Should Manhunt/GTA/etc. be banned?

[MDK]

I got Harvest Moon for the game boy the other day and now I have an overwhelming urge to build a farm...

But seriously, if we are to ban games lets start with Barbies Fun World and Britneys Dance Routine because these games make me want to kill people with claw hammers

[apsham]

Chris Rock said it best, in reference to everyone getting worked up over the school shootings:

"What were they listening to? Who cares what they were listening to. What the fuck was Hitler listening to? What was in his CD case? What were they listening to? What happened to crazy? You can't be crazy no more?"

[gunnar hendershow]

My parents don't let me (16) purchase Mature games since my brother can get a hold of them and play them.

If all parents did this then everything would be fine with the world. As unfair as it is, it makes sense.

[ROC]

Stories like this just make me wanna frickin' puke. The only reason any parent ever blames video games is because they cannot take responsibility for an action that, as said before, was just going to happen anyway. Now I can't give a way that this could be avoided because honestly, I don't know how it can be avoided, but to blame a video game for a death is like blaming cigarette makers for getting lung cancer. (and sadly, both of those things are happening in modern society)

[stokeriño]

Stories like this just make me wanna frickin' puke. The only reason any parent ever blames video games is because they cannot take responsibility for an action that, as said before, was just going to happen anyway. Now I can't give a way that this could be avoided because honestly, I don't know how it can be avoided, but to blame a video game for a death is like blaming cigarette makers for getting lung cancer. (and sadly, both of those things are happening in modern society)

←

Or McDonalds for making them obese.

*slaps burger right out of their fat, greasy hands*

[fineintent]

Or McDonalds for making them obese.

*slaps burger right out of their fat, greasy hands*

Yeah, heaven forbid you eat fatty foods and get fat.

"But I didn't know that really greasy burger was fatty. It's got lettus in it..."

I've never got the whole eating loads of McDonalds - people say they eat it because they're cheap, when in reality how much cheaper is it to by a loaf of bread and something for a sandwich?

Ronald McDonald must be laughing his red head right the fuck off.

[Guest The Psychotic One]

I say ban everything except The Brady Bunch.

Well... even that had incest.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Sonic The Hedgehog for making people jump on others until they're dead.

Out of context because Sonic and co. were liberating innocent animals imprisioned in metallic robots. He was freeing them.

Obviously the majority of the gamers disagree with you.

I agree with Apple|Shampoo. The idea of Manhunt is litterally... no, ther is no idea. It's a pointless game. Grand Theft Auto had somewhat of a purpose at least with the look at the world of crime - Manhunt is just flat out gore for the sake of it. There's no substancial story to it. This could be just me and a select few, but I like my games to have a reson to them.

Manhunt is hardly an X-Rated game.

Your only objective is to kill anyone who dares to get in your way. To do so, you can do anything from use a paper bag to literally hacking them up. I'd consider it X-Rated. But I agree that there are films that are MUCH worse. Watch some of the films the Japanese directors put out - it's absolutely fucking madness.

Fuck, I want to rip open these people's heads and see if they really do have shits for brains. Maybe, if they grew up with video games the circumstances would be different.

This is one of the reasons why people won't take the video games industry seriously in this debate. Yes, that is such a great way to express it. That won't make people think you are perfectly sane from using games for years.

However, I'm in agreement. I believe it was said by some doctors at one point that it's possible that people with a violent streak will tend to go for violent entertainment. If someone is a happy and cheerful person, will they go put on a Britney Spears CD or a Drowning Pool CD? They'd go for something cheerful, because they are that kind of person. The boy who killed this 14 year old was obviously as a person, interested in the darker side of life. So when he saw this game (and why kids these ages have consoles in the first place is baffelling - I was lucky enough to have a Mega Drive as a kid, although I loved that console with all my heart ), he took it to heart. And he decided he wanted to experience this for himself. That is a problem with himself. I don't know what his parenting situation was, but it's obvious he never got the proper guidance.

