Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

January 21, 2010

Outspoken anti-game MP Keith Vaz pulled out of a scheduled debate with game industry luminaries and politicians at the last minute, much to the chagrin of everyone involved.

Vaz was scheduled to appear at the Westiminster eForum debate, reports MCVUK, alongside Electronic Arts’ Keith Ramsdale, TIGA CEO Richard Wilson, Eidos’ Ian Livingstone and fellow politicians Tom Watson and Ed Vaizey, but did not show, leaving organizers to explain to the assembled crowd that Vaz could not make it.

Vaz then became a subject of ridicule, with just about everyone in the room taking pot shots at the AWOL MP.

Livingstone attempted to fill in for Vaz, mouthing phrases like “Games are evil, games are terrible, games are turning children into killers,” while Vaizey added that perhaps Vaz should now be known as “Keith Chavez” in deference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Vaizey added that he thought Vaz’s stance on games was “totally wrong,” noting that a game currently appears on the Parliament website and “no one has been killed yet.”

Ramsdale lamented Vaz's absence, saying, "You want to understand where his head is now after being so negative about the videogame industry."

Posted in

Comments

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Mon, 01/25/2010 - 09:17.

He chickened out.

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by State on Sat, 01/23/2010 - 06:45.

Not a surprise really, it's too easy for Vaz to make a few unfounded statements in Parliament in front of all those MPs who don't really care or have much knowledge on the subject (although there are now a couple of exceptions, Watson and Vaizey) but at this debate he'd be shown up for what he is and he wouldn't be able to claim that some amatuer Flash games on the web are an example of the industry as a whole.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by vellocet on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 00:05.

I may not agree with him... But the fact that he can't stand up for what he believes in is embarrassing. Vaz, you should lose all credibility with those that even have the myopia to follow you. Even Jack Thompson stood up and spoke for what he believed.

I'd like to hear the reason. I don't know how politics works in the UK, but what are the odds that anyone will vote for him now?

------- Morality has always been in decline. As you get older, you notice it. When you were younger, you enjoyed it.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Drazgal on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 04:21.

Fairly high since he is in a labour safe seat. Plus nobody really cares about his anti video game stance as it just isn't important to most voters.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by SticKboy on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 05:03.

"Plus nobody really cares about his anti video game stance as it just isn't important to most voters."

Especially as coverage of video-games and gaming by mainstream media in the UK is becoming more and more even handed. Give it a year or two at the very most and I think anti-game activists will be seen as the lunatic fringe they really are.

-- teh moominz --

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Nocturne on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 06:55.

It's getting kind of difficult for any mainstream name to make negative comments about gaming when just about all of them have appeared on a Nintendo advert.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Cerabret100 on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 20:55.

So he just completely bailed? no attempt to contact the organizers before OR after to explain why he did not appear?

What is it with fanatic anti-game people that causes them to commit self inflicted suicide of their reputation?

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 18:20.

must... resist... the urge... to copypasta... oh, screw it:

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by C. Aaron Browbo... on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 20:58.

oh hell i'll ante up....

http://www.samizdata.net/blog/~pdeh/epicFAIL.jpg

Jesus Jack Jones Thompson loves you, so kill for his amusement so we can get money for the new "People's Temple of Jesus Jack Jones Thompson"

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by DarkTetsuya on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 18:15.

Ramsdale lamented Vaz's absence, saying, "You want to understand where his head is now after being so negative about the videogame industry."

Yeah I think we all 'understand where his head is.' (how he manages to breathe with it so far up there, I'll never know. :P)

300 Episodes and counting: http://www.orangeloungeradio.com/

400 Episodes, TEN YEARS and counting: http://www.orangeloungeradio.com/ | Voice of Geeks Network - http://www.vognetwork.com

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 08:58.

He keeps it there too long and his lungs will have to adapt to accept methane.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by killatia on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 17:33.

I knew he had no balls when it comes to this.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Zerodash on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 17:10.

Keith Vaz has the games industry right where he wants them.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 19:26.

Next step is "It´s a conspirancy!" argument.

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by PxDnNinja on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:40.

Did he give a reason for not showing up?

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Magic on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 05:19.

I can't find one in the MCV UK article and I'd love to know it.

Let's be civil about it and give him the benefit of the doubt - he may have had a genuine reason to not attend.

That said, he did sign up for it, presumably knowing full well he'd be an anti-gaming MP surrounded by pro-gaming executives and other MPs who have done positive work for the industry.

Very courageous of him. :)

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:39.

Predictable. Those with no defense do their hardest to avoid having to try to defend.

Re: Vaz Bails on Debate with Game Biz Foes

Submitted by Andrew Eisen on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:12.

Gee, a prominent anti-game activist backing out of a debate? Wow, I've never heard of that happening...

Andrew Eisen

Shout box

Cecil475: @PHX Corp - The dude's a moron who wouldn't know crap if it came up and kicked him.05/19/2013 - 6:36am

PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-developer-calls-wii-u-crap-and-nintendo-wa-508481261 EA Sports Canada Moron calls Wii U 'Crap' and Nintendo 'Walking Dead'05/18/2013 - 11:42am

E. Zachary Knight: If the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am

E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am

MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am

E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am

MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am

E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm

E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm

Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am

E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am

MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am

E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am

Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am

Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm

Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm

Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm

E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm

quiknkold: REBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm

IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm

All shouts

<< Return To Top

Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :