October 31, 2007
As expected, there is no lack of mainstream coverage of the Manhunt 2 launch. Let's get to it:CBS Evening News with Katie Couric did a full-court press on the Manhunt 2 release. Tech reporter Daniel Sieberg served up a balanced look at the controversy surrounding the game that consumed a surprisingly long four minutes of air time (see video below).
Beyond Sieberg's main report both he and anchor Katie Couric offered additional observations. Sieberg featured expanded time with game writer Scott Steinberg and child psychologist Dr. Chris Lucas. Couric's Notebook warned parents not to let their children play Manhunt 2.
Over at ABC News, Jake Tapper had a shorter report on the game. The disapproving glare of anchor Charles Gibson (left) was unmistakable.CBS-11, a network affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth spliced its own reporting with footage from Sieberg's piece. Most notable were the comments of clinical psychologist Dr. Sylvia Gearing, who related the game to school shootings:
You're basically teaching a child the behavioral sequencing of killing. [School shooters] have two characteristics that are reinforced by this game, invincibility and grandiosity. You decide who lives and who dies, and you also identify with the anti-hero. This is the worst I've ever witnessed because of the torture and the simulated killing.
Comments
Ok... I remember that, I just didn't know you reffered to that "scandal" as that, I thought it had something to do with the game. Oops... :/
Hostel, Hostel 2, Turistas, Saw, Saw 2, Saw 3, Saw 4, Cannibal Holocaust, Haloween Series, Friday the 13th, American Psycho, and the list goes on and on and on. Yet they waste their time on one game which is probably going to sell better because of the controversy THEY (the media, Jack, and CSM) created. I'm not advocating the censorship of the above movies. I would rather play Manhunt 2 rather than watch the above movies with my kids.
Also, the motion controls don't make the game anymore "dangerous". You do those same motions to swing a bat, or tennis racket in Wii sports. You're essentially swinging the Wiimote the same way in every game, I don't see how it's such a huge difference since you're still basically simulating hitting something in Wii Sports.
Besides, kids get to simulate shooting people with squirt guns so why not ban them? What about kids growing up playing "cops and robbers"? How about we ban that so kids don't grow up thinking it's okay to steal and defy police and potentially hurt the officers. It's all just double standard nonsense and I think everyone needs to just back off. People might as well just lock their kids up in a padded room and never let them out if they really think everything is going to make them crazy or get them killed.
But on a different not, the Katie sketch seemed pretty balanced. They did paste Manhunt 2 in a negative light, but did not go on the "protect the children" rampage that most everyone else is doing.
Here's to hoping the whole world is not going to go insane.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
"Besides, kids get to simulate shooting people with squirt guns so why not ban them? What about kids growing up playing “cops and robbers”? How about we ban that so kids don’t grow up thinking it’s okay to steal and defy police and potentially hurt the officers. It’s all just double standard nonsense and I think everyone needs to just back off. People might as well just lock their kids up in a padded room and never let them out if they really think everything is going to make them crazy or get them killed."
No! Don't give them ammunition! They've got enough of that without us giving them ideas!
If that were true, then school shooters would go into school, try and press B or waggle the Wiimote and find it doesn't work. You CANNOT learn to fire a gun from a video game played on a controller.
"[School shooters] have two characteristics that are reinforced by this game, invincibility and grandiosity."
Invincibility? With a cheat code maybe, otherwise it's possible to fail in a game. Grandiosity? Most of the games blamed for school shootings have very little "grand" about the main character. In the GTA series you are a hired thug most of the time. In Doom you are a soldier who never says a word and who you can't even see.
"You decide who lives and who dies"
I could do this with my lego when I was a kid.
"and you also identify with the anti-hero."
So? Just because you identify with someone does not mean that you will imitate them.
"This is the worst I’ve ever witnessed because of the torture and the simulated killing."
Personal opinion. It is also not "simulated killing", it is make believe. Would you call to ban "Hansel and Gretel" because they push the witch into an oven because it is "simulated killing"?
Always use the Wii Strap, kids.
I also second the comments about waving the Wii controllers about rather than making any specific motions. It really looks a little half-arsed from what I saw in the video. Shame really. After playing Blazing Angels all weekend it goes to show the bad and good of implementing the Wii control system.
Announcer : It's "Channel Six Action News." [several explosions are shown]
Bart : "Ah, Action News. The last place an impressionable kid can go for TV violence."
Announcer: "And now, here's your Action Anchor Kent Brockman."
Kent: [jumping in, panting] "Hello, I'm Kent Brockman! Our top stories tonight: a tremendous *explosion* in the price of lumber, President Reagan *dyes* ...his hair, plus Garry Trudeau and his new musical comedy revue. But first! Let's check the death count from the killer storm bearing down on us like a shotgun full of snow."
Weatherman : Well, Kent, as of now the death count is zero. But it is ready to shoot right up.
Kent : Oh my God. [shakes fist at heaven] Damn you snow!
Heh... funny stuff...
No one is making you buy this game. If you don't want your kids to play it, then don't buy it for them. If, for some reason, they DO get their hands on it, use the parental controls that are already on the system. If you can't do this, maybe you should have your kids taken away. You are NOT helpless in this, you HAVE the control to tell them what they can and cannot play. If you think they're going to hate you for it... they will, but they'll hate you for various other reasons later down the road.
