Ok, this may be a bit of a 'yeah yeah, shut up already Tak' post, but I think it needs bringing to attention. It only really applies to US readers, but some of the foundations below welcome anyone from anywhere. Cheers
There is a lot of hoopla flying around about video games and their impact on society. It is undisputed that they have changed our lives. The hot topic right now is if that is for the good or the bad. So far, everything points to what common sense would dictate: in moderation, video gaming isn't any more or less harmful than watching a movie or TV. The stickler is that video games are much newer than TV or movies. They're part of the younger generation, by and large. This leads to the same generational-gap problem that has been seen in the past by everything from hip-hop, to low-riders, to TV, and even the modern novel.
The political world is full of oportunists. That's not at all suprising, I would hope. And while it's all too easy to dismiss their rants and claims as harmless and the ravings of people past their prime, the damage that a concentrated political effort can do to something that is popularly evil can be devastating. While I'm not one who's preaching doom and dispare for the video game industry, I do think that there is very real cause for concern when video gaming is linked to things such as the Columbine High-School massacre, petty thefts, assaults, and school violence.
Common sense says that video games can't possibly be the cause for any of this. There have unfortunately been senseless massacres before. Theft and assaults have always taken place even in areas with draconian laws on such things. And I don't know about you, but my school years were plenty full of bullies and 'tough-guys' even before video games became popular, much less as near-to-life as they can be now.
There are people in power right now that are trying to limit what type of content can be put into games, what type of games can be put out for sale, and to who. They either choose not to or simply do not understand that video games are no longer children's playthings. They are a respected medium of communication and entertainment. Just like movies, TV shows, magazines and books, video games are not one-size-fits-all. The vast majority of games are still made to be enjoyable by most age groups. Some games are made purely for adults, due to violent or otherwise graphic content. Just like all other media, when consumed by the appropriate audience video games are no cause for alarm.
The point of this post simply to bring to light that these politicians and law makers are potentially dangerous to our shared interests. So far, the law is on our side. Eighteen of twenty-nine pieces of anti-video game legislation have been overturned or are expected to be over turned on the grounds of their unconstitutionality. Six of those are in process, and with equally low chances of success as their predecessors. But more and more campaign promises and hushed pseudo-threats are emerging almost daily.
As we roll into this election season, I urge you to pay attention to who you're voting for and what their stance is on video game legislation. Help explain to others who may not know what the ESRB is, and what their ratings mean. If you are a parent with school-aged children, attend your PTA meetings and have the courage to make the stand. People will willingly jump on the anti-video gaming bandwagon out of lack of understanding. Show them the full extent of the beauty and possibilities of video games, and show them the truth about what they're so quickly willing to blacklist. The future of the industry and our hobby could very well be at stake in the next few years. We as gamers have to make a decisive effort to make sure that video games are allowed to flourish to their full extent, and get past this cultural speed-bump on the way to acceptance.
Check out the below sites (for fun and profit!). It would be frighteningly easy for some seemingly inconsequential piece of legislation to set precedence and lead to a tight control on what is and isn't allowed in video gaming. Thank you for your time, you may commence the flaming (after you register to vote, that is )
www.gamepolitics.com
www.theeca.com
www.esrb.org
www.getwellgamers.org
www.childsplaycharity.org
There is a lot of hoopla flying around about video games and their impact on society. It is undisputed that they have changed our lives. The hot topic right now is if that is for the good or the bad. So far, everything points to what common sense would dictate: in moderation, video gaming isn't any more or less harmful than watching a movie or TV. The stickler is that video games are much newer than TV or movies. They're part of the younger generation, by and large. This leads to the same generational-gap problem that has been seen in the past by everything from hip-hop, to low-riders, to TV, and even the modern novel.
The political world is full of oportunists. That's not at all suprising, I would hope. And while it's all too easy to dismiss their rants and claims as harmless and the ravings of people past their prime, the damage that a concentrated political effort can do to something that is popularly evil can be devastating. While I'm not one who's preaching doom and dispare for the video game industry, I do think that there is very real cause for concern when video gaming is linked to things such as the Columbine High-School massacre, petty thefts, assaults, and school violence.
Common sense says that video games can't possibly be the cause for any of this. There have unfortunately been senseless massacres before. Theft and assaults have always taken place even in areas with draconian laws on such things. And I don't know about you, but my school years were plenty full of bullies and 'tough-guys' even before video games became popular, much less as near-to-life as they can be now.
There are people in power right now that are trying to limit what type of content can be put into games, what type of games can be put out for sale, and to who. They either choose not to or simply do not understand that video games are no longer children's playthings. They are a respected medium of communication and entertainment. Just like movies, TV shows, magazines and books, video games are not one-size-fits-all. The vast majority of games are still made to be enjoyable by most age groups. Some games are made purely for adults, due to violent or otherwise graphic content. Just like all other media, when consumed by the appropriate audience video games are no cause for alarm.
The point of this post simply to bring to light that these politicians and law makers are potentially dangerous to our shared interests. So far, the law is on our side. Eighteen of twenty-nine pieces of anti-video game legislation have been overturned or are expected to be over turned on the grounds of their unconstitutionality. Six of those are in process, and with equally low chances of success as their predecessors. But more and more campaign promises and hushed pseudo-threats are emerging almost daily.
As we roll into this election season, I urge you to pay attention to who you're voting for and what their stance is on video game legislation. Help explain to others who may not know what the ESRB is, and what their ratings mean. If you are a parent with school-aged children, attend your PTA meetings and have the courage to make the stand. People will willingly jump on the anti-video gaming bandwagon out of lack of understanding. Show them the full extent of the beauty and possibilities of video games, and show them the truth about what they're so quickly willing to blacklist. The future of the industry and our hobby could very well be at stake in the next few years. We as gamers have to make a decisive effort to make sure that video games are allowed to flourish to their full extent, and get past this cultural speed-bump on the way to acceptance.
Check out the below sites (for fun and profit!). It would be frighteningly easy for some seemingly inconsequential piece of legislation to set precedence and lead to a tight control on what is and isn't allowed in video gaming. Thank you for your time, you may commence the flaming (after you register to vote, that is )
www.gamepolitics.com
www.theeca.com
www.esrb.org
www.getwellgamers.org
www.childsplaycharity.org