MTV's Stephen Totilo writes about the gamers who submitted video questions for tonight's CNN/YouTube Republican Presidential Debate.
In particular, Totilo focuses on 18-year-old Jesse Vetters, whose video inspired nearly two dozen fellow gamers to participate in the debate process by creating game issue-oriented videos of their own. Totilo writes:
Over the summer, Vetters started searching YouTube to see what questions had been asked during the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate. "I saw there was nothing on there about anything I really cared about, video games being the main thing..."
Vetters posted his 39-second question to YouTube... and asked aloud what politicians would do to make sure that games weren't vilified by the government.
Totilo also spoke with Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin, who, after seeing Vetters' video, decided to encourage others to follow suit by offering a free ECA t-shirt to those who submitted their own videos. Halpin commented:
Whenever I'm dealing with the mainstream media, their vision of gamers is apathetic, uninvolved, don't get out to vote. And here's this high school kid (Vetters) willing to jump into the deep end.
Halpin related an experience which occurred at PAX in August when a gamer approached him with a political question:
He was torn between [Barack] Obama and Hillary [Clinton]... [their position on video games is] the issue that could be a tipping point. I bet other gamers out there feel similarly. And that gave me a whole new perspective on what this could mean.
No one knows whether any of the gamer videos will make the final cut. But plenty of gamers will be watching.
Comments
After this debate, I am of the assessment that Ron Paul would make a great VP, and if the Republicans would stay out of people's lives as far as marriage and abortion goes, I'd be more inclined to vote their way.
I always though Ron Paul and Romney looked different than they really do, and if I was ron paul I would've said something else in response to mccain.
Oh and I can't believe that the candidates still won't allow gays in the military. "It might force christians to be with people against their principles' is a pathetic argument.
not that they were the majority or anything, but I also notice that there doesn't seem to be any videos chosen filmed by anyone under 21.
I know that the candidates didn't pick the videos, but I do wonder what their belief is in the credibility of someone in their teens caring about politics. I will be voting after all, are they going to assume that I will be a wildcard no matter what? that there's no reason to campaign for my generation?
I think it's because video games are a very minor issue at this point, especially when compared with iraq, immigration, foreign relations, hell even farm subsidies seems more important, since the anti-gaming side isn't very strong nor has the issue gone to a federal level.
Although the mission to mars thing was a little far fetched I guessed.
There was one question by an 18-year-old woman. I forget what it was about, though.
I really wish they would have asked just so morons like Pandalips quit blaming everything Hillary and Yee do on Republicans. Granted, Romney and Huckabee, being the nanny statists that they are, would probably have agreeed. The rest though, no so much.
Hell, two candidates on stage (Thompson and McCain) have recorded votes in the Senate against censoring violent media. Like this motion to kill an amendment banning violent TV at times kids might be watching. An Amendment sponsored by Democrats, and with mostly "liberals" supporting it. Oh, and look, Democratic candidate John Edwards voted against killing it too.
First off, it's Venom, not Veno. Second, WTF are you talking about? Do you even know at this point? Lat thing I recalled is that last time you brought this crap up, Dennis warned you to cut it out. I can give you a link if you want.
the word "gamer" has a connotation of a 16yr old highschool student hiding in their basement playing games all day, yes that has changed as the generations have shifted but to the outside thats the way its still seen
http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php
Correcting my statement of the largest group of gamers is actually in the 18-49 year bracket not the 18 and under. So it looks like the majority of gamers today can vote.
What a weird thing to say. That's a narrow demographic, and most gamers I know are older, younger, not white or not male.
At least that was a Free-Speech question, of sorts.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
actually that bill was FOR limiting violent tv to times children are not likely to be 'a substantial portion fo the audience' not a motion to kill it.
Although what surprises me the most is that LIEBERMAN voted against it. Kinda surprising.