Sony and Nintendo should both be welcoming any publisher’s game content with open arms. Assuming you’ve purchased their consoles, you’ve paid for the privilege to play games created on their hardware. They’re denying you that opportunity based not on morals, but purely on fear for their reputation by people who don’t even play video games. Along with the ECA, they should be on the front lines defending the artistic rights of every game developer on every news network picking up this story.
If you want the industry you’re reaping billions of dollars in profits from to be taken seriously as art, you need to treat it as such. Standing aside and watching the opposition thrash, demean, and slander what you’re creating is nothing short of cowardice. This is about far more than violent, exploitative, and sexual game content, yet apparently no one seems to care. This is especially disheartening coming from those who stand to make the most money.
Then there’s the ESRB. There’s nothing wrong with handing over an AO rating for the game, and as of this point in time, no one other than those who have had hands-on time can say otherwise. The issue here is the AO rating itself, and how it’s become a kiss of death for any game that is slapped with it. The difference is minor between an “M” rated title, meant for 17-year-old players, and the AO, supposedly for 18 and over.
The AO should be abolished if they’re not willing to deal with it properly and the M should be changed to 18 and over. This entire mess would have never come up in the first place in that case. We’d simply be dealing with another game controversy that would pass with time (remember 25 to Life? Didn’t think so), and not a secondary stack of censorship problems on top of it.
Article comments
1 - Jack Thompson
No "personal attacks allowed" here? Are you kidding? I am attacked for "littering the mainstream media with falsehoods," above.
Really. What are they, pray tell?
That violent games consumed by kids can lead to behavioral consequences. The entire American Psychological Association agrees with that "falsehood." The AMA is set next week to identify video game addiction as an illness. Duh.
Take-Two got caught playing its thumb-our-nose-at-authority game. They finally lost. Trust me: there are high-fives being offered in other game developers' office suites all over the world, because this scofflaw company had painted a bullseye on the back of the entire industry, which it did not deserve.
You people need to grow up. There are limits to what society can and must tolerate. The First Amendment does not protect this stuff, and those of you who don't know that need to start reading Supreme Court rulings. Start with Rice v. Palladin.
2 - Matt Paprocki
Jack, to sit here and list the number of lies you've spread over the years would take months. It's not even worth debating it with you anymore.
Small list of BS spread by Jack: The Sims 2 nudity absurdity, Bully being a Columbine simulator, the Louisiana bill being constitutional, the V-Tech shooter video game link, and that's off the top of my head.
3 - Jason "Njiska" Westhaver
Oh and let's not forget my personal favourite, blatant expilict sex in Killer 7. Oh such glorious BS.
And for that matter, why is man hunt bad, but something incredibly violent like Killer 7 ok?
4 - Ken Edwards
Oh come now. Cell shading makes it OK, didn't you know that?
5 - Andrew Ogier
Jack Thompson, What I find amusing is that you seem hard wired on attempting to destroy the video game medium. Even when the shocking atrocity happened at Virginia Tech, you were on the phone talking about violent video games and making up lies about german laws on violent content, even though there was no indication of violent video games having anything to do with the murder.
If you're going to state your case, that's fine and I appreciate your rights to do that...but to state your case and basing it on pure lies and speculation is abominable.
As for this whole Manhunt issue, I'm quite frankly amazed and disgusted that there's a double standard with ratings. It's fine for a sick movie like Saw to be released, or a sex laden movie like 9 1/2 weeks, but absolutely unacceptable for Manhunt 2 to come out??? Madness.
6 - Ken Edwards
How interesting, MediaPost's Gaming Insider column has this headline this week: Abolish The AO Rating.
7 - Paul Levinson
Jack - you do litter the media with falsehoods and misunderstandings. Here's an example of the "debate" you and I had about a year ago on CNBC - about the connection between violent videogames and violence in the real world. I say "debate" because, between you and the anchor, I was lucky to get a word in edgewise about the crucial distinction between correlation and causation, and how the studies you site blur that difference. Face to Screen with Jack Thompson
I also made the point on our CNBC segment, by the way, that, contrary to what you say, the First Amendment indeed supports the rights of people to play and sell videogames....