Doug Lowenstein on Game Censorship

An anonymous reader writes "GamerDad has interviewed Doug Lowenstein of the ESA (Entertainment Software Association, the trade body for game publishers) about videogame violence and the future of gaming. From Doug's responses to the interview: 'Every time a new medium is introduced - whether it be movies, television or rock-and-roll - there will always be generations who aren't accustomed to it, don't understand it and, in a way, fear its success and popularity with younger generations. This is nothing new and I think that's what is happening with games today. It's no accident that most of the attacks on video games come from people over 50 whereas the core video game population is between 18 and 35. But as members of the video game generation become parents, teachers, journalists, cultural critics and policy makers, I think we'll see some of the criticism of games balanced by a better appreciation of how they enrich our lives and culture.'"

Comments

I.E. GTA

[justkarl]

I think that censorship in general could be replaced by good, ol' fashioned responsible parenting. Rather than taking good games off the market, enforce the rating system!!
I heard a mother say in the game store the other day say she'd rather her 14 year old play GTA: 3 or VC than watch cable...Appalling.

While you are all hooting and hollering...

[Anonymous Coward]

Just try to remember this whole debacle in 30 years when you get the urge to support the censorship of your grandchildren's favorite medium.

Skateboarding may not be a crime, but...

[Crash Culligan]

When it first came out there were laws passed banning skating and if you were out on the sidewalk on your board a cop would surely stop you. Now you can find public skate parks in most cities that are supported by the local government.

Perhaps that's not the best example to work with. Anything which enables someone to travel quickly on a sidewalk, possibly bumping people out of the way, will probably get jumped on by local authorities. They tend not to allow you to ride bicycles on the sidewalks, and driving a car is right out. (Trust me on this.)

The skatepark arose as a solution to that problem. They still can't let hooligans loose on crowded sidewalks with those things, so they sponsor a place where they can be used to full effect. (More often than not, though, I think the skateparks are owned by private individuals, not local governments.)

The skatepark isn't an overall acceptance of the hobby, it's just a solution to an old problem: where can someone use a skateboard that won't knock people over?