Fox News Says Bulletstorm Could Make You a Rapist

[Raype]

Did we cover the bit where it's illegal to sell M rated games to minors in most places?

I don't think we did.

Gee, it's almost like *le gasp* this stuff isn't supposed to be easy for minors to get their hands on.

Without an adult's help. And you'd think if a 17 year old was, I dunno, raised properly, they might decide to not give Bloodbath XII to their 10 year old brother?

Must be new to Lee.
Other than that every generation had its screw ups, but the youngest generation is fucking everything up beyond repair. Just like how people blame G. Bush for Iraq, but one man didn't send us to war, it was the people that voted and paid for it.

Explain how anything the current generation is doing anything worse than the last couple thousand generations.

Or how sneaking violent videogames is any worse than my parents (who are currently grandparents to "this generation") sneaking into R rated movies that were caked with blood, sex, and violence.

Hell, the kids nowadays are somewhat more controlled in certain ways. Back in those days carrying weapons to school was considered in-fashion. Which, inevitably, lead to a stabbing or two when tempers flared. When I and my considerably older siblings were growing up playground fistfights were commonplace. Try pulling that shit today with all those zero tolerance policies in place.

Plus, last i checked, physical discipline was still legal. You just can't go overboard like you could before. But hey, if you need to leave a scar to make a point, you're probably a pretty lousy parent anyway.

I do say, old chap, we have to put a stop to all these parents bringing their children to the town square to see us carry out executions. I fear that they may lead a militant revolt. Which is a shame, because children make for such great soldiers once our conscription runs low.

[Quiji]

Logic does not work in General Gaming. Everyone knows this.

[JMWolves]

makes you wonder how the get research for this kind of stuff( if any)
Thousands of people will be playin this game, yes even good people
Most of us will just laugh at same of the names, not think oh i'll go out and do that

[Dr. Ivo Robotnik]

makes you wonder how the get research for this kind of stuff( if any)
Thousands of people will be playin this game, yes even good people
Most of us will just laugh at same of the names, not think oh i'll go out and do that

That's the argument people like the fearmongerers at Fox News avoid religiously. The fact that the portion of people influenced by these games (or years ago, those movies, or before that, that horrible music) is completely infinitesimal won't look good on your reports. If Fox were to report: "Warning. This game could make dangerously unstable people more unstable!" nobody would care. They HAVE to be bloody sensationalist morons, because that's how they score screentime.

[unnoticedninja]

I think it's sometimes possible for children to get M rated games, but in most situations, children under 12 or 13 don't go looking for people to borrow games from, they have a fit and get their parent to get it for them. Most parents don't care if their child watches R rated movies and doesn't even read the back of a game when they buy it for their child. I hope someone can tell me why violence is more accepted than sex in video games and movies, because most of those parents say that they'll let their kid play violent games, but if it has sex or nudity its 100% not allowed.

[Dr. Ivo Robotnik]

I think it's sometimes possible for children to get M rated games, but in most situations, children under 12 or 13 don't go looking for people to borrow games from, they have a fit and get their parent to get it for them. Most parents don't care if their child watches R rated movies and doesn't even read the back of a game when they buy it for their child. I hope someone can tell me why violence is more accepted than sex in video games and movies, because most of those parents say that they'll let their kid play violent games, but if it has sex or nudity its 100% not allowed.

It's one of those old oddities in the industry. Puts me in mind of the WoW forums. Some time ago someone made a thread on the 'shocking' sex-jokes etc in-game, whine whine complain complain. Someone replied with the following post:

"You know we kill people in the game too? Shocking, I know."

[Raype]

makes you wonder how the get research for this kind of stuff( if any)
Thousands of people will be playin this game, yes even good people
Most of us will just laugh at same of the names, not think oh i'll go out and do that

It usually comes down to "I'm a scientist and I specialize in this field, so my opinion is...". Most often it's some low grade researcher at a second rate university trying to push his/her latest book, without having done anything remotely similar to the scientific process to reach this hypothesis. Speaking of which, the scientist here has a book out in a couple months about child psychology. Go buy it.

The other end comes down to "the kid played a lot of videogames then killed a bunch of people", or when someone finally gets access to some killer's place they find a stack of videogames there somewhere. Of course, by this logic owning a toothbrush makes you a child molester and having a few dirty dishes in your sink may lead to genocide.

[unnoticedninja]

The other end comes down to "the kid played a lot of videogames then killed a bunch of people", or when someone finally gets access to some killer's place they find a stack of videogames there somewhere. Of course, by this logic owning a toothbrush makes you a child molester and having a few dirty dishes in your sink may lead to genocide.

^This. Next thing you know the news will be saying that anyone who watches porn is a rapist.

[Dr. Ivo Robotnik]

It usually comes down to "I'm a scientist and I specialize in this field, so my opinion is...". Most often it's some low grade researcher at a second rate university trying to push his/her latest book, without having done anything remotely similar to the scientific process to reach this hypothesis. Speaking of which, the scientist here has a book out in a couple months about child psychology. Go buy it.

The other end comes down to "the kid played a lot of videogames then killed a bunch of people", or when someone finally gets access to some killer's place they find a stack of videogames there somewhere. Of course, by this logic owning a toothbrush makes you a child molester and having a few dirty dishes in your sink may lead to genocide.

You just summarised my thoughts when I read part of the OP. To wit, this part:

And if that's not alarmist enough for you, psychologist and author Carol Lieberman took it one step further, directly blaming videogames for a rise in sexual violence. "The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in videogames," she said.

Nice bit of evidence for her statement, well backed-up, don't you agree?

[rabidmedia]

NononoNONONO!!! Fox is full of shit!!! Games do NOT create killers, rapists, drug abusers or anything else they say. Stuck up bastards that say that kinda shit DO! the problem is not when kids start playing games, it's when they are told games are bad, and the rebelion kicks in. All games do is create lazy teenagers with a fondness for winning. Killers are going to kill, rapists are going to rape, and there's nothing anyone can do about any of it! STOP TRYING TO BLAME SOMETHING FOR EVERYTHING BAD!
This is a topic that really pisses me off! I can't stand ignorant High-Society AssHoles trying to shit on everyone's fun because "it's not productive" or "it's pointless"
I'm gonna stop typing, now, before I get into a frenzy....

[Dr. Ivo Robotnik]

NononoNONONO!!! Fox is full of shit!!! Games do NOT create killers, rapists, drug abusers or anything else they say. Stuck up bastards that say that kinda shit DO! the problem is not when kids start playing games, it's when they are told games are bad, and the rebelion kicks in. All games do is create lazy teenagers with a fondness for winning. Killers are going to kill, rapists are going to rape, and there's nothing anyone can do about any of it! STOP TRYING TO BLAME SOMETHING FOR EVERYTHING BAD!
This is a topic that really pisses me off! I can't stand ignorant High-Society AssHoles trying to shit on everyone's fun because "it's not productive" or "it's pointless"
I'm gonna stop typing, now, before I get into a frenzy....

...breathe in, breathe out

[Lee]

NononoNONONO!!! Fox is full of shit!!! Games do NOT create killers, rapists, drug abusers or anything else they say. Stuck up bastards that say that kinda shit DO! the problem is not when kids start playing games, it's when they are told games are bad, and the rebelion kicks in. All games do is create lazy teenagers with a fondness for winning. Killers are going to kill, rapists are going to rape, and there's nothing anyone can do about any of it! STOP TRYING TO BLAME SOMETHING FOR EVERYTHING BAD!
This is a topic that really pisses me off! I can't stand ignorant High-Society AssHoles trying to shit on everyone's fun because "it's not productive" or "it's pointless"
I'm gonna stop typing, now, before I get into a frenzy....

Right, before...

[Raype]

You just summarised my thoughts when I read part of the OP. To wit, this part:



Nice bit of evidence for her statement, well backed-up, don't you agree?

Absolutely. Love how she quoted statistics on the percentages of rapes being committed in the US, as well as how they've gone up every year since the mid 90's and the advent of many mature gaming franchises, as well as the increase in juvenile delinquincy. Not to mention how the internet boom and the creation of interactive sex games lead to immediate and easily noticeable spikes in rapes. And how both the numbers and the rates have gone up (because numbers aren't the only important factor here. If your population goes up, say, 50 million (or about 20% give or take) or so, then surely there'd be a slight increase in crime, right?). Furthermore, her linking of this behaviour with established psychological concepts and her extensive research make her quite the excellent source of information. Because her degree clearly states that she specializes in child psychology and the development cycle.

[Alan Heer]

Just the other day, our local news stated that Facebook was at fault for the rise in divorces. Then my grandmother said that computers and the internet have completely destroyed the world. Both made claims that can not be easily backed up without, I don't know, say, evidence. I rest my case that those that don't understand a technology or use it will inevitably bash it in someway or another. That big guy from Penn and Teller said something similar in a Game informer interview. Just you watch, we'll be bashing some new technology when we're older as well.

Also if a parent allows their child to play an M rated game and said M rated game caused the child to go on a massacre, then said parent is to blame partially. The child is responsible for his or her actions, but the parent is to also take responsibility for shoddy parenting. Letting your child play M games because they are going to play them anyway is shoddy parenting. For that matter, a court would not accept that type of defense if a child was caught drunk or on drugs so I doubt it would not accept it for M rated games if/when the games themselves were the direct cause.

Personally, I think all tv news is overhyped and they tend to miss the point of what journalism is about by being biased one way or another. The only real way to find out what is happening is to see all sides at once and determine your opinion. Otherwise you'll always be told half truths and sensational propaganda. The issue is further helped and expanded by the internet. There are many more sources and many more opinions so while there are more angles to draw upon, there are many more. Most people will not watch/read this much news and instead watch only their favorite, but all people make mistakes and you may find yourself believing that all gamers are rapists or that facebook will ruin your marriage and cause divorce. You could believe that a magic pill will make you slim by will alone instead of through complex changes that may have side effects. Or you could believe that if your hair is long, you belong in a metal band.

[Krxons]

Because as we all know, this game was aimed to children and not to adults. Give me a fucking break. I hate to see this kind of crap on news. "Ooohhh, my child is playing a violent video game! What should I do!?" Well, you're the damned parent! If you don't like a child playing a certain game, don't buy it/let them buy it!!!

Krxons *RANT MODE* off.