Gaming A dark day for gaming...

[Turkey]

I was recently reading a Time Magazine (June 3, 2002). In page 20, I read an article that froze my soul. I decided to post the first paragraph.

[QUOTE]Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman has vowed that he won't run for President in 2004 if Al Gore is a candidate. But Gore's former running mate is acting a lot like a man looking for a promotion to the top of the ticket. This week alone he is set to make a round of fund-raising stops including Tacoma, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona; will talk high tech in Silicon Valley and Latino issues in L.A.; and will spend two days in New Hampshire.[/QUOTE]

For those who don't know who is Lieberman, he is the "Hitler" of video games. He's been fighting agaisn't video game violence ever since Mortal Kombat. He has been responsible for the banning of some games (Thrill Kill), and has fought for the editing of many games. He's not happy with just making violent games illegal for minors, but for everyone.

Please post your views on this situation which could become a catastrophe, and if you have more information, post it as soon as possible.

[ZeroBlade]

:mad: No man will dare try and take away our games! If this man is what you say.......:smirk:

Then I won't vote for him:devil:

[Semjaza]

Well a few things. Lieberman is clueless.
He apparently thinks the original Doom or MK are recent games.

Also, Thrill Kill wasn't actually banned. EA bought the company that was making Thrill Kill, and decided it didn't fit with their philosophy or strategy. Of course it was only about the violence, and EA didn't want to get crap about it. If you look online you can find Thrill Kill, as a beta copy was leaked. I downloaded it a long time ago. I believe the engine was reused for that Wu-Tang fighter. Anyway, I don't think Lieberman had anything to do with that.

He also doesn't want to simply edit games. He doesn't want them made AT ALL. The rating system came about as a compromise because of him. Just like the Explicit Lyrics label resulted from Tipper Gore going nuts about her daughter's CDs. Luckily she didn't totally get her way.

Lieberman will never be elected president. He doesn't much going for him other than jumping on issues that get him exposure. Not to mention he is simply scary looking.

Overall though, he is a total jerk and I cannot stand him.

[Treble]

I'm assuming that Lieberman is concerned with all the violence thats happening everyday in the world, and if I am right, I'm guessing that he blames the violence in videogames for the cause.

Sure its a good thing that he's trying to stop violence and/or decreasing the amount of violence in the world, but shutting down violence in videogames ain't gonna cut it.Theres violence everywhere, in your neighborhood, city, television, and who knows how long the list can go, its all over the world.

Well all I gotta say is with all the videogame fanatics out there in the world, Joseph Lieberman doesn't stand a chance, well hopefully he doesn't.:)

[James]

[color=royalblue]Actually, I saw Lieberman being interviewed on Fox News and he said that he didn't want to ban gaming or movies...he said that he just wanted to lift age restrictions, so that under 18's would have no access to [i]very[/i] violent games (games like GTAIII and such).

I agree with this philosophy because I think game ratings should be identical to movie ratings. And ultimately, what is more acceptable...having an R rated game that you can play at some point, or having a highly edited game, or no game at all?

It's important to make sure that age restrictions are not only used, but enforced. If that is done, then there need not be any limitation on game creators.[/color]

[Semjaza]

That's a completely different stance than he had before. I remember when Sears completely stopped selling M rated games (the big one in Chicago doesn't even sell Nintendo games at all for some reason), and he said every store should do that. He didn't want them around at all, and made that clear several times in the past.

Somehow I wonder if he will keep this stance

[RicoTranzrig]

If he does become a qualified candidate at the primary, then he probably won't win against Gore anyway. But I think the videogame rating system is fine as it is...a lot of stores now in my area are doing ID checks for T and M rated games. Of course, the parents can always buy it for them...at least they'll be able to see it first and choose whether or not it's alright for their child.

[9mm Avenger]

That's really bad...But I don't care, cause that's the good 'ol US of A!

While it is bad, raising the age limits on very violent games-i.e Mortal Kombat, Doom, GTAIII-banning them all together wont solve anything. As someone once said(I forget who it was)

[quote]"While violent videogames make up less than 40% of the video game industry, they do get the lion's share of attention."[/quote]

The whole reason violence is a big issue, is because people choose it to be. I say raise the age limit, and leave it at that.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]I agree with Rico... I think the ESRB rating system is fine how it is... It seems that a lot of stores aren't selling M rated games to people under 17, just like people under 17 can't get into R rated movies. A parent can still go and buy the game for the kid, just like the parent can accompany the kid to an R rated movie... I think the rating system is doing it's job, since the parents will see the game and can decide whether or not they want their kid to have it.

I really wouldn't mind if they made it so stores [i]couldn't[/i] sell M rated games to kids under 17, even though I'm only 14 myself. So far, the only M rated game that I've been interested in is Perfect Dark.[/color]

[RicoTranzrig]

It doesn't really apply to me anymore...but we'll not go into that. I remember I was 9 when I bought Doom 2 at the computer store...they didn't even check my ID back then and they had it on their main computer, showing carnage throughout the store's sample CRT monitors. They have toughened up censorship a little...but it makes sense.

[Guest Shift]

[size=1][color=crimson]lol If he is that way about games, then we should definately keep him away from Quake.... they may try to take it away from me...but I have 7 sectret burnt copies!! mhahah *runs away like a mad man*[/size][/color]

[M. Son Gohan]

I think Lieberman is doing overkill, trying to ban all violent video games. I mean, a million to ten, I bet he watches movies that are worse than the video games!!! I'm not saying a play those type of games( I play Zelda^^) but I am going to say that it's not right to ban them. If people don't have enough self control to not act out what's in video games, it's their fault, not the game's.

[sailor stardust]

NOOOOOOOOO!

I'm sick and tired of this stupid video game violence crap. I was reading an article in Parents a few months back telling parents to not let their kids play violent games. You know what they're doing? They're blaming video games for killers! I can't belive it! People who play video games just do not have time to turn into homicidal freaks because they have to finish their game!

But seriously, it's gonna be hippie'sville with protests if this guy takes my games:flaming:

GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR!~!!Lauren needs her video games!

[RicoTranzrig]

It's not gonna happen... though...as with all forms of media: movies, text and TV, video games can influence a young one's life a lot...which is why they have restrictions in movies, hard text to read in books, and cable TV...they're doing the same thing with video games.

[Hyper]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=royalblue] so that under 18's would have no access to [i]very[/i] violent games (games like GTAIII and such).
[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Well its strange the games are made for older kids and a moajority of the sold games goes to kids.Two of my friends have GTAIII and they are only 11. I wonder what their parents think.If they even know.[/color][/size]

[Red]

[B]In England we have ELSPA ratings, which are a guideline to parents. Sometimes shops try to stop kids from buying games that have ELSPA ratings of 17+, but ELSPA ratings are a guideline, unless the BBFC rates a game 12,15 or 18 it's illegal for the shop to not sell the game to you.

I agree that games like GTAIII should be more restricted in the idea that their age limits should be heightened. (if there is a higher rating than 18 in the UK...)

However, I completely disagree with the issue of violence in children being associated in games.
I don't know which incident of school shootings it was, but the games industry was directly blamed for it, as the child who committed the shootings had an N64 with Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. I find this ridiculous, those games have come out in the UK, along with many other violent games, yet we don't have 12 year olds bursting into schools with guns.

I think some people see video games as an easy place to blame for violence.

Many games have been prevented from release in the UK, but the government is a bit more lenient over here.[/B]

[Althena]

Lieberman is a dumbass and needs to die. Video games dont put a gun in someones hand and tell them to shoot/bomb/etc. another human being.

If ya wanna get right down to it. Its money that is the root of all evil. Money buys guns, buys those "violent" video games. And buys anything else destructive.

[Guest ProudClod]

Well if Games are to be banned then they might as well take away films, movies, and animes. Look at films like Scarface, The Godfather, and most of the horror movies around..Id say that games derived from those, if not, then what?.....oh, and Althena, Id definately say that games, not to mention movies, have had an effect on you... just dont let [I]him[/I] get to you...:D

[Red]

[B]Well the new PC game Mafia is going to be banned in Italy, since the police there think it is too close to real Mafiosi life, and may turn people in that direction in later life.

I really think they need to get a grip, movies can be just as violent as games, if not more.[/B]

[Althena]

True.. games and movies have had an effect on me. But no so much that i would kill someone.

[Guest ProudClod]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Elite DBZ [/i]
[B][B]Well the new PC game Mafia is going to be banned in Italy, since the police there think it is too close to real Mafiosi life, and may turn people in that direction in later life[B] [/B][/QUOTE]

Well, im 10% sure about that one, seeing as they are in Italy, and that the Mafia derived from there...the other 90% makes me want to get Twinzam V's head and smash it through a rock (joking, joking), I see no difference between Mafia and GTA3, except for gameplay, and Im certain that it wasnt banned there. GTA3 has contents of the mafia, not only that but the Triads, Yakuza..and the list goes on. I dont know if that rule is applying to Italian people, but dont they know that not every Italian in the world lives in Italy, not only that, but it can easily be downloaded off the internet.

[GotenksSSJ343]

lieberman makes it sound like if you play a game like Super Smash Bros. or GTA3 you'll think it's ok to take a baseball bat and beat someone with it. For god sakes it's weirdos who have no life who are killers not games. The rating system is fine as well too.


Banning games won't help the violence slow down it I'll make it worse because banning certain video games will have some kids rioting or something.

[Guest scythemaster29]

Since when did any of us start shooting people? I know I don't. I play M and T rated games and no f***ing violence from me! Honestly I think guy's telling us a bunch of B.S.! I think he's this:cross: :cross: :cross:

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Well, there were those school shootings awhile ago... I remember just after one of them, they found Doom 2 or something like that on the kid's computer, and we're trying to put some of the blame on that...

But I [i]really[/i] doubt that had anything to do with it... I think people are just trying to use video games as an excuse... Personally, I think movies influence people more than video games. I mean, there are a lot more movies with violence in them than there are games.[/color]