It's also obvious the parents are absolutley devestated at the events of their son's death. I'd be fucking pissed too if it was my son. But they are using games as the excuse for their son's death. It's not the name that makes a man, it's his creed. This guy was messed up. He had no-one telling him he couldn't have the game.

I don't think anyone that young should be playing games like this at such an age. But to say it's the game manufacturer's fault is to poorly lay blame somewhere for the sake of laying blame. The blame lies squarely with these people:

- THE PARENTS OF THE KILLER

For whatever reason, they were not there. Now, if he was an orphan, I would say it's not the responsibility of the parents. However, I don't see that being the case. I know you can only do so much as a parent, but you must at least recognize that your son will be affected by the things he sees. If you cannot recognize when your son isn't mentally sound, then you must partly accept the blame for your son's actions.

- THE GOVERNMENT

Right now, there is nothing specific forcing distributors and/or sellers to refuse to sell a game. With an 18 film, there is a little chance that a 14-year old could buy the game. But with a game, it's passed off and then kids buy these games they shouldn't be going near. Their parents do nothing, and the games shops do nothing. And so do the government. They need to make it 100% clear that NO GAME with the Mature, X-Rated, or age certificate ratings can be sold to anyone under that specific age. They need to threaten shops with fines if they do so. They need to enforce the fucking law. Do that, and people can't complain.

- THE KILLER IN QUESTION

Duh. A bit obvious. What they also need to do is to figure out why this kid did what he did, how he got this game, and what type of relationship he has with his parents. They did a profile on him I believe and found out that he should be pretty sane, but I think he obviously has an issue with not being able to decifer reality from fantasy. They need to take a look at this kid and ask themselves why he did this, and what the real impact was. Not just assume it's games. Never assume - actually take the time to find out the reasons why this happens. They might actually get it right this time.

So yeah. That's my stance. I've played games for years, and I've never had a problem with realizing stuff like Tekken, Sonic, GTA and Resident Evil were not real. My parents never let me have something unless they were sure I was mature enough to handle it, and they helped me to understand what was right and what was wrong. That is what you do as a parent.

Edited August 2, 2004 by britneyspearsisgod

[fineintent]

I agree with you BSIG except for the whole Drowning Pool/Britney thing.

I'd like to think of myself as a cheerful, happy person and am only violent in self defense and, although I think Drowning Pool are shite, listen to metal music, and rap, and techno, and drum n bass - basically all kinds of music, but not the bumblegum 'cheerful' music. I know people who listen to death metal who are cheerful and happy, and wouldn't dream of killing someone and so that part of your argument isn't very valid.

[Colly]

I think a lot more blame needs to be put on the parents of the victim, simply because of the fact they allowed their 14 year old son to go into the woods with a 17 year old to 'meet some girls'. If that happened to me when I was 14 I wouldn't be let out of the house. Not that I'd know any rogue 17 year olds anyway.

I haven't played Manhunt a lot myself, like a few others I found it boring after half an hour, but isn't the story basically a slightly more violent version of the Running Man? The film is a good 15 year old, the book older, and although the game is a tad more gritty (what isn't these days?) it still shares a lot of characteristics with the story. In this sense I dont think its violence for violence's sake, I think its actually a quite well thought out story, clearly only designed for over 18s. GTA games could probably be played by under 18's, just because most of the violence etc. is done in a cartoony, funny way. Manhunt on the other hand is a true 18 game, and is as graphic as an 18 film would be. Retailers need to be aware that with improving technology, they must be as strict with games as they are with films.

[EZE]

Bad parenting nuff said. When my mum and dad were children EVERYONE kep their doors and windows open on the houses and played out. Little theft, little murder. Parents were responsible, they TAUGHT their children right and wrong. These days parents just shove the children in front of the tv to play games watch programs. They dont censor what they do.

Video Gaming is an escape from reality. But when you swithc the power off, your back to the reality we all know and love (uhm..). Your fucked up in the head if you go on a killing spree because of it. Though Manhunt is ridiculous - games like GTA, Mortal Kombat etc have a clearly defined line between reality and the game world.

Ban 'em if you want. But only after I get GTA San Andreas!!!! That game looks the biziness