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Government Love and Hate for Video Games
hapwned writes "Jason Della Rocca, the executive director of the International Game Developers Association, unmasks the hypocrisy of governmental interaction with the video game industry. He expounds: 'Why is it that the cultural and artistic merit of the game medium is so hard to accept? Are games simply too complex for digital immigrants to grok? Why can't they see games for the powerful medium that they are? Is the word 'game' honestly so damaging as to demean the entire creative output of the industry, to reduce it to an empty pastime? Or, are the politicos enacting an entirely different drama where the industry is their hapless whipping boy and the sincerity of their intentions to "save the children" need to be questioned altogether?'"
I mean, this argument sounds like describing pictures of naked children as "art" not the low-life child porn that it is.
It is one thing to call a game artful or creative because of its ability to inspire and entertain. By being able to refine a person's ability to think and react quickly while even potentially being educational, we shouldn't overlook the benefits gaming can have on us.
But, its another when a game is simply smut, throwing in as much gratuitous crime, violence and sex to give it a cheap thrill factor and make some quick sales. Blowing the heads of whores is NOT ART!
I agree that the government tends to lump all this together, where one game could be hurtful to the growth and moral development of a child, they condemn countless other games to the same fate simply by remaining ignorant of the potential games have for creative thinking and development.
But I think just as wrong as it is to quickly condemn all games as the government is doing is to put all games up on a pedistal and claim they are a powerful medium and full of cultural and artistic merit, all games are incapable of harm.
Unfortunately, there is a stronger and more vocal group of people out there that are infuriated (and have reason to be) about games like GTA with their hidden sex videos then those people that will get upset if the government imposes greater censorship and ratings on games, even imposing laws making selling games to minors illegal like cigarettes or liquor. Rather then getting upset over it, make sure the games you produce have artistic, creative and cultural merit, don't make a sequel to a game about running down thugs in cars and beating up cops and hiding explicit sex scenes in the content and calling this art!
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
Is the word 'game' honestly so damaging as to demean the entire creative output of the industry, to reduce it to an empty pastime?
Dont worry, in a few years Microsoft and Sony will start calling them "interactive media". The only people who will call them games any more will be Nintendo.
You're inconsistent in your statement.
Save the 'you're 12' comments, they're a waste of time. Why don't you read your post again? You specifically said, "I do agree that games that are overly violent or sexual in nature are bad particularly for young children (and adults, mildly), and that's why I agree with censorship and regulation." [read your post!] - you SUPPORT CENSORSHIP, you said it.