.jpg "On TV: 'The Alan Titchmarsh show' slams video games")
On the Alan Titchmarsh show (Yes, he actually has his own show now, which doesn't have a damn thing to do with gardening or an Australian woman with an embargo on brassieres) the effect of gaming on the youth was the topic of discussion.
I don't buy into the whole games make children violent and aggressive full stop argument, because it's not that clean cut and simple. There are many factors external from gaming which can cause a form of degradation in youths and gamers in general. But according to the game hating panel, and also the audience - black and white is how they see it.
Poor gaming editor never stood a chance did he? I give him nothing but applause, because he was dealing with ignorance from the panel, the host and the audience. I'm surprised he didn't throw a hissy, cry and run back stage. I would have thrown my shoe at one of those ignorant sod's if I were in his position, but that only would have proved their points.
I always hate when the whole Games are violent argument gets tossed around, and supposed 'intellectuals' slate them; because games are no different from films and music. Video games get rated and regulated in the same way films and music do. This right there is where the argument should end. But nope! What makes games so much more susceptible to this kind of bashing than films or music? It's stupid. I damn near stopped dead at when Julie Peasgood said...
My stance on the whole situation is that it's down to the parents and the gaming individual. Parents should not only regulate what their children play, but instill in them that whatever violent or action driven game they are playing is not to be imitated. This level of understanding is of course down to the gaming individual. My mum did not regulate my gaming for shit! She'd see me ripping heads off in Mortal Kombat 2, swinging lead pipes at punks in Streets of rage 2 and shooting zombies heads off in Resident evil. And because at a young age I carried myself maturely (probably more than I do now!) and looked older than I was, buying these games was easy for me. And d'ya know what? I think I turned out pretty okay as a result! What it all boiled down to was that my Mum trusted me. She preferred I was doing all this crazy stuff in the games, rather than out on the streets with a bad bunch. My mother knew her son. She knew I would never emulate the violence I saw in games, and did not see my demeanour or personality degrade in any way as a result of my gaming - so she was fine with it. I'm not saying I'm the model gamer, or my Mother is the model parent. But this just goes to show how the argument of Games make gamers violent - fact! can fall apart, and what good can come from a mutual understanding of games by child and parent.
The trust you have for your child as a parent plays a big role. And also the understanding of games being a form of entertainment just like music and films, and that they're no worse for being a tool for destroying the youth. Also, if a gamer goes and emulates the violence they see in a video game, or turn destructive as a result - then you also have to question whether the individual always had something unstable stirring in their mind from the beginning, and if the game was simply the catalyst for it and not the cause.
Fair enough, games are interactive. But films depict real people, which instantly makes them more relatable. And music is available on a wider scale. You can hear music which promotes sex, violence and sexism everywhere. To tar games with a different brush, and also under mine all of the gamers playing them is a low blow. It seems to that these people who are hell bent on banishing games are trying to deflect the blame because it's the easiest thing to do - especially if you've never actually played a game before and are solely focusing on the shoot 'em ups and beat 'em up's. Not every single game on the market is about running around an airport shooting civilians and capping black people in a Shanty town; and it's dumb that when this argument comes up, it's almost like it's the case.
If you as a parent trust your child, let them play what they want to play. If you're weary of the effect games could have on your child, be active and regulate what they play. And if as an adult you feel children are getting a hold of these games too easily, then this is something that should be taken up with video game retailers. Banning violent games outright is not a viable solution. And the BBFC are already a heck of a lot harsher on games than they are films. Many game titles have been edited, toned right down, ruined and banned from release outright because they've been deemed too violent by boards of classification.
I think it WAS in really bad taste for the whole of the aired segment on The Alan Titchmarsh show to just be geared towards slating games. It came off completely one sided. The whole audience was clapping like mad when the game haters made their unfounded points, and the poor gaming editor never stood a chance in hell in getting his voice heard. The show only had him on there to try and make like this whole debate was fair - when in fact it was anything but, and he may as well have not been there.
I don't buy into the whole games make children violent and aggressive full stop argument, because it's not that clean cut and simple. There are many factors external from gaming which can cause a form of degradation in youths and gamers in general. But according to the game hating panel, and also the audience - black and white is how they see it.
Poor gaming editor never stood a chance did he? I give him nothing but applause, because he was dealing with ignorance from the panel, the host and the audience. I'm surprised he didn't throw a hissy, cry and run back stage. I would have thrown my shoe at one of those ignorant sod's if I were in his position, but that only would have proved their points.
I always hate when the whole Games are violent argument gets tossed around, and supposed 'intellectuals' slate them; because games are no different from films and music. Video games get rated and regulated in the same way films and music do. This right there is where the argument should end. But nope! What makes games so much more susceptible to this kind of bashing than films or music? It's stupid. I damn near stopped dead at when Julie Peasgood said...
Video games promote hatred, racism, sexism.Way to generalize Julie. And I guess music and films don't? I also suppose Tetris, Super Mario Galaxy, Diner dash and Wii Sports promote these things too? Her whole American studies bullshit went right over my head. I grew up doing nothing but gaming. Beat 'em ups were my games of preference. After school I'd be up in the arcades on the beat 'em ups. At friends' houses I'd be on the beat 'em ups, and car jacking in GTA. I'm not an aggressive person, I do not suffer from low self esteem or depression, and nobody who knows me could ever turn around and tell me I'm an uncaring person. I feel what this show did was completely sensationalize gaming and pigeon hole gamers as a whole. And a great deal of what the panel was saying was plain ignorant and unfounded.
My stance on the whole situation is that it's down to the parents and the gaming individual. Parents should not only regulate what their children play, but instill in them that whatever violent or action driven game they are playing is not to be imitated. This level of understanding is of course down to the gaming individual. My mum did not regulate my gaming for shit! She'd see me ripping heads off in Mortal Kombat 2, swinging lead pipes at punks in Streets of rage 2 and shooting zombies heads off in Resident evil. And because at a young age I carried myself maturely (probably more than I do now!) and looked older than I was, buying these games was easy for me. And d'ya know what? I think I turned out pretty okay as a result! What it all boiled down to was that my Mum trusted me. She preferred I was doing all this crazy stuff in the games, rather than out on the streets with a bad bunch. My mother knew her son. She knew I would never emulate the violence I saw in games, and did not see my demeanour or personality degrade in any way as a result of my gaming - so she was fine with it. I'm not saying I'm the model gamer, or my Mother is the model parent. But this just goes to show how the argument of Games make gamers violent - fact! can fall apart, and what good can come from a mutual understanding of games by child and parent.
The trust you have for your child as a parent plays a big role. And also the understanding of games being a form of entertainment just like music and films, and that they're no worse for being a tool for destroying the youth. Also, if a gamer goes and emulates the violence they see in a video game, or turn destructive as a result - then you also have to question whether the individual always had something unstable stirring in their mind from the beginning, and if the game was simply the catalyst for it and not the cause.
Fair enough, games are interactive. But films depict real people, which instantly makes them more relatable. And music is available on a wider scale. You can hear music which promotes sex, violence and sexism everywhere. To tar games with a different brush, and also under mine all of the gamers playing them is a low blow. It seems to that these people who are hell bent on banishing games are trying to deflect the blame because it's the easiest thing to do - especially if you've never actually played a game before and are solely focusing on the shoot 'em ups and beat 'em up's. Not every single game on the market is about running around an airport shooting civilians and capping black people in a Shanty town; and it's dumb that when this argument comes up, it's almost like it's the case.
If you as a parent trust your child, let them play what they want to play. If you're weary of the effect games could have on your child, be active and regulate what they play. And if as an adult you feel children are getting a hold of these games too easily, then this is something that should be taken up with video game retailers. Banning violent games outright is not a viable solution. And the BBFC are already a heck of a lot harsher on games than they are films. Many game titles have been edited, toned right down, ruined and banned from release outright because they've been deemed too violent by boards of classification.
I think it WAS in really bad taste for the whole of the aired segment on The Alan Titchmarsh show to just be geared towards slating games. It came off completely one sided. The whole audience was clapping like mad when the game haters made their unfounded points, and the poor gaming editor never stood a chance in hell in getting his voice heard. The show only had him on there to try and make like this whole debate was fair - when in fact it was anything but, and he may as well have not been there.
You should have been on the show. This entire post shut them completely down. As you said, it's nothing but generalizations, and they're painting ALL gamers in a bad light, which is totally unfair.
ReplyDeleteI remember playing Mortal Kombat II when I was 7 or 8 years old. And I turned out fine. (really, I did).
I agree with Junlee, on that you should’ve been there. In fact, send this whole article as an open letter to the producers and the participants of the programme.
ReplyDeleteI loved how the 'games examples' they said at the beginning were all war or fighting games. They didn't mention anything about Mario or Sonic - two of the most recognisable icons and highest selling series of the video games industry.
The gaming editor was really picked on, I wish I was in the audience so I could clap for him instead of the other 2! And I agree with him that parents are not paying attention to what games their kids are playing, it's very common in today’s society. My step mother and father are unfortunately guilty of this; my 2 younger brothers (8 & 6 years olds) are normally sat in front of their DS and Wii as a method of babysitting to keep the kids quiet for a few hours, without paying attention to what the content is or how the kids interact with it. At the moment, they've only played the likes of Wii Sports and Mario Kart, but they will get to the age where they'll try to ask for more violent games, and because my father is the type of parent that would rather avoid an argument, he would buy it for them without checking the age rating or content.
I think, until video games because much more accepted into the main stream market (rather than just a niche) then this generalisation will fade. They used to say that movies were bad when they were first invented, now they're accepted as part of everyday life.
Thanks! At least I now know I made some sense, 'cos I know I went on a bit. It was just that poor gaming editor got backed so badly into a corner by everybody, and the points the gaming hating panel raised were so unfounded.
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly not sure how much more mainstream games can get. They get advertised as much as music and films do. They're available everywhere but clothes shops and Greggs. *lol* There have been years when the games industry has generated more revenue than both films and music! (Understandable given the prices they retail at). I just think games are an easy target to go for because they're 'Interactive' and gamers will always be the minority in situations like this despite our numbers (just look the show). So it makes it easy for ignorant people to just slam the games and pretty much bully their points across.