who works in a video game store, asks Republican presidential candidates if they are willing to hold parents accountable for buying mature-rated games for their children.
Meanwhile,
is back with another vid. This time he asks what violence in media -- including video games -- says about our society.
Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm
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Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm
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Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm
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Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm
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Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm
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Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm
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Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm
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Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm
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ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm
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MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm
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Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm
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MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am
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Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am
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quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
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quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
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quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm
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Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm
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Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm
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Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm
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james_fudge: I think Evan killed it. He's a great guy and super smart.10/17/2014 - 6:38pm
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Comments
August 12th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I think these YouTube videos take gamers’ mental masturbation to a new depth. Thanks, Dennis, for reminding us all of this propensity of gamers to engage in this type of activity. Fascinating, and so telling.
Says the guy who sends an email to the president about pretend violence and then CCs it to every media outlet he can think of to declare what a huge victory this is.
The hypocrisy is mindboggling.
Stick to what you know: which I guess is name-calling and... uh... is paranoid narcissism a skill?
(I know, I know... I mock the man for name-calling and then jump right in myself. What can I say? Moment of weakness.)
Jack, 2 major issues with your 'Planet Pluto" statement. Politicians (aka The King of Planet Pluto) work for the people and require the support of the voters. Last I checked the video game industry was a $10B industry (I have to think some of those purchasers are voters) and respresent a large force in the American economy.
And the "Tiger Woods" comment I presume refers to a non-significant issue. If this issue is so insignificant, Jack, why do you waste your time on it?
Jack, just because you ARE a joke doesn't mean you can MAKE a joke.
This type of activity? You mean taking an interest in the political process? Finding out politicians views on subjects that interest and pertain to you before voting for them?
Yes, thanks Dennis, for reminding us all of this propensity of gamers to engage in democracy.
Though personally I'm a bit let down.
I mean, I figure you're not a REAL politically-minded gamer until Jack Thompson directly accuses you of being in an underground murder-cult conspiracy or whatever.
Ah, well... I'm sure I'll manage to limp along with the knowledge that the great pariah thinks I'm a mental masturbator.
(And now: Semantics!
If regular masturbation is self-stimulating the genitals, wouldn't mental masturbation mean self-stimulating the brain: a.k.a. thinking?)
...Are you retarded? Honestly, mental masturbation? This coming from the same guy who uses the Bible to justify his actions and compares himself to Jesus. King of pluto and Tiger Woods? WTF does that have to do with anything?
What, are you going to start a campaign against youtube now, claiming it to be a part of the game industry as well? Please, shut your mouth.
"Oh, and I went into my garage and asked the King of Planet Pluto what he thinks about Tiger Woods’ second round at Southern Hills. I know the King won’t ever hear my query, but it is really, really important, given the YouTube mentality, that you know I asked the question. I shows how relevant and timely my concerns are."
.............what in God's name are you trying to say?
The motard from Miami seems to think that the politicans involved in the YouTube debate won't bother to respond to the questions posted here.
When it really comes down to it your court cases are just as moot. Questions that won't be heard, against court cases in which you accomplish nothing again and again. Your legal jerking off, so sad.
How does it feel to know that you accomplish as much as the average gamer covered in cheeto dust?
One of us! One of us! One of us!
Maybe you could rephrase your question, to ask what they plan to do to educate parents about the functional ratings system.
The system is nearly identical to the one the movie industry uses. Voluntary ratings with voluntary enforcement. One system works well enough to not draw any attention, the other appears to a miserable failure (even though it isn't, it just looks that way in the media). So perhaps the focus should be on improving awareness of the ratings system and it's successful enforcement. And to remind people that as educated consumers they can enjoy better control of their kids access to inappropriate games.
http://www.youtube.com/democraticdebate
There were plenty of shock questions in there but there were some interesting ones as well.
Actualy, your question may be a good thing. Sure it may make some of the canidates nervous since the question will define them as either a social or a libertarian conservative. That's a huge republican issue, the right to watch over your own children.
Heck, the democrats had to answer to some idiots' question about reperations for slavery. Somehow someone at CNN though that there were enough blind-sighted people in the world to allow that question. I could almost hear the moans of "You got to be kidding me" from the audience.
"Thaddeus, while this is a great question, it seems to be based on the pre-conceived notion that all the candidates support anti-video game legislation."
This question has nothing to do a pre-conceived notion. This has to do with the FACT that many parents buy innapropriate games for their children becuase "This is the game Jimmy wants for his birthday" or "It's only a video game! (vacant look)". He is not assuming that the candidates are automatically against video-games, he wants to know what the candidates will do to highlight or combat the fact that so many parents already ignore or have no about the existing machinery to ensure electronic media is enjoyed by people of an appropriate age.
"...There were no dead bodies until about 10 years ago." That's a funny thought. No one died. Ever!
And you can be certain that the 24 hour news channels are looking for anything that can get ratings and warrant their existence. People act like shootings, murders, or any other crimes are more common. They aren't, we just hear about them more.
