Video Game Watchdog Shuts Down!

Eyeron

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But there was no video game report card this year, and there won't be any more. The institute is closing its doors, a victim of the poor economy. Walsh, the group's founder and president, is packing his books as his staff of eight full-time employees prepares to shut down Dec. 23.
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http://apnews.myway.com//article/20091218/D9CM0AO00.html

In short, Walsh's National Institute on Media and the Family is shutting down. I am not sorry to see it go.

Basically these are the people who brought you the "violent video games cause kids to go out and eat the entrails of your kids" argument to the fore and because of them have the rating system you see on computer games today. They've left their mark, but I am not sorry to see them go. I have never felt comfortable with those kinds of arguments because it just seems so much like it's scapegoating as well as attacking the symptoms of violent behavior in order to have the outward appearance of peace and tranquility. It seems to me that the outward behavior and appearance of these kinds of people who put forth these kinds of arguments is what is important, not what's really going on inside.

Plus they just don't see that video games really do not cause vilent behavior. However, I don't how else to explain it.
 
because of them have the rating system you see on computer games today.
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Oh good heavens! A tool to allow parents to make more informed decisions about how their children spend their time.

I'm not a fan of banning games because of violent content or that d-bag that got disbarred in Florida, but a rating system is actually a pretty decent idea, if used correctly.
 
Donal said:
Oh good heavens! A tool to allow parents to make more informed decisions about how their children spend their time.

I'm not a fan of banning games because of violent content or that d-bag that got disbarred in Florida, but a rating system is actually a pretty decent idea, if used correctly.
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This is also the group that says war games are aok, but a blowjob is unforgivable in a game(GTA), even when it nearly impossible to access by accident.
 
They were actually vocal against violence in games. Their problem with GTA: San Andreas is that it actually had the Hot Coffee minigame in the product. It wasn't some fan made mod like RockStar first claimed. It was unlocked by an easily accessible cheat code. What they wanted is for Rockstar to apologize and for the game to receive a high ESRB rating.

And I really can't sympathize with your desire for 9 years olds to be able to simulate sex acts.
 
Remember this one?

"I'm planning on saving the Planet"

picture.php


So far, all is well...
 
We have a video game watch group, set up under pressure from Congress, called the ESRB. If you look on the back of every video game sold in the US, there is a rating, along with the reasons for it.

For instance, Mass Effect is rated "M" for "Mature 17+" and features Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, and Violence. It's all right there on the back of the friggin' game packaging.

If 9 year olds are simulating sex, then something has screwed up somewhere. And that's nothing a "video game report card" is going to solve because, again, the rating is already there on the packaging.
 
I always wonder how these folks explain the rather horrific violence that humans have always been capable of...Long before there was anything like a video game.

Even Shakespeare liked to use effects to produce real blood and gore during his plays.
 
Rogue1stclass said:
We have a video game watch group, set up under pressure from Congress, called the ESRB. If you look on the back of every video game sold in the US, there is a rating, along with the reasons for it.
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And where did the pressure on Congress come from?

For instance, Mass Effect is rated "M" for "Mature 17+" and features Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, and Violence. It's all right there on the back of the friggin' game packaging.
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Yes, because of the rating system. Eyeron's comment made it seem like he thought that was a bad thing.

If 9 year olds are simulating sex, then something has screwed up somewhere. And that's nothing a "video game report card" is going to solve because, again, the rating is already there on the packaging.
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So, what is your problem then? Do you not agree with the idea of rating systems?
 
Not sure who's had more of an effect - this group or everybody's favorite wacky litigator Jack Thompson.

What's his beef nowadays?
 
Donal said:
Do you not agree with the idea of rating systems?
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The second that the bible is rated Mature for it's Mature content, I'm fine with rating systems. Otherwise, they're clearly attempts at suppressing the sales of certain types of media.
 
The ESRB has effectively censored games since its inception. Yes it's a bad thing. Games usually don't hide their contents. It's obvious that aren't going to be playing barbie in GTA and you aren't going to be getting blow jobs in Spongebob Goes to Town. It's good enough that any parent who claims to be concerned about what their children play can tell what is naughty and what is nice just by looking at the box (or heaven help them read a review online). Or they could just buy a nintendo console thus negating 95% of any "controversial" games.
 
Policenaut said:
Or they could just buy a nintendo console thus negating 95% of any "controversial" games.
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OH!

I'd say it's more like 75%, but still worth a :dice

Edit: Nah, 95%'s good. I forgot how badly they massacred manhunt 2 (like it needed to be any worse for cryin' out loud!) for the wii.
 
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Eyeron's comment made it seem like he thought that was a bad thing.
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I have mixed feelings about ratings like that.

1 I am against censorship. I believe if there's something you don't like then just don't purchase it or turn the channel. Don't take the choice away from other people just because you (general not specific) are uncomfortable with it. Also, such ratings do indeed lead to censorship. But I also feel that parents do have a right to know what is in the product for their children because I am a strong supporter of parents rights.

2. It's the very thought that gave rise to the rating system that I abhor. The underlying claims are:"we don't want our children to become Satan worshiping animal sacrificing little monsters so we demand a rating system!" kind of junk.

3. And of course there is the apply morality even aspect of this. For example, the vast majority of news is "somebody blew up a building somebody stole a car somebody got away somebody didn't get too far" so why shouldn't the news be rated in a similar? Or in a slippery slope, why not just have a ratings system for any kind of product. Please, just think of the children....
 
JoeyDonuts said:
Not sure who's had more of an effect - this group or everybody's favorite wacky litigator Jack Thompson.

What's his beef nowadays?
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Jack's fragile twiglike mind finally snapped completely and he's been permanently disbarred:

On July 8, 2008, Judge Tunis recommended permanent disbarment and a $43,675.35 fine for Thompson to the Florida Supreme Court.[138][139][140] The court approved the recommendation and fine on September 25, 2008, and ordered that Thompson be permanently disbarred effective 30 days from the date of the order so Thompson could close out his practice.[141][142] He later filed for an emergency stay of the Florida Supreme Court's order with the U.S. District Court, which was ultimately denied...


On September 19, 2009, Thompson announced that he intended to resume practicing law as of October 1, 2009, claiming that he was "never disbarred" because all of the orders resulting in his disbarment were legal nullities.[146] He dared The Florida Bar to get a court order to stop him.
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"Your honor, I object on the grounds that LALALALALLALALALALALALAICANTHEARYOULALALALA!!! I cite the case of DoOver vs. NoTagBacks".
 
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Donal said:
They were actually vocal against violence in games. Their problem with GTA: San Andreas is that it actually had the Hot Coffee minigame in the product. It wasn't some fan made mod like RockStar first claimed. It was unlocked by an easily accessible cheat code. What they wanted is for Rockstar to apologize and for the game to receive a high ESRB rating.

And I really can't sympathize with your desire for 9 years olds to be able to simulate sex acts.
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Wrong. It was only accessible through a mod, because the minigame existed in a way that could never be accessed without modification to the game programming to allow it. Often times programmers for a myriad of reasons cannot remove content from a game, and must basically hide it within the code.

It only ever showed up on the PC port of the game, which is only because that version could be modded to allow access to hidden parts of the programming code.

Hardly an "easily accessible cheat code", more like programming 102.

EDIT: It did show up on the consoles for those people tech savvy enough to hack their consoles. Again, little Timmy (who shouldn't be playing GTA anyway) isn't going to be able to access it without a little bit of programming.
 
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KingMerv00 said:
Jack's fragile twiglike mind finally snapped completely and he's been permanently disbarred:
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And there was much rejoicing.

*yaaaaaaaay!*

I wonder if he's got the time to commit to his whole Batman shtick now. And there's always ambulance chasing...oh wait. He can't even do that.

You know, I don't usually revel in another person falling flat on their ass, but that makes me very happy. That man has no business practicing law, or speaking for that matter.
 
Donal said:
They were actually vocal against violence in games. Their problem with GTA: San Andreas is that it actually had the Hot Coffee minigame in the product. It wasn't some fan made mod like RockStar first claimed. It was unlocked by an easily accessible cheat code. What they wanted is for Rockstar to apologize and for the game to receive a high ESRB rating.

And I really can't sympathize with your desire for 9 years olds to be able to simulate sex acts.
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No! Wrong! Fail!
Activating the mini game required using hacking tools to change the game's programming. Then a patch was made of this alteration which would apply the changes to the game without having to know how to use the hacking tools or know which bits to alter. Further, new textures were created and added to the game - a mod - to make the girlfriends appear nude. It was this mod - which both activated the minigame and added the textures - that was shown to Rockstar, who weren't lying when they said "we didn't do this!"
Without the nude textures, the minigame is fairly inoffensive - the characters are all clothed. Even with the nude textures, the male character is STILL clothed and doesn't have a penis. I'm not aware of any mods that made the male character nude or gave him a penis. Probably because there's not a lot of overlap between people that play games like GTA and people that like looking at naked aroused men.
And finally, let's keep things in perspective: this wasn't a game for 9 year olds, with or without the mod. If the thought of it simply being possible to enable a mode where you simulate sex bothers you, but the fact that the rest of the game is ALL ABOUT being a violent gang member does not, then you have a problem. And if you think the last part would be otherwise appropriate for 9 year olds, then you REALLY have a problem.
 
No, no, if there's simulated sex on the news for having been in some way involved with a video game, "YOU" want 9 year olds to be "simulating sex".

You disgusting people. How dare you.
 
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