Video games of 2002 get a Failing Grade

[mrmiller]

The was a new Report yesterday on the state of Video games. Take a look below:

From Gamespy Planet Xbox-

Report Card Issued: Failing Grade
Thursday, December 19, 08:33 | Talon |
Yesterday afternoon we reported that the National Institute On Media And The Family would be releasing the Seventh Annual MediaWise Video Game Report Card. This morning, following yesterday’s report, comes the findings. Presented in Washington, DC, this morning in coordination with Joseph Lieberman, Connecticut Representative Betty McCollum, and Minnesota Dr. David Walsh, this year’s report states that there’s a growing tendency to depict graphic violence against women; with the report citing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and the ability to gain money by killing a prostitute.
"I am outraged that millions of children are playing video games that include such graphic images of violence. This is fantastically inappropriate," said Dr. David Walsh. "Video game violence is now an epidemic, and violence against women has become a black mark on the entire industry. Rewarding players for having sex with, and killing, a prostitute is a frightening example to set. This failing grade is a wakeup call for everyone: manufacturers, retailers, and parents."
"As in previous years, the presence of these distinguished Members of Congress underscores the importance of this issue. Congressional support for this issue is crucial in getting the message out to parents, many of whom have an enormous knowledge gap when it comes to these games. Allowing children access to such potentially psychologically damaging material is patently irresponsible, Dr. Walsh continued to say."

The report continued to state that this year has been the first in which its overall findings have given the industry a failing grade. The report cites violence against women, videogame addiction, rating problems, retail failings at restricting mature themed games, and lack of parental awareness in respect to game content as reasons for the failure.

Should games have an Enforced ratings system like movies do? Some stores (Wal-Mart) already voluntarily use the ratings system to keep "Mature" rated games out of the hands of younger gamers, but should it become a law that these games cannot be sold to certian age groups? Or are there already laws for this? I think they are just reccomendations right now. I'd just assume they make it a law. Then everything a mature game came out, we wouldn't have to hear about all this crap. Plus- it would keep all the little kids out of my Deathmatch games .

=MATT=

[LTBasker]

So they're giving the whole year a bad mark just because some parents allow their kids to play a mature game like GTA: Vice City? That's pathetic.

[The Overlord Returns]

God forbid parents should have to take an active hand in the kind of media their children are indulging in...

[Fulit]

If anything, video games haven't been violent enough for my tastes. The lack of blood in Agent Under Fire, for example. Then, again, I have always wanted to see a game with chunks of skull and brain, and missing limbs and pieces of flesh. Maybe some intestines, for good measure.

[mrmiller]

Fulit, it's people like you that give the rest of us gamers a difficult time, and cause things like this to happen

=MATT=

[Fulit]

Sorry. I can't help myself.

[Wolfwood319]

Originally posted by The Overlord Returns
God forbid parents should have to take an active hand in the kind of media their children are indulging in...

Thank you! For a while I thought I was the only one who thought like this. Violence has been around since the beginning of mankind, to specifically target videogames, as the government does, really shows the true over-simplification and general shot-sightedness our government truly conveys on such matters.

Movies are violent, books are violent, hell the world around us is full of violence. But hold on, now there's violence in video games, stop the presses, let's get some laws on this.

If parents spent more time raising their kids then lobbying for stupid laws and enforcements, the world would be a better place.

BTW, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was good, but not great. Just an updated Version of 3. Kingdom Hearts, Splinter Cell, and Metroid Prime were the games of the year, IMO.

[JON9000]

I think the solution is to enforce the ratings system at the store level. Yes, in a perfect world parents would monitor their children's gaming choices, but unfortunately many parents do not care or are not educated about the ratings system. When I was a kid I probably could have pulled the wool over my parents' eyes because I had a TV in my room.

I think that games that use violence in a highly fantastical setting are relatively harmless, but games that portray anti social behavior and make it seem "cool" should be reserved for kids at least 14 years old.

First person shooters seem to me to be equivalent to flight simulators for training kids to do something different. Sure it doesn't have an adverse affect on a kid old enough to handle it, but young ones should not be playing.

One thing is for sure, the industry better police itself, or it might find itself the target of some unfriendly politicians.

That said, I played GTA Vice CIty for the first time today, and it was a lot of fun!

[Fulit]

Originally posted by JON9000


but games that portray anti social behavior and make it seem "cool" should be reserved for kids at least 14 years old.

Oh, yeah, theres a stable age.

One of two things will happen. Either we will become a completely controlled society, dependant on the government and ratings systems to tell us what to buy, or parents will eventually be forced to provide more guidance because common sense will take over and people will learn that if you want to depend on the government to run every little aspect of your life, move to China.

[Rogue II]

Originally posted by Wolfwood319
If parents spent more time raising their kids then lobbying for stupid laws and enforcements, the world would be a better place.

Wasn't there a South Park episode about that?

Parents really need to control what their kids play. And this National Institute On Media And The Family has to realize that kids aren't the only people who play video games.