who are or appear to be human, intense sexual contact, prolonged periods of nudity, and excessive language. Many retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Target will not sell these games on their shelves. Console manufacturers do not allow games rated AO to be played on their systems. You will mainly find games rated AO on PC's. Recently there has been some controversy over Take-Two's game Manhunt 2 which was rated AO in the US and not allowed a rating in other parts of the world. Examples of games in this category are Manhunt 2, Playboy: the Mansion, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, or Thrill Kill.
That is just a beginning course on exactly what the ESRB is and what you can expect from them. Generally if you follow their suggestions you have a good starting point as to what to expect from a game you may purchase. These cannot be taken as strict guidelines and you should so some additional research on a game to find out more about it. Many review sites such as this one or Gamespot.com, or IGN.com will have detailed information on what kind of content is in a game. You may also be able to find out information about a game from the publishers website. If you have any questions you may contact myself and I may be able to help you with where you can find the information to make an informed decision to protect yourself and your family.
Interviews Done by Nintendo Okie
Interviews
Fabian Akker (Swords & Soldiers)
Luc Bernard
David Braben (LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias)
Paul Gold (Fast Draw Showdown)
Scott Merriam (Rage of the Gladiator)
Ole Teglbjærg (Max & The Magic Marker)
Ole Teglbjærg (Max & the Magic Marker) Pt. Deux
Ole Teglbjærg (Max & the Magic Marker) Pt. Trois
Fabian Akker (Swords & Soldiers)
Luc Bernard
David Braben (LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias)
Paul Gold (Fast Draw Showdown)
Scott Merriam (Rage of the Gladiator)
Ole Teglbjærg (Max & The Magic Marker)
Ole Teglbjærg (Max & the Magic Marker) Pt. Deux
Ole Teglbjærg (Max & the Magic Marker) Pt. Trois
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