Jason
11-12-2009, 11:21 AM
Gaming has always had a hard time with the censors, particularly since the two Columbine killers mentioned Doom whilst murdering their schoolmates back in 1999.
On one hand, I can see the need for more careful censorship of games, because unlike violent movies, in a game it is actually the player who is responsible for the violent acts. It's not just watching someone on screen disembowel a person with a rusty spoon, often it is the player who decides what acts of violence to carry out on their virtual victims.
Now, for most of us, this isn't a problem. We know where to draw the line and that anything that happens whilst we have a controller in our hands is just for entertainment. However, whether we like it or not, there are a small percentage of people who for various reasons are unable to make that distinction - be it through mental health issues, being too young and naive to know any better, or simply by being plain stupid, there will always be a minority who are going to copy what they see on TV and what they do in games.
What we don't want to see is the kind of knee-jerk reaction (http://www.left4deadforums.com/22497-l4d2-refused-classification-australia.html) that we have recently seen in Australia with Valve's upcoming zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2, or the situation in Germany where anything with even the slightest hint of violence is heavily censored - gamers should be free to make up their own minds as to what is suitable, but I would argue that developers also have to take some responsibility with what they're releasing and realise that whether they like it or not, Gaming is no longer the quiet bedroom pastime of a few teenagers in darkened bedrooms - it's a multi-billion dollar industry and the world is watching.
On one hand, I can see the need for more careful censorship of games, because unlike violent movies, in a game it is actually the player who is responsible for the violent acts. It's not just watching someone on screen disembowel a person with a rusty spoon, often it is the player who decides what acts of violence to carry out on their virtual victims.
Now, for most of us, this isn't a problem. We know where to draw the line and that anything that happens whilst we have a controller in our hands is just for entertainment. However, whether we like it or not, there are a small percentage of people who for various reasons are unable to make that distinction - be it through mental health issues, being too young and naive to know any better, or simply by being plain stupid, there will always be a minority who are going to copy what they see on TV and what they do in games.
What we don't want to see is the kind of knee-jerk reaction (http://www.left4deadforums.com/22497-l4d2-refused-classification-australia.html) that we have recently seen in Australia with Valve's upcoming zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2, or the situation in Germany where anything with even the slightest hint of violence is heavily censored - gamers should be free to make up their own minds as to what is suitable, but I would argue that developers also have to take some responsibility with what they're releasing and realise that whether they like it or not, Gaming is no longer the quiet bedroom pastime of a few teenagers in darkened bedrooms - it's a multi-billion dollar industry and the world is watching.