Manhunt 2 will see a decent week in sales. It will make the Top 20 for the week but not the top 10. It will never be in the top 20 again. This will be due to the fact that once all these people who buy the game to spite nanny watchdogs will realize that the lackluster reviews were right and then either never play it again or they will trade it in and get a good game and never talk about it. Sales will drop off the radar and it will be in the bargain bin by Christmas.
There will be no increase in youth violence and these watchdog groups will claim it is all their doing and will then move on to the next controversy to stay relevant.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Reinforced by this game truly? That is supposed to be a part of how school shooters are created? I disagree because as far as invincibility are concerned a doubt a single school shooter considers himself invincible, I haven't heard of a school shoothing yet where the shooter did not die. As for grandiosity I consider mainstream media far more guilty than videogames. Look at how school shooters are immortalized on tv.
That the exact point I was going to make. I've never heard of a single school shooter thinking they were somehow "immortal". Most of them kill themselves. Why would someone who thought they were immortal try to kill themself? To see if the bullets would bounce off?
I'm really starting to hate these "doctors". Didn't you need to have qualifications other than "I went to college for a long time" to be considered an expert in the past? Why is everyone with a PhD suddenly qualified to make "newsworthy" statements about anything they want?
He then goes on to quote the FTC report that no one in the game industry has denied. It has been accepted by the game industry and they are working on improving that number. Where they can get off claiming they are in denial of those numbers is beyond me.
I would also like to know who this Dr. Sylvia Gearing person and what are her qualifications and sources?
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Beautifully said. Of all the terrible things in this world (and some pretty amazing ones too) THIS is what they waste air time with. It is irresponsible of all these media types and zealots to blame the ills of society in general and of children in particular on pixelated images on a screen.
Root causes of violence in schools are not video games. Lets discuss poverty, class separation, family dysfunction, questionable parenting, lack of after school activities.... the list goes on and on.
But hey, Rockstar is apparently a lot smarter than the media. They've managed to get thousands of dollars worth of free advertising.
This report is not unbalanced. They only mentioned the Wii version for 90% of the report because that is currently the most recognized gaming system in the media. They don't mention the PS2 and PSP versions until the end. There are at least 3 times as many PS2 systems out there than Wii's. They want to make it seem like R* is passing this game out to little kids. They make no mention that R* toned down the killing scenes.
The 20 Something’s "enjoyed playing but re-coiled at the violent imagery." Did they? RE-COILED? In addition, they go to the female of the group who may or may not be (I'll go with 'may not be') an avid gamer and get the "they made it violent on purpose" rationale. Of course, they made it violent on purpose!
Why, WHY, why is Katie Couric giving commentary on the game? "Why anyone would want to play that creepy, disturbing game is beyond me, but....." I don't take my queues from Katie. Only subjugated, depressed Midwestern housewives turn to Katie Couric for inspiration. Now all of these housewives will run around blaming Nintendo for their child's problems.
Parents should have more interaction with their kids. If their 15-year-old wants this game or any game, rent it for them, sit down with them, and play their games with them. You can sit with your child and determine what is appropriate for them. Don't let mainstream media tell you what is best for your children.
Katie Couric is the Anti-Cronkite
The psychologist was a nice touch, same with the 'no study has ever proved video games = violent behaviour' guy. Pointing out the parental controls on the Wii? Sheer brilliance! That was the gem of the piece. Showing parents that yes, they can take an active role in what their kids are playing. I don't think any news coverage has ever pointed out that yes, you can effectively stop your children from playing this game if you set up the parental controls, and they get a big thumbs-up from me for pointing that out.
Now that Dr. Gearing or whatsoever, I stopped reading after:
"You’re basically teaching a child..."
It's a game for 17+ and rated Mature, why is it so hard to get into their skulls?
I'm genuinely, and pleasantly, surprised. This report was fairly balanced. While it did lean towards "this game is sick", they did mention the ESRB ratings, parental controls, and that there is no proven link between violent video games and actual violence. It could of been better, but it could of been far worse, considering it was a 3 minute piece.
How old are you? I'm not old enough to have live through that but I've read about it and I am still a little shaken by a few of the things I've read.
Such as this http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp
It makes people who have had to pass psychological exams by the bar look sane.
It is really amazing how little people know about any type of gaming. Those commics were really funny. I can't believe that people really think that D&D actually trains you for the ucult and that you are recruited through it.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Wow...that makes Jack Thompson look sane. I don't mean to get off subject, but damn. It's stuff like that that create people like Pandralisk...and to be honest, who can blame them for hating religion with stuff like that floating around.
Was that real? Or was it a parody of how people acted toward D&D? If that was real, then I'm speechless. Well, we know what JT gets his training from.
-_-
News Reporter in the field: There's this manhunt 2 thing, and folks are saying, you know, don't buy it for your kids.
...lots of knee-jerk reactionism and naysaying...my favorite part is the bit about how the game is "still banned in europe" and the implications that those europeans really have this free speech thing covered unlike us...
News Reporter in the studio: Manhunt 2 is rated M for mature, which means it should only be purchased for children 17 or older..
They could have cut to the news reporter in the studio right from the start and completely covered this story. Instead they gave MH2 free advertising time...
Then why do I occasionly have the screen read, and I quote. "You are dead". When I play RE4 or God of War.
And you decide who lives or who dies too. Yeah, him or me.
That was a very weak argument by the doc if you ask me.
At least they finally figured out how the parental controls work. After all, these new-fangled machines have such complex manuals these days. *sarcasm*