Cyprus Plans to Regulate Violent Game Sales
Cyprus Plans to Regulate Violent Game Sales
July 2, 2008
Currently, Cyprus is one of only four European Union member states that doesn't regulate the sale of violent video games to children.
Government officials are planning to rectify that situation, however.
According to a report in today's Cyprus Mail, the island nation's House Education Committee is considering how to go about it:
According to DISY deputy Tasos Mitsopoulos... it has been ‘scientifically proven’ that ‘bad and excessive use of these games can have a negative effect on children and teenagers’ brains’, pointing out that Holland had opened the first rehabilitation centre for youths addicted to computer games.
Deputies linked violent games to a number of teenage rampages, such as last year’s mass murder of 32 people at Virginia Tech in the US by student Seung-Hui Cho.
“The thing with computer games is that the child is actively implicated in killing people, as opposed to a movie where he is a passive observer,” the DISY deputy explained.
Government official Athena Kyriakidou added:
With the Internet, it is not easy to protect our children, but at least an effective law will enable the authorities to have some control over the [video game] market.
The other three EU countries without video game laws are Slovenia, Romania and Luxemburg.
GP: Cyprus needs to do what it feels it must. However, they're obviously getting at least some misinformation here concerning a supposed video game connection to the Virginia Tech rampage. Note that a blue ribbon panel which investigated the mass shooting found zero linkage to games. Only Jack Thompson and Lyndon Larouche continue to insist that games were involved. And the killer was a 23-year-old man, not a teenager.
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Posted 08/29/08 at 10:52am
ZippyDSMlee: feeman:DS is saying goverment would exspand more if the duims get in, he's probly right.
ZippyDSMlee: feeman:DS is saying goverment would exspand more if the duims get in, he's probly right.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:51am
thefremen: LOL, yes, the government has not expanded at all in the last 8 years, especially not for the benefit of corporate entities.
thefremen: LOL, yes, the government has not expanded at all in the last 8 years, especially not for the benefit of corporate entities.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:51am
thefremen: LOL, yes, the government has not expanded at all in the last 8 years, especially not for the benefit of corporate entities.
thefremen: LOL, yes, the government has not expanded at all in the last 8 years, especially not for the benefit of corporate entities.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:43am
ZippyDSMlee: DS- http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?p=84679#post84679 In OT BTW
ZippyDSMlee: DS- http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?p=84679#post84679 In OT BTW
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:32am
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: Sure ^^
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: Sure ^^
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:29am
Dark Sovereign: @zip: Make the thread. I'm just not active there.
Dark Sovereign: @zip: Make the thread. I'm just not active there.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:28am
SimonBob: Heh, I was just playing with the semantics for my own amusement, not trying to shoehorn my way into the argument.
SimonBob: Heh, I was just playing with the semantics for my own amusement, not trying to shoehorn my way into the argument.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:28am
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: Iwish you would join the forums so we can have a full conversation these shouts are stifling!
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: Iwish you would join the forums so we can have a full conversation these shouts are stifling!
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:27am
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign:force them into the wilderness to die off...this is the reality of not taking into account what to do with the lower classes.
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign:force them into the wilderness to die off...this is the reality of not taking into account what to do with the lower classes.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:26am
Dark Sovereign: @zip: What are you talking about? Less government means less taxes. Less taxes means more money in average Joe's pockets.
Dark Sovereign: @zip: What are you talking about? Less government means less taxes. Less taxes means more money in average Joe's pockets.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:26am
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: you DO realize there were roving shanty towns and poor hosues before social secuty was started? they were hives for poverty and disease,hell with todays "cleanliness" in housing code you can not have them anymore and states will just forc
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: you DO realize there were roving shanty towns and poor hosues before social secuty was started? they were hives for poverty and disease,hell with todays "cleanliness" in housing code you can not have them anymore and states will just forc
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:22am
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: noobies and their silly definition ^_~, but I ahve to ask how do you keep millions off the streets, taking twice as much money from states without social security and health care?
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: noobies and their silly definition ^_~, but I ahve to ask how do you keep millions off the streets, taking twice as much money from states without social security and health care?
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:22am
Dark Sovereign: You ASSUME that not giving tons of handouts to people will make them poor. America itself shows you are wrong.
Dark Sovereign: You ASSUME that not giving tons of handouts to people will make them poor. America itself shows you are wrong.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:17am
Dark Sovereign: Fascism involves ever-expanding government. I just argued the exact opposite.
Dark Sovereign: Fascism involves ever-expanding government. I just argued the exact opposite.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:17am
Dark Sovereign: Do either of you have any idea what "fascism" or totalitarianism IS? You aren't showing it.
Dark Sovereign: Do either of you have any idea what "fascism" or totalitarianism IS? You aren't showing it.
Posted 08/29/08 at 10:08am
SimonBob: "Fascism" is such a dirty word. Call it "totalitarianism" and at least it sounds vaguely reasonable, in a Heinlein-esque way.
SimonBob: "Fascism" is such a dirty word. Call it "totalitarianism" and at least it sounds vaguely reasonable, in a Heinlein-esque way.
Posted 08/29/08 at 09:50am
thefremen: @Dark Soveriegn: You're advocating the values of fascism, you know that right? If we call it conservatism does it smell as sweet
thefremen: @Dark Soveriegn: You're advocating the values of fascism, you know that right? If we call it conservatism does it smell as sweet
Posted 08/29/08 at 08:36am
gamepolitics: When I'm on the West Coast I miss my three-hour head start... wah...
gamepolitics: When I'm on the West Coast I miss my three-hour head start... wah...