Who hasn't heard their parents or grandparents talk about "the good olde days"? People generally remember the past through rosy colored glasses. Things were simpler, more innocent, people worked harder, etc. I've even thought about how much simpler life was when I was a child. How much more peaceful.
This is nothing but lies. I grew up in the 80s and 90s. The Cold War was ongoing and the Gulf War came and went during my lifetime. Both were "resolved" before I was ten years old. I don't remember these though. Why? Because I was young. My parents wouldn't wish to frighten me with such tales. Nor would they inform me of any other family problems/financial difficulties. Why? I was too young. Even IF I knew what good would it do? None.
Best to let a child be a child. This is the reason people generally remember the past so fondly. I doubt anyone born during WWII would describe those days as desperate or full of despair.
I frankly have no idea what age ranges frequent this site the most, but remember my question is specifically in regards to the past 25 years, it was specific instances, such as MK 1, which started the negative video game train. Primal Rage? Wolfenstein 3D? Even Doom! (But that was when it finally appeared on the home console, because the PC era is an entire different discussion).
I don't think society, as a whole, has changed that much, I don't think a higher percentage of children are kidnapped, I don't think that there is a higher percentage of rapists, murderers or thieves. What I think there is, is a lot more people, so while percentages remain the same, numbers go up, as do the odds of the crime being discovered.
We also have a Media system that is now Global, and more sensationalistic than ever. It's a 'Shock and Awe' system in many ways, everything has to be pro-active in a dynamically mobile kind of way, buzzwords rule the world, with alliteration as it's Prime Minister.
I don't think things are worse, I think we just paint it in brighter colours now. That is good in a way, it gets attention, the world may not be doing everything right, but it's still doing it better than it was 20 years ago, but we are far more aware of what it's doing wrong than we were 20 years ago.
Perhaps, and if I had more than 30secs, it might have been helpful to discuss how both television and movies are much more mainstream, leading to the simply fact that parents immediately understand the degree of violence therein. In contrast, video games are much less accessible to anyone not willing to fully understand a particular premise.
So in general, despite all forms, it would seem that society has, as a whole, come to accept more provocative displays of violence on in mediums, Its the mystique and esoteric nature of video games that have led them to be the black sheep and scape goat and (insert another farm animal here) to the political realm and general public. To that, its completely unfair.
Does that help?
I think my next question will be: "Rock Bank or Guitar Hero 3? Discuss...."
Still, I'm psyched to see that so many people are behind me on this.
@ Shoehorn O'Plenty
You brought up a valid point. Most of the games that people focus on are the violent games, but there are plenty non-violent games that sell well. Guitar Hero is probably the best example. I really can't see the Super Smash Bros games as being violent (no more than Tom & Jerry at any rate) and they are immensely popular as well. And there's such a large number of puzzle games that it's ridiculous.
Oddly, it seems that many of the best selling nonviolent games get very little advertisement. To me, this suggests that there is such a good market for them that they require little. Word of mouth is probably a factor, too.
I suppose it really depends on what you define as violent. While few, if any, would define Mario as violent, I'm certain that you could find someone that would. Wait. Didn't someone claim that Mario games were communist propaganda?
It looks like this:
University Update - Video Games - Two New Gamer Videos for YouTube Debates Says:
August 11th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
[…] YouTube Contact the Webmaster Link to Article video games Two New Gamer Videos for YouTube Debates » Posted at GamePolitics.com on Saturday, August 11, 2007 Two New Gamer Videos for YouTube Debates August 11th, 2007 Thaddeus, who works in a video game store, … . This time he asks what violence in media — including video games — says about our society. WPvideo 1.02 Debate Question WPvideo 1.02 Republican Debate - Video Games Violence Posted View Original Article » […]
It's begining to annoy me. Anyway, back on topic, both questions are excelent! Thaddeus pretty much hit the nail on the head on the game retailer controversy and Kevin's question was great as well. Forgive me if I misunderstand Kevin's point, but is he trying to point out that its the fact the goverment disapproves of it spawns the popularity of games like GTA?
The second one, not so. I thought the presidential debates were to see what candidates would do to change existing policies or do to tackle certain problems facing society. They are not about what the candidates think about society in general. Their attitudes to today's society are better revealed through more specific questions such as the first.
Also, while a lot of popular video games are violent, many games which sell equally as many copies are non-violent, eg. Guitar Hero, Brain Training, the latest Madden, soccer titles, etc. I don't think that the fact that there is a sector of the industry creating violent games means anything. The same with movies, books, music, for every Eminem record, there's a jazz or classical album, for every Die Hard there is a Disney movie, and for every Stephen King chiller there is a Harry Potter.
There is no problem with there being violent games as long as they are only consumed by the audience for which they are meant.
either way, great videos guys. Now that it looks like it's all but certain that Romney is a no show, I probably won't reshoot, but you guys owned my video.
And now, the requisite inb4jackthompsonrant, and how he should seek Redemption on Sept. 10