(no subject)

[quietprofanity]

So, I'm going to assume you've all seen the Fox News story equivalent of a dogpile and extreme showing of blatant unprofessionalism and lack of journalistic integrity on the video game Mass Effect by now. I usually don't like to talk about journalism or politics on this LJ for the obvious reasons but I doubt I'll be covering this subject anytime soon unless another video game store opens in the area and I don't see this as an issue that really divides the parties ... actually, that's just my point.

I think video games are made the equivalent of whipping boys of both the right and left because they're pretty much the easiest medium to attack. It's not a question of "particular damage video games cause to young minds." Don't fool yourself that it is because the same "But they can't tell it's not real!" argument has been used for movies, comic books and in the past novels. And it's not a question of video games being worse than other media, because it isn't. Even if we put aside the obvious argument about the "hard" PG-13 nature of the Mass Effect sex scene, I bet you can find gore equivalents to something like Manhunt in movies if you knew where to look. (Or maybe it's not that difficult, given the torture porn genre.)

However, with video games it seems like it'll (at least indefinitely) always be a one-side debate. You complain about the violence in a movie, you've got celebrities and a whole studio and critics who may be able to knock you in the head and go, "Hey, it's not that bad!" and it all turns into a free speech thing that eventually peters out. You complain about/try to legislate a video game and it's basically people who have names, either in news or in politics, against the faceless horde of gamers and some developers locked in a closet somewhere. Or they're over in Japan ... which is pretty much the same thing.

It really annoys me. It really annoys me because while I do agree with ratings, and I do agree with putting some things as adults only the whole "PILE ON! WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST EVEN IF YOU MAY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" is frustrating. And insulting to the intelligence of the kids AND adults who play the game.

Also, I have to really question the wisdom for politicians for being hard on something against a constituency that either a.) is too young to vote, and/or b.) not powerful enough to speak with one voice, if you know what I mean. It's like, "YAY! We defeated something popular with a group that never had a chance to begin with! See how much we care!" I was a high schooler during the Columbine Massacre and a child of a gay guy and I'd gotten quite enough of older people who didn't know me or the things they were talking about telling me what was best for me, thank you very much.

Anyway, I hope that made sense ... I don't think I've gotten over my near-constant tiredness. :/

Comments

[imayb1.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not bashing D&D anymore.

Actually, even D&D bashes the video games, now. >_>;

It's just the latest trumped-up bullshit. In the early days, it was TV. Prior to that, pool halls were the devil's playground. It's always something. Stuff like that usually gets the older voters riled up about how, "Things didn't used to be like this!"

[47nite.livejournal.com]

On the topic of video games, it's like I don't want to care, but I know I'm going to get sucked into the issue eventually (especially since my classmates and I will probably be interning at a video game studio this summer). But therein lies the problem- there is apathy on the side that should be defending the video games. Your typical geeky 20-something gamer is simply too used to the graphic nature of games and couldn't give a spit what little Johnny and Suzie are being exposed to or what the exact psychological byproduct will be, if any.

When you think about it, Gen-Xer's and perhaps those in our age range see video games as a medium that has indeed evolve around them; when these gamers were all young and impressionable, the games were wholesome and- as the AVGN points out- the graphics were so sub-par you couldn't exactly expose children anyway. But, flash forward to the present and games have matured in tandemn with these now-young adults. As far as your 20-30 year-old gamers are concerned, the whole industry revolves around them. :\ They certainly don't want to deal with a perpetually pissed off Middle America. At least not until the threat of censorship comes into play (sadly).

*sigh* But I dunno. My beef almost always ends up being with the people who create these game. Because everyone knows the only way to express your creativity in a video game is to show off how horrifically you can kill someone, how to realistically hijack a car and evade police, and how little a female character needs to wear and still be a 'strong role model'. =.= If I want to be upset with Faux News and the citizens of Jesusland, it'll be over something that genuinely affects our very future on this planet.