[Archived] Quick Ban All Games

[Cocker]

I switch on the news this morning to find the discussion of banning computer games again but yet again listen to them getting it all wrong again.

The last time I remember this coming up was because of Bully (cains caimen edit) because it was called Bully they ran with the story of a disgraceful game where the aim is to go around bullying other kids. When in fact they made this up just from the title because one of the main points of the game was that bullying was wrong and you would be in trouble for doing it.

This morning they are running clips of Manhunt 2 saying how bad it is - WHY WHEN IT HAS ALREADY BEEN BANNED FROM THE SHELVES. These games come with an Adult rating on them - just like a movie such as Saw/Texas Chainsaw Massacre and so on but you don't see these getting banned.

To make matters worse they showed the console game clips and went back to the studio with the MP for his rant and he started going on about young kids giving out their personal details on the Internet - again, what did that have to do with the games they were showing?

Certain games should carry a certificate like films do and should have warnings to parents on them but when you get politicians starting arguments about banning games and the way they are made needs to be changed but not coming up with the right facts about the games he is talking about it makes be so angry.

What does everyone else think?

[bblue]

Your comparison with violent movies is justified. Banning computer games will never happen, no matter how much they talk about it. I think instead on focusing on making these games prohibited they'd be better off teaching parents how to take care of inappropriate "content" not reaching their child. If you give your kid a computer at the age of 7 then let him play anything he wants, that's not right but it's not the fault of the "evil" game producers either.

[Damage]

Spot-on.

Publicity-seeking MPs, Sensationalist media.

Its a deadly combination that should have its own health warning.

Wouldn't be surprised to see a bit of religion in the mix as well.

What happened to parental controls? Its the job of parents to ensure their kids view/play age-appropriate materials.

The games-industry is a bit vulnerable because it hasnt had as much time to respond to the censorship-brigade. Its PR people are solely engaged in games promotion whereas films and porn industry have people actively involved in age-certification from editing down to shaking hands.

[Cocker]

Just had a look what they have stuck up on the GMTV website and they are talking about protecting against Internet Grooming and have a picture of a little lad playing FIFA

[Hannah]

Part of my role as a teacher is linked to discipline following lunchtime and playtime incidents - I get fed up getting children sent to me as they have be 'playing' some violent game and it has ended with one or more of the children having been injured (in some cases quite seriously)

You talk to the children and they tell you about some game and it almost makes them proud that it has got an 18 on it. Parents buy the children the game, they don't see anything wrong with the children playing it - yet they don't make the link that when you call them in about their child's behaviour I get the standard response - I dont know where he (she) gets it from!

I don't think banning the games is the answer at all but I also don't think something needs to stop these children being exposed to so much as such a young age. I have no answer to how to do this but what happened to being a child.

Yesterday I confiscated a phone off one of the children in my class - 5 years old! I know this may be linked to the area I work in, but still - what an absolute joke!!!

Who the hell would you phone at the age of 5???

[Alan75]

Yesterday I confiscated a phone off one of the children in my class - 5 years old! I know this may be linked to the area I work in, but still - what an absolute joke!!!

Who the hell would you phone at the age of 5???

Heck, havent they learnt to txt at that age

[Cocker]

Part of my role as a teacher is linked to discipline following lunchtime and playtime incidents - I get fed up getting children sent to me as they have be 'playing' some violent game and it has ended with one or more of the children having been injured (in some cases quite seriously)

You talk to the children and they tell you about some game and it almost makes them proud that it has got an 18 on it. Parents buy the children the game, they don't see anything wrong with the children playing it - yet they don't make the link that when you call them in about their child's behaviour I get the standard response - I dont know where he (she) gets it from!

I do understand your point Hannah but when I was growing up everyone had to watch a Freddy Krugar film and everyone did and they didnt go round banning that did they.

The point is how do your children get hold of these games. Maybe you should have a word on the parents and say you found them playing Grand Theft Auto and did they know it was an 18? (to be fair I may be wrong saying that because maybe its not your place to pull parents up on that and they may give it the 'don't you tell us what we can give our kids')

Who the hell would you phone at the age of 5???

Their accountant? I know some 5 years olds with more money than me.

[Damage]

If they werent playing Freddy vs Jason or Alien vs Predator they would be playing Tommies vs Jerries and there would be as much violence as ever.

