Loyalty Gets You Nowhere

"NOT MY PROBLEM"

Nintendo fanboys listen up. As much as you feel Nintendo somehow owe you 'something' for all your years of buying and (rather sadly) defending their games & consoles the truth of the matter is that they owe you absolutely dick all. Nintendo are not in your debt, they don't have to pander to you with some nich video game that only you care about, and they certainly don't have to make public apologies to you for aiming they're latest console, (The Wii), at a wider market.

They're a business, so shut your incessant whining and grow up.

Jack Thompson is first in line for GTA IV

Florida attorney and activist Jack Thompson was one of the many lucky punters to get his hands on a copy of Rockstars highly anticipated GTAIV this week. Jack, who was first in line at one of EB America's video game retail outlets was quoted saying, "I'm so pleased to have got hold of a copy. I've been camped outside the store for about a week and its so been worth the wait; I can't wait to get home and start jacking cars, shooting at police and killing prostitutes!".

Nice one Jack, have fun!

Not so 'Great' Britain.

Diana?

I personally couldn't give a toss, and neither should anyone else. All these nutters, in fact a huge proportion of Britain, are obsessed by a women who they only came to know through the media. 'Queen of Hearts'? Bollocks, she only did what many others had already done or would like to do had they the time, money and luxury to do so. If it weren't for the media ramming this women down everyone ones throats on a daily basis during the course of her life then the British public would of have had a very different view of her. In fact,. they probably wouldn't 'care' quite as much. Ok, it is tragic that two boys lost their mother so young but its no more tragic than anyone else losing a loved one prematurely-give it a bloody rest.

And they say video games are corrupting the minds of the British public...

Oh and that John Loughrey bloke? He seriously needs to go and get laid.

Anne Diamond, an ill-informed, scare mongering sensationalist?

Well with a little help from the Daily Mail anything is possible.

Last week Anne Diamond took it upon herself to tell it how it is when it comes to video games and video gaming. In short she labled all those with an intrest in video games, (right down from the industry players to the gamers themselfs-of all ages I might add), as mindless, ignorant and down right stupid lay-abouts who harbour excessive violent tendacies through playing video games. Well done Anne, you've just given a whole new meaning to the words 'sweeping generalisation'. The worst part is that this publicity seeking, media whore doesn't need a shred of proof to print what ever she likes about anyone or anything.

Whats even more baffling is that Anne goes on tell us that she has sat and watched two of her boys aged 12-14 play Halo 3-a BBFC 15 rated video game. Of course, she then says its the fault of Microsoft that her children played Halo 3 because it came with the console, not the that she's being irresponsible. Seriously, you couldn't make this fucking shit up!

The problem with society isn't video games, or Marilyn Manson or Levey's Satanic Rites, the problem is horrible little scare mongering busy bodies, like Ms Diamond here, who's only goal in life, it would seem, is to feed the population with as much bullshit and paranoia as they possibly can as if by somehow doing so they can make sense of their own dull and pointless existance.

Anna Diamond, you're quite the tool. I dread to think what kind of bizarre crap you've filled your poor kids heads with over the years.

Governments 'clampdown' on videogames-a positive thought.

I've actually thought of something positive with regards to the new proposals regarding the rating of video games. Now that all video games are to be stamped with a BBFC rating as with films, like films video games will now have to be treated with the same level of maturity and respect currently held for films. If we're to have a clear cut definition of what constitues as games for adults and games for children then products like Manhunt, GTA or indeed any other video games containing adult content, must be reviewed and examined from the agreed position that these games will only be played by adults. The whole notion of banning a game like Manhunt 2 simply because of fears that it will end up in the hands of a child simply won't cut it anymore. Hostel 2 was reviewed by the BBFC with the view that it was a adult movie that was to be only viewed by adults and as such it was passed. A game like Manhunt 2, (or any games like it going foward), will have to treated with the same level of respect.

Most parents wouldn't allow their 8 year old to sit down and watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre because they're aware that its an adult horror film. Maybe, just maybe, with the new classifcation law for video games these parents will finally get it into their thick heads that Grand Theft Auto isn't a childs video game made by Pixar Studios, that it is infact a visceral, violent [albeit intelligent] video game about gansters trying to reach the top of the criminal underworld, whilst leaving a bloody trail of bodies and carnage in their wake.

If games are to be percieved in the same breath of light as films then another positive aspect to come from this would be that devleopers will have the freedom to ush new ideas into their projects without fear of condemnation by the media and other pressure groups. What are they going to say? "This 18 rated adult video game that has been clearly defined as an video game for adults has violence in it and....oh".
Yes they'd look pretty stupid, or as I like to think, the desperate tossers that they are who are out to spoil everyones fun.

Ironically the ruling has paved the way for devlopers and publishers alike to produce even more violent or adult orientated video games.

Only time will tell I guess.

Government’s ‘clampdown’ on games a reality

Thats right folks, the Government, lead by un-elected PM Gordon Brown and backed by some of the top guns in the games industry, has decided it would be a good idea to drop the responsibility of making sure that children don't play 'unsuitable' video games firmly in the lap of the retailer by passing a ruling that all video games are to be classified in the same way as films.

On paper it sounds like a good idea. In fact it would be a good idea and I feel that there should be a single system for rating video games, trouble is though I can't get this feeling from the back of my mind that its nothing more than yet another attempt to alleviate the parents of yet more responsibilty; To have some place where, should a 10 year old kid end up with GTA IV spinning in his PS3, they, (including the Government and the media), can lay the blame at the feet of the retailer without any worry of come back. Doesn't matter if a lazy parent trying shut their bastard kid up bought them the game in the first place, as long as one cretin, (probably a 50 year old Tesco's employee), sells a minor an 18 rated video game at any point once the legislation takes effect retail will carry the can for it all. Its perfect.

Why do I think this?

1) We currently live in a blame society, a place where no one takes any responsibilty for their own actions and decision making. "Smokers made me do it, Marilyn Manson made me do it, next doors cat made me do it, video games made me do it"

2) We currently have video games rated by the BBFC but it hasn't stopped the finger pointing from the media and other pressure groups who currently believe that video games are to blame for pretty much everything in the last several years, epsecially where children are concerned.

3) Parents who buy their children 'unsuitable' video games are the first to blame the industry when their precious little cherubs act like little shits, regardless of the fact that they buy said child GTA every year and regardless of being warned of its content, more often than not, by the sales staff in video game stores. They also let them play on their Playstations hours at a time-again, regardless of the sound advice given to them by the very industry itself that kids should play on their games consoles in moderation.

4) Video games are the new enemy. You only have to see the sheer amount of negative stories in the papers and on TV in the last few years alone. "Xbox is crack for kids!" said the Times. "Ban this sick filth!" said the Daily Mail. "Brain Training discriminates against northeners!" said Watchdog-(that last one actually made me laugh out loud)-and so on. Gordon Brown knows this and knows that by clamping down on video games he'll grab a few more votes from the middle-england Daily mail readers.

5) Kids buy more video games than they do movies. Fact. Can you tell the difference between an 11 year old and a 12 year old who wants to by the latest Spiderman game? Its a virtually impossible situation for the retailer unless all kids are issued with some form of identification, either that or many more video game retailers go down the swanny because they have to keep turning people away and as a result lose precious sales. I can almost feel the bastards in this country who enjoy spoiling everyones fun waiting patiently on the sidelines for someone to fuck up and sell a 14 year old a 15 rated video game so they can pounce on and tear into the industry, claiming its corrupting childrens minds.

6) If they [the Government] wanted children to be kept away from playing adult video games then why not impose the same law as alcohol and cigarettes where if the retailer thinks for one moment that a parent/adult is buying a violent, adult video game for a minor the retailer can refuse the sale? Surely that would make more sense and would deter more parents from caving in to keep the kids quite? No, if they did that the blame would sit soley at the feet of the parents and we can't have that, can we now...

As I said, in theory its a good idea only trouble is is that its marred by the hateful agenda of the busy bodies of this country; the same ones who got the smoking ban, the same ones who said we're all binge drinkers who will die horrible deaths because we like to have a good time, the same ones who put human emotions on the snout of a dumb animal-the fox-and more recently the same ones who said eating bacon will 'definitely' give you cancer, (a vegetarian must of joined their ranks?). To top it off they're backed up by the ambitions of just one man who dreams of absolute power for the next several years and who will go to any lengths to obtain it. Even if it means treating us all like children.

Cheers Gordon.