not-a-f**kin-gen! Another Media Game Rant!

[Cauterize]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/cauterize4ebay/CosmoGirl1.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/cauterize4ebay/CosmoGirl2.jpg

Once again we have another form of media against gaming, this time in a girly mag, which my sister showed me earlier today.

These articles just piss me off!

I guess all of us DP'ers better just raise our hands and accept arrest to the nearest police station! (j/k)

[ande3502]

hey asshole this is important...we as gamers are being screwed by our government and we can easily fix it....this is official beeatch, not a rant or my opinion....this is fact.

[The_EniGma]

Ive been playing rise of the triads and mk2 since i was only 5 and i havent wanted to kil lanyone. Now gimme your damn wallet before i shoot 20 heatseeker missles at you and make your eyeballs popout before kicking your head off and shouting "FATALITY!" LOL

[Cauterize]

... (edited)

[ande3502]

ooops dude sorry, i thought you were talin shit about my last post

[Cauterize]

ooops dude sorry, i thought you were talin shit about my last post

appology accepted...

[jajaja]

Ye.. its bullshit. Its much more behind it when ppl go crazy, not only games. Usualy drugs and heavy family problems, abuse etc..

[Nesmaster]

LOL, the first point in that orange box is the best! :P

[Xexyz]

"COULD YOUR COLLEGE INTO A MURDERER?"

What kind of idiot prints this bloody Engrish esque title in an article? Thats enough to discredit the entire article, even for people who believe anything. Kind of funny :)

[Immutable]

"COULD YOUR COLLEGE INTO A MURDERER?"



I don't know if you are kidding, but the full title was "Could your college gaming geek turn into a murderer?"

[Lady Jaye]

It's because the article is a spread (ie. two pages). The title makes sense when the pages are side by side.

[pragmatic insanester]

since he was inspired by the "manual", and not the gameplay itself, we should ban reading.

[Crush Crawfish]

Dear Ms. Laura Kennedy,



Please, for the love of all that is holy, STOP BEATING ME.




Sincerely,


A Dead Horse.


:roll:

[anagrama]

Right, thats it! I'm cancelling my subscription to Cosmogirl!

[Flack]

I like the white box information (on page two) better.

"Only last month, Jeff Weise, 17, shot a security guard, teacher and five pupils in Red Lake, Minnesota, USA. He idolised the teens who perpetrated the 1999 Columbine school shootings and who were big gaming fans. He was also known for talking about death and fellow pupils described the morbid, game-like sketches he penned."

Ok, so let me get this straight. First of all, no where in that articles does it say that Jeff Weise ever played a videogame in his life. He killed (supposedly) because he idolized some other killers, who were gamers. Did I just read that right? Wow, what a connection! I wonder how well that would hold up in court! But no, even more proof is provided -- his stick man drawings of people having their heads blown off and I don't even know what the fuck the picture in the bottom left hand corner is, it looks like a guy gnawing his own hand off) were "game-like". Ok first there have been 50 E3 posts this week, and those stick people drawings don't look anything like any game I've seen. If I bought a game that looked like that I would be super pissed. Even the shockwave games here on DP look better than that.

The only thing lacking from that little blurb was the fact that he was wearing black, because as we all know all homicidal teens wear black all the time.

If someone called a help line and turned me in for an unhealthy gaming obsession I would go along with it and then when I got to counseling I'd be like, "man do you have any mushrooms because they make you BIG and oh god the green ones give you a free man ... hey are you a koopa? I SAID ARE YOU KING KOOPA?!?!?!??"

[googlefest1]

Before you go nuts with the first part of my post read the whole thing


Personally I agree with all the negative press surrounding games

I don’t think we need games where you portray gang members - or murderers -- the next step is serial killing and raping -- watch - that’s my prediction

I also believe that there are responsible people that can play these games and not be affected by them

When I look at games today I see mostly extremely graphic violence - even in kiddy looking plat formers (ratchet and clank) -- and military games

I think there is too much of them

Unfortunately it’s something that sells real well --

what I hate seeing is children buying these games - and I mean children - or their parents -- im happy to see that some employees in game stores actualy refuse to sell to children or to parents for their children (and boy do some of the parents get mad - because they don’t care and its just another hassle to go to another store to get it)

there are people that do get negatively affected by these games -- hell im one of them and so are all my friends my boss their wives (if they play games) -- they have all desensitized us - gore is nothing but entertainment now -- you see a horrendous accident on the highway and everybody wants to slow down to check it out - some people laugh - some people barely gasp - and I would guarantee that most do not vomit -- but back to my point

there are children that do get negatively affected by these types of games - I’ve seen it -- they pretend to be a killer or gangster - or a pimp - I don’t think children should play those kinds of games - and I wont let mine do that ( partly why I have all these simpler and nicer games)

Yes I know super Mario brothers can be considered violent but it’s not the same as playing a character in first person and shooting life like people

Basically -- ideally I think they shouldn’t be made - and if they will be I think less should be made --

Do I play these games - for the most part no - but some I do -- halo would be a good example of a violent game I like - you fighting aliens and I can stomach that more than shooting at cops or other people. I’m not saying I totally stay away from them. They are available and sometime I get one – but if they totally disappeared – I wouldn’t mind either


It’s foolish to believe that these things do not affect people and children - just because you turned out all right doesn’t mean the next person did

You also have to consider other external factors -- they also play a part in turning someone nuts - games can be one of them -- not the only thing - but one of them.