Kids will be kids. Let them get on with it and stop bloody stressing. Kids who exhibit worryingly violent behaviour need help as they have always done. Dont blame games and toy guns!

At least they are getting some exercise running around battling against the locust horde and keeping an eye on tha hos - fo sho!

[modes98]

Certain games should carry a certificate like films do

I thought they still did?

I know when i used to buy games they had them. I once got asked to prove my age for a 15 game and i swear GTA had an 18 cert.

[Cocker]

I thought they still did?

I know when i used to buy games they had them. I once got asked to prove my age for a 15 game and i swear GTA had an 18 cert.

Yep they still do. I was kind of saying yes they should/still carry a cert

GMTV the other morning how the police went to see this little 5 year old lad who was playing with a toy gun (not a very realistic one at that) they went to see his dad and made the dad break it up in front of the kid because they said it was classed as a weapon

The world has gone mad. Fair do's clamp down on these gangs who carry guns but when its plain to see that the this was a toy whats the point?

[Hannah]

The point is how do your children get hold of these games. Maybe you should have a word on the parents and say you found them playing Grand Theft Auto and did they know it was an 18? (to be fair I may be wrong saying that because maybe its not your place to pull parents up on that and they may give it the 'don't you tell us what we can give our kids')

A little boy (6 years old) punched another little boy in the face twice today - when investigated why, it was due to the fact he wasn't playing hide and seek properly! There isn't a lot you can say to that!

Parents buy them, they don't see the problem in them. Who knows what would happen if the kids didnt have them?!? I guess we will never know.

What I do know is that the number of children arriving at school with well below acceptable level of social skills is growing, and it is growing fast. The amount of time I spend after school coaching parents on how to manage their children's behaviour at home is unbelievable. Yet surprisingly with a routine in place and expectation of behaviour with clear conciquences for breaking the routine - the majority of time within class children conform.

Lunchtime is another matter! Don't get me started on Dinner Ladies!!!

[Cocker]

A little boy (6 years old) punched another little boy in the face twice today - when investigated why, it was due to the fact he wasn't playing hide and seek properly! There isn't a lot you can say to that!

Parents buy them, they don't see the problem in them. Who knows what would happen if the kids didnt have them?!? I guess we will never know.

What I do know is that the number of children arriving at school with well below acceptable level of social skills is growing, and it is growing fast. The amount of time I spend after school coaching parents on how to manage their children's behaviour at home is unbelievable. Yet surprisingly with a routine in place and expectation of behaviour with clear conciquences for breaking the routine - the majority of time within class children conform.

Lunchtime is another matter! Don't get me started on Dinner Ladies!!!

Sounds to me like we need another reality show - Hannah at school - you can see it cant you

[Hannah]

Sounds to me like we need another reality show - Hannah at school - you can see it cant you

We are always looking for voluteers to come and hear readers - you are all more than welcome to come and witness it first hand and make yourself useful!!!

(Subject to police checks!)

[Hasta]

I think if you allow a 9 year old to play GTA (or other similar games) then he invariably will be far more likely to get involved in violence, fighting etc.. because he thinks it's cool. Any parent that lets a child play games like GTA with it's content both interms of storyline and language is asking for their child to be influenced that way, much the same way as any child that watches Pulp Fiction or Hostel will also be affected.

I also think that one of the reasons society seems more violent and crime-ridden today is due to the greater exposure of violence on TV and media in general than several years ago. In the 50's bottling/glassing somebody was a rare occurance. Now there are instances of it on TV every week.

However this is one of many reasons and no I wouldn't ban it because lots of rightminded people (me included) enjoy it for what it is. I just feel that somewhere you have to draw a line as to what children can and can't do as part of their up bringing to teach them whats normal. Parents should take more responsibility and gain more understanding of what their offspring are doing. Parents won't let their kids watch trainspotting or some porn film but actively buy them games where you screw a prostitute down a dark alley, slit her throat after and take all her money.

[bblue]

It's a good thing we have Hannah to report first hand on what very young kids nowadays really behave and what their influences seem to be. I'm 23 and to think 10-15 years ago being a child was such a different thing, we took pleasure in the smallest and silliest of games which didn't involve impersonating a character seen on tv or in a computer game. It's a crazy time, but I think parrents still have plenty of control on what their children grow into.

[neekoy]

All rubbish, the reference to Tom and Jerry or Sylvester and Tweety or Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner are justified. Violence is violence, why start with computer games when the news is much more realistic and horrific.

[Cocker]

We are always looking for voluteers to come and hear readers - you are all more than welcome to come and witness it first hand and make yourself useful!!!

(Subject to police checks!)

I would but I cant. I had a note that my mum wrote to say why but my dog ate it.

[Hannah]

Never mind being violent - I had to talk to two parents tonight due to the fact their children had been going around at lunchtime indecently exposing themselves to a girl!

[Cocker]

Never mind being violent - I had to talk to two parents tonight due to the fact their children had been going around at lunchtime indecently exposing themselves to a girl!

I have no idea what game they could have got that from - wonder what the government will blame that one on

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Never mind being violent - I had to talk to two parents tonight due to the fact their children had been going around at lunchtime indecently exposing themselves to a girl!

Oh Abbey not again?!?!?

[Wolverine]

It's all part and parcel of the blame culture. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the parent for their childs behaviour, end of story.

If my lad is caught playing a game I don't deem as suitable he will know about it. And doubly so if he plays as Burnley in Fifa

Much of the media are sensationalistic scumbags - I am sure Nicko would back me up on that claim. So many journalists feel that trotting out the old stereotypes is best for their career because its easy for the great unwashed to digest and believe.

[Hannah]

Oh Abbey not again?!?!?

As if teaching isnt hard enough without Abbey corrupting all the kids!

[Seggie]

Ive been playing computer games since I was around five when I was given a C64 which was around 20 years ago, killing things has been the norm within most games since then and I havnt turned out too bad.

However in the last 10 years since the PS1 games have become much more graphic not only in the content within the gameplay but within the stories they tell and most of the big games such as your Halo 3 and your GTAs carry a Hollywood size budget which obviously means the developers can do more with the items.

For those that dont know the games industry started self regulating with age ratings about 12 years ago under the games developer body ELSPA around 5 years ago we got PEGI which again rated the items with an age limit but this time also displayed a content rating such as drugs etc. Now these ratings were volentary and retailers do not have to follow them as it was more of a parental guideline. However in the past there were exceptions to the rules with games such as Doom, GTA and Duke Nukem amongst the first to get age ratings from the BBFC the people who rate our movies and DVDs.

These days because of the CGI, video content and voice talent. The majority of games fall into a catagory which has to be looked at by the BBFC to gain a rating for its release and once it has a rating the product must not be sold to anyone under the said age to do so can leave the seller personally(not the owner of the outlet)with upto £2000 fine and/or 6 months in Jail. Again the retailer can be smacked with even bigger penalties if they are found to be negligent.

Now age ratings may count towards somthing but as many have already mentioned nothing will ever stop little Timmy getting Grand Theft Auto. I have worked in retail specificly Movies and Games for the last 8 years in various parts of the North West and each and every location the parents are happy for 9 year old Timmy to have such a game or movie, most parents will not ask why the game is rated.

When I have been asked in the past why a game has been rated I will tell them exactly why, I had a lady once who was willing to buy her child GTA because all his friends had it and they just drove around killing things but on one condition that there was no use of the C word in the game. I told her I couldnt remember it being used but there was loads of violence which again was Ok with her as he didnt play the missions.

However she didnt want Timmy to have the game when I mentioned the Sex mind you most parents dont but killing people is okay(granted the sex within the game is not socially acceptable but its even the case with Teen Movies and sex)

[Damage]

Seggy I think you have hit on what the problem is (for me at least!).

I don't mind games taht have violence - killing aliens or shoooting germans.

For some reasopn this seems natural!! Crazy I know but it does.

Hence I have no problems with my boy (10) plying games that show graphic violence - I really do belive that he understqands that it is a GAME. However I really would not let himm play the next GTA game as I know what the content is! And that is about degraing a section of society! A big bloody section!

Bynthe way some of these "violent" games are really rathetr tame - just funny.

Thereis a difference between most games and GTAish games. I really cant understand why any developeer would want to revel in the "gangsta" type culture of GTA -gamers can go and have sex with hookers? I hope the developers have ensured they are from purely voluntary sources?

but the market says that it is popular! mmmm dont know what that says about our system!?