May 1, 2008 -
Actor Wil Wheaton, who rather bluntly dissed anti-game attorney Jack Thompson at PAX 2007, has weighed in on the GTA IV controversy via his blog:The usual gang of idiots are up in arms about how this game will lead to the end of civilization as we know it... The hysteria surrounding the release of GTA IV has officially crossed into the realm of the absurd...
Can I just take a moment and point out how insane this is? This type of hysterical overreaction to a video game is completely out of proportion to any alleged harm it could inflict on anyone, but is accepted because it is done, as it always is, in the name of protecting The Children.
...which leads me to wonder where The Parents are, and if these people are so serious about making the world better for The Children, why they don't invest the same amount of energy and resources into securing quality healthcare and world-class education for them as they spend wringing their hands over video games that aren't even supposed to be played by The Children in the first place.
Wheaton, an ECA member, starred in the 1986 classic Stand By Me, played Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: Next Generation and has numerous other acting credits. He has also done video game voice-over work, including on several GTA titles.
Full Disclosure Dept: The ECA is the parent company of GamePolitics…
Comments
Stand by me still rocks.
"Just you Ace, Just you"
The sad fact is that it greatly easier to blame everything on a convenient scapegoat than it is to actually fix any problems.
So polititions and 'for the children' parents/groups will continue to mindlessly bash videogames as it makes them look like they're doing something for the minimum of effort required.
But yes, Will got it spot-on. So if you're reading this Wil, kudos to you! :)
Incidentally, I met Wil at a convention many, many years ago when we were both teenagers. I think at the time though we probably wouldn't have had much in common. But we were both different people then and I think today if we sat down we'd have much more to talk about. His dissing of JT, his being an ECA memeber and this recent piece have really elevated him to a new level of respect in my book. :)
Shame it's a case of preaching to the quire, the people who need to hear this never will.
PWNAGE!!!
The USA is full of people who would rather point fingers than actually take responsibility for a problem. Because the finger pointing existed 50 years ago, it will be here in some form 50 years from today and probably for the near future...
Too busy battling what they find morally wrong and telling other show to raise their kids
Will, I just want you to know, I'm a parent, gamer, proud supporter of the 1rst Ammendment. You're right and I am doing everything in my power to raise my kid right. Focusing on proper education and health care, not witch-burning some game.
But then we wouldn't have guns...
Seriously, i have no problem with some gun legislation, like here in Australia it is really difficult to get a handgun, and there are relatively few gun crimes, but i choose to believe that there can be a balance between absolute gun control and no gun control which still leaves the public safe. Besides most crimes involving firearms are illegal ones, purchased from unlicensed dealers, usually illegal models in the first place, and given to the street thugs who think they own the streets (bad idea).
Sorry, went off topic for a sec.
Personally, i never thought that Wesley was a very good character in the Next Generation, but these comments have easily made up for that. Wil +1
Uhhh, yeah you guys just have people blaming car accidents and racing on the Need for Speed series.
Wil Wheaton was also the male reporter on the GTA:SA radio news segments.
Yeah, because it's worked so well for England.
But maybe banning knives will work!
I also listened to your speech last year, really good but you just need to be careful about your language because if we are to say to the non-gamers that JT can suck our balls, then they might think that us gamers are crazy,
So yeah, when speaking to a non-gamer, it is important to control our own emotions and to speak with a clear voice and not to get over emotional like swearing.
But all the while, your speeches are top Gamer quality.
Off topic, but, he was Richard Burns?
That's what really hit me as the cold hard truth ;) .
What sane person would ever believe that a game can cause violence? It was a theory put forward by some people and the politicans are jumping on it to get attention.
You just made the world a slightly better place.
On a side note, kudos to Wil for his role in Gamer Society VS Thompson. May he continue to do voices for many more great video games!
You wouldn't let a 12 year old watch 'Hostal' so why let them play a game where you can throw morality out the window, steal cars, shoot passers by, beat up tramps and all sorts of other GTA 4 awesomeness
Because, as everyone knows, before there were guns, nobody eve killed anyone else.
Exactly the newer gta series is for people over 18, this really blew up after some of the school shootings and they found the kids responsible were playing doom. Well where were the parents??? Most likely just deluding themselves with the old "it's just a phase"
Just because people or kids play violent video games doesn't mean they will go psycho and try to kill everyone in sight, or we would be in a real crysis right now with murder rates 30-100% higher than they are with all the gamers out there today....
If people do not want thier kids playing these violent video games I say grow up, take responsibility, and stop trying to put it off on the industry to raise your kids for you...
May 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
People all too frequently blame the parents but what action is being taken to educate people about the age limits of the games, parents need to be taught that an age rating on a game is there for same reason that is on any DVD.
You wouldn’t let a 12 year old watch ‘Hostal’ so why let them play a game where you can throw morality out the window, steal cars, shoot passers by, beat up tramps and all sorts of other GTA 4 awesomeness"
It says it right smack on the front of the game, just like it would on the front cover of the Hostel DVD. This crap about educating parents is weak, just learn to read and take some interest in what your kids do with their life.
Actually, there seems to be *more* happening to educate parents about game ratings than anything else any more.
So, what you're saying is that the average American parent needs to be taught that M=R, T=PG13, etc, etc? Maybe if they looked at the "M", saw that it said "Mature" right underneath it, they wouldn't need to be taught? LERN 2 REED!
that's a good one lol... but seriously people are scared of everything now a days.
Crusher is made of win.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Im Canadian and we never blame GTA for shooting because we can’t get guns here. No guns to shooting, no shooting no killing. If everyone in the good old USA didn’t have guns then maybe just maybe less people would die.
I'm an American, and we never blame GTA for shooting. We BLAME CANADA!!
sorry, eh. t'was too easy to pass up...
ps i love Canada and hockey. A sport where fighting is, well, sorta discouraged, yet allowed.
That's why you have no gun violence. Skated and sticks.
oh, and less class separation.
You hit the nail right on the head. As a parent I have countless other things to worry about other than a silly game that I wouldn't allow my kid to play in the first place. Thank you Wil for taking a stand against this nonsensical garbage JT and crew continue to misinform the masses with.
p.s. - I still wish Worf would have fired Wesley out of a torpedo tube. Nothing personal :)
Very well said; spot on!