This type of hype also boils down to being afraid of your neighbor. “I’m fine but what about my neighbors they could be nuts – things like this game could set them off.” – this will always be around – and not every one will pay attention to it – don’t worry they are not going to take your games away – but it may become a part of profiling criminals once a few more events of killers saying games made them do it.

[Gamereviewgod]

If you're against them makking the games violent and believe they affect people, then your rant should include movies, evening news, comics, rap music, and books (and etc.). If not, your point is void. You can't just look at one medium and blame it on everything. If you don't want games that portray gang members, then you shouldn't want movies and TV shows that do the same.

If I enjoy playing these games, I have a right to play them just as much as the people creating them have that right. Something will always set a crazy nutjob off. Sometimes it will be a game, sometimes it will be a movie.

That's where the whole "BAN EVERYTHING" argument comes into play and that's wrong.

[Kroogah]

I blame Jazz.

[Cmosfm]

If you're against them makking the games violent and believe they affect people, then your rant should include movies, evening news, comics, rap music, and books (and etc.). If not, your point is void. You can't just look at one medium and blame it on everything. If you don't want games that portray gang members, then you shouldn't want movies and TV shows that do the same.

If I enjoy playing these games, I have a right to play them just as much as the people creating them have that right. Something will always set a crazy nutjob off. Sometimes it will be a game, sometimes it will be a movie.

That's where the whole "BAN EVERYTHING" argument comes into play and that's wrong.

But in video games you actually DO IT instead of just hearing/seeing in step by step excruciating detail. Since you actually get to DO IT in the games THEY MUST BE TEACHING ALL OUR KIDS TO BECOME SERIAL KILLERS AND RAPISTS AND WIFE BEATERS!!!!!

SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

[/sarcasm]

:roll:

[s1lence]

Oh my god, I played more then an hour, I guess Im going to kill someone. Why do we always need a excuse for people like Jeff Weiss. The fact of the matter is that some people have problems, and some people act out violently too these problems. Its like trying to find a logical reason for 9/11, or columbine etc etc etc. These media "rants" are becoming less and less of rants and are becoming what the vast majority of people consider to be truth. It all depends on the media outlets spin on the story as to who is going to be at fault, because everyone has become a victim and isnt responsible for their own actions in the sight of the mass majority. This stuff pisses me off because parents think they have no accountibility of their own kids anymore, that the schools will teach them. Just watch this is going to effect videogames in some way soon and not just for the people that are under 18. :angry:

[slownerveaction]

since he was inspired by the "manual", and not the gameplay itself, we should ban reading.

http://cinema16.mty.itesm.mx/truffaut/451/galeria/poster.jpg

Too obvious?

[Cauterize]

"COULD YOUR COLLEGE INTO A MURDERER?"



the full title was "Could your college gaming geek turn into a murderer?"
~
Correct, it was a double page spread, however my scanner wasnt wide enough for the whole thing (i could have photoshopped them together but i really didnt feel like it)


Oh my god, I played more then an hour, I guess Im going to kill someone.

Right, this one is up for arrest, take him away boys LOL


Seriously though, i just think this article is an absolute piss take...

Murders arent caused by games, or game manuals!
they usually involve family problems, drugs, gangs, money and so on...

Infact, i would personally say games do the opposite... tough day at work? hard day at school?
whatever, get home and relax with your favourite game, it helps me i know!


Also following their 1 hour gaming theory... unhealthly?
ha, that doesnt compare to some things these girls would do that read this magazine.

First of all, free inside this magazine was a door knob notice thing, which said on it, "Too Busy, MSN me"
That sums up a (typical) teenage girls life (from what i know) These girls will spend hours upon hours, if not a whole night chatting on MSN.. surely thats unhealthy right?

Another point could be, the time they spend on adjusting their looks to be approved by society, make up, adjusting their hair and so on... (im not saying all girls are liek this, but there is pressure to do so)

And this comment is coming from one of "those" magazine which promotes diets, diets which can be quite dangerous, and they think they have the right to say Gaming is unhealthy! ha they have NO right whatsoever, they are the ones corrupting young girls lives, and im sure many have been hospitalised due to diets...
Fake tans too causing skin cancer...
advertsing plastic surgery, i could go on, but it would become a little less relevant...

I guess my point really is that this magazine firstly has no idea about gaming whatsoever
and secondly, there are alot more dangerous things in life as well all know


Keep Gaming guys! (and gals who dont read CosmoGirl!)

[SuperNES]

AHH! i hate people like this! gaming does not make you kill people! i don't care what anyone's stupid studies say, it's just not true. gaming is pretty relaxing for me actually. if i get mad about something, sometimes i'll get on quake 3 and start bowing people's heads off. better in the game than in real life. in real life you don't just respawn. but i think that anyone who is inspired to kill people becasue of Video games is probably psycho anyways. i still fail to see what that "psycho killer kid" has anything to do with games. i thought he did it becasue he idolised the columbine killers! and those drawings, they look nothing like video games. if you took those on the street and showed them to a bunch of people i bet only a few would say "oh, that's a drawing of a video game!" that is just rediculous, and singling out games for no reason. i don't think they should limit video games, just limit them to crazy people. plus, that kid in the picture has antennas. ANTENNAS! he's a freaking alien, people!!!

[Yago]

Like the Red Box "Are You At Risk." Well, yes to all those questions. Keep watching the news folks for "Human Shark!" Yeah, I've been playing Ms. Pacman Maze on Dreamcast for the past week. Guess I'll be inspired to go out and start biting people thinking they were dots while making "Whoppa Whoppa Whoppa" noises.

[Sanriostar]

I blame Jazz.

Actually, Ironhide and Bluestreak are probably more violent than Jazz... :P

[YoshiM]

@googlefest1: Like others said, you can't say video games can't be violent unless you broaden your brushstroke to include other forms of media. Lemme explain:

First, "violence" can be a pretty broad term. Jackie Chan considers "violence" to be action that includes blood/gore. However old Mrs. Johnson may consider his Kung Fu moves and constant fighting violent. For the sake of this discussion let's paint with a broad stroke and include an sort of physical aggression, may it be bloody or not.

Anything can be a trigger for violence. How many kids played "Cops n' Robbers"? Isn't that violent: running after the robber and then "shooting" them? Cowboys and Indians can not only be violent (I'm sure some kid pretending to be an Indian did their fair share of "scalping") but also can be seen as racist. What did these come from? Radio, cinema serials, comic books and eventually TV. Fast forward to something more recent: in the late 80's there were news articles about parents worried about how aggressive their kids were acting. It wasn't video games: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and later Might Morphin' Power Rangers. The kids were beating each other senseless.

How about violence that is practically the new American past time: Football. Kids in high schools are taught to beat the snot out of their opponents within the rules. Heck with soccer, in some countries players who screw up royally have to fear for their lives because some fan might kill them. Doubt video games incite that.

Why do these kids go nuts? Who knows, no one really bothers to find out. If someone does find out, if it's not sensational it'll end up in the middle of the newspaper in small text or as a little blurb on TV news tickers. Right now violent video games are the scape goat, just like rock n' roll ("Satan spoke to me when I played the record backwards", movies, TV and Dungeons & Dragons. Now that people seem to demand news up-to-the-minute and be entertaining, we not only hear about it more but crackpots who pull off these shootings try to pin it (or the lawyers do) on whatever is sensational at the moment.

[GarrettCRW]

I blame Jazz.

Actually, Ironhide and Bluestreak are probably more violent than Jazz... :P

We're blaming Autobots now? ;) Well then, why aren't we tearing into Sunstreaker? His vain ass hates humans. ;)

As for Bluestreak, he's Autobot Shaggy. Seriously.

[Cryomancer]

That article had an asterik next to "game expert". I couldn't find what it was footnoting to, and damn I am curious, because i wanna know what makes a video game expert.

[Jorpho]

Right, thats it! I'm cancelling my subscription to Cosmogirl!

I agree! Their proud editorial standards have simply fallen too low this time!

[junglehunter]

"COULD YOUR COLLEGE INTO A MURDERER?"

What kind of idiot prints this bloody Engrish esque title in an article? Thats enough to discredit the entire article, even for people who believe anything. Kind of funny :)
That's what I first read. I didn't read any other piece of the article because of it. Pure garbage. :/

[Nz17]

I guess all of us DP'ers better just raise our hands and accept arrest to the nearest police station! (j/k)

Hey buddy, I live in America. We have a law called the Patriot Act where we're supposed to do that already.

Seriously, though, I can't wait until the next Presidential term. I am of the hope they'll repeal that stupid "patriotic" law. Should be aptly named "Idiot Act" instead. I mean, how many Constitutional Amendments does it violate? Four?

Sorry to be a thread-robber, but political bullshit is still bullshit, no matter when or where. Just like most newsstand magazines. ;) I mean, have you noticed how many newsstands don't have good gaming magazines? Ridiculous I cry!

[RJ]

I've been gaming for nigh on 25+ yrs now & I havent killed anyone, at least not to my knowledge. :D

I do get asked a lot of questions & strange stares from the chainsaw, rocket launcher, & BFG9000 I carry around, though.

[googlefest1]

@googlefest1: Like others said, you can't say video games can't be violent unless you broaden your brushstroke to include other forms of media. Lemme explain:

First, "violence" can be a pretty broad term. Jackie Chan considers "violence" to be action that includes blood/gore. However old Mrs. Johnson may consider his Kung Fu moves and constant fighting violent. For the sake of this discussion let's paint with a broad stroke and include an sort of physical aggression, may it be bloody or not.

Anything can be a trigger for violence. How many kids played "Cops n' Robbers"? Isn't that violent: running after the robber and then "shooting" them? Cowboys and Indians can not only be violent (I'm sure some kid pretending to be an Indian did their fair share of "scalping") but also can be seen as racist. What did these come from? Radio, cinema serials, comic books and eventually TV. Fast forward to something more recent: in the late 80's there were news articles about parents worried about how aggressive their kids were acting. It wasn't video games: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and later Might Morphin' Power Rangers. The kids were beating each other senseless.

How about violence that is practically the new American past time: Football. Kids in high schools are taught to beat the snot out of their opponents within the rules. Heck with soccer, in some countries players who screw up royally have to fear for their lives because some fan might kill them. Doubt video games incite that.

Why do these kids go nuts? Who knows, no one really bothers to find out. If someone does find out, if it's not sensational it'll end up in the middle of the newspaper in small text or as a little blurb on TV news tickers. Right now violent video games are the scape goat, just like rock n' roll ("Satan spoke to me when I played the record backwards", movies, TV and Dungeons & Dragons. Now that people seem to demand news up-to-the-minute and be entertaining, we not only hear about it more but crackpots who pull off these shootings try to pin it (or the lawyers do) on whatever is sensational at the moment.

yes i agree - thats why i mentioned external factors

but i dont agree with saying violence can be a broad term -
just go by the definition - and if it fits it fits - even if it applies to strawberry short cake hitting what ever the enemy was with a magic pillow

[YoshiM]

yes i agree - thats why i mentioned external factors

but i dont agree with saying violence can be a broad term -
just go by the definition - and if it fits it fits - even if it applies to strawberry short cake hitting what ever the enemy was with a magic pillow

Why it can be a broad term is because the idea of what violence is can be very subjective. Take the example of the kids beating each other up playing "Power Rangers". To one person, it's just a bunch of kids rough housing-things kids do and think nothing of it. To another it could be a display of violent deviants in training-learning their technique from an "innocent" children's action show, all their "hai-yah!"-ing and kicking and punching. The action is the same but the outlook is different.

Take American football as another example. To the football fan the sport is a fierce competition between two rival teams trying to climb their way to the championship. To someone else it could be an organized brawl between two groups of men, some with criminal records involving violence, who have to slam, grab, tackle, hit with the possibility of maiming each other to try to get at the guy who has the ball.

The idea of violence is subjective and in order to achieve remove it there must be broad definition and selection (as in not just video games) so that all groups who would be affected by violence would be protected. At this point in time, it ain't gonna happen.

[LocalH]

That article had an asterik next to "game expert". I couldn't find what it was footnoting to, and damn I am curious, because i wanna know what makes a video game expert.
I think I found it. Look on the left hand side next to the credits for the article. I see "* OF NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY".

[Sniderman]

Ta-da. Video games are good for you. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7912743) Had to post something from the flip side. Now quit bitchin'. ;)

[Milk]

The gamer generation is already bigger than the baby boomers, more than 90 million strong.

Thank goodness. I yearn for the day when this bullshit gets laughed at by the majority because they're actually literate about technology.

[TurboGenesis]

Its the same ol argument. Media is always looking for a scapegoat and with the popularity of video games it makes a prime target. The whole argument about that "in a game your actually doing the violent acts" is weak. in a motion picture your actually seeing it as in with real people like you and me and with aunthentic looking props which look like the things you can find right here in the real world. In music, the artist usually tells the tales as if they lived it and the delivery comes off as like your hearing first hand someones dipiction of an event as they were telling it to you just as you tell your friends about the day you had.

All I can say to curb children from obtaining objectionable games is to crack down on the retail end of the business. Rated M means that no one under 17 should be able to purchase this game. ID should be required just like buying alchohol or cigerettes or going to an R rated movie.

The rating system (esrb) could also use improvement and enhancement.

Will this solve problems? Maybe, maybe not. But i said it before and i'll say it again its just a scapegoat to a bigger sociatial problem that goes far deeper than any form of media be it movies, music, video games, art....