Posted 08/28/08 at 10:03pm
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: right? ack sorry for the long windedness ><
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign: right? ack sorry for the long windedness ><
Posted 08/28/08 at 10:02pm
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign:infrastructure, let the states deal with the millions on disability or SSI let states run shanty towns for the great unwashed masses and all the death and disease that will ensue, as long as the middle and rich pay less taxes who cares righ
ZippyDSMlee: Dark Sovereign:infrastructure, let the states deal with the millions on disability or SSI let states run shanty towns for the great unwashed masses and all the death and disease that will ensue, as long as the middle and rich pay less taxes who cares righ
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Comments
I think all men under the age of 25 are refered to as teenages or manchildren by default. I'm not sure some people can even tell the difference anymore.
'bad and excessive use'
Keyword: Excessive
Anything is bad when its used "bad and excessively," you don't need scientific evidence for that
"Cyprus needs to do what it feels it must."
Not at all. Countries only need to do what they need to do. Feelings have nothing to do with it.
Political correctness won't change the fact that it's wrong, no matter how many legislators or citizens feel otherwise.
First, what exactly is "bad use"? Second, the interactive elements of games double as reality check, which means it's much easier for a kid to seperate videogames and reality than movies and reality. Third, get your facts straight please. Cho was a grown man, a nutty man yes, but still an adult. If someone is still impressionable at that age, they have problems.
-If shit and bricks were candy and tits, we'd all be livin' large. For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007)Grand Theft Childhood, by Harvard Medical School researchers Larry Kutner and Cheryl Olson
I think "bad use" involves crushing the disc into a fine powder and snorting it, using the disc as a cutting utensil or a makeshift ninja throwing weapon, or reflecting light into the eyes of oncoming traffic. "Bad use" could also refer to something as evil and as sinister as putting a "Dai Katana" disc into your CD drive, too.
Who knows? Only Cyprus Hill knows.
Whilst I don't think that regulating videogame sales to minors (or any form of entertainment media) is neccessarily a bad thing, Cyprus seem to have followed the lead set by Greece and are approaching this thorny issue in completely the wrong way. They should look to the ways they regukate movies and televison and follow suit, rather than approaching videogames as if they were some alien life-form.
-- teh moominz --
Dear God, I visit gamepolitics only to find news of my own country
.
I read this on the paper this morning. Apparently, the politicians in Cyprus have hardly any contact with videogames. They probably view videogames as a fearfull enemy for our youth rather than entertainment.
The representative of the minister of Education also mentioned that "Children that use violent scenes in the electronic medium replicate them in school".
I'm wondering where these people get their sources!
Sigh...another case of government officials expected to know everything under the sun. I don't know about your country, but our US government (at least) tries to get their information for sources in the appropriate industry to try to sound relevant. It's not like we can have a Department of Games and Entertainment....or can we?
And regarding children recreating violent scenes found in video games and not the other way around: they've got the chicken and the egg confused.
Lol, my thougths exactly Antonis!
I don't remember replicating any violent scenes in school when I grew up in Cyprus, and nor do I hear of anything like this when I go back to visit my family now.
I can't imagine the politicians have played any of the games they want to ban. Nor can imagine there is anyone that will argue against the idea. I do think it's a good idea to introduce some sort of legislation regulating the sale of games, especially in relation to minors, but please stop talking about banning something you know very little about and have no real interest in trying.
I wonder what has brought on this sudden concern about video games anyway?
It's nice that Dennis gives a map for all the non-Europeans.
~You Could Be Mine, But You're Way Out Of Line..~
LaRouche for King of Cypresss 2009! Have a tinfoil hat, son.
Or perhaps JT plans on immigrating to a country that hasn't disbarred him.
I think "bad and excessive" is a redundant phrase. Anything done in excess is already heading towards bad.
I'd guess it's just a kink in translation, i.e. whatever the original language was (Greek or Turkish, maybe?), the words used might not have the same nuances that "bad and excessive" have in English.
On the other hand, it might be redundant for the sake of emphasis (common in public speaking, which the quote may have been taken from).
I believe there is more European countries without "video game laws". It depends on what you are refering to (censorship prior to launch of a game or "ID control" of consumers buying games at retail). In Sweden we have no specific legislation, however the majority of the retailers are using PEGI and don't sell games to underage consumers based on the PEGI rating. They do it out of goodwill. Same goes to Denmark and Norway, meanwhile Finland actually have a legislation but have harmonized their law by using the PEGI symbols. Finland actually changed their rating from 11+to 12+ and 15+ to 16+ to comply with PEGI, meanwhile Portugal use PEGI but have 4+ instead of 3+.
BR,
Martin Lindell, Swedish Games Industry
As Martin said, both Denmark, Norway and Sweden do not have videogame legislation as such. In these countries there are PEGI symbols on the games. And there has been information campaigns about how these ratings are to help parents when buying games for their children. It has also been said that it is only the content of the games that is being rated, not the children's ability to play it. A game that gets a 3+ rating can be very hard for 6 year old to play. Most retail stores in Denmark won't sell an 18+ game to a 10 year old (or at least I hope not!) Of course, one cannot guarantee that a 12 year old get a parent to buy an 18+ game such as Mass Effect...but it must be the parents decision, I find.
Finland, Germany, and the UK are the only European countries that do have some kind of law or videogame legislation being passed in their respective parliaments. Of course, you could say the situation is the same in Denmark as we do have a law that sort of regulates the Media Market stating that there shall be a Media Council, independent of the governemt (and parliament) that decides what ratings the movies shown in Denmark will have. The Media Council, I think, then decided back in 2003 that Denmark should use the PEGI rating - the same rating as the other European countries use - in Denmark.
In fact, this could just be what is happening in Cyprus right now; that their parliament is deciding to use PEGI ratings....
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