November 7, 2006
In a story first reported by GamePolitics last week, the National Institute on Media & the Family rather surprisingly used the word "devastating" to describe the effects of video games on children.The wording was included in a press release designed to re-cap NIMF's National Summit on Video Games, Youth & Public Policy, held October 20-21 in Minnesota. GP questioned the term when we reported it. NIMF has now re-issued the press release, sans devastation.
Here's the sentence in question from the original:
Medical and health experts and organizations agreed to a joint statement regarding the devastating effects of video games on children and youth.
And here's the revised version:
Before adjourning, the summit’s academic, medical and health experts and organizations agreed to a joint statement regarding the effects of violent video games on children and youth.
Scribe Aaron Stanton, who attended the summit, has a well-deserved rant about this over at GamesFirst, including news that almost all of the summit experts he spoke to disagreed with the use of "devastating" to describe the effects of video games on children.
GP: This gaffe is primarily "devastating" to NIMF's credibility. And it's not the first time the organization has gone off the deep end in regard to games.
Readers may recall that last year's Annual Video Game Report Card fretted about - of all things - cannibalism in video games, based on the silliest of evidence.
NIMF is obviously a major player in this arena. However, if the organization expects to continue to be taken seriously going forward, it needs to do its homework and get a better grasp on games and game culture.
Comments
I'm still waiting for the day someone suggests banning video games (like they did alcohol a long time ago). That way, we all get to laugh as the politicians, Jack, and all the other detractors look up to see what seems like three Gods descending upon them. Only they are not Gods, as men know them, but gods of electronic entertainment: Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. Then, armed with more money than the government will be willing to spend to defend a non-issue, they will open court with an army of lawyers (ten each sound fair?) and defeat all those who would inhibit Free Speech, Freedom of Expression, and Freedom of the Media!
Things change little over the years from people to books to movies cassettes to movies to CDs every decade they find soemthign thats corrupting the children or the poor masses and go gun ho on it and forget all the values that are supposed to be about...after all lieing is a sin to...of cores looking over some sins in order to fry other siners...er sins is what they seem to be about.....
If they want to really find out if violent media effects children/people then they would not lie not smudge their rep get a balanced team with a few token overly right and left minds in it and hash out all the information they have but since they have a team of token members anyone with a brain will overlook anything they have to say because what they say is tarnished.
Seriously though, we shouldn't be surprised but it is still a slap in the face for us. For the NIMF to call this an "open forum" for debate is pretty deceptive, it seems like all they did was invite industry reps so they could stand up and yell at them while spit flies out of their zealous mouths. I'd like to think this would be "devastating" to NIMF's credibility, the only ones that really know they changed their statements are us and the ones to whom the NIMF pander to, just won't care.
Funny how they changed their statement when they know they were wrong though. :)
You mean the prohibition in the 1920s? i think thats the right date. Any way, That would be a little funny to see a videogame prohibition. Cyber cafes would become the "speak easys" of the modern generation. hahaha!
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Before adjourning, the summit’s academic, medical and health experts and organizations agreed to a joint statement regarding the completely and utterly awesome effects of violent video games on children and youth.
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What do you think, guys?
No because zombies do not eat each other.
Andrew Eisen
Cannibalism in games? whats so wrong with that? It happens every where else in media. TV, Movies, books, etc. All obviously not ment for little kids. But oh heaven forbid it should happen in games. Again obviously games not ment for kids. It's not like I kick back after playing an hour of Resident Evil and chow down on babies or something. Because you know, if JT is right that video games can teach me to kill. They can teach me to eat people too.
Sounds perfect, my friend. I think NIMF should take you on as thier webmaster, it would be totally awesome!
Were I a participant in this, I think I'd decline any future invitations from NIMF. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd like to think that if I'm invited to a summit to speak and be heard it would be MY words that were reported in my name and not whatever political agenda could be attached to my name. It's insulting to the people who were invited to speak and damages NIMF's credibility beyond repair.
I'm pretty disgusted with all this, personally. I'd like to think that some of our major detractors can show some class and finesse... Or at least if they're going to make up lies, they shouldn't be associating the good names of others in with their own.
You know, I'm big on the fact that extreme violence, sexual themes, and cannibalism can be in movies, yet when in games that are NOT meant for kids, every politician wants to bring it down.
I mean, can't you consider zombie movies as a form of cannibalism?
Well said, GP. Of course, the NIMF will never listen. I don't care how "polite" Dr. Walsh is (frankly, I don't consider bashing something based on fautly evidence very polite), he's roughly on the same level as all the other self-appointed "experts" against video games, like David Grossman and Dr. Anderson.
Yea I was referring to Prohibition. I'm not sure when it happened myself. It wasnt a very long period of time. They made an Amendment to rescend the Amendment not long after it took effect. Afterall, when the goverment officials, police, and every citizen in the nation drinks it's kinda hard to enforce and actually encourages illegal activity.
Same applies to games. If they ever did ban them it would be impossible to enforce. Just the increase in the number of cases in our already overwhelmed court system would require them to rescend that law. Besides how would you prove they were playing the game? There's no way to actually